What the EFFING wrong with Rifle ?
- Thread starter RojamB21
- Start date
Blastattack
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg MB
That's pretty normal for a light barelled hunting rifle.
Steyr Mannlicher 30-06.
Light Hunting barrel.
Reloads, over the two weekends.
Cool the barell down, shoots Inch and half high. As it warms up, starts dropping down.
Been reloading for some time.
Three different loads, from 178gr 180gr,190gr speer, bullets.
Caldwell shooting sled, firm table.
Same results !!!
Light Hunting barrel.
Reloads, over the two weekends.
Cool the barell down, shoots Inch and half high. As it warms up, starts dropping down.
Been reloading for some time.
Three different loads, from 178gr 180gr,190gr speer, bullets.
Caldwell shooting sled, firm table.
Same results !!!
Last edited:
I would check for tight or uneven contact between the barrel and the wood near the forend. Is it a full length Mannlicher stock?
I have no personal experience with them, but I imagine all that wood and a light barrel that stringing would be par for the course if something is not quite right with the bedding or forend cap, if there is one.
I have no personal experience with them, but I imagine all that wood and a light barrel that stringing would be par for the course if something is not quite right with the bedding or forend cap, if there is one.
That is very normal for a light contour barrel, especially if your hand loads are a little on the hot side. There is a reason why target / tactical rifles have such heavy profile barrels; they act as a heat sink and the barrel thickness helps to keep the rigidity as the barrel warms.
Simple explanation...bedding.
Real indepth explanation... as your barrel heats up, it actually gets longer. If it is a full length stock, Steyr Mannlicher, than as the barrel gets longer, it pushes on the nose cap and as the cap is bolted or attached to the end of the stock it forces the barrel to go down, hence the downward direction of your groups.
As mentioned prior, it's a hunting rifle, only the first shot counts. You can go to the trouble of freeing up the barrel but its not a target rifle and you are getting reasonable accuracy from what it is.
Scott
Real indepth explanation... as your barrel heats up, it actually gets longer. If it is a full length stock, Steyr Mannlicher, than as the barrel gets longer, it pushes on the nose cap and as the cap is bolted or attached to the end of the stock it forces the barrel to go down, hence the downward direction of your groups.
As mentioned prior, it's a hunting rifle, only the first shot counts. You can go to the trouble of freeing up the barrel but its not a target rifle and you are getting reasonable accuracy from what it is.
Scott
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
9 shots with a 30-06 in how long of a time frame? I shoot 3. let it cool. shoot 3 again into the same group. very few barrels especially light ones wouldn't have a change of impact once really hot. 9 shots in a minute with my 7mm wsm and I could brand cattle with it.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Vertical stringing of shots is a sure indication of inconsistent velocity in your loads. Poor bedding will generally give results that tend to appear more like a shotgun pattern. Work on getting the loads down pat before spending effort on the bedding.
Yep, all good advice. Make sure it is free floated and let the barrel cool way down. Light barreled rifles are meant to be shot 'cold bore'. And also, heavier barrel tactical rifle barrels flex way less, due to more steel being present. Light barrel rifles 'whip' as they get hot. The more whip you have, the less accurate they are.
This would manifest as an overall spread in shot dispersion over the target whereas the OP is seeing only vertical stringing. Any contact the barrel has with the stock is suspect here (barrel channel bedding, poor inletting) as the barrel will swell with heat and the upward pressure on the barrel will increase. The shots should climb in this scenario though, perhaps the barrel "droops" with heat pointing it lower. I just quickly browsed the Steyr line and didn't see any full length stocks so the influence of an end cap seems to be out.
In any case this isn't a target rifle meant to shoot a long string of shots. Bring a .22 to the range, shoot a 3-shot group and play with the .22 for a half hour between groups while the barrel cools right down. Report back the results of groups shot this way.
