Scope Sighting Question
 

How long between each shot should you wait before firing again to maintain accuracy?
I bought my first rifle and scope and was trying to sight in yesterday, and turns out it was mounted wrong. I found this out at the range after shooting several shots, so I shot a couple more to make sure it was on the paper. I went back today to fine tune it. First shot was bullseye, but in the bottom portion of the circle so I adjusted up a hair and fired again. This time it wasn't as accurate, and the next time was even worse with no adjustments. I know a hot barrel will cause the shots to walk, so what's long enough between shots to cool it down to make sure I'm adjusting properly?

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

That will depend on the gun and the barrel thickness. Heavier barrels heat slower and take longer to cool, while thinner lighter barrels will heat more rapidly and cool sooner. The thinner barrrels will be the most affected by temperature extremes. For most purposes, if you use quality ammo, and not mutant-grade reloads, the shots should be consistent. Also, find out from your gunsmith, or the manufacturer, the best bullet weight that your gun's barrel twist will spin consistently. With my sako, 140 or 150 grains only. Anything else gives me more erratic groups, even with a sandbag rest. And what I should have pointed out first - make sure the bedding screws are tightened and the scope mounts are tight. I had a rifle loosen up on me when sighting it in. I thought the scope was way off. After my gunsmith picked it up, I noticed the entire barrel and action were rattling around in the stock with about a 1/4 inch of side -to-side play. Boy did I feel ignorant. Anyhow, hope that helps some. Curious to hear what you find out.

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

I have to add my 2 cents to this. You said you got your first rifle and scope. Was it a package deal? I got my first "real deer rifle" 2 years ago just after christmas. A savage package gun. Had a 32mm 3x9 simmons scope. I spent a most of a day at the range with it getting it sighted in in late august that year. never got the accuracy exactly as I wanted it. Acceptable, but not to the standard I had expected. I killed one deer with it but it was an ugly kill that required follow up shots. I blamed myself for shooting a moving deer and having Buck fever. On the second to the last day of the season, I climbed up in my stand, went to wipe some moisture from the lens and it moved. It actually pushed inward about half an inch. I climbed down and went home. That cheap package scope had come apart. I don't know when , or what caused it, but it came apart just the same. so....let the barrel cool completely and if that doesn't fix it, it might just be the scope.

David

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

Most rifles should handle 3-5 shot groups without showing fliers due to barrel heat. I shoot 3 shot groups and then let it cool, 15 minutes or so on moderate heat days. Hot days I will let it cool longer between groups.

First make sure your scope mounts are secure, do not over tighten your ring screws on the scope tube as this can cause damage and problems. Secondly pick up a different style of bullet, to see if your results change. Part of the feel out procedure of any rifle is finding what it likes to chuck (bullet style, brand or grain size can all be factors). Have you cleaned the gun? If not buy yourself some good gun solvent and copper remover. Give it a full cleaning as per the instructions and see what happens. At the range try using some sandbags(if not already) to help steady the rifle-place under the stock and butt so you can concentrate on shooting technique vs holding the rifle. Also have someone watch you shoot to ensure the fliers aren't shooter error and take your time when shooting.

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

It wasn't a package deal, I picked out the gun and scope seperately. It's a Browning A bolt .270 WSM, with a Leupold 3x9x50 scope. I'm shooting 130 grain Winchester Ballistic tips. All screws are tight, especially after the first incident where the range manager noticed the scope was mounted too high in the back, and showing it to the store manager, who promptly fixed it immediately. He was so upset he asked which person mounted it, because he said he was in big trouble. He couldn't stop apologizing after that, so everythings definately good now :)

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

Does it have a factory stock on it? I picked up a browning a-bolt in 7mm rem mag at a a gunshow for a great price with a mcmillon stock on it. When i went to the range to shoot it in however i was getting horizontal stringing with each consecutive shot. I tried letting the barrel cool and even only shooting 2 shots it would move poi to the right. I took a piece of paper and with the barel hot could only slide it an inch down the stock channel before it hit. I took it home and opened up the stock channel and now im getting consistant groups in the .8 range at 100 with no stringing. Sorry for the long post but my advise is to see if the barrel is still free floated when warm,
Nick

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

Yes it is the factory stock. Not sure what you mean about seeing if it is free floated though

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

Free-floating the barrel means that the manufacturer doesn't mount the barrel tightly to the stock, except at a couple of points, usually at the action mechanism and again a little forward. The barrel physically doesn't rest on the forearm stock. You check it by taking a piece of paper and wrapping it around the barrel and sliding it down the barrel into the stock. It should go down between the two smoothly until it hits the bedding pillar - the point of "contact" that supports the barrel and action. As some of our other shooters pointed out, this should be checked a couple of times after firing to see if it is catching due to heat warping. If it is, there are bedding compounds to allow you to re-bed the rifle stock yourself. I've never done it, but the literature states it's fairly easy to do if you're careful. I use a gunsmith. It'll get done right and most of them worth their salt will tell you if that was the issue to begin with. Good luck!

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

I am an old shooter but a new deer hunter.

I recommend you don't conclude anything until at least firing a 3-shot group. Adjusting the scope for each shot will result in wandering all over the target without learning much.

If you are shooting at a target that is at least 100 yards away, I would just remind you to take some wind into account as well. Crosswinds will tend to affect lighter bullets more than heavier ones.

Also, be sure you are keeping both eyes open. If you are right handed and right eye dominant, this should be fairly easy to do with a bit of practice. If not, you may need to try an eyepatch, at least at the firing range. When you close the non-shooting eye, inevitably you will squint a bit with the other. During an extended session at the range, your vision in the shooting eye will tend to get blurry from keeping the other eye closed.

I wouldn't worry THAT much about the barrel heating up. You would certainly notice it shooting at the National Matches on the 1,000 yard targets, but not too much shooting through 20 rounds in an hour or two.

Then again, I could be wrong...

RE: Scope Sighting Question
 

After some reading, I was wondering about three shots as well rather than one at a time. Is it ok to shoot all three back to back, then let the barrel cool some, or do I need to do it between each shot.. Sorry for all the newbie questions, but I've been bowhunting all season and wanted to get this done before gun season starts.