SecondChance

My son brought me his Rem 700 ADL. The scope was junk to start with and he bought a new Vortex scope. I started from scratch with the mounts on up. Cleaned the barrel and bore sighted it. I built a set of ladder loads with both Varget and H380 using 55grn Horn V-Max. I loaded them .010 off the lands. Hand primed used brass. All brass was checked for length and was well below trim length.

Took to range. I was able to shoot the H380 loads and kept them under 1-1/2" 5 shot groups. All groups shot 7 o'clock 2 inches out of POA. He wanted the rifle back to shoot 'yotes with. I loaded up 70rnds of the best shooting load and went back to set the POI. It looked like I closed my eyes and just slung lead!!!!!!!!!! Even with just minute adjustments of the scope, it would make 4-6" impact difference!!!!
I about fell off the bench. I have been the only one to handle the weapon. It was always in a hard case while transported. Not dropped. I used cleaned, trimmed, loaded the same powder charge from same jug. Same batch of projectiles. I thought I may have mixed up the load data results. I loaded up 2 different loads, 36.0 grns and 38.0grns and loaded with what I thought was the same primer and went back to range. Same results. I can barely keep them on a sheet of paper now. Any ideas? Could changing just the primer make that huge of difference? I also loaded the experimental batch with remington brass thinking that that may have been the issue. Nope.

jeepkid

How many rounds did you shoot since you cleaned it? Could be extremely fouled since it's a brand new barrel.

Primers can make a difference but not like you are experiencing.

Ridge Runner

if its getting worse all the time something is coming loose, check the action screws, base screws, ring screws, if its not better, scrub the snot out of the barrel, if the problem is still there, take a well trusted scope from another rifle and try it, if still a no go, dig deeper, good luck
RR

super_hunt54

You didn't pay as close attention to what he wrote as you usually do RR. If you did you would have noted this ("Even with just minute adjustments of the scope, it would make 4-6" impact difference!!!! ) That right there is telling me you have a blown scope. Vortex scopes are pretty good but any scope manufacturer will get a goofy one occasionally. Sounds to me like you have a loose Ret. If just a tiny adjustment to the scope makes a vast 3-6" difference then that's a scope problem not a rifle or loading problem. Return scope or, as RR said, put a known scope on there for testing first to verify what I am almost 100% positive of THEN return scope. Vortex has a good warranty if I remember correctly and supposedly they have excellent customer service.

SecondChance

Alright, thanks guys for you are the 3 that I was looking for replys from.
1st off, its a used weapon, not new. I cleaned it well before I took it out. But I didn't clean it between the trips to the range with the good groups and the bad groups. It just seemed to crap the bed overnight.
2nd. I went totally thru the rifle from top to bottom before I took out as I always do when starting with a new rifle for accuracy work. I used a torque wrench for everything and put back to specs per manuf.
3rd. I have a Luppy scope that is a trusted go to for me. Im thinking that I need to drop that on it and see what it tells me. And im thinking that I will call Vortex today and check out the scope CS and see what they tell me.
I really appreciate the fast replys and now I have something to tell him. With having worked on guns and loads for 30+yrs, it really has been a hair puller for me the last week over this.

super_hunt54

Make sure you let us know how things work out. I know what hair pullers can be. ESPECIALLY when it's a brand spanking new scope. It just never enters your mind it could be the scope cuzz it's a new and from a good maker. Been there done that.

Mr. Slim

if you still have the same scope on the rifle, check it for parralex. ut the rifle on a solid rest and look through the scope without touching it. if the crosshairs seem to move when you move your head slowly from side to side or up and down then the scope is done. put a new scope on it.

SecondChance

I looked at parralex also. I didn't notice it. I even went back and checked headspace and max load length on the projectiles being used just to be sure I didn't miff something up there by chance. Now I am just waiting on the weather for some range time. Ol lady gets kinda pizzy when I test rounds in the basement and it makes the puppy do bad things on the carpet when I set those rounds off!!!

Valentine

A shooter has to be careful loading ammunition. Some reloading doesn't work out too good. I'm afraid not everyone is meant to reload. Good thing for me I was a few benches away on a target range.

SecondChance

I am always on my game for the reloading dept. I was dead on for all my specs of my loads. I have come to find out that the scope was junk straight from the box. I dropped in my go to scope, a Luppy BenchRest 42X scope and she was right back to shooting the groups I had earlier and a tad better.