7mag grouping problems! Help

[TGoody]

Ok. So I need some ideas to check out because I'm losing hope...

I'm shooting a Remington Model 700 7mm Rem Mag with a Vortex 6-24x50 FFP scope. Timney trigger at 2lbs on a Choate Sniper Stock


Went to the range for groups at 100 yards to find a bullet that the rifle liked:

Tried Remington 150 Corelokt


Tried Federal 165 Gamekings


Tried Hornady 162 Custom Interlock


Clearly, the Hornady won hands down.
So I zero it in at 100 and it shoots beautifully


I shot, cleaned, shot, cleaned, etc... Shot about 100 rounds to break in the barrel. Now I've changed my mind and want to zero at 100. So yesterday, I shoot my first round at 200, dead on! Correct my turrets for 200 being new zero! Done! Figure I'll shoot a few more.... That's when it all went down hill.... Every other round was 3" off. One dead on, next one 3" off, and so on....

I checked all my screws, everything is fine, gun is clean, did I pick up a bad batch of Hornady boxes!?!?

Thoughts?

[TGoody]

7mag grouping problems! Help

Here's the 200 yard target from the one dead on, one off, one dead on, one off, one dead on, one off. Had a slight cross wind, which is why the 3 center shots are slightly left

[careybirdwell]

Seems to me like something is wrong with the scope since it didn't start changing until you adjusted your scope

[Roger_Roger]

If same box ammo, you only made one change? Scope

[TP3]

Roll it back to 100 and check. Or shoot 200 on the 100 click.
Sounds like it's the Vortex.

[Bily Lovec]

vortex scope ?

oh boy...

[SOLID EAGLE]

Something is moving. Recheck ALL screws and torque them. I had a similar problem. I was all set to send a Nightforce back in. I just knew it was the problem. I called them and after speaking with customer support and describing the problem he convinced me to re-check everything.

Upon re-checking I found the back, Ken Farrell, rings were loose!! How did that happen!! I put lock tite on and everything. Come to find out, the Ken Farrell rings don't need lock tite. After I cleaned the screws up and re-torqued them, no more problems. I now re-torque everything after every shooting. It only takes 3 minutes and it's easier than going crazy.

[TGoody]

I'm checking all screws as we speak...
I only took the top of the elevation turret off to reset it at 0 for 200. Nothing else on the scope changed. I really don't think it's the scope, but it could be.
I just picked up another box of Fusion 150grain to test here shortly. If it will hold a group (anywhere) that will rule out the scope... We shall see...

[bboswell]

If you can't find anything loose then save your ammo money and send the scope in. That group says something is moving

[dustoffer]

I'll vote for a scope issue too--if you have a scope you know is good, slap it on the rifle and check. Then you can send the scope back to Vortex.

[TGoody]

WELL S#!T
Upon a 2nd check, I remembered I have 4 screws PER Viper Ring. Two of the front screws were barely loose. I got about a .25 or .5 turn out of them! It's not much, but I could see a very slight gap from being completely clamped down! Headed to the range now! Man, I hope that's all it was... Stay tuned! And thanks for all the quick responses guys!!!

[Still Hunter]

I suggest you go buy some 160 gr federal premium Nosler Partitions and see how it likes them. Kills everything you can shoot at in North America. Great expansion and holds together in a nice mushroom.

[.270]

When you finally zero'd in with the Hornady was the barrell hot? I have done that before shoot til your happy, then come back and cold barrell first shot is way off zero...

[TGoody]

I suggest you go buy some 160 gr federal premium Nosler Partitions and see how it likes them. Kills everything you can shoot at in North America. Great expansion and holds together in a nice mushroom.

That was my next round to get if these Hornady 162s didn't work out

[TGoody]

When you finally zero'd in with the Hornady was the barrell hot? I have done that before shoot til your happy, then come back and cold barrell first shot is way off zero...

Nah, I wait almost 10 minutes between shots so the barrel is cooled off. Learned that the hard way, chasing hot barreled rounds all of the target haha