X-bolt accuracy problems...HELP....

[MudRunner2005]

Also try changing scopes before you mess with anything else. I don't care that it's a new scope, Vortex is always beloved for their warranty but that's because people have to use it all the time. ANY rifle scope no matter how expensive or new it is can fail.

My XBolt stock took some serious getting used to. The shape of the stock where your trigger hand sits feels nice but when I would dry fire I couldn't believe how much I was pushing or pulling shots. I spent a good hour dry firing at my target off a bench before I felt I had a good technique for that rifle. The XBolt platform is pretty light and any errors or bad form show up a lot.

I've never had to use my Vortex warranty, and they're on big magnums...

 

[Browninglover1]

Mudrunner you shouldn't have to use their warranty very often, if ever, when you buy an upper end scope. However it doesnt take much searching to find endless posts of great warranty service that people have experienced proving that it gets used a bunch.

If strange things are happening you can't explain with loading or shooting techniques I always will break a rifle down, remount everything and change scopes to see if that fixes the problem. I'm not singling out Vortex but just saying don't say it can't be the "new" scope when it very well could be.

Given my history with the XBolt I'm more inclined to believe shooter error due to inconsistent technique because like I said previously it took me a good hour to get consistent with my rifle from the bench.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Mudrunner you shouldn't have to use their warranty very often, if ever, when you buy an upper end scope. However it doesnt take much searching to find endless posts of great warranty service that people have experienced proving that it gets used a bunch.

If strange things are happening you can't explain with loading or shooting techniques I always will break a rifle down, remount everything and change scopes to see if that fixes the problem. I'm not singling out Vortex but just saying don't say it can't be the "new" scope when it very well could be.

Given my history with the XBolt I'm more inclined to believe shooter error due to inconsistent technique because like I said previously it took me a good hour to get consistent with my rifle from the bench.

I do the same, and I agree, I was just curious as to why the throwing of Vortex under the bus, on a specific level. But I got you now. We're on the same page.

My A-Bolt II did that, and it was definitely not shooter error... I still don't know what the hell it was, but it sure wasn't me or the Zeiss or the Kahles sitting on top of it, when I tested out both scopes to verify they weren't broken... The only other factor at play was the barrel.

 

[Browninglover1]

Try a different bullet too. I have a buddy who's rifle will stack the Bergers and Sierras into little holes all day long. He bought some Nosler Custom Competitions and they'll shoot 3 in the same hole and then string a couple. It's not always the last shots but the final groups seem to be similar with 3 tightly clustered and one or two noticeable flyers he doesnt see with other bullets. Try a Berger or even a standard Accubond and see if you can get some consistency.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Try a different bullet too. I have a buddy who's rifle will stack the Bergers and Sierras into little holes all day long. He bought some Nosler Custom Competitions and they'll shoot 3 in the same hole and then string a couple. It's not always the last shots but the final groups seem to be similar with 3 tightly clustered and one or two noticeable flyers he doesnt see with other bullets. Try a Berger or even a standard Accubond and see if you can get some consistency.

My situation might have been a bit different. My rifle HAD been previously shooting the same load into ragged holes, then the following day took the rifle and same box of ammo I had loaded before, and several other of my "known loads" for that rifle...And it wouldn't shoot ANYTHING into less than a 2" group. Where it had shot all 3 of those loads into bughole groups just the day before. It was like it literally went bad overnight, without anything being done to the rifle... And it never shot right again. Scrubbed the bore and tried it again the following weekend, still did the same thing. So I did what I do best.......Solved the problem. With a new barrel.

 

[deadlift]

Here are a couple ideas of issues that have plagued some rifles I've seen: 1) try a hotter/colder primer, personally I use CCI BR's in anything under 80 grains and I mostly run Retumbo. 2) have you "loaded" the bipod? Shoot prone and load some pressure into the rifle. 3) Don't load the bipod. And lastly switch scopes, I personally had a PST that went back just for that reason right after I mounted it.
Also try a pad of cardboard under the tip of the forend, to use as a pressure pad.
Just a couple ideas that hadn't been hit. And don't forget the group buy!
Chris
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[Dust270WSM]

Thanks for the ideas!!! Will try them. And would love to try retumbo but it's like a unicorn...lol impossible to find.

Also how much to change the barrel in my X-Bolt? Also can u lighten the Trigger more than the factory minimum which is way to heavy for me. Lol

 

[deadlift]

Right now the group buys running and that puts you at $700 for the rebarrel. Not much we can do with the trigger though, we just don't see enough of them to be 100%
Chris
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