Well, I think most of you know I am a T3 fan. Most of you also know that it is hard to find accuracy complaints about the rifle - they just plain shoot.
So imagine my surprise when we took a new T3 SS to the range a week ago, and it shot 3"-4" groups with Winchester Western 180gr PP ammo.
Man, was it the scope - a nearly new Swarovski? No, it couldn't be as it performed fine on a different rifle. Maybe the mounts were hay-wire - Talley - but the rings were lapped and a torque wrench used to torque all of the screws, so it couldn't be that.
We had a good solid rest and the conditions were good. Maybe the chambering - .300 Win Mag - was simply too old, with its previous glory now usurped by the inherently accurate "short magnums". Or perhaps it was the .300 Win Mag's short neck, because you know, it is too short.
No, none of the previous could be true. The blame seemed to be with the rifle. It seems as though the nay-sayers (Kimber and Remington nut-huggers from what I can gather) are right after all - even a T3 can have crappy accuracy.
Well, we headed home, tails between our legs. Darn it. We would have to try and get the rifle replaced in time for the upcoming season.
The next afternoon I threw together 7 loads using 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, 165gr TTSX, 180gr TSX and 165gr Core-Lokt SP, with a variety of powders - IMR 4064, IMR4350, RL22 and IMR7828.
That evening, RL22 + 180gr Ballistic Tip was the first to be flung down the range. Result? A 0.598" group. Next up IMR4350 + 165gr TSX - 1.3" group with flier called. Then IMR4350 and 180gr TSX gave 0.592" group.
We shot 2 more loads - both under 1.5" and called it a night as it was getting dark.
With all the excellent performance, we decided to check the magazine. Yup, still made out of plastic.
So now that, after the first try, we have two loads that shoot well under 1", we can start load developement.
So imagine my surprise when we took a new T3 SS to the range a week ago, and it shot 3"-4" groups with Winchester Western 180gr PP ammo.
Man, was it the scope - a nearly new Swarovski? No, it couldn't be as it performed fine on a different rifle. Maybe the mounts were hay-wire - Talley - but the rings were lapped and a torque wrench used to torque all of the screws, so it couldn't be that.
We had a good solid rest and the conditions were good. Maybe the chambering - .300 Win Mag - was simply too old, with its previous glory now usurped by the inherently accurate "short magnums". Or perhaps it was the .300 Win Mag's short neck, because you know, it is too short.
No, none of the previous could be true. The blame seemed to be with the rifle. It seems as though the nay-sayers (Kimber and Remington nut-huggers from what I can gather
) are right after all - even a T3 can have crappy accuracy.Well, we headed home, tails between our legs. Darn it. We would have to try and get the rifle replaced in time for the upcoming season.
The next afternoon I threw together 7 loads using 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, 165gr TTSX, 180gr TSX and 165gr Core-Lokt SP, with a variety of powders - IMR 4064, IMR4350, RL22 and IMR7828.
That evening, RL22 + 180gr Ballistic Tip was the first to be flung down the range. Result? A 0.598" group. Next up IMR4350 + 165gr TSX - 1.3" group with flier called. Then IMR4350 and 180gr TSX gave 0.592" group.
We shot 2 more loads - both under 1.5" and called it a night as it was getting dark.
With all the excellent performance, we decided to check the magazine. Yup, still made out of plastic.
So now that, after the first try, we have two loads that shoot well under 1", we can start load developement.
