I had a .300 Win. Mag. barrel which put it's first shot of the session 8 MOA high, and then within four rounds settled down and did MOA groups. Bedding and fore end changes never helped, and I sent the barrel back to T/C, and they replaced it.

I tried the new barrel a couple of weeks ago, and it did fine. Groups were around 1.5 MOA, which seemed to indicate some potential.

Today, the barrel put the first round of every group three inches high at 100 yards, with the next two into an inch or so, but three inches down from the first round.

It did this on the first group, with the first round from a clean cold barrel, and then did it on the next seven groups. After one such group, I just continued firing without any delay, on a different aiming point, and got a nice three shot group of 1.25" I had fired six rounds in less than four minutes. I waited two minutes by my watch, and fired another three shot group. The barrel was still hot. It went back to the same pattern as before, one high then two in an inch.

I was shooting from a sandbag, and was VERY careful not to shift position. All of the scope mount and base screws were tight. The fore end is a Virgin Valley, with their hanger bar on the barrel.

I have two other barrels that don't have this problem.

By this starting rather suddenly, I thought it might be the scope. Any ideas or suggestions will be much appreciated.

#1 scope
#2 grip to frame bedding

A few years ago, I was plagued by the same problem. The cure was simple: a Bellm (www.bellmtcs.com) oversize hinge pin and throwing away that awful TC synthetic stock (if that's what you are using). The Bellm pin turned a barrel that was tempermental into one which became suprisingly consistent -- and even some loads which I passed over before then became "keepers'.

Remember that barrel harmonics play a very dynamic role in accuracy, and if there's too much slop in the fit, you can't expect any degree of consistency. The high first shot followed by a more conventional group is what I was dealing with back then as well.

As to the forend, after the pin was installed, I could get much better groups even with the TC synthetic forend, but the screws had to be rather loose, which isn't practical in a hunting situation. A Virgin Valley forend set up with a hanger bar system sealed the deal.

I use the Bellm pins in both my Encores and Contenders and can tell you they make a world of difference.

I mounted a different scope and today I went back to the range.

With four rounds, I was more or less sighted in, and there was no sign of stringing. the POI followed the adjustments nicely. I then let the barrel cool for about fifteen minutes before firing my first groups ( three shots at 100 yards).

1st group: .4"
2nd group .9"
3rd group 2.0" ( but round).

I thought I had found the problem.

Then I waited a few minutes, and began firing again. The stringing came back, but not as bad as before. Groups ran close to 2" average. For three groups of four rounds each, not counting the first round, I got a 1.25" average for the last three rounds.

Then I tried someone's suggestion