How many rounds to break in a new Savage Model 10?

[wahoowad]

I'm working on breaking in my new Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter. Should it be shooting tight groups (1" @ 100y) right out of the box or should I be expecting variability in POI for "X" number of rounds? I have fired 30 rounds off benchrest and feel like I am chasing holes with turret clicks. Shot one nice tight group then tried to immediately duplicate and pattern seemed to move about an inch and spread.

Its a 243 so is about a buck a shot. Should I jut plan on buying a few more boxes of cheap stuff and not get too wound up during the first few boxes? Right now I'm playing that game where I keep asking Is it the scope? Is it the gun? Is it the cheap ammo? is it the benchrest? Is it me? Over and over and over.

[ellobo]

If the barrel is free floated I would suspect the scope. Changing POI is a symptom of a bad scope. Try another one.

[frank1947]

it also is a sighn of bad barrel i had a bad barrel from savage of coarse they replaced it, all of the areas you mentioned can be the problem, you, the rest , ammo, scope, scope base, start with rest make sure you have a really good rest get that gun in your shoulder nice an tight, if it is a small sporter type barrel rest way behind sling stud i had flexing with small frame type gun compaired to varmit, I found the Hornady 58GR V Max shot best in my model 16 in 243 win maybe you can find loaded ammo form hornady that has a 1-9.25 twist i think you do check twist if 1-9 no more then 80GR bulllet if slower twist like 1-12 then even lighter bullet.