Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Ishoot a Weatherby 7MM Mag. with a 3x9 Leupold variable scope. The stock is wood, and the bullets are handloaded 139 grainNosler partitions. Unfortunately, I can't seem to do much better than a 3 inch group at 100 yards(ie. draw a circle around 3 and the diameter is going to be at least 3 inches). On the other hand, I can shoot much tighter groups with my dad's .243, .223 and my .22.

Does this sound like a problem with the rifle or the shooter? If a rifle problem, what do you think it is and how would you remedy?

Thanks for your thoughts!

H

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Well, if its a new gun for you, I would say mostly its the shooter. I went thru this first time I got a magnum. I came home with a bloody knuckle and trigger finger cause I was hold the rifle very gingerly. It took over 500 rounds to get it right.

Nobody can really know unless its shot from a known shootist or a vise.

Partitions ain't known to be target bullets. If I get 1.2MOA, I am very happy. I gotone gun that like em however.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Have you had someone else shoot it and see if it will group better for them? With the increased kick you may be flinching and not realizing it.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

BC - do gunsmiths typically have a vise or offer a similar service?

JeffS - unfortunately, I'm about as good as anyone I shoot with which doesn't say a lot for our shooting skills. Nevertheless, I might see if any of them can do any better.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Some offer. Mine does. If I pay him to check a gun out, he will shoot it if I ask him too and to get it right.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

If you can pay for a gunsmith, it may pay to get something like a Lead Sled to put your rifle in. It is a fairly good rest and will absorb some recoil. I don't bench as many heavy loads as I used to, (old guy here,) so I would go that way if I had a Weatherby. These days, if I shoot a heavy load in my 45 70, I shoot from a heavy tripod in the stand position to zero. After a couple surgeries, don't want another.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

You need to fix the problem....but find the problem first.....If it's you...that's one thing...if the rifle ....that's another.

Since you shoot better with the .243 lets assume you're not the problem.....

Check the rifle's bedding....that's step one.....then retry the Nosler bullets.....

They really should shoot better than 3"!!!.....2" at the worst!!!

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Possibly 140gr but not 139gr partitions.If you have only tried one bullet and one powder,you really have not tested the guns potential.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Maybe the bbl is not broke in. Also, maybe you are not allowing the bbl to cool down between shots. If it is a sporter bbl it needs to cool down or shots will go all over like a shotgun spread.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

I would try different bullets and powders as stubble suggested and also let the barrel cool as hardcore mentioned if you’re shooting to fast between shots. Good luck...

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

If the bedding and barrel are good,you won't have any problem firing 3 shots fairly quickly before letting the barrel cool.If the shots alwaysform a string as you shoot,there could very well be a gun problem.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

No offense, but sounds like shooter to me. The other rifles you listed are not know for horsepower. Easy shooters.

A 7mm Mag. is a kicker. It can take a lot to get used to and usually the shooter (myself included) can be seemingly unexplicably inaccurate for a while. When I got really good with my .30-06, I thought,well, I can shoot anything. Wrong. I got a .300 Win Mag. a while ago and it's a whole different ball game.

I tried really hard to blame the rifle, but I found an easy check. Vise the gun at the range. If they don't have one, borrow one, or buy one. They're usually not too expensive. After vising the gun, and thus mostly eliminating me from the process, I was surprised to see really tight groups. To my amazement, once I realized I was the problem, I started to shoot better almost immediatly. I'm still not as good with it as my other rifles, but I'm getting better. Keep at it.

By the way, if it turns out that the rifle is loose after putting it in a vise, then it's very possible that the barrel is too new (as mentioned before). Give it 50 to 100 rounds, then try again. If it's still f'd up, take it to a gunsmith and let him evaluate it. Other than that is beyond my espertise.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Only if you are very sensitive to recoil.I actuall find the 7mmremmag quite mild as far as recoil goes.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

Compared to the 243 he apparently shoots well with, a 7mm Mag has got a bit more recoil/kick to it. Though I will agree it'snot what I consider a monster, recoil wise, itcan take some getting use to.

Strap that puppy into a shooting vise and see what it'll do group wise. That'll answer a lot of questions. Most weatherby rifles have a 1.5" guarantee using premium ammo.

RE: Question on Sighting In My Rifle - Need Opinions
 

I have tried lots of different sandbag setups but this is by far the best I have ever used...you maybe need a more solid setup like this.