New 11 Hunter XP .308 issue

[JJ94]

First shot with a cold barrel is 5-6 inches high and 1/2 inch left, subsequest shots are 1 inch high and dead center(right where I want to be)@ 100 yds. Just picked up the rifle last week and shot it for first time on Sunday.

Had rings and mounts tightened @ the store before I left with it.
I cleaned the rifle thuroughly before first firing. Fired one round and cleaned. Fired a second round and cleaned. After that fired 6 three shot groups, same thing every time. First shot high and a hair left, next two 1 inch high right where I wanted to be. There was atleast 15 minutes between three shot groups and it was 40 degrees out so the barrel was thoroughly coold. I'm shooting Hornady 150gr American Whitetail. I know there is usually a little drop from cold barrel to warm but 6 inches??? Not even my old Remington 7400 was that bad. I'm considering changing ammo but .308 is so tough to get right now the only other thing that is probably available is Hornady 165gr Super Performance GMX but I'm afraid those will heat up the barrel more. I have 1 box of 150gr American Whitetails left. I need to have this resolved this weekend or I'm going to end up sighting in for a cold barrel and hope I don't need a folow up shot. Quite frustrated as there was another new Savage in our group in .30-06 with the same Bushnell scope and they had no issues with theirs. Any advice is appreciated.

[Tom Bear]

First shot with a cold barrel is 5-6 inches high and 1/2 inch left, subsequest shots are 1 inch high and dead center(right where I want to be)@ 100 yds. Just picked up the rifle last week and shot it for first time on Sunday.

Had rings and mounts tightened @ the store before I left with it.
I cleaned the rifle thuroughly before first firing. Fired one round and cleaned. Fired a second round and cleaned. After that fired 6 three shot groups, same thing every time. First shot high and a hair left, next two 1 inch high right where I wanted to be. There was atleast 15 minutes between three shot groups and it was 40 degrees out so the barrel was thoroughly coold. I'm shooting Hornady 150gr American Whitetail. I know there is usually a little drop from cold barrel to warm but 6 inches??? Not even my old Remington 7400 was that bad. I'm considering changing ammo but .308 is so tough to get right now the only other thing that is probably available is Hornady 165gr Super Performance GMX but I'm afraid those will heat up the barrel more. I have 1 box of 150gr American Whitetails left. I need to have this resolved this weekend or I'm going to end up sighting in for a cold barrel and hope I don't need a folow up shot. Quite frustrated as there was another new Savage in our group in .30-06 with the same Bushnell scope and they had no issues with theirs. Any advice is appreciated.

I have one in .22-250, same thing, same problem, it was the scope, changed scope to Nikon. No more problem.

[stangfish]

I have never been much on the package scopes myself. However 15 minutes would mean every shot is a cold bore at 40 degrees though. Are the action screws secure? Is the barrel floated? What are you shooting off of?

[multitoes]

The rings on those rifles are absolute junk ; you might try a different set of rings before giving up on the scope.
It is also correct that those Bushnell scopes are not very good.

[ebbie]

I had a similar issue the 1st time I took mine out. It was the a action screws, they were so loose the front screw was ready to fall out. I took everything apart then torqued them down. Now it can't miss.

[stangfish]

I have one in .22-250, same thing, same problem, it was the scope, changed scope to Nikon. No more problem.


Nikon What?