Sorry in advance for the long post. I have been working up some loads for a 300 ultra mag, with Nikon monarch 3.5-10x50 . I had been to the range with it several times and the last two time shot several 1 inch or better groups with a particular load. I had decided to keep this load so I load about 50 rounds and head to the range to get it sighted in. It should have only needed some minor adjustment. It is suddenly shooting several inches off from where it was the week before. I make the adjustments and get it close but it is still not grouping well at all. I go home clean it throughly and head back out yesterday. POI was about 2 inches high at 100 yards when I left the previous time out. Fouling shot is 3 inches high and 3 inches to the left. Let it cool and next shot is 2 inches high .5 inches to left. (I' m waiting several minutes in between shots). 3rd shot 3 inches hight and 3 inches to left. Adjust scope scope to move POI 1 inch right. Heres where it gets odd. 4th shot is perfect 2 inches high. 5th shot 7 inches high and good left to right. 8th shot is even with the bullseye but 6 inches left. Now I was letting the gun cool down well and I had my father shoot it as well and he was having the same problems. Scope mounts are tight. We are thinking it is the scope even though it is new. Any help or opinions would be great. Gotta get this figured out soon as we are heading to Colorado for elk in less than a month. Sorry for the long post.

Sounds like a scope problem to me with that kind of recoil! I had a Bushnell 3200 on a .300 Weatherby that couldn' t take the recoil and went to a Leupold and no problems at all now...

bad scope if your not flinching from all those shots.

It very well could be a bad scope. (I haven' t yet had any problems with my Nikons but that doesn' t mean much either.) I have in the past had problems with a Zeiss, two different Leupolds, and three or four Redfields with the old TV style lens, (then swore those Redfields off). But before I' d yank the scope and send it back to the manufacturer check all the action screws attaching the barreled action to the stock. (If you are not sure...have a qualified gunsmith check for you. It will cost you next to nothing for that.) The other possibility is the " bedding" . But if the rifle was " behaving" the first trip to the range that is probably NOT the problem.

In my experience in order of occurrence:

1. Recheck screws on bases and rings.

2. Check the action screws attaching the action to the stock.

3. If both of the above fail to solve the problem...then pull the scope and send it back to the factory. (Contact the manufacturer first and determine how they handle warranty returns.)

Meanwhile a simple way to check the scope is to pull the Nikon off the rifle. Take another good scope that has given you reliable service in the past. Mount it on the rifle. And head back to the range. If that scope behaves properly...you' ve found your problem!

P.S. In the event of the Leupolds and Zeiss above...the manufacturers were very good about honoring the warranty quickly. (Redfield did as well...but after so many failures with that particular lens shape....I gave up on it.)

Good luck!

Thanks for the opinons and ideas. I have been to the range with it again today on my lunch break. I decided to try some factory loads just for kicks. 7 shots over a 35 minute time span and it came out to be about a 7 inch group with two distinct groups within them. 4 shots clustered into 1.5 inches or so that were about 1.5 inches high and .5 inch left and 3 shots clustered into about 1.5 inches that were 3 inches low and 3.5 inches left. I rechecked the scope mounts and I checked the action screws per ya' lls advice. Only thing I can figure is the scope. Unfortunately Nikon is saying it takes them at least 7 business days to process it which means it would be gone at least two weeks. It looks like I will be buying a new scope for this one and selling or reusing the nikon for something else when I get it back from the factory. Hard to believe they won' t do a rush order but I guess that is the way it goes. I think I will stick to Leupold from now on. Keep the ideas etc coming. thanks again

If it is a Remington rifle, be sure that the Pressure point out at the end of the stock a couple inches from the fore end tip is tight. . They use a pressure point instead of free floating the barrel. If its not tight, place a thin shim like a matchbook cover in there an tighten it down tight. Try the rifle again. If that fixes it you can put a sealer on the piece of carboard to keep moisture from desolving it and use it that way at least until after season. I have fixed several Remington rifles with this quick fix. Unless they have changed thies system you should have no play at all when you grip the barrel and fore end and squezz.

well a vari-x III 4.5-14 x 50 later the 300 ultra is grouping again. I talked to Nikon and the earliest they could get the scope back to me was 2 weeks and I am leaving in a little over 3 weeks for an elk/mule deer hunt with this as my primary rifle. I guess the nikon will get sent back to the factory and will try it on something else when I get it back. thanks for the ideas and confirmation guys. back to the range today to finish sighting in today and then a little longer range shooting out at the farm. thanks again