Cheap ammo groupings, sighting in question.

[Dudu]

Hey all,

A bit of background about me, I'm newish to hunting. Not completely new to firearms but am not the greatest shooter but I get by.

I am currently using a Tikka T3X .270.

Yesterday I went to a 100 yard range to try out some ammo to see what my rifle liked, I am sticking to cheaper ammo at this stage while I get used to the rifle/hunting etc.

These were:
Remington Core Lokt 130g
Winchester Power Point 130g
Federal blue box 130g

I have posted some photos of the groupings and looks like the Core Lokts have it. Although all weren't too bad.

My issue is when I went to sight the rifle in with the Core Lokts the shots were inconsistent and when I made alterations on my scope the next shot placement didn't match up with the changes.

I know I'm not a crack shot but I'm not that bad haha. My question is what could cause this? Could the barrel be too hot? I did wait a bit after shooting the groupings but maybe it wasn't long enough? Do you think I should stick with the Core Lokts?

Thoughts?

 

[yoderjac]

If scope changes had no effect on the bullet placement, I'd double check the scope. Hot barrels usually result in vertical stringing. An internal scope failure or loose rings or mounts can cause spraying. Every now and then you can get a gun with a barrel that sprays bullets. Some folks have had success lapping the barrel in this case. At this point, I'd just work on diagnosing why the lack of accuracy. Eliminate one thing at a time. I like a bullsbag for sighting in.

From a shooting perspective, left-right issues are often caused by a tight heavy trigger and torque on the firearm. Forget to take your safety off a few times at the range. Look at your alignment after you tried to fire. This will often give away a flinch which can be cause by the shooter being a bit recoil shy.

All just things to consider...

 

[Mennoniteman]

That's a really good rifle, and also pretty good ammo, your combination will probably shoot better than the "average" shooter's capability. That being said, assuming that you had a solid benchrest with sandbags and a steady trigger finger I'd check the scope mounts for tightness. And is it a good quality scope? Also, do you clean the barrel regularly? Proper bore cleaning is often overlooked and can affect groups in a big way.
After proper cleaning/at the beginning of the next season before I start shooting I run at least one dry patch through the bore to clean out any old oil, then before I try to shoot a tight group I fire one round after the dry patch to prep the bore. The first shot after a cleaning patch often doesn't fly quite the same as shots through a lightly fouled barrel. BTW, your groups are nothing to be ashamed about, any of those shots kills a deer. There's more deer been shot with lever action 30-30's shooting 4" groups at 100 yards than any other gun.

 

[1100LT20]

Clean the bore then fire a round to foul it. Get some 140 and 150 grain ammo and try it against the 130 core loks. Great rifle, you’ll find something it really shines with eventually.

 

[swat1018]

What scope is on it? What type of rings/base? There are drills to check scope tracking (whether it is adjusting for windage / elevation correctly.)

To shoot ragged hole groups you will need more than a good rifle/scope/ammo, you will have to do your part.

I've had a lot of advanced marksmanship training over the years and taught a good many to shoot.

The 7 fundamentals of rifle shooting is a good place to start to tighten your groups.

Body Alignment – Natural Point Of Aim -- Align yourself so you are on target without having to move anything.
Firm Hand Shake Grip -- With the strong hand, grip the stock firmly, but not so firm your muscles tremble.
Firm In Shoulder -- Pull the butt stock firm into the shoulder.
Eye Relief – Spot Weld – No Shadow -- Make sure your cheek is on stock in a repeatable position and eye relief is correct then.
Stare At Crosshairs – Target Is A Blur -- Once sight picture is correct, focus on crosshair, not the target.
Slow Steady Pressure On Trigger To Rear -- Smooth steady trigger pull till the shot breaks. The most important fundamental...
Normal Respiratory Pause -- Don't hold your breath. Breath normally, just pause about half way through an exhale during the trigger pull.
Follow Through. -- Try and maintain grip, cheek weld, crosshair focus, etc. until after the shot goes off.

Good luck...