Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters First Shot Goes High

If somebody has to let their barrel cool for 10 minutes or more between shots and/or groups to get decent accuracy, there's something wrong with the bedding and/or stress-relief of the barrel. Both are pretty common in factory rifles--and don't necessarily have anything to do with the "weight" of the barrel. Have had it happen with heavy varmint barrels on inexpensive factory rifles, that were free-floated.

Hunters should not have to put up with that sort of BS.

Prolly time for a reality check here, this question hasn’t been answered

On some rifles, I spend the $100 bucks and few weeks wait to send the rifle to "300 Below" and have it Cryogenically treated. I don't do it to smooth the bore molecules, necessarily (some say it reduces fouling), but to relieve stress. Its cheaper than having a rifle Blueprinted. Just saying.

No it’s been answered bedding or machining problem. If in his situation it does it on the first shot clean or fouled I myself wouldn’t put up with it. Now like my 25.06 it’s been pillared and properly bedded. Still a cold clean barrel will put the first shot low left about an inch every time. Fouled and cold no problem so in my case there is just that one little quirk. Is it worth rebarreling? Some might but not to me. It’s a hunting rifle that’s taken 17 deer and an antelope in the fifteen years I’ve had it. Never in 40 years have I taken a clean unfired weapon hunting so it’s a quirk I can work around. Rabbit hole I don’t need.

Speaking of rabbit holes, I went down one for 4 years with a No.1V. That thing just wouldn’t quit throwing shots. Had my gunsmith put a Hicks device on it, bedded the hanger and Hicks plus the radius of the forearm where it met up with the action. Still would chuck shots for no real reason so that thing languished till I was ready to rebarrel it. Decided I needed aggravation so I went out and shot it, man for some reason it started grouping like a 22.250 should, reason was I took the forearm stop off my rest. Put the stop back on it would chuck shots, take it back off and it wouldn’t. Why, don’t know and don’t care as it’s a quirk I can live with.

Exactly. That's the beauty of this simple test. If the rifle groups well waiting 10 minutes between shots but otherwise won't it's a barrel heat related change.

If waiting 10 minutes between shots produces fliers then it's a different cause such as barrel fouling, optics, or other inconsistency.

I have been gone elk hunting. Took a day off today. Old men need their rest! I dug out the notes I have on the 264. It has been 10 years since I got disgusted with it and put it in the back of the safe so I don't remember much. Based on my notes the biggest problem is it is very inconsistent. It occasionally shot some good groups but I it shot to many lousy groups. I am going to start over with it and check everything; scope, mounts, bedding etc. I have 100 and 120 TTSX's, 140 Hornady's, 120 Sierra Match and a few Sierra 140's. Powders on hand are IMR7828, H4831, H870, RL-22 and 25, and Magnum. Primers are Federal 215's and WLRM's.