I’m frustrated.

Got a new Seekins Havak in 6.5 Creedmoor. For the life of me I can’t get this gun to group. The majority of the groups are horizontal strings. 1/2” or less vertical and 1.5 to 3” horizontal.

* It’s not wind, it’s an indoor 100 yard range.
* It’s not me. Sure, I can pull a shot, but not this many horizontal groups. When I pull one, I know it.
* Highly unlikely that it’s the scope. VX-6 that I pulled off my 300 Mag that was functional a week ago (I am switching scopes to be sure)
* I checked everything on that gun that has threads. Everything is tight.

I’m consistent with grip, cheek pressure, rest. Everything. I shoot three guns when I go to the range. I Just alternate between them to keep them cool. I’m shooting great groups with the 7 mag and 300 mag. Crap groups with the 6.5

Shooting 140 gr Nosler RDF and 130 gr Accubond.

H4350 and 6.5 StaBall (140’s)
RL-15 (130’s)

A couple loads showed real promise. Then go completely to shit.

What causes this, given the above info. I’m at a loss.

I'm having the same problem with my 6.5 CM.

In a TC Compass (what do you expect with a rifle that cost less than $300.00 new)!

It want's to shoot, getting some groups about 1/2" and others about 2"s

Gonna try other holding/bench methods to see if any Improvement!

Hip

P.S. I am approaching 1000 posts! According to 24 hr. Campfire-----I must be some kind of EXPERT !!!

PRAY FOR ME !

barrel rubbing in the stock on one side? If this is a chassis than maybe not.

Try bedding the action?

Caused by poorly or improperly stress relieved barrels. Typical for them to shoot one shot or two, even into a tight group, and throw the others into another group or string them out.
I use only Douglas barrels, which won't do that.

quote:

Originally posted by richj:
barrel rubbing in the stock on one side? If this is a chassis than maybe not.

quote:

Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
Try bedding the action?

It’s bedded and there is ample relief around the barrel. It was factory bedded and it’s a nice clean job too.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Caused by poorly or improperly stress relieved barrels.

I’m really hoping you are wrong. I want an easy fix.

I’ll swap scopes on it and try seating the bullets back .010” (the internet told me that horizontal groups can be caused by seating depth. Hadn’t been my experience, but I’ll give it a shot.)

If that doesn’t work, I’m sending it back to Seekins to have them look at it. I’m out of ideas and have burned through 150 rounds and almost a lb of powder.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I use only Douglas barrels, which won't do that.

The 7 mag I’m shooting has a Douglass. For the last 15 years load development has frustrated me, so I had it re-crowned recently. I can’t believe how accurate that gun is now. Developing loads is interesting because it refuses to shoot a bad group, no matter what the powder charge is. I guess I choose the fastest 1/2” group and go with it.

I’m impressed by that barrel.

For that price range on would think there would be to many problems.

But

For me stock flex has been the most common cause of horizontal stringing.

I use mostly synthetic stocks the the cheap savage ones have been the worse ones.


When shooting off a bi-pod one could flex the stocks a lot.

Cure glass bedding with reinforcing rods installed.

Proper clearance around the barrel.

Easy fix LOL my wife asked me to do a easy fix.

In her mind a hour and half later it was done.

There is a healthy amount of clearance all along the barrel channel. The bedding looks really good and the stock seems quality enough. Not a McMillan but not a Savage or Ruger budget gun either.

I am rarely wrong about this kind of thing. What make of barrels does that company use? I am not familiar with them.
However, even the Walmart Savages and Ruger Americans will shoot great; as evidence by many AR members.

bad barrel

Took the VX-6 off and put on a VX3 and it shot four groups sub MOA .287 .545 .670 .875 with 130 NAB and a 1.25” with Nosler Custom Competition

So glad a scope swap that fixed it.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I am rarely wrong about this kind of thing. What make of barrels does that company use? I am not familiar with them.
However, even the Walmart Savages and Ruger Americans will shoot great; as evidence by many AR members.

No idea what they use. It’s a $2k gun out the door though. With some effort, I expect to be able to get 1/2 MOA with a gun like that.

As far as the cheap guns go, I agree. I have never had problems with off the shelf entry level guns getting sub MOA. I have three Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500’s. They are all great. They were $400 guns not that long ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
Took the VX-6 off and put on a VX3 and it shot four groups sub MOA .287 .545 .670 .875 with 130 NAB and a 1.25” with Nosler Custom Competition

So glad a scope swap that fixed it.

Interesting difference in Power, reticle, mounting specs, focus adjustment.

Most folks automaticly assume your getting pressure on one side of the barrel, ands in many cases that causes all manor of conversation and confusion. the problem is sometimes pressure on one side of the "tang"! Ive seen stocks gapped to hell in the barrel channel without moving the POI..thank goodness its the barrel channel option in most cases, well maybe most cases??..but be aware of the evil tang...

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
Took the VX-6 off and put on a VX3 and it shot four groups sub MOA .287 .545 .670 .875 with 130 NAB and a 1.25” with Nosler Custom Competition

So glad a scope swap that fixed it.

Interesting difference in Power, reticle, mounting specs, focus adjustment.

Agreed. Interesting for sure.

Scope mounts loose, misaligned rings creating scope-stress?
I'd find it hard to believe that a previously functioning VX-6 isn't as good as a XV-3.
I'm glad it's shooting better but I'm not convinced you truly discovered the crux of the issue.
Zeke

quote:

Originally posted by ZekeShikar:
Scope mounts loose, misaligned rings creating scope-stress?
I'd find it hard to believe that a previously functioning VX-6 isn't as good as a XV-3.
I'm glad it's shooting better but I'm not convinced you truly discovered the crux of the issue.
Zeke

Well, I just got back from shooting it. I put the VX-6 back on the 6.5

5 groups with the 6.5 gave me .290” as the smallest and .854” as the largest (3 to 5 shots groups … it varied) 130 Accubond, 140 Accubond and 140 RDF. Very happy with that.

The VX-6 is fine. The mounts are fine.

I believe there was a brass prep issue with the 6.5. I’m teaching my nephew to reload, I did most of the work, but I think I didn’t check the trim length of some of the cases. I went back and measured some of the fired cases and they were way out of spec. Too far to have stretched that much in 2 loadings.

I believe this chamber might be sensitive to case length. I’ll watch that in the future.

That’s the only variable I can think of between the horrible horizontal groups and the good groups I’m getting now.

A case neck thats too long can run pressure sky high and is very dangerous, you in effect added a powerful crimp to the loaded round, ran pressure up an accuuracy went south..Glad you discovered it..

You may try giving it the barrel whack treatment.lol Nothing to loose.

Ray, yep. That’s what I figured. I do find it interesting that the group went horizontal instead of just opening up. Now that I think about it, all the flyers went off to the left. Way too far to be operator error.

The only variable I changed was the brass. It was a coincidence that I changed scopes at the same time, and I did put the VX-6 back on it after testing it out on the 300 mag.

Learn something new every time you screw up.

quote:

Learn something new every time you screw up.

So damn true. You also learn there is always a new way to screw up.

Too true