Is it possible that a gun would shoot to one point of impact off the bench and then to another when held off hand? I don't know if it is a scope problem but it seems to consistently shoot into my zero at 1.5 inches high at 100 yards with 130 sierra pro hunter bullets, 57 grains of RL22, and Winchester Magnum primers, case trimed 0.01 under max and C.O.L. is 3.35 inch. It seems to shoot higher based on a non scientific study of busting baseball size rocks this afternoon held at the side of a tree to steady my aim. I had to aim at what I thought was 3 inches below the rocks to bust the 3 inch or so in diameter rocks because held just under the rock the gun shot over. My Winchester 88 in .308 shoots the same either way. This problem seems to make sense as I have hit two deer high over the last two years when hunting with this rifle. Is it a scope problem or is the gun "special"?? Can it be fixed? Anybody know how??

Are you using a tight sling off the bench? Is the barrel free floated? How much difference in forearm placement is there from the bench to the field? Just some thoughts that came to mind.

I think in some cases that when you sight the gun in with the butt resting solidly on something it changes the recoil characteristics. After you sight in, shoot the same load resting only the forend and see what it does.

Jon, that is a thought, I rest the fore end just before the magazine on a sand bag and the butt on another sand bag. The gun shoots good groups between 1/2-1 inch depending on how focused I am this way at 100 yards. I only hold the butt of the gun with my left hand I do not hold the fore end. It has just been a mistery to me as its killed two deer at 80 and 120 yards with a bullet thru the spine of both when I was aiming at the center of their lungs. So my next action will be to shoot it off the bench but with no bag at the back and see what I see!