I just bought a used BLR .308 that had never been fed a reload. The former owner bragged about one-inch groups at 50 yards. If I get an inch at 50 yards, I'm selling it.

So I started out right away with 180-gr. Barnes Triple-Shocks.

After running through several weights of H4895, I settled on 45 gr.

So here's my problem: I can get two out of three shots in a group to touch each other at 100 meters, but the third is two inches or more out.

Today's session was 18 shots in six sets of three. My main goal was to dial in the scope for a moose hunt in two weeks, and the .308 is a back-up gun for my .338 WM.

I can use it this way, but I don't like it.

What am I missing? Should I go back to something cheaper and start changing powders, or is there something mechanical?

kk

KK, had a BLR in 243 that was exactly the same, turned out it was barrel heating up. I had to learn to wait an extra long time after that second shot for the barrel to chill out, and when I did, it would sock that next shot right in there. Hope your issue is that simple.
Good Luck,--Don.

Thats the first thing I would think of - that third shot going down a hot barrel. I would let her cool a long time b4 I went for shot no 3.

Thanks to all so far...

I agree the barrel temperature would affect point of impact. However, as I said, I shot 18 rounds today, and the only round out of a cold barrel was the first.

I even shot six rounds from my .338 just to see if I was flinching or firing too fast on the first round of a group or whatever.

I wonder if there's any chance that the scope reticle could be loose by a fraction of a hair so that one shot would push the reticle to one side and then the second shot would push it back? That would account for two shots being together in a three-shot group.

If so, then the fourth shot should hit back on the flyer from the other two. Correct?

Maybe next week I can go shoot more shots between scope adjustments.

kk

FWIW, I've got a japan made .308 BLR, bought new in '83, shoots 180gr win failsafes and 180gr rem psp corlokts less than moa. Never tried handloads, never needed to. Take a little more time for you groups, shooting hot isn't a realistic "hunting" scenerio.

Thatsounds like an extremely hot load. Most load data would say 45 grains is a match to a 150 grain bullet. Are you sure it's 45 grains h4895 and it's a 180 grain bullet??
Stuffin that big 180 in your case doesn't leave much room for powder does it??

I have a .308 blr that abosolutely loves 150 hornady interlocks over RE12 (a nosler accuracy load). I can't remember for sure but I'm wondering how warm the barrel even gets in 3 shots. I'm kinda thinking not warm at all. I remember shooting 5 shot groups last fall and I don't even thing the barrel was that hot after 5 shots.

I'm with Kraky,
That's a warm load, my Lyman manual says 42 grains with a 180 is a 52,000 cup load....Not sure where 45 gets you. I'd invest in the best high performance bullet I could get and back down the velocity a few fps...better bullets with better terminal performance are likely better than the last few FPS you can eak out.
I have a BLR in 358 and it will shoot 3 shot MOA groups, but the barrel gets hot, real hot and it is the same outside diameter as your 308 barrel. But even though the barrel gets hot, I can still get a good 5 shot group out of it, but the last two shots usually open the group up to about 2 inches with shots 4 and 5 climbing.

I love my BLR, but try not to push the pressure too much, as good an action as it is, the mechanical advantage of the lever is nowhere as strong as a bolt gun, if you push a cartridge to expand too much....it will be a mother to get it out safely! Believe me...I know

regards,
graycg

I have a BLR in .358 Win. that was pretty erratic when I bought it. Probably why the guy sold it. Anyway, the scope had a bad parallex problem so I replace it. Gun still shot crappy groups. I removed the forarm and free floated the barrel. It has a slight looseness about it now but the .75" three shot groups with factory ammo or my handloads more than makes up for it. Also, relieve the barrel band a bit where it goes around the barrel.
That's what worked for me.
Paul B.