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Thread: BMAG Not Grouping

  1. #1
    Scatman
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    BMAG Not Grouping


    Hello,

    I have a bmag mounted with a leupold vx-2 3x9x40 on it with Burris Rings. I was only able to obtain 2 boxes of the 25 grain ammo. Last weekend I finally got out to shoot it and was thoroughly disappointed. I was only able to obtain 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards. I've taken the scope off and leveled it out again, used a torque wrench to put the screws in and also all the screws are loc-tited in for the scope, still no luck. I will key two shots then the next few will be several inches off. I can deal with about an inch at 100 yards as my own error but when shots are moving 4 inches I can't believe it to be me as although I'm not an olympic marksman, I can shoot a gun. Could this be an issue with the scope? The dials for windage and elevation seem to have a bit of play between the clicks. I thought maybe the recoil is causing them to move, but if that were the case the grouping should still be well within an inch as each click is 1/4 MOA. Has anyone else had or heard of this issue? All the reviews I read on here are pretty positive except for the ejector missing, which mine has (although I did have one shell that didn't eject today). I'm all out of ideas. I'll probably let my dad shoot it just for my pride and conscience's sake but my next step is to contact Savage or see if I can pass it off to someone else.

    Thanks in advance for your ideas,
    A.J.

  2. #2
    Poor Shot
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    I think I would try to find some different ammo before doing anything to the rifle. It could be a not-so-good batch of 25gr. or your rifle might just shoot better with 17gr. or 20gr. As you can tell by my username, I'm not the one to bad mouth anybodies shooting.

  3. #3
    Basic Member Silvercrow1's Avatar
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    Hey AJ- I'm a relative newbe as fr as rifle shooting, having been out of it for 30 years and returning to it now. I suppose besides the scope you've checked the other variables? (Action screws, barrel floated, etc?) I know the stock is Tupperware and on my Savage .223 the foreend was "loose" enough to contact the barrel significantly before I relieved it. Really made a difference and as it is a heavy barrel and I use a bipod...

    Also what Poor Shot said is very true. I've got a .17 HMR that prints slightly smaller than 1" at 100 yards, EXCEPT for Federal ammo. The gun loves 17 grain CCI and Winchester, but Federal..Fuggetaboutit! AND to me even worse..the gun does not like ANY 20 grain ammo. Well, what I've tried so far anyway.

    Don't despair yet. Remember the barrel has to break in too. How fast are you shooting? Don't know what barrel this gun has but heating up could play a big part..as fast as those little lightening bolts are going thru that tube...whoa!

    I read somewhere on this forum that if you have an otherwise tight group and then a flier that the rifle isn't "quite" liking the bullet/load combo. We're limited in the rimfire realm to factory loads but I'll bet different ammo will make you happy again. Best wishes and let us know..

    Sorry if I'm stating the obvious..just trying to help and be encouraging.
    Brian
    Last edited by Silvercrow1; 07-21-2013 at 11:13 PM.
    Learning something new, experiencing something new and sharing the journey are reason enough to get out of bed each day!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercrow1 View Post
    Hey AJ- I'm a relative newbe as fr as rifle shooting, having been out of it for 30 years and returning to it now. I suppose besides the scope you've checked the other variables? (Action screws, barrel floated, etc?) I know the stock is Tupperware and on my Savage .223 the foreend was "loose" enough to contact the barrel significantly before I relieved it. Really made a difference and as it is a heavy barrel and I use a bipod...

    Also what Poor Shot said is very true. I've got a .17 HMR that prints slightly smaller than 1" at 100 yards, EXCEPT for Federal ammo. The gun loves 17 grain CCI and Winchester, but Federal..Fuggetaboutit! AND to me even worse..the gun does not like ANY 20 grain ammo. Well, what I've tried so far anyway.

    Don't despair yet. Remember the barrel has to break in too. How fast are you shooting? Don't know what barrel this gun has but heating up could play a big part..as fast as those little lightening bolts are going thru that tube...whoa!

    I read somewhere on this forum that if you have an otherwise tight group and then a flier that the rifle isn't "quite" liking the bullet/load combo. We're limited in the rimfire realm to factory loads but I'll bet different ammo will make you happy again. Best wishes and let us know..

