hi fellas',
i.ve been lurking for a few days and just got "LEAGALIZED" this site is excellent and i plan on being a regular here. i am about a year and a half away from retireing and plan to devote more time to my intrests in gunwork and shooting.
i did some new/different loads for my deer gun and noticed a few things that i'd like to ask the experts about.
first, some details....
the gun, a 7x57 AI, built about 15yrs ago on a g3340 action with an ER Shaw barrel and all the normal pieces and bits that make up a nice conversion. it has always been somewhat of a problem gun since built as i did the stock bedding and only recently discovered the bedding wasn't done as good as it should have been.
it constantly spread groups hoizontally about 3-4 inches, no matter what i tried. i did fix that problem by re-beding it and putting a little forearm pressure on it this time.( work has slowed down and i have more free time)
at the range, i found it liked 140gr. sierra spbt's and a starting charge of 48gr.of H4831, giving me several three shot groups at just under 1 inch, with nice even triangular shape and consistant size....much,much better than it ever shot before! i will work on this load to see if they will tighten a bit more. this load is one that i've tried before, but thought it was just another load the gun didn't like for obvious reasons....shame on me, for that matter!.....
i also noticed that, when it liked a load, it gave decent shaped groups about an inch to the left of point of aim and when it didn't like a load, it gave the same horizontal spreading as before, with the group center about an inch to the right of point of aim. in both cases, verticle spread was never more than about 1-1/2 inches with any load.
i'm not all that concered about the right-left thing, because i did finally find a good load, but just wondered if that horizontal spreading on "bad" loads is still bedding haunting me.
sorry for the length on a first post, but sometimes you have to say alot to ask a question! and.. thanks for the replies in advance.
ron

Welcome. Sounds like you have a great rifle there in that 7X57mm AI.

Yeah well the trouble with long posts is I've forgoten the question.

But, with my .223Rem it can shoot a good group with Sierra 55gr. which is maybe 1.5" to the side of a good group of Hornady 55gr.

Nothing supprises me much any more. It's prob. just where the different brands/velosities leave the whippy barrel. Heck, if I can get a good group, they can rise with distance for all I care.

El Deguello, thanks, yeah it was fun to build. i did all of the metal work except for barreling it and blueing, as well as the stock. the way it shot was frustrating because i've had and have seen so many other 7x57's both standard and ackley that shot so good and liked allot of different loads. besides this 7x57, i presently have a 6.5x55 on a turk, a 257 roberts on commercial fn, a 6.5x.270ackley on a fn2430 and a 1909 argentine action waiting for me to decide what to chamber it for. i feel the effort and expense to build a decent gun out of mauser is well worth it. i will admit i can't afford to build high end guns, but a decent working hunting gun can be had with not too much expense.

JAL,
that's kind of what i was thinking too... hope that's the case