What's the worst groups you've gotten?

My first foray into reloading. I was 16, just bought an old .303. Sported real nice. Lyman peep sights and front ramp, someone did a good job. Only had factory winchester 180's available at CTC. Shot well enough to get a deer at 100yds. Anyway, I was at a flea market the next summer and a guy sold me a Lee Loader ($8) for .303 telling me that it would be cheaper than dirt to shoot if I reloaded them. So, being gullible, I bought it. Then went to the local gun shop and bought .303 bullets (hornady 150gr), and some powder IMR something or other can't rememeber now, primers. Proceeded to make bullets. Man was I some proud. Made my first 20 in an hour!! Look out. Took them to the range to shoot. :-(( Was I disappointed!! I had a 2' group at 50yds. Anybody want to beat that??? I went home and got my commercial rounds (180's) and went back. At 50 yds it was easy to hit a small paper plate each and every time. Had about a 3 inch group. I could still hit a large (10") plate at 100 yds 9/10 times. Good enough for me. I took the reloading stuff home, threw it in a box and cursed it for what it was, useless. And I got ROOKED!! A year later, I met the guy again and he asked me how my reloads were shooting. So I TOLD HIM. They sucked azz. He was puzzled and asked me to come over to his house one night later in the week and bring the reloading stuff with me. So I did. I had all my stuff, the rifle, my commercial rounds. He sat down and cleaned the rifle. Looked at my reloads (they were fine). Then he fired some of them. Now, Chris was a SHOOTER and he had a 16" group at 50yds. So he loaded some himself, no better. Then he fired some 174's he had made, 6" @100yds. Then he fired some of my 180's, same result. Then he fired some 215's he had loaded. 1.5" @ 100yds!!! He then explained what happened to me. The rifle was an 1898 Lee Enfield Carbine. built for a 215gr BP round. The rifling was slower and worn enough to where it would not stabilize a light bullet. Dang hard to find 215's but it'll still shoot my 180 gr handloads to 4" @ 100yds (I am a better shot now than I was 30 years ago. Not better than I was 15 years ago though). I love reloading and wouldn't shoot factories now unless that was the only way to get brass.
 
Tried some factory Win. S-X .100 gr. 243's in an old Browning BLR a buddy bought as a "deal" ... talk about a non-shooter ! Lucky if it would go into a foot at 50 yards. Handloads with 75 gr. Sierra HP's and H-4831 that worked like a charm in another gun ... no better. It promptly got rebarelled to 308 with a take-off barrel. Problem solved.
 
coyote said:
Ducimus I shoot a 243 and I have no problem stabilising 90gr lapua scenars I have a 10 twist and I think a lot of factory 243's are 10 twist .
How certain are you about the twist rate ,I know the 95gr smk's require a 9 twist but some guys are getting away with a 10 twist with these bullets they should stabilise in your rifle.
You should check your mounts and rings carefully and try some h4350 h4831 or h1000 for fuller case and possibly much better results .
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I rechecked the Remington website: 9 1/8 twist. The label on the box of Bergers states 9 twist for faster so...I hope its just a bad combo and not a mechanical failure.
 
Worst groups with factory ammo: 4"-5" from my former Mini 14 using anything I fed it.

Worst groups with reloads: I tried some .311 dia 160 gr cast in my 303 Brit and they were keyholing in a 4" group at 50 yards.

Except for those cast bullets I've honestly never had any reloads group over two inches.
 
Ducimus said:
I rechecked the Remington website: 9 1/8 twist. The label on the box of Bergers states 9 twist for faster so...I hope its just a bad combo and not a mechanical failure.
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I would think they should stabilise were the bullets smk's I can easily shoot 100gr sierra gamekings into 3/4" with my 10 twist @ 100.
You should try them again if you have some left with slower powder so you can fill the case more varget works better on light bullets in the 243 ,be sure the mounts and rings are properly installed and the scope is good.
Lapping the rings would also help maybe the action bolts are loose to just a thought.
seating the bullets closer to the lands might help .
 
coyote said:
I would think they should stabilise were the bullets smk's I can easily shoot 100gr sierra gamekings into 3/4" with my 10 twist @ 100.
You should try them again if you have some left with slower powder so you can fill the case more varget works better on light bullets in the 243 ,be sure the mounts and rings are properly installed and the scope is good.
Lapping the rings would also help maybe the action bolts are loose to just a thought.
seating the bullets closer to the lands might help .
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Your 100gr sierra gamekings are probably a lot shorter that the 95gr VLD...I would think...a solid 100gr vs a high BC 95hr hollow point?