    Sorry if I'm stating the obvious..just trying to help and be encouraging.
    Brian
    Funny how the Federal doesn't do you well and the CCI does. CCI loads their own and Hornady and Federal owns CCI. Odd.

    I agree that a different ammo would help but as long as Winchester is loading the only 17WSM we're skunked for a while.
    Aries by birth, Taurus by choice.

  5. #5
    Basic Member Silvercrow1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by plinkin View Post
    Funny how the Federal doesn't do you well and the CCI does. CCI loads their own and Hornady and Federal owns CCI. Odd.

    I agree that a different ammo would help but as long as Winchester is loading the only 17WSM we're skunked for a while.
    Very interesting info! I did not know who owned who, etc. I had heard one time that there are only three major ammo. manufacturers but I did not and still do not know the particulars.

    WEIRD..I agree. But time and again..same range outing, and it happens. The federal just does not group as well, and groups slightly high and to the right for me/this rifle.The Winchesters do the best- just out last week and grouping around 3/4" at 100. CCI slightly more spread but the Federal..triangular grouping, high and right and spreads out over an inch.

    Brian
    Learning something new, experiencing something new and sharing the journey are reason enough to get out of bed each day!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercrow1 View Post
    Very interesting info! I did not know who owned who, etc. I had heard one time that there are only three major ammo. manufacturers but I did not and still do not know the particulars.

    WEIRD..I agree. But time and again..same range outing, and it happens. The federal just does not group as well, and groups slightly high and to the right for me/this rifle.The Winchesters do the best- just out last week and grouping around 3/4" at 100. CCI slightly more spread but the Federal..triangular grouping, high and right and spreads out over an inch.

    Brian

    Just so you know, I did not imply Federal owned Hornady. CCI loads Hornady's rim fire rounds to Hornady's specs. CCI is owned by Federal.
    Aries by birth, Taurus by choice.

  7. #7
    archerhmr
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    CCI loads all the 17HMR ammo except for Winchester. So be it CCI, Hornady, Remington, Federal and old Winchester, it was loaded by CCI. Basically it is all just a different lot. Now Winchester has developed a new way to make the rimfire brass for the 17WSM and it is done the same way on their 17HMR ammo. The case is actually a little stronger than the CCI stuff, or so I am told. Give CCI a call, they are nice to talk to and they will tell you whos ammo they load.

  8. #8
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    Bmag grouping

    Anything is possible from issues with the gun, the scope or the ammo. However, the best way to sort this out is to eliminate each variable until it is fixed. I would consider checking the scope by installing another on it to see if it still does not perform. Expensive? not really. I bought a BSA 8-24x mil-dot scope new for my B-mag for only $64 (ebay). It took me about 10 shots to get the gun on paper and zeroed at 50yds. Not broken in at all. From there it printed the following three shot groups.

    50yds 0.530"
    100yds 1.065"
    200yds 1.410"

    This was all with the 25g ballistic tip ammo. I have shot only about 35 rds so far. The wind was starting to pick up on the last two groups but it was consistently shooting very well and I was extremely pleased with the BSA scope which is clearer than my Tasco world class scope on my varmint rifle. And the Tasco cost many times more. Also, I was shooting at a public range and had AR15's blasting away on both sides of my bench with enough muzzle blast to make visible movements to my point of aim. I was timing my shots between the AR shooter's which caused me to rush the trigger pull sometimes. My B-mag shoots extraordinarily well for a rim fire in my opinion and should get better as it breaks in and I get used to it. I took out several clay birds (~4-5") and small potato targets (3") at 100, 200 and 240 yds and in each case it never missed.

    Also, check your bench that it is solid, stable, sand bags are stable, zero wind, no distractions. I have rifles that can print <0.20" 5 shot groups at 100 yds but only under ideal conditions. Toss in a shaky bench or gusting winds and those groups cannot be achieved. Getting more ammo is tough right now, and it is not likely that the gun is bad, but the scope is something you can fix, right now if you have another or are willing to risk 60-70 bucks on a new one. Also, adjust the trigger to lighten the pull, if you have not already. This is easy to do (see manual). Good luck!

    Irish

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