Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 1rst cold barrel shot high and right

I have a ruger MK II target in 25-06 floated heavy barrel Nikon monarch scope with tight ring and mount screws. when shooting first round out of cold barrel it hits 3 inches high and 4 inches right but next 3 will hit right on target. groups 2 inches at 100 but this is due too the rounds I've been hunting with nosler partitions was shooting win. super X and rem. corelokt's They shot 1/2 that size group. but I am baffled on the first shot being that far off. what's up? And this is not with a freshly cleaned and oiled barrel at least 20 rounds sense last cleaning for deer season. and a good 1/8 inch clearance between obj. and barrel. also with cold and hot I checked clearance between barrel and stock. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
One more question if you wanted to spend 700.00-800.00 would you sink it in a ruger with one of the major tuners like shillen or would you just by a new one? if new one what brand for whitetail and range fun? I would like to stay with the 25-06!
Thanks Don

Not unusual for the first shot to be off but that is too far for hunting. I assume this is factory ammo?? Reloads may cure the problem but I would check the crown and action screws. What scope do you have on the rifle? Have you checked the scope on paper with the 10 clicks right, shoot a group. Ten clicks down, shoot a group. Ten clicks left, shoot a group. Ten clicks up, shoot a group. Which should put you back at your starting point.Rick.

No I have not tried shooting a box but how would that help after first shot its back shooting where I aim? But I'll try it! I have some winchester super x's ordered they shot very good in my gun before this first shot problem occurred. then I bought three boxes of the federal's with partitions for hunting. The partitions shot a not so good 2 inch groups at a hundred but that's OK for hunting. I just noticed this problem after going to the range last three trips. and I'm not just pulling on the way off round before shooting it last trip I shot my friends 7mm and put 3 real tight at a 100yds then shot mine and same ole thing first round WAY OFF! then several more within 2 inches???????

Was the first shot perhaps from a cleaned and oiled barrel, or had you put a fouling shot through the barrel first. if the barrel had any oil in it, it would shift impact on the first shot. After the oil was burned out, the group would move back home. However, if the barrel had a fouling shot through it, it may help to lap the bore. I have seen that in a muzzleloader my brother had. The first shot was high left by 3.5 inches at 100 yds. Lapping helped considerably.

Good luck,
Leon

That's tough. I've seen it before, but you seem to have covered the bases pretty well with the floated barrel and scope clearance. It may be likely that it won't do any better than 2" with factory ammo. But, that doesn't address the first-round flyer problem.
Don't think it's likely, but it could be bedding. First, I'd replace the scope with one of known quality, so I could rule out optics. Doesn't have to be expensive, just one known to hold zero. If you don't own one maybe you can borrow one. Also be a good time to make sure bases and rings are tight and aligned properly. Might be a problem like a torqued/twisted scope.
If that doesn't change anything, I'd next look at the bedding. Is it a wood stock? Are the action screws tightened correctly?(very important, esp with a ruger)Maybe a good glass bedding will help. If not, you'll only have to skim-bed when you rebarrel.
Last resort, and most expensive is a new barrel. Nothing wrong with working with a Ruger. They just aren't as popular as some others.
All this must be weighed against swapping for another gun. If you trade it off you might cure the problem, or inherit a worse one! That's the luck of the draw. Good Luck!........................Bug.

I do have another scope a Weaver V16 I will try and I think I will also bed the action also. it is a laminated wood stock.
also as stated in the original post the barrel is not freshly cleaned or oiled! Like you said bug I'm afraid the problem may be in the barrel!

Every time you go back to the range are you shooting differnt bullets than last time? I ask this because I have seen switching bullets can cause a flier for the first shot or two. Seems the last fouling from say a partition can affect how the next Hornady will shoot.

Shooting the box will tell you about the scope. I would not invest any money in new equipment until you have used some good reloads in it.Rick.

My guess is that it's either a bedding problem, where the first shot seats the barrel and action, and then as it cools, it "slips" back to the initial positon, OR, it's a barrel stress thing. The first situation can/may (?) be cured by glass bedding it well. Just watch that angled Ruger front guard screw when you bed it. Torque down on it too hard, and those screws have a lot of mechanical advantage, and you'll bed stress IN to your setup. Once you've done a few, you'll get the feel of it, and with the Ruger, I don't think there's any substitute when it comes to glassing one in, than sheer experience. It'll pay big dividends, though.

If it's a barrel stress thing, that's in the metal, and cryo treatment may turn it into a real shooter.

Those are my 2 best guesses, anyway. If I had to bet my life on it, these would be where I'd rest my fate.