Just finished working up a load for my 260, I ran into something I have not experience before. The rifle is to 700T and i am very happy with the accuracy, it will touch the first 2 rounds but allways seems to throw the 3rd? I wait till the barrel feels not hot before i shoot but it seems to heat up quicky, I know its warm out and that might have some thing to do with it, but i was wondering if I free floated the barrel if that would help keep it a little cooler or maybe relieve the heat stress on the barrel? I did buy the rifle to hunt with, but practice is always good. The rifle is pillar bedded from the factory(so i read) and any advice would be welcome. Oh yes... if you put it down for 15 min or so and shoot it again it is right on the money.

My browning mediallion does the exact same thing 100% of the time. Always drops lower left 2"on third shot. But if I let it cool, I get .5" groups at 100 yards. So I know that something is probably binding. My choices are, rebed, and possible screw up my accuracy, or live with it, and know what you got. I decided, nothing wrong with 2 shot groups for a strickly hunting rifle. And then again, it may be barrel and way its fitted, and then it gets hot and on the third shot, you get a flyer. So bedding might not fix it. With these pencil barrels, things like this happen.

Hello furbman.

I could be becouse of the barrel on your rifle or a list of many differant things, BUT I find that if I am shooting alot that I usually sling at least one or two rounds a box. I dont know if it is becouse I get too relaxed, or if I just pull the trigger.

I am not the best shot in the world, But I am a pretty good shot. Just becouse I have hunted my whole life, and am an active shooter.
The fifteen minutes might give you a chance to calm down and refocas on what you are doing on top of letting you rifle cool down.

Hell I dont know just a thought.
Hunter338

Here in las vegas where the summer can give you 120deg. We shoot then wet towel the barrel. It seems to help. You will get some distortion through the scope on a hot day also. My groups are much better in the winter. Hot weather has a combination of adverse effects and one is that I'm just plain uncomfortable.

This is a phenomenon that I have always noticed as well.... no matter the rifle or cartridge used. I theorize that it has to do with barrel heating, in conjunction with barrel harmonics. Personally, I doubt that, IF the rifle you are using is producing good groups already (subject to your definition of "good groups"), that free-floating the barrel or glass-bedding the action, etc. will have any meaningful effect. I have personally tried free-floating the barrel in conjunction with bedding the action, switching ammo brands/types... and anything else that I could think of.... As long as the rifle was already producing good, tight groups, I have never been able to eliminate the "third-shot drift" (as I like to call it) - however small it may be. I have come to the conclusion that this is, in effect, a "natural occurance". My current rifles (BOTH of them) will drift the third shot approx. 3/8" to 1/2" away from the first two, usually to the left, no matter what I do.

My own rifles that do not exibit the so called "third shot drift" as you call it and I strongly disagree that this is a "natural occurance" with most rifles.

Stubblejumper, do you have a 700 Ti? Or another pencil barrel gun ultralight?

personally it comes down to conceintration for me. I'll go to a shoot and the first round I'll shoot the most horrible group ever. Then I'm pissed off at myself and its a whole new game. There is the occasional bad round or trigger pull but most rifles will out shoot the man behind the trigger. I don't even bother to put the first three shots on paper no more. I'll shoot at rocks or the long range gong. Then I'll go for groups size. Some where around groups 3 to 6 its all coming together really nice. But you still have to practice that first shot for hunting. That's the one that counts. I think conceintration is the key factor in groups.

That just gave me a reason to go to the range... I have noticed this in the past, but never payed any attention to it. I will go here pretty quick and do a little experimenting.

Furbman, unless I am really mistaken most factory pillar bedded rifles are free floated from the recoil lug forward ..Kimber comes to mind on this . Browning Abolts aren't pillar bedded but completely free floated as well. There may be aluminum pillars on a TI rifle(bell and Carlson stock) but like most Remingtons there is probably a pressure point on the barrel channel . If you are taking your time between shots on a 3 shot string it should be a uniform pattern. forget about a 5 shot string with a barrel as wispy as the one you have . I have a mountain rifle in 7-08 that shoots pretty darn consistent and its barrel looks like a soda straw but I woudn't dare to shoot 5 shot strings especially down here where the weather is a bit warmer. Check your barrel channel to make sure there is the same clearance on both sides and absolutely do not free float the barrel. If you have a competent gunsmith available have him check the action bedding and if necessary glass bed behind the recoil lug and tang. Hope that helps.