I took little robbie out
Just to make sure was still sighted in for my tried and true load, 1 month to go before hunting season.
Little robbie is my Rugger 77 RL in .257 Roberts. My load is a 100 grain barnes tsx over 46 grs of H-414. Gives 3140 and allways around MOA.
Figued I would fire a round and put her away, but the round was about 3 inches high, so I fired another, 5 inches high this time, What the hell ?
Cleaned her good and fired 3, got about a 2 inch group, I let her cool off, and fired a new load I brought just for grins , and this rifle has allways been good with only that barnes load and 1 other that was to slow for my hunts,
The rifle put 3 120 grain partitions into .4 inches, Well My mood improved greatly, I chroneyed 1 of the 3 i had left and got 2701, Not to bad but I would love another 100FPS,
The last 2 I put into .5, well, I have a load that will work for sure.
I played with the action scrwes a little and
Then I got a good group with the barnes, again.
Let it cool and Fired 2 three shot groups with the barnes and 3 were inside a half inch while the other 3 were not so good.
I think its the action screws screwing around with the barnes load.(pun intended)
When I got her home I scruberd her clean as a whistle And redid the action screws to about where I have allways had them.
I am gonna load up some more T-shocks and add a half grain of IMR-4350 to the partition load , and see how it shoots then.
I,m kinda freaked that my go to deer rifle and load combo dissapointed,
But I am feeling prety good about regaining my confidence in the rifle, with either load I mentioned.
Hell I know that t-shock will flatten a mule deer , but even at 2700, so will a 120 grain partition.
One load or the other will work, or I'll be both suprised and pissed...tj3006

quote:

Figued I would fire a round and put her away, but the round was about 3 inches high, so I fired another, 5 inches high this time, What the hell ?

This happens and its a good reason for having back up guns. If anything throws them off it's something thats loose. I have much better results on the first shot hitting where it should if I tighen the screws before I shoot.

I keep a record of where the first shot hits. The list happens to be here at the puter and I fired the 243 Kimber after having it's stock off so thats an excuse. The first shot hit 2 left and 1" right at 200 yds. A 200 zero is desired.

The second shot hit on elevation wise and 1" to the right. Thats a 2" group for two shots and not acceptable for a varminter but the stock was off before the shooting. All screws were tight on this pillar bedded gun including scope screws.

Later shooting, after the barrel cooled, produced poor groups. I hope it's the fact that the barrel has not been cleaned in a while.

This is why I like backup guns. I happened to go hunting the next day and brought the Swift which is always on.

There are lots of variables involved and someone will post that it's a wood stock that does it but my Swift, 300 HH, 264 etc. have wood and they are always right on.

By the way I had the 308 Kimber that day and it put the first shot 1/2" high at 200 yds and two more all within 1.5" of each other.

I dont think the wood stock is a factor, its free floated and bedded under the recoil lug.
I think the stock screws are the big factor.
I did up another batch and I will give it a try next weekend.
I got a heck of a deal on some bullets and among others I bought 150 of the 120 grain partitions.
I loaded up 10 more of those with 42.5 grains of IMR-4350, in hopes of aproacing the 2800 FPS mark and if I get there and it groups anything like it did today , I will be tickeled pink to hunt mule deer out to 350 yards with either load.
, how do you like those kimbers ? I would love on in .260. or 25,06 Its not much of a streach to see me come home with just such a rifle next weekend if I can get a good offer on one of my 06s...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas Jones:
I dont think the wood stock is a factor, its free floated and bedded under the recoil lug.
I think the stock screws are the big factor....

Hey TJ, If the screws are making contact with the Termite Food, there is an excellent probability that is part of the problem.

Termite Food is constantly changing due to absorbing and releasing moisture. You can have it Pillar Bedded if you are determined to stay with the Termite Food and that will help, but not completely eliminate constant shifting.

Unless you changed "lots" in one of your Cartridge Components(Case, Primer, Powder or Bullet), then Termite Food would be my first guess at the problem. If however you opened a new jug of powder/bullets, then it could be that plus the constantly changing Termite Food.

Best of luck to you.

my 120 gr partation load is 45.0gr of h4350 which yields 2,850 fps in a 24" barrel. 43.0 gr of h4350 gives 2,800 or so. In my guns there is insignificant difference between h & imr 4350.

