Axis .308 not shooting true

I'm having trouble with me .308 I've had it for about 6 or 7 years
My dad got it for me in high school and it came with a Nikon prostaff 3x9x40 BDC scope on it. And it's been a great gun I've never missed a deer ever with it. And I've took some long shots with it. I only shoot Hornaday 125gr customes lites in it. But this year I was getting ready for deer season and I sighted it in at 25 yards as I always have took about two shots to get dead on. And I use a lead sled also. Went deer hunting opening morning missed a doe 7 times and about 80 yards. Didn't really understood why so I came home shot my gun and it off about 6inches to right and about 6inches high so I dialed it back in got it back dead on in 2 or 3 shots went Hunting next day shot a doe at about 220 yards but I didn't hit it good. Had blood and some bone but ever did find the deer tracked it for about 3 hours. So once again I came home shot it and once again I was off 6 inches high and to the right. I put a different scope on it just a plane BUSHNELL. And it did this one more time missed a nice Buck this time at only about 40 yards but when I check it this time it was a foot high but dead on left to right. I checked my stock and my mounts and they where all tight with loctight on them. So I decided to go buy a new scope and mounts I got a Nikon 4x12x40 mill dot and Leopold mounts went out shot it at 50 yards took me about 4 shoots to dial in the new scope. I moved it out to 100 yards shot it and I was 6 inches high. So I moved It down only 4 clicks and I shot a foot under the target and this in a lead sled. So I moved it up 11 clicks and shot about 2 inches above that not even hitting the target again. So I'm not sure what the problem is this is three scopes now and new set of mounts and the gun is off bad. And in this mist of all this I have tried three different brands of ammo and three different types of grain of bullet.

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Originally Posted by sheamichael19

... I'm not sure what the problem is this is three scopes now and new set of mounts...

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IMHO, assuming that the scope is NOT the issue and you have not shot out the rifling, then the ring holding the scope to the mount may not be too tight or the mount is not firmly installed or the barrel is no longer free floating. Since you did not mention getting a new scope ring, why not invest in a new rings and really use blue loctite on them to secure the mount and the rings tight. You should not be dropping a foot for making 4 click adjustment ( 1 inch typically )

Finally, give the barrel a good cleaning, making sure to remove lead and copper deposits.

i would check the screws on the rifle stock.

I would check the action screws and make sure the flimsy stock isn't touching the barrel anywhere. Use a good copper defouler and clean the barrel.

Also what ammo and weight ma have you been using? The 308 is a 1:10 twist so it gunna favor heavier projectiles

Clean the bore, check the stock screws, and lose the Lead Sled. While I always use a padded solid rest for zeroing, I support the rifle with my shoulder and off-hand, with the fore-end in my hand and not sitting directly on the rest. I have never zeroed a rifle in any sort of mechanical rest that then shot true when held normally. Why? Because the machine is not a man. While the machine rest maybe great for testing the load/rifle combination, it does NOT test what is important in a hunting situation -- the load/rifle/shooter combination. It is sheer luck if the recoil against a rest like the Lead Sled puts bullets to the same POA as the recoil against your shoulder.

I meant the O Rings when I said scope mounts I've checked all the screws but as yall probably know these guns only have two screws holding the barrel and action to the stock but they where tight before I took them out and re put them back in and I've cleaned and cleaned this gun. I've been told that the rifling could be damaged from a copper brush cleaning it. Not sure if this is possible. I'm going to contact savage about the gun but they do not re open untill the 2nd of January. I took it to a gun smith couple weeks ago and from what the guy could see he said the scope and mounts I originally had on it where fine and everything seemed in place.

The led seld I have is just a base one no vise or pad to put the butt against its mostly the gun resting on it is all. I also shot 125gr Hornaday custom lites in it since I've had it never had once issue with it till this year and I've changed over to 165gr Hornaday SST and 150gr winchester deer season XP still giving same issue

Turn your lead sled around and set the rifle on it closer to the magazine. Use sand bags to support the butt. This should eliminate the stock flex. When I set my model 10 on a lead sled, the front sling is close to the front rest. The flex in the stock might push the barrel.

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I use the lead to make sure the bore and scope are lined up, but still shoot it in a hunting manner to make sure it matches my hold.

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When your sight doesn't hold zero. It is a different issue than general lack of accuracy. I suspect there is something wrong with your scope mounting.

Once you have resolved the issue, it might be a good idea to burn a few boxes of ammo making sure how your rifle groups your chosen load and that it is holding a zero.

One thing to consider is cold temperatures will cause a slight POI shift. But, the vital area is pretty huge at less than 100 yards.

For what its worth i dont clean my rifles every time i shoot and i find that i get more consistent accuracy from not cleaning it. I run a brush (ive never had a brush ruin a barrel) through the barrel then a dry patch. Thats it.

You would be surpised to find that most competition shooters do the exact same thing.

I agree with checking all screws for tightness: action, bases, ring screws. As someone mentioned above the scope rings may be loose or not torqued tight enough. Check to see if the barrel is truly free floated, as the Axis stocks tend to be a little flimsy up front. Also ensure the stock fore-end is not touching the barrel when you load up on it to shoot. That Nikon scope should have no problem holding zero.

Have you shot groups with the ammo you're using to see if it even groups?

I too prefer my barrels to be a little fouled vs too clean. I clean maybe around 400 rounds or so and have not noticed any accuracy issues.

Something is mechanically wrong for you to have such large changes in impact.

Something is loose.

Is the barrel nut tight?

Did you change the rings and bases when you installed the new scope?

Check and see if the front scope base screw is touching the barrel. You can get really wacky results if this screw is touching the barrel threads.

Michael

Just another suggestion; push a clean patch down the bore several times and feel for sudden looseness or the patch skipping forward as you push it. Look at the outside of the barrel for any swelling or bulging. You may have a ringed/bulged barrel.

Going back to the obvious, if this problem has just cropped up after the rifle shooting just fine in the past -- something has changed. Doesn't really seem it could be the scope(s) or mount at this point. Just thinking back over some of the obvious things...

Is the rifle still grouping it's shots, just high or low of your point of aim? Or, is it scattering shots all over kingdom come? When you adjust the scope and then shoot again, are you even firing a group at the new setting, or just a single shot to see what your adjustment did? It can turn in to chasing your tail if you're not verifying each new setting with at least a couple of shots.

I wonder what you mean when you say you clean the bore. There's cleaning, and then there's, well ... cleaning! I have seen rifles that were well-maintained for decades, including frequent bore "cleaning", be completely copper-fouled because the strongest thing its owner ever used was Hoppe's #9. Severe copper fouling can make some weird changes in how a rifle shoots.

Make sure the barrel is floated and as for cleaning, I've never seen a brush ruin a barrel. Some rifles shoot better after the barrel has been fouled. I had a rifle that would lose zero after cleaning only to come back into zero after about 20 rounds of garbage ammo went through it. I wouldn't clean it until it lost zero again. The clean it and repeat process with cheap ammo to foul the barrel.