2 of my Savage rifles in 223 and 243 shoot first shot 1 inch high and right, then dead on and 1/2 to 3/4 groups at 100 yds. They are both synthetic stock. Any suggestions to get my cold shots a little closer to center? Both guns are floated.
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2 of my Savage rifles in 223 and 243 shoot first shot 1 inch high and right, then dead on and 1/2 to 3/4 groups at 100 yds. They are both synthetic stock. Any suggestions to get my cold shots a little closer to center? Both guns are floated.
Heavier barrel.
My first job would be to bed both of them. When done properly, it can't hurt!
Devcon is my bedding material of choice.
KG-2 will help reduce the need for fouling shots and it is recommended and used by SWAT and sniper teams.
http://www.kgcoatings.com/cleaning/kg-2-bore-polish/
When I take my rifles out of the safe to go shooting I use KG-3 degreaser and swab out any left behind cleaning solvents or oils. Made a huge difference for me.
These are not just clean barrel first shots, this occurs after the bbls are fouled.
Bedding sounds like a likely culprit. If that does not fix it, do not rule out the possibility of first shot anxiety. I wish I could remember where I read the article about this in regards to first shot flyers but it was very interesting. After load development all my shots are cold barrel shots. When I go out to shoot I bring 3 rifles and a non-contact infra-red temperature gauge. I let my rifles acclimate and take the temp. on the barrel. Then I take turns shooting my rifles one at a time and let them cool to ambient before the next round of shots. I have three steel targets I place at three different distances and after the third round of shots I move them. Of course my Ruger .22 pistol gets a work out during the cooling process. I have found that this coupled with floated barrels, bedded actions and degreased bores, has totally eliminated first round flyers when shooting groups.
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Originally Posted by 264fan
I am experiencing the exact same thing with my savage 110 in .270. Whether clean or dirty, the first shot from a cold bore is an inch or so high and left at 100yds. If I shoot 3 more shots, they are usually a good group.
I have shot a few 3 shot groups at 200yds that measure less than 1", but all were fired about 15 minutes apart so they were all "cold bore" shots.
The barrel is a factory sporter, it is floated, and I have epoxy bedded the stock with no difference in this anomoly. I am now awaiting a heavier barrel to be delivered so i can complete my first barrel swap and see if I can make it go away. Even though this is a deer rifle, it drives me crazy to not be able to make the thing group.
If its a deer rifle and its only an inch or so high and left on a cold bore, every time, what exactly are you worried about?
After cleaning, and with a CLEAN barrel (no solvents, degreasers, etc....a nekkid bore)....a patch dipped in lacquer thinner with a dusting of HBN will help out.
Local law enforcement has been trying to overcome this situation for some time. They don't get practice time when the call comes in. Sometimes, their "window" is only a couple inches.
I'm not worried in the sense that I think It may cause me to miss any deer I shoot at. Especially because its sighted in where the cold bore shots will Impact. I think my issue with it is because I also own a savage model 25 "classic" with the sporter barrel, and .17hmr savage that will both shoot groups at 100yds that I can cover with a quarter every single time, and most of the time a dime. And, honestly it just irritates me to no end that my deer rifle will not do the same. Plus, i see all these crazy small group shooting rifles on here, and just don't want to settle for something that I'm not happy with.....and its alot of fun to work on and shoot!
I had that problem with all of my Savages high and left never high and right. What I did was split the difference between dead nuts and where they were hitting and that seemed to fix things now all my guns have a cold bore target which has time temp and all the info my Kestrel has for that shot. Then I go shooting anymore never more then 1/4 to 1/2 inch spared on any of my groups if I do my part.
And this naturally occuring event is why my hunting tools all have had a fouling shot prior to hunting with them.
The first shot out of the bore is the only one that counts in my opinion. I need the confidence to know that the first bullet will hit the exact same spot it did the last time I pulled the trigger.
Neal