Ever work, study, fume and completely miss the problem????

I had taken my 280PDK to Namibia last month. It is built on the old style MKX where on safety will lock the bolt in place. The rifle has low conetrol mts that first held a Vari-X III mounted very LOW. That scope had always looked to small to me. So I swapped it with a Burris 3x9 and placed the 2.5x8 on my wifes small 7x57. The bolt was close but cleared and I used it for over 2 years before the trip.

First evening in Namibia we were driving along after sighting in and Jan stopped saying shot that Jackel. I said I didn't want a Jachel and he said he did. I grabbed the rifle slammed the bolt open chambered a around and pulled the trigger. It was on safety. Since that couldn't happen I thought I was confused. Until 2 days later it happened again. So I checked it slowly. Yep you can bend the tab that normally locks the bolt. Made me wonder what else I had damaged.

Two days later I start to open the bolt to unload the magazine and it lifts comes back 1/16-1/8" and stops. I couldn't open the bolt. So after playing with it I decided that somethng was messed up on the trigger. So I take the rifle out of the stock couldn't see what was holding it. So took the trigger all the way off thinking that somehow the sear was blocking it. Nothing. So there I sit only one kill and a rifle in pieces wondering what to check next. My wife comes in and looks with her younger better eyes and she asked is the bolt hitting that screw on the scope???

On at least the fullview series there is a small "almost" flat screw that holds the power ring on. Since my scope was so close when the power was set from 4-5.5 the screw would block the bolt. In the dim light of our room I had missed it. I must assume that I would have seen it under STRONGER light. I had used that scope on that rifle for over 2 years and never had it happen. Thinking back if I wanted low I turned down to 3 but usually left it at 6.

So ther you have my learnings.
1) You can in fact bend the tab and allow a MKX to open if you try hard enough.
2) If you mount a Burris fullfield II on your rifle watch that screw.
3) Always check the SIMPLE STUFF first.

quote:

Ever work, study, fume and completely miss the problem????

Yes indeed! And I always feel as if thinking power has let me down, especially when it ends up being a really simple solution.

I've had a bunch of 308Win rifles over the years. They have typically been easy to find accurate Loads for and always Killed well. If a person is interested in lighter weight 30cal Bullets(below 180gr), in a bolt action, with lots of powder choices that work well, then the 308Win is one cartridge to be strongly considered.

About 12-15 years ago I'd swapped a 26" Bull Barrel M700 VLS(Blue and Laminated) in on a different 308Win. That VLS had shot groups so tight and round that it was quite obvious the only real limitation was the Trigger Yanker. So, I knew the next 308Win had no chance at all of being that accurate - just reality.

Swapped for a fine 24" Stainless and Synthetic rifle with a Detachable Magazine, lighter contour barrel and all kinds of fancy (Rolled On) Engraving. It was quite a "Looker" as it came out of the box. Felt 4# lighter than the VLS, but probably only 2.5# lighter. Figured it would get a lot more use in the Humid environment I Hunt.

Mounted the same good old 6.5-20x VariX-III on it that had been on the VLS. Planned to use it with the Standard Duplex Reticle long enough to get some Loads Developed and then move it to the next new rifle to come along. And put something with a HEAVY Duplex on the rifle to actually Hunt with.

Started Load Development and sure enough, it was not as accurate as the VLS. But that was fine, because it was plenty accurate enough for at least 500yds. Only problem was the Groups would shift the Group Point-of-Impact - slightly! Not much, maybe 1/2"-5/8", but it would shift using the exact same Loads, from one day to the next, as well as during the same Range Session.

Checked and rechecked everything (or so I thought) numerous times over a three year span. Never took it Hunting during that time, but just kept trying Different Loads and Bullets since "everything" was checked.

Finally, one day at the Range a guy came over and asked me to explain "Parallax" to him. As I began to show him the Adjustable Front Objective, I noticed it was not where I'd expected it to be. I'd done some rather l-o-n-g shooting with the old VLS and when I put the Scope on the "Looker" three years previously, I'd never re-set the Adjustable Objective.

So, from ramrod340's list:

3) Always check the SIMPLE STUFF first.

Pitiful!!!