Hot core. termite food, is funny. But this talk of constant shifting is hog wash. We have agreed on many things and you are a good guy.
But logic says how many million shooters were completly satisfied by wood stocks in all climates before the synthetics came out.
The little ruger has been in my basment for a few weeks and it was a hot dry day, so I can't belive any moisture got in.
A proprly finished wood stock will hold moisture out just fine.
I will aknolage a good mc millam stock is more weather resistant but hunters since Danial Boone and before in all climates the world over have been shooting wood stocked rifles well, and to me wood is usually much nicer to look at...tj3006

quote:

, how do you like those kimbers ? I would love on in .260. or 25,06 Its not much of a streach to see me come home with just such a rifle next weekend if I can get a good offer on one of my 06s...tj3006

I like the Kimbers all right. I got some of the first ones talked about on the net and feel that they are the best made and designed American rifes made today.

For years I resisted getting a lightweight for hunting big game. My buddy had got a Ruger a decade or more ago and I said that my Featherweights are just fine. Keep in mind that we hunt on some steep hills.

Then as I got older my body weight went up and my legs got weaker. Thats the reality of it. I was on a hillside in VT trying to sneak on a bear that was fequenting the edge of some very long fields over a 1000 yds away. I was carrying my pre 64 M70 300 HH which goes weights about nine tons. The ground ripped away under my boot as it was just some soil over a flat rock. I fell. I have fallen before. It's usually no big deal, just don't fall on your gun!

This time my knee clicked afterwards. That ended up in surgery. That did it.

Since then I have bought five new Kimbers. I sold one of them as the accuracy went sour and gave the other Classic to my kid. I shoot the three remaining Montanas a lot. That means every week at the range and varmint and game hunting frequently.

As you know all the Kimbers are glass and pillar bedded along with being free floated. Staying sighted in is #1 with me and the Kimbers are good at that including the wood stocked ones.

Don't 'order' a wood stocked rife. If you do and the wood does not please you then you or the dealer is going to get stuck with it. I might even go the extra $$$ and get a Kimber with the French walnut. Thing is that I already have plenty of wood and blue M70's, FN's etc so all I really needed was some lightweight Montanas to round out the battery. I had bought the Classics before the Montanas came out.

Here are the three Montanas. Sorry to post such ugly plastic stuff but they are light. Way easier to carry one of these than loose weight myself. From left to right 270 WSM, 308 and 243.

I've had the same thing happen and it's not always been the same problem. I think the Rugers are sensitive to twisting caused by uneven bedding and or torque differences.

I have been at fault more often than the rifles. Nate

Hey Thomas, I have no problem at all with being able to disagree with someone in a civil manner. I hope you never have to experience warping Termite Food.

However, trying to justify that Termite Food won't warp indicates a simple lack of experience. Yes our Elders used it for many years because they had to. And it is "generally" still used by some folks for up-close hunting, simply because they don't understand how adding or removing moisture affects it.

Having experienced the Wrath of the Warp though, I know better than to trust Termite Food for small groups or the hunting I do.

I'll end by agreeing with you that Termite Food can indeed be "pretty". Of course, I've never been able to "pretty one to death".

Best of luck to you with the new Loads.

I did not say wood won't worp, it will, But properly finsised and fitted wood stocks work fine, lots of great hunnters and great shooters use them today, I think jack oconner elmer keith and even pros like carlos hathcock in the steamy jungels of vietnam, did some prety fine shooting with termite food.
I havce a couple synthetic stocks , I also know o alot of guys who can shoot great and own hundreds of rifles and simply would not own a synthetic.
they can shoot ral well at any distance I can see. Its just a preference thing. They all work, but in the case of my ruger i just checked it and its still free floatd, I bet it shoots good this weekend...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Termite Food.

Go here: http://www.2flashgames.com/f/f-1299.htm
Click on the box "Say What Again"
Substitute the phrase "Termite Food" for the phrase "What".

ForrestB,

You have some of the finest rifles that I have ever seen and once again I want to express my appreciation for being able to view them. A beautiful gun is part of the shooting sports enjoyment.

It's just that HC has had his Remmy's tickeled a little here as of late and he is coming back with the termite fun. A buddy moved to Greenville, SC and mentioned that in HC's low country the deer season opened in August and the temperatures and humidity were about 100. That might account for the responses too.

there is a possibility that your barrel simply is going to take a while to foul and settle down...some of them are that way. Before proceeding further I would put a number of rounds through it.

Then I would loosen and then retorque the bedding screws. Make sure that there is nothing rubbing on the trigger assembly or bolt handle. Then check to see that nothing is loose on the scope mounts and rings. If the problem persists I would try swapping the scope with one "known to be good" to try to isolate the problem.

Let us know what happens.

I didnot get a chance to shoot this weekend.
Went to a gun show and and got a .243 sako and picked up a used tent trailer too.
Will be shootin this weekend for sure ! ...tj3006