Dang flyers

SwifTst

SwifTst

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Port Perry
Hey guys long time since I've posted.

Im here to post about flyers...

I picked up a beauty older 700 from a fellow CGNers. I think it's an older BDL SA that has a stainless anafteemarket stainless 1/12 twist barrel of unknown origin. Stock is also of unknown origin but the action is aluminum bedded into it. Trigger has had work, I'm guessing about .5 lbs. Might change that as I basically touch it and it fires. I don't think I'd have time to flinch if I wanted to.
Anyways, I just want to say I love this rifle. Action is good and tight. Barrel is not stamped at all and I'd say it's between heavy and medium profile.

I've been shooting fe deral premium out back and at 150m it'll group .5 inch all day easy with both 168grn as well as 175grn
Bthp surprisingly being a 1/12 twist. I just shot a 7/8 group at 342m.

Everything sounds well and good right but there's one small issue. I'm shooting 3 shot groups and getting 1 flyer. At 150m sometimes I can basically put 2 rounds touching and the 3rd is 1 to 3 inch away (342m 2 to 7 inch away from group)

I've tried retifhtening bolts etc. It is possible maybe that the barrel is heating up by 3rd shot and just gently touching the stock. But I'm not positive the flyer is on the third shot.

I'm just brainstorming and curious how others have diagnosed flyers and corrected the issue. I'm not computer savy but I can email or text pictures of my groups and the rifle.

Any and all input is welcome.

Let it rip boys
 
Mind the spelling errors and grammar. Large masculine fingers small feminine keyboard plus after shooting beer makes technology a nèmesis
 
Shoot 1 shot at each target several times to determine if there is a pattern. Cold bore shots often have different POI than ones from a warmer barrel. Also after a bore has been cleaned it often shoots differently until a bit dirtier.
 
I’ve experienced this when my bore became copper fouled, you may need to do a full copper removal with some strong copper remover like sweets. In my case I was shooting Barnes TTSX from a 7mmRM and about 300 rounds with out a clean and started to experience random flyers, a simple clean with Hopes #9 did not work but a proper copper removal and all was solved. Although I have not experienced this using regular gilding metal lead core bullets, I have read in most cases it takes a lot more rounds than 300 to copper foul with regular bullets.
 
Yeah I was thinking that and I was hypothesizing that the flyer was the cold bore shot. But then the question is, do I zero for the cold or zero in the group?
More for target shootìng over hunting but one shot one kill and all..
Another issue is laziness. I have no spotting scope so it's a long walk after each shot lol.spotting holes through the glass is problematic as well since it is only a Bushy 3-7x32
 
SwifTst said:
Yeah I was thinking that and I was hypothesizing that the flyer was the cold bore shot. But then the question is, do I zero for the cold or zero in the group?
More for target shootìng over hunting but one shot one kill and all..
Another issue is laziness. I have no spotting scope so it's a long walk after each shot lol.spotting holes through the glass is problematic as well since it is only a Bushy 3-7x32
Click to expand...
Same here, no way see holes from the bench. I just hang several targets at a time to save downrange walks. Rifles that consistently shoot less than .7MOA off the bench in a “large game” caliber are very rare.
 
A good spotting scope / rangefinder is definitely in the budget for the near future. Right now I'm getting my ranges from a nav ap.
So far this rifle is by far the most accurate I've ever owned in .308.
I do have a few chucks of metal hung off trees out there and an old slow moving vehicle plate. I can push my range to nearly 600m but I want to sort out this flyer issue first. I really like federals Sierra match kings but if I have to switch to something else I will. It's just they are cheap at my location shop
 
I'll have to try something a little more horny for getting the copper out and see if that's the issue. I really want to stick to these federal premiums if I can
 
Are you pulling the shot because you think you will have your next pocket group?

The coldbore should only affect your first shot of the day unless you are waiting a very long time between groups.

That is also a lot of cleaning. Why are you cleaning so much?

I would also make sure the parallax in your scope is accurate. Unless your positioning is perfect (and identical) each time it could affect your groups.
 
I don't think so.

As long as it takes to walk 342mand back again. Less time now than when there was snow lol

Is it a lot of cleaning? I know some clean after every shoot. Generally I shoot an sks with milsurp ammo so I'm used to cleaning after every trip out back. I'm relatively new to long range so how much cleaning is too much?

No parralax on this scope. I've been shooting off wrapped round bails of hay for weeks. I'm fairly confident my positioning is identical every time and comfortable. Not putting any stress on the stock and my resting zero is on target. Can't guarantee it's perfect but it feels so. If it takes me more than 7 seconds to sight in exhale and shoot I'll blink take a breath and settle in once again
 
No parallax or no parallax adjustment.

Is it AO?

A hay bail rest is probably also causing some issues. Go prone or find a more solid table to shoot from.
 
It's basically just a Bushnell 3200 2-7x32 and no adjustment for parralax. Cheap

I do shoot my 150m groups from prone. But my long shots are from the hay. I've pretty much perfected it I think but I'm sure a bench would be better. I've also shot off of a rudimentary tripod made from 3 sticks tied together using gear ties. Back against a tree and very stable. But of all ways I've tried short of dragging a bench out There, off the hay feels the most comfortable.
 
You're shooting a semi-custom(?) rifle, using factory ammo, basically unsupported, looking through a 2-7x "cheap" scope that won't let you see hits in a target... and you're shooting a 2 shot 7/8" group at 342m with a third 'flyer' 2" - 7" from your group?
Those aren't flyers man, that's a third shot in your group. And under those conditions, shooting a 7" group at 342m is fantastic. If you're regularly shooting 2" 3 shot groups under those conditions, you're a better shot than dare i say 99.9% of us reading this.
 
That was a 7/8 shot group I shot today. Only shots I fired. Averaging about about 3.5 to 4 inch at 342m not including flyer. If there's wind my groups open right up. Yes this rifle has had a lot of work done to it by previous owner.
And the way I shoot off the hay is far from unsupported. I'm basically half laying/leaning over the curve of the bail elbows and knees supported as well as the rifle itself
 
An easy way to tell would be to shoot a few 5 or more shot groups. Are all but one round per group in a 1/2" circle, with one flier? Is the flier consistent in how far it flies and does it fly in the same direction? I can't speak for all rifles, but in my experience my cold bore shots are repeatable. I know my 6.5 when clean/cold will shoot .75 MOA high and .5 MOA to the left. It settles back down to zero on the fourth shot. When it's dirty/cold, it shoots .5 MOA high and .25 MOA to the left. Settles back to zero after five shots. My other rifles have all had similar POI changes for cold bore. Variations of 2" - 7" for a cold bore shot seems extreme in my experience.

IMHO, i'd say you have far too many variables in play to really diagnose any issues with your groups. I'd recommend bringing it back to 100y where you could clearly see the finer lines of the target even at 7x on your scope. Get yourself either on a bench or prone, with a solid front rest of some sort and a good rear support that will really let you hold zero perfectly. If you're comfortable and relaxed when pulling the trigger, and feel its perfect every time you shoot under those conditions, you'll start to see trends that can tell you what your rifle is capable of.
 
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