Semi Auto Shooters

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Drillbit

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I hunt with a Benelli R1 30-06.

When I shoot it at paper it does some strange things, but consistent.

If I put in a full mag of 4 and then cycle the action and load it, I get my first shot and my 3rd shot touching, and the 2 and 4 shot touching 3 inches to the right.
If I shoot it keeping the same number of bullets in the mag it shoots a group that is sub moa. Single shot style.
It does this with all three of my mags, and with all sorts of ammo (with my reloads I am getting great results, but it took awhile to learn why my testing groups were spread out)

I think what is happening is the mag is a stagger feed system so it pushes on the bolt back and fourth as the mag is being emptied.

Is this a resonable conclusion, and is there a fix for this.

*May have to go to the black rifle forum for a bigger semi auto audience
 
I doubt the fact that it is a semi has any thing to do with what you are seeing given how the bolt locks up on the Benelli.

Also I can't see how the magazine has anything to do with it either.

BTW try one less in the mag. Benelli are shotgun makers first so I suspect they tend to count one in the chamber in the mag capacity count. I found this to be the case with my 300 Win Mag.

Shots starting to grouping to the right make me more suspicious of your trigger pull if you are right handed.
 
If I don't put any in the mag then the group opens up a bit. That's why I thought it needed consistent pressure on the bolt.

I do shoot right handed, but the rifle does the same thing for everyone that shoots it. The shots alternate from left to right as the mag is being emptied.

If I have an even number in the mag it shoots to the right, if I have an odd number in the mag it shoots to the left.

What do you mean by a balance issue cyclone?
 
Oh I see sorry I found your first post hard to follow.

Interesting situation, and I have never heard of or seen this happen before in a Benelli.

If I were you I would be tempted to send an email to the engineers at Benelli and share this info with them.
 
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That's bizarre. Reloads or factory ammo?

If they're reloads take some calipers with you on the next trip out. Sometimes, especially with the big boomers, the recoil drives the bullet back into the case while they are in the mag and you can get pressure variances.

Just a thought.
 
Very strange?

Would almost seem the bolt has some play when closed and the pressure is putting the bolt face out of alignment so there must be some play in the bolt when locked closed?

A call to the Benelli might be in order.
 
Just guessing but it could be the different wear on the bullet jacket as it feeds first on one side of the ramp and then the other side. Check and make there are no burrs or rough edges on both sides of the ramp before it enters the chamber.
 
I cycled a few through it without shooting them. They cycle fine and there are no burrs from feeding out of the mag and into the chamber.
Thank for the ideas so far fellas, any more will surely be appreciated.
 
I'd contact the manufacturer right away as it seems there's a problem with your rifle. I shoot semi autos most of the time and what you are describing is just wrong. And for the price of your rifle, there's no way you should just accept it. Even having to shoot certain ammo to avoid it should not be an option; your rifle isn't working right and it needs fixing, period.
 
Strange situation to say the least.

If I read your description of the situation correctly, I would cycle the rounds without firing them and then check very carefully the tip of the bullet and any other changes to the round. What I'm getting at here is that the tip might be affected on one side for rounds 1 and 3 and on the other side for 2 & 4 because of the angle of feed is different.

You will have to extract the load round very slowly so that you can assess the shape of the bullet relative to its position in the chamber.

I know this is a far fetch assumption but you have nothing to lose and seeing that the situation is so consistent, a solution should be possible.

Good luck!

Duke1
 
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The tips are not being damaged from recoil. The ammo doesn't move forward in the mag when shooting at all. I'll try what Duke1 said right now.
 
Tip damage would not account for 3" to one side. I have a .338 win mag that damages lead tips all the time as the rounds are cycled from the mag...the things still shoots 3/4" all day long at 100 yards. Damaged tips may be something a 1000 yard competetive shooter is going to be all worked up about, but NO WAY is it going to move bullets 3" at 100 yards.
 
Maybe you could try shooting a round and then putting one more round in the mag to replace it - thereby putting similar pressure on the bolt for each shot. If you are correct in your theory, you should have good grouping.

If so, it really does not fix the gun, but does pin the blame on the gun - so just take the advice of Northman in post 12.
 
Yep if I keep the same number in the mag for every shot it shoots an excellent group.

I guess I'll have to make some phone calls and see what Benelli says.

Thanks fellas!
 
Benelli problems

Without all of us having your rifle at hand, it is impossible to accurately diagnose your problem. I would go so far as to surmise it is not the mag or the rounds causing the porblem. I have read articles that showed deforming the bullet tips did not substantially affect accuracy. Next problem is with feeding. I would also assume that if the bolt locks tighly as it should before fireing then the bullet and case should be in the same position in the chamber regardless of how the bullet was fed or pressure on the bolt if the bolt lockup is tight. Also the tight fit of the bullet travelling down the barrel should stabalize it sufficiently to nullify any effects of uneven pressure on the bolt. So what does this leave that could affect accuracy? The one thing I can think of is the possible movement of the barrel in the stock as the barrrel heats up from fireing the rounds. This is a longshot,(no pun) as the barell will usually walk in on direction as it heats up and not back and forth. Unless your bolt lockup is way out of spec, I would "guess" that it might have more to do with barell to stock fit. I also need to install spellcheck, I know.
 
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