As for the Varget working better on lighter bullets...I just sealed the deal on some 80gr Berger Match Varmint's (in the mail)...I'm hoping this combo works better.

I've also been googling the recommended twist rates for the 95 VLD. Some say it won't work. Some say it will but the temp and altitude need to be perfect...and my 700 barrel isn't a true 9" twist also.

I rechecked the action and scope mount screws and such...all looks good. One of the stores in town carries hunting ammunition. I may try some of that to rule out a mechanical failure....it better not be!
 
couldn't consistently hit the plywood... does that count as a group or a casual assembly? then my dad takes over and blasts 5 shots into one ragged hole at 200 yards...
slightly exaggerated butcha get the picture.
 
My "Best Worst Group" shooting 90grn Bergers in a 1:9 twist barrel was 6" at 100m and this was the "well over max" load.

First test group was minute of target backer board with 1 or 2 out of 5 shots on a 8.5x11" paper.

I still have the remaining 75 of the 90grn bullets sitting in the box at home.
 
Groups like this are hard to repeat. LOL
20yds 303 Brit:
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Once took my Great Uncle's 12C Remington for gophers (no back up gun). Thought it would be fun but no, it would not hit within 12" at 20 feet. I hit a gopher off hand with it at 80 steps paced left handed but we will call it fluke.....

My 250 Savage will wear your patience down fast too. Loads that came with the gun went 3/4" but all the rest I've tried are 1 1/4 to 4". Why couldn't they have listened to Mr. Newton for the rate of twist.....
 
CyaN1de said:
My "Best Worst Group" shooting 90grn Bergers in a 1:9 twist barrel was 6" at 100m and this was the "well over max" load.

First test group was minute of target backer board with 1 or 2 out of 5 shots on a 8.5x11" paper.

I still have the remaining 75 of the 90grn bullets sitting in the box at home.
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hmmmm......very interesting......90gr no good in a 9 twist...then some people have no problem shooting 95's in 10 twist....I suppose it just really depends on the rifle, component and conditions.
 
blacksmithden said:
My buddy has an old Parker Hale in 270 Winchester. We couldn't get it to hit a standard sheet of paper more than once in 10 rounds at 25 yards. The bullets were flying all over the place. We gave up on the scope and put it in my gun vise. We then bore sighted it (looking down the bore). Nope....bullets all over the place. We then took the muzzel break off....yea, somebody put a muzzel break on a 270.......anyway, same thing....actually, if I remember right, we didn't hit paper once that time. It's also blowing out primers, even with factory ammo. I'm starting to wonder if it's really a 270. There are absolutely ZERO markings on it to indicate caliber. I measured the bore at the end of the barrel, and the measurements matched a 270. For the life of me, I can't see anything wrong, unless the throat is SO erroded......I don't know. Anyway, it's heading to the gunsmith in May to be looked at.

So, back to the original queston.....worst group......greater than 8.5x11 inches at 25 yards.
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Hey, my .308 has a brake. Don't be so judgemental. :p:D
 
the worst i got was 14 inches only 5 of the 10 shots on target at 7 yards. pretty good huh?! that was a sad time right after i purchased my first gun.
 
Ducimus said:
hmmmm......very interesting......90gr no good in a 9 twist...then some people have no problem shooting 95's in 10 twist....I suppose it just really depends on the rifle, component and conditions.
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Could also depend on the cartridge. I was using a 223. A 9 twist 22-250 would probably have a better chance.
 
Jarlath said:
My old M1 Garand.

Milsurp 30-06 ammunition. Grouped about an HOUR of angle. I could NOT put all 8 rounds on a single sheet of 8.5x11 @ 50yrds. Mind you the barrel was also shot to hell.

Have a newer barrel on it now.
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ROFL, i was going to add a similar story but i see you've beat me to it. The bullet holes i could get on the paper showed the side profile of the bullets at 25 yards. yah, mine has a new barrel as well now R:d:
 
Worst group I ever got was with my old Japanese Type 38 carbine. I got 1 of 10 rounds on the paper at 100 yards, from a rest. At 50 yards, I had a 16 inch spread. Rediculous. Good enough for a Banzai charge, maybe.
 
my first batch of reloads gave me a good 6" 5 shot group, and not 4 decent ones and a flyer. that was the 180 gamekings in my m700 30-06
 
Pushed 110 grain copper-plated frontier RN's (designed for 30 carbine) to 2000fps in my 30-06. First 3 shots at 50 missed the paper so I put the last 12 into a target at 25 yards. Literally filled the top half of a large target. I think the group was 18" side to side and 12" up and down... from a solid bench rest! I think they were simply tearing through the rifling. I now only push them 1200fps and they are fine and dandy.
 
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