I made the schlep out to the "local" 200 yard range with my .243 Winchester Axis. It has a 26" 1-8 Shilen varmint barrel and has been a consistent 1/2 MOA shooter at 100 yards with no signs of bullet instability despite the Berger VLD bullets saying they require a 1-7" twist. My favorite load so far has been a 115gr Berger VLD hunting bullet seated touching the lands over 45.2gr of H1000 and a Federal LR primer in a Hornady case. My chronograph puts it at a fairly solid 2880-2900 fps at the muzzle.

Now, the problem. At 100 yards, the rifle and ammo is very predictable with five shot groups falling under half an inch. At 200, however, the groups grow to 4-6". The first time I shot at 200, I figured the problem was over-torquing the action screws. This time out, the action screws were still set the same as my last outing at 100 yards. This time I was about to write it off to visibility in the late-season flurry I was shooting in, but I feel pretty confident that I could see the target well enough to get a decent sight picture. Certainly I could see the 2" shapes on the target paper.

So, does it seem like I've got a mechanical problem, or is it just me choking at the increased distance? I realize 200 yards isn't a long shot by any means, and it seems like my load should have the legs to get there and my meager skills should be able to put it on target.