Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Could really use some help and advise

I had that same combo and had a Khales mounted on it..it was a tackdriver..never put a drop of loctite on the opti-locks either. Get rid of the Blurris scope

We don't know what rifle you are shooting here -do we?
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I would have bedded the rifle and checked the barrel channel right off. Short of that would reiterate two easily checked items already mentioned - the actions screws, and the floated barrel. Check those before the fisrt shot - then after say the fifth or sixth.

I know with my factory Browning syntheric stock p.o.i. shifted depending on where I rested the rifle. Further back towards the trigger- all was good, further up towards the muzzle- went to crap-hence the floating barrel comment.

It is possible for two scopes to go bad, but it's unlikely.
I'd check your mounting procedures. Are the rings really straight and not misalgined ? How tight are the rings ? Too much ring tightening can do that to a scope. Especailly if it's over the reticle cell.
If it is the scopes, them have them fixed and retest them. All scopes need at least 60 rounds through them to make sure they are good. Even really expensive scopes can go bad right out of the box. E

Think I'd be looking at the action screws and also checking to be sure the barrel is free floating. The rifle "wants" to shoot but I'd really guess the action screws are ok. Just something to double check. I can't comment on your mounts/ bases since I've never had one of these rifles but I would double check 'em anyway. I'm willing to bet on the scope and would definitley replace it with a known good one - preferably of another brand.
As I mentioned, the rifle "wants" to shoot and I'd bet there's a simple solution to the problem.
Good luck.
Bear in Fairbanks

I have had a Sako SM in 300 wsm orignally purchased in a laminated stock, switched to a synthetic stock and then bedded it in a MCmillan Sako Hunter. None were glass bedded and all three combos easily beat the factory warranty with factory ammo.

I have had more Blurris scopes come apart on 300 win mags then I want to think about.

The rifle is a Sako 75. When the gun smith looked it over we retorqued the action screws to spec. The barrel is floated, I also checked it with the barrel heated up. The bases and rings have been checked twice now and were always tight. The sako rings are like the burris signature rings they have a poly insert that pivots to keep from stressing the scope when the rings are tightened. I agree Bear that its something simple and small, just need to find what it is. I am fighting the urge to order a luepold vx-3 cds. But I would be a bit bummed if it turns out not to be the scope.

This says you tried multiple combos and watched the groups open up regardless. Then you put a new scope on it and the groups shrunk back to moa. Then, as you fired more rounds the groups went big again. Putting a new scope on fixed your problem. Then it went south with no other changes. Would like to tell you it was something else but if all you did was put a new scope on and loaded up the same ammo and your groups shrank drastically I cant see how on earth it could be anything but a scope....

JMO

W

I've had several Burris scopes and been very happy w/ 'em on assorted rifles including heavy kickers; they were admitedly established models and not something new.

I say all that because it has to be ascope issue of one type or another... Scope failure or issue w/ mounts.

Watch him put the old scope back on and do the same thing all over again....

I had my action screws loosen on a prarie dog hunt a few years back. The gun would shoot good strings and bad strings back to back. I shot that way for a whole day trying to sight in the gun, clean the gun, etc. I finally figured out what happened when I got back home and checked the action screws. Both loose. I tightened back down and bingo sub 1/2" groups all day long...

Crap.....my original scope came back from Burris and they said it checks out just fine. Now I am nervous that its something else.

i have a hard time believing it is the scope. just my experience, but i would guess you put someone else behind that rifle on a fresh day and the first 5 shots will be graet, under an inch. then you shoot it, then have the other shooter shoot it. if the groups continue to open up, ie 1" then 2" then 3", THEN YOU KNOW IT IS THE RIFLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY RULED OUT THE SCOPE. I KNOW WHEN I START SHOOTING A LOT OF ROUNDS FROM BIG KICKERS I WILL BE SHOOTING 3/4 to an inch in the beginning and the groups climb to 2" the more the rifles beat me up, go to a 257 roberts or a 223 and my groups shrink to 1/2" and i can shoot the same 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups all day long. you said when you changed the scope your first group was good and then your groups that followed opened up, sounds like you are flinching more and more as you shoot the big kicking round. jmo lenny

That's good news and bad news at the same time. Hope you figure it out.

Anytime I think it's a scope problem, I take the scope, mounts, bases, and rings off and start over. I use a little brake fluid on the screw holes in the rifle and then with a little loketite or fingernail polish, I put the bases back on. Then I clean each part and loketite it as I remount it. When I'm done, I know damn well the scope ain't loose. Then when I'm back at the range, I see if the scope will track. (shoot a square) If it will but the groups have gone back to small and then big, I look at the shooter or the bedding of the rifle. With the shooter being the primary considered culprit.

"I started working on a load and the first few showed promise starting at .8", but the more I shot the worse the groups got. By the time I was done I was at 3.5" and my groups moved around on the target. I thought that was odd so I tryed another bullet, same thing big groups. So after cleaning it up again I decided to try the factory loads again, well now they shoot 3+"."


You did not say how many rounds you fired in your sessions but I would be that it is enough that you were getting "flinchy".

I fall into the "cumulative recoil" camp. Have someone else load the rifle so that you do not know if it is a unloaded round or a loaded round - a few times of that and you will know if you are flinching or not. Flinching can be very subtle, it can occur and we never know it when actually firing the gun.

The other good suggestion was to put a known good shooter behind it and see if he has the same problem.

drover

I am sure that recoil is a factor and I am certainly not immune to it but I am pretty sure something else is going on as well. The reason I say this is because my shooting has been done over multiple weeks due to schedual and weather. And if I leave with a two inch group one week it will start at two inches a week later. The only thing that made the groups shrink was installing the second scope. I will have a buddy shoot it when we go to the range next time to be sure. To be honest I hope its me at least then I will have something to work with. I am getting bummed, been waiting for many years to get this rifle. Thanks again for the help I really do appriciate the advise and suggestions.

Epoxy the scope base to the reciever.
Make sure there is zero gun oil or lubricant on cases, bolt face, or in chamber.
My cousin was having this same exact problem and we fixed him right up. Went from 3 inch hundred yard groups to 1 3/8 300 yd groups. Gun oil or lubricant left on any of the parts I've mentioned can have a very adverse effect on accuracy.

Shod

I wouldn't do that to the Sako receiver! That would be a mess.

Is this a wood stocked 75, laminate, or synthetic?

I'd wager a combo of action screws and bedding.

The last thing I'd suspect would be the Opti-Locks. Bomb proof! Anything is possible though.

I have the grey laminate stock

I'm wagering case lubricant on account the problem showed up immediately after reloaded shells were fired. He went home cleaned the rifle and changed the scope. The cleaning of case lubricant out of the chamber brought the groups in tight until enough reloaded rounds were run through to build up case lube in the chamber once again. Of course this is a guess but I'd bet there was case lube left on the cases.

Shod