Detective Work

[Salvo]

I purchased a mode 25T at a gun show and had difficulty when sighting it in. The elevation adjustment for the scope worked just fine, but windage adjustment was uncertain. Once I got it sighted in, it shot great groups - but next time I brought it to the range, it would shoot a couple of inches to one side from where I had sighted it in before.

I thought the scope was bad, so I put on another scope that was known to be reliable, with a different set of rings. - And it behaved the same way as before! Windage adjustments not always effective, and changes are noticed after taking it home and bringing it back to the range again. Elevation is just fine, but windage would change all on its own.

Then I thought, the bases must be loose. But no, I could not get the bases to budge, and the screws were good and tight, popping loose only after applying considerable force.

Then I thought, loose barrel? - But it appears to be rock solid. This rifle is the older style with the dual barrel pins.

Could it be a bedding issue? The rifle is not glass bedded, but I can see where the action is leaving an impression upon the wood, it looks to be bedded fairly solid.

I do have one more scope that I could try, but the last one came off of a .270 WSM, where it worked just fine on that gun. Two scopes misbehaving the same way, one of which is proven seems so unlikely.

Now I'm out of ideas... Any ideas? This is my first model 25, I dunno much about them.