Sighting in question

Major Sights

Major Sights

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
47   0   0
Location
Westlock, AB
So I picked up a new Savage Axis in .308 a couple weeks ago and managed to get it sighted in with 150gr power shock federal. After I got them on paper at 100y I had an average of 1.5 MOA (plenty good enough for me) but when I held up my end, and manged to get a hang of such a heavy trigger I got several 1MOA and even a 3/4MOA group. I had another box of 180gr powershock federal on hand and I decided to toss some of those down range just for the S&G of it. I expected it to hit low, which it did by 3-4 inches, but it also his left about 3-4 inches and the group was at the very best 4MOA. Anyone experience such a difference like this?

Pick of my best 3 shot (the 4th one out of the group was after scope adjustment and beginning of new group)

Sorry no pics of the 180gr group as my shooting partner unloaded his sks a couple times onto my target.....
 
Last edited:
It is very common for different ammo to shoot a different unpredictable point of impact and group size.
 
guntech said:
It is very common for different ammo to shoot a different unpredictable point of impact and group size.
Click to expand...
I wish more people knew that. Not uncommon here to see folks blasting away with any assortment of old ammo and then use the "good stuff" for hunting without checking the POI.
 
Ya I expected it to drop and maybe some slight left or right (wasn't expecting 3-4 inches left or right) but it was the 4MOA that surprised me, and try as I may I could not get the group to close up any. Once I switched back to the 150gr it was back to 1 - 1.5 MOA.
 
There's no rhyme or reason to where the POI will shift with an ammo swap, or whether it will shift at all. Same thing with group size, but heavier barrels and solid bedding do tend toward being a bit more forgiving.

Its sort of like the patient who went to the doctor;

Patient: "It hurts when I do this."

Doctor: "Well don't do that".
 
Two identical rifles will shoot the same ammo differently too. It's why if you're not reloading you have to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best.
 
The kid's Stevens 200 in 308win is like this.
One small hiccup in the bullet or powder flavour and it wanders
like a bar fly.
Hence my luv for my BLR81 in 358win.
Three different bullet weights and two different powder charges and
all the changes is elevation.
No chit.
 
sunray said:
Two identical rifles will shoot the same ammo differently too. It's why if you're not reloading you have to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best.
Click to expand...

Trouble with that is you can spend enough to buy a dozen Axis' and barely tap what's available for .308 ammo. Cheaper to buy a Cooper and a box of anything you want.
 
blasted_saber said:
What bothers me even more then this is people using a mag full of different brands and weights.
Click to expand...


I hope this wasn't directed at me as I wasn't doing this. I was shooting 150gr until I ran out, then I switched over to the 180's. The 4th shot in that picture is a start of the next group of 150s after I made corrections on my scope.
 
Major Sights said:
I hope this wasn't directed at me as I wasn't doing this. I was shooting 150gr until I ran out, then I switched over to the 180's. The 4th shot in that picture is a start of the next group of 150s after I made corrections on my scope.
Click to expand...

Wasnt dircted at you at all. Just a comment, on a situation ive seen happen.

What you're describing in your post is very common. I have my rigfle set up for my deer load and I leave it there. I then take note of how my ammo I use for moose performs and keep that in mind when using that ammo.
 
I have a Savage 111 in .30-06 It would shoot 1.25 groups with 150 grain Federal Fusions. Tried the 165 grain and the groups opened up and the 180 were all over the place. 6" and larger groups. I didn't really like the synthetic stock though. Seemed flimsy. I had read alot of people getting the Boyd's laminates and saying their gun started shooting better. So I bought a left handed Boyd's laminate stock and it now shoots 180 grain groups of 1.25 inch now. You may want to look at the stock.
 
I have 2 30-06 rifles that usually shoot SST150's, and shoot them really well. When 180's are used the poi is 6" high. When Fusions are used they are 6 moa

Gotta sight it in with what you are going to be using.
 
Have only just sighted in my mates Axis 223 after giving it a trigger job. The trigger is non adjustable, but with some judicious polishing, and screwing in the trigger spring a coupla turns to lighten the pull, it came out amazingly crisp and let off at about 3.5lb's. Then sighted it in with 5 shots to get a nice tidy .75 3 shot group at 100. I'm not a fan of sale point synthetic rifles, but having disassembled the Axis I found a well designed simple rifle that is well put together. The trigger is simple simple and easy to take off and work on and equally simple to put back together. Stick with the ammo that works, and go have some fun.
 
Not going to address POI issue but if you want to lighten up the trigger,take the stock off and shorten the spring on the trigger,easy fix(even I was able to figure it out).
 
Do not shorten a trigger to lighten it!

- Borrowed from another forum, very good advice

"No less an authority than Roy Dunlap says it is the thing to do in certain situations and I make no pretense of knowing more about guns than he did.

However, in this case he was wrong and for a lot of reasons. The first worse IMO was just the fact he made it seem like a reasonable answer and it happens on lots of guns because of his tacit okay.

Second, there are no excuses available for not replacing an incredibly inexpensive part that is creating problems or producing/requiring unacceptable adjustments. And they are usually to reduce the force required to do something.

Third, there are safety considerations involved in almost every case.

When a spring is shortened it becomes stiffer, by simple physical laws and that cannot be changed. And it has its travel or range reduced, by definition. Attempting to lighten a trigger spring or other function with a shorter, stiffer spring is exactly the wrong way to go by simple physical laws, again.

A model 70 trigger weight spring has flattened ends to allow maximum contact between action and trigger. Reducing the spring contact area from a large, flat, parallel surface on spring and trigger or lock nut to a single point contact area means the spring is going to "push off" against the surface every time it is shocked. Most 70 springs when so set up will walk around the screw. They will also wear significantly more because only the tiny end of the coil spring will rest against the stop.

With a proper trigger pull gauge it is usually easy to see the inconsistencies in a clipped coil trigger. In any event the greater focused force will lead to earlier failure on the skinny end of the clipped spring.

Especially when we are talking about a spring at the end of its useful life."

The Savage spring is designed to be screwed in and out, but held firm from the factory by putting a drop of yellow epoxy on it. Remove the trigger, heat the epoxy with a lighter, screw it out, clean out the remaining epoxy with a pin or needle, screw the spring back in approx 2 turns more then originally. If you are concerned that it may change, drop a spot of hot melt glue back in the hole - a very simple job on the Axis.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom