a friend of mine took his brand new Axis XP .308 to the range today ,same rifle as mine with the Bushnell shapshooter 3-9x40 scope . He was expecting to see tight sub MOA groups as this is mentioned alot that this rifle can do this but his were all over the target . was using 150 grain Winchester ammo and the winds were very light at 6-7mph and temps were in the low 60's ,i even printed out some ballistics/bullet drop charts from Gundata.org with the current weather info
I've not seen the targets but like i mentioned the impacts were all over the target and nothing even close to a 2" grouping at all . He did mess with the scopes Turrets using a Bore sight which i told him not to do and hopefully this didn't affect his POI/POA , He was also shooting it from a bench rest using sand bags
I've got the exact same rifle also brand new and haven't taken it to the range yet as i'm still gathering parts for it and i'm hoping there isn't an issue with the optic as i heard these supplied Bushnell scope have had issues with recoil from .308's
2 things stand out.
1)The XP part of the equation....the scope. He probably thought he was getting a scope for free, he didn't.
2)The 150 grain bullets. If fixing the first issue does not change things go up in bullet weight. 165 class is a good start.
Originally Posted by stangfish
could be the scope as i watched a youtube vid were only after a few rds the scope failed from the recoil
There are a lot things that can part of the issue. The scope could have come apart for sure. However, I suggest a place to start:
Check free float of barrel. If barrel is not free floated fix this.
remove action and barrel from stock. Double check all interior surfaces for proper fitment.
Properly install action and barrel in stock and torque action screws.
Remove scope and rings and ensure scope base is properly installed and secured.
Install scope rings and ensure they are properly set, pushed forward, and torqued.
Install scope, do a box test on scope.
Go shooting and see how it does. If same problem and shooter is good to go, then try a different scope. If problem still there try different ammo. If still there, time to check head space.
My .308 does not like the Winchester White box Ammo, at all.
I have learned Blue Locktite is my scope's best friend on my .308
I have since upgraded the scope to a better one, and the stock scope has been mounted on a T/C Contender and holds zero just fine.
I have a 111 in 30-06 and can tell you I went from 3" to 2" by tightening scope mount on factory Nikon...
Went to 1" or so by going with Leopold scope mounts, and checking how tight the action screws were... they were not tight at all...
I do believe the gun is more capable but now it is me limiting it...
Also, make sure the rest is under the recoil lug not front of stock, that was the issue of 4-5" groups when I had bipod/rest too far forward... I now understand what people meant by the factory stock sucking...
Here's what to do:
take rifle apart and clean as per Savage's manual. Follow directions for proper seating of lug and receiver screws TO THE LETTER. Remove scope. rings, and base mounts. Clean away any residue oil/goo from manufacturing/delivery/dormancy on display. reattach base mounts (now would be a good time to replace with 1 piece rail, but whatever) lock-titing them in place. reattach rings and scope. Test barrel to make sure it'e free-floating. Buy box of Federal Gold medal 165 or 175 matchking. Go to range and fire (pacing your shots to keep gun cool). If after that your rifle can't group AT LEAST 1.5" (and it really should be able to go under 1") then it might be time for invasive surgery. : )
PS--that stock 7lb or so trigger-pull is good for about .5 induced inaccuracy in my experience. : )
[B][COLOR="#FF8C00"]Shooting--it's like high-speed golf[/COLOR][/B]
How about:
3) the shooter.
Not that he's a bad shot. But if he is resting that forend on bags with significant downward pressure, he's getting about all the accuracy he's going to get. I can make my .270 do the same thing -- but not if I rest my hand on the bag, and the forend in my hand, grasping it but not pushing down on it.
If he is still using the factory stock I would venture to guess he is shooting it off a bi-pod? If not then he may see some better results merely by having the front rest closer to the action even if its only a couple inches more.... A friend has one of these in .243 and with the original stock it seems very temperamental as to how it shoots depending how it's situated on the bags.
Try setting it up on a decent rest , remove both the front and rear swivels and play with where it likes to sit .
When he was shooting it from a bi-pod we had to remove quite a bit of material from the barrel channel to ensure it wasn't contacting merely with the weight of the rifle alone , nevermind if there was a slight bit of lateral stress being introduced while he gripped the stock.
thanks for the info !!! , found out he was actually shooting it free hand and only a few rds he was sitting down then supporting it with his elbow . He also did tell me that the scope rings became very loose after a few rds and had to tighten them a couple times during the range time
Lol , and he's concered he has an accuracy issue? I'd say put it on some bags and see what she does. I'd say both his shooting skills and the rifle are doing very well if he's getting 3" groups offhand at 100yds lol
Last edited by Patch700; 12-21-2013 at 04:21 PM.
After you locktite his rings and bases for him.
Definitely, Throw the scope away and get some good optics and the gun will shot. the scope has been the issues with the axis's I have been around.
Retired sniper. You can run, But you will only die tired!!!
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