Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Different bullets striking wildly apart

I've never encountered anything quite like this and thought I'd see if anyone else has.

I have a custom .338-06 based on a Savage 110 action. Today at the range I shot 3 different bullets, 160 grain Barnes TTSXs, 210 Swift Siroccos, and 250 grain Hornady 250 grain roundnoses. All three grouped okay. I adjusted the scope so that the 250s hit the bullseye. But then the 210s hit 4 inches high (not unexpected) but about 8 inches to the left, and the 160s also grouped about 4 inches high but about 6 inches to the right! Any ideas?

That doesn't surprise me at all.

There are considerable differences in weight, shape and construction. I'd be more surprised if they landed close together.

I have a .308 that grouped two different cup/core factory loads about 6 inches apart at 100yds. Both shot well enough, just required very different zeros. I was zeroed with one load at 200yds, but the other load wouldn't even hit the 15" gong at 200yds.

Some rifles are like that. The worst one that I can recall was a 03-A3. I used to think it was the 30-06 cartridge, but it was the rifle.
Some of the ones that group different loads together are some of the 700’s I own.

+1

Even just changing bullet shape of the same weight over the same load will do that a lot of times. Not having it happen across different weights would be a shocker.

And how many times have you seen a hunter grab a totally different brand/style of ammo for his rifle and not even check zero before hitting the woods? I know I've seen it. Thankfully, most local hunters like that usually shoot their deer at fairly close range anyway. With the .308 I mentioned above, I could have easily shot under a deer at 100-200yds or maybe worse, shot the front leg out from under it. Glad I checked point of impact.

Haa, I did that one time when I was in my 20's with some 12ga slugs. Didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. Thought a 12ga slug was a 12ga slug. I got lucky as schit. Shot at a doe and missed and out pops a giant 10 point. Aimed at the shoulder and hit him in the neck from about 50 yards.

Barrel harmonics do funny things.....and not predictable! memtb

Better to be lucky than good some days. Cool story.

I know I've heard "Well it was the same grain" more than once.

My in-laws never check there scopes there muzzle loaders still have same load in them from last year or the year before time and time again I hear I knocked hair out of him or I drew the blood but he got away or I found a piece of bone wth man

Dad in-law couldn’t find 270 ammo last fall I gifted him some 140 hpbt game king reloads he was shooting 130 gr told him to check his scope that I also gifted him a Leopold at that I talked to him a few weeks after he’s telling me about chasing a deer he’d shot and drowning it in a creek

IME a well bedded rifle will shoot just about anything close. Barrel whip accounts for some deviation but if there are significant differences in POI between different loads, I rebed.
At the least you eliminate one variable.

I take Mathman’s stance. I’m more surprised when two different bullets of the same weight do land at the same poi. …. Even at the same velocity with the same powder charge.

I have been loading 55 grain soft points for a Remington 700 in 223. I am loading both Hornady and Sierra soft points and they look exactly alike. I load them over a healthy charge of Varget. Both shoot 5 shot groups under 1/2" at 100 yards. If I zero the rifle for the Sierra, the Hornady will impact 2" to the right and 1-1/2" high. The Sierra SPs have the same POI as other 55 grain bullets I load.

In my 338 win mag, 225 gr Accubonds and 225 gr SSTs have a 5" difference in POI at the same velocity.

Agreed. I've owned a couple of dozen (or more) 30-06s. With a typical 150-grain load zeroed +3" at 100 yards, a 220-grain factory load is on for elevation but 4" to the right. Any time that one of Finn Aagaard's rifles put varying loads anywhere near each other, he definitely noted it in an article. I remember specifically he wrote about a 308 carbine that made a 4" group at 100 yards with a dozen or so different loads.


Okie John

This phenomenon is why it is extremely important to zero your rifle with the load you will be hunting with before your hunt. I own only 1 rifle that will shoot different loads to near same POI. I shoot many different loads depending upon what and where I will be hunting. I always check and set zero before the hunt. It just avoids nasty surprises and long tracking jobs. Good hunting.

I rejoice when two different brands/styles of bullets group close to one another……

Just yesterday I shot some 140 smk at 300 yards. Had a dead on group of less than an inch. I then loaded some 140 hornady match exactly the same. Group grew to over 2 inches and hit 6 inches left. Edk