Originally Posted by
bronko22000
Hold up a second. Seems to me that your first two shots are right. I didn't see where you said you adjusted the scope after these two shots or more. I think I would suspect the rifle/bedding. What kind of ML is it? I am thinking that maybe the heated up barrel is causing a different pressure point or amount of pressure changing the harmonics which would change the POI. If you had the time and/or the patience I would shoot 2 shots only from a cold clean barrel. Make any necessary scope adjustment and wait about 15 - 30 mins and a thorough cleaning. Then shoot 2 more.
The first one was a fouling shot and I have no idea where it went because I shot at the small target on the left side of the power but didn't hit the paper. I felt like I pulled it when I shot though, then the next two were the two that went right that you see on the paper. After seeing those I made a scope adjustment and shot the 3 shot group you see where it was one big hole right to the left of the bullseye. Realizing I'd gone to far, I moved it a click back, and shot at a new target that I didn't take a picture of, but it hit where I wanted it to in the center then.
As for the gun, I should have mentioned that above. It's a Marlin MLS-50 that is supposedly by for T/C for Marlin. It is not exact, but very similar to the Black Diamond rifles. I'm shooting 100 grains of Pyrodex in pellet form, and a 300 Grain Speer Deep Curl in a Harvester Crush Ribbed Sabot. I'm also using CCI Magnum #11 caps to light it all off.
I've also used Pyrodex in loose powder form and it shoots to the exact same POI and the groups are nearly identical in size. I normally shoot pellets in the field and powder on the range to save money, but this time I shot the pellets mostly since that's what I'd be hunting with, although I took a shot with the powder and it hit the same POI as usual as the pellets.