Savage Edge not stabilizing bullets?!

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Hi, I recently bought a Savage Edge in 223 for a coyote rifle and plinking.

I loaded 100 rounds with the following load: 24,5gr of WC-735 behind a Hornady 55gr SP(not SPSX).
This load shoots fine in my other 223, not a match load but very good for plinking.

The other day, I fired 10 shots , but it was for breaking-in the barrel, so I didn't shot at target, only into the sand bank between each cleaning, I also chrony'd some shots and got a constant 3150fps, so the load seems fine.

Then I installed my old Redfield 5-Star 3-9x40, re-cleaned the barrel and headed for the range. At the very 1st shot, the bullet hits the target sideway! (at 100y).
I was scratching my head, maybe there was solvent left in the bore I thought...
The 2nd shot, about 1 in. above the 1st one with a perfect round .224 hole, pheww.
Then the 3rd shot also hit the target sideway!
I removed the bolt and looked at the bore, all seems good.

I had looked thru the bore before, when cleaning, and didn't find anything suspicious, and the cleaning rod spins with the riflings when pushing a patch with a jag.

I decided to try a 2nd 3-shot group:
1st bullet hits ok, 2nd sideway again, then 3rd one is ok.
At that moment, rain began to pour down, so I left the range.

I'm puzzled, this rifle is supposed to have a 1:9 twist, plenty fast for the little Hornady 55gr SP, and speed is good at 3150fps.

Anyone have an idea? Thanks for your thoughts!
 
The twist rate is 1:9, so it really should stabalize your 55s without any problem, but as gunrunner100 said it may just like heavier/longer bullets.
 
If your chamber is slightly misaligned with the center of the bore, the fast twist combined with a short bullet at high velocity could result in an unstable bullet; the bullet would not enter the bore square. If a condition like this exists it should be mirrored in your brass. Take some measurements and see if your fired brass remains concentric. If it has developed runout, (fired brass should have almost no runout) that might answer your question. The solution is to use a bullet with a longer bearing surface.
 
The same question was also posed in the Handloading Forum.
Try the rifle with different ammunition. This will eliminate one variable.
 
Variables

Just because a load works well in some rifles, it does not mean that it would work well in all of them. Trying only one load then making a prediction on the overall performance is like trying ### for the first time, having a bad experience, then giving up on it all together.

Barrels are almost like fingerprints. They are different. You can have two rifles coming off an assembly line, and they can shoot totally different. I have a Stevens 200 in .223 that likes Winchester 40 grain factory, is so-so with the 50-55 grain bullets, but will put 60 grain Hornadys into less than 3/4 inch at 100 yards. It has a 1-9 inch twist barrel.

Another factor is bearing surface of the bullet. Some bullets of the same weight are streamlined with a long ojive, and some are round nosed and a bit blunt. The length of the bullet itself that grips the rifling is a factor. Primers can make a difference, different powders, different charge weights, different overall lengths, even different brass all are variables. Velocity can also result in weird things, driving a bullet too fast or too slow to stabilize.

I once had a Ruger .308 Carbine that gave horrible groups with almost everything, but then I tried PMC brass and 165 grain Hornadys, and that little whippy barrel on a Mannlicher stock started shooting one inch groups.

I would try some heavier bullets, possibly 60 grain with either IMR 4320 or Exterminator powders, standard primers, seated about ten thousands short of the rifling.
 
I measured the twist with the cleaning rod & a patch, it does one turn in 9in.
I just finished loading 2 batches of ammo, one with the shorter 52gr BTHP, and one with the longer 55gr Balistic Tip.
I'll try to test them this afternoon.
I may try a box of American Eagle 55 FMJ to test factory ammo also.
 
I have an Edge in .308 and I have used Federal 150gr and Winchester 150gr.

I had one box of Winchester not hit the target dead on like every other box did. The punch through the paper was more elongated then every other round from the other boxes. Maybe someone had a lazy day lol.
 
Well, after the range session with the 52 BTHP and 55 Bal Tip, here's how it went:
1st group: 52BTHP, all round .224 holes, groups of about 1.25".
2nd group: 55 Bal Tip, all round holes, group of about .25" (not a typo!)
3rd group: same Hornady 55 SP, 2 round holes, one completly sideway, around 2" group.
4th group: 52BTHP again, round holes, around 1.25".
5th group: 55 Bal Tip, all round holes, .65".
6th group: 55 Hornady SP, all round holes, around 1".

I had 8 rounds of the 55gr Hornady SP left, so I decided to shoot them all, not one keyholed.

It seems after the barrel is fouled up, the bullets flies thru, although they don't group very well, best group was 1", worst was 2.25".

I'll fire all the remaining for practice (60 loaded rounds left), maybe it'll lap the barrel a bit more, after that, it'll be 55gr Bal Tip!

I have 5 full unopened box of Hornady 55gr SP, anyone wanna trade for 55gr Bal tip? I'll do 2:1, my 500 bullets for 250 Bal. Tip.
 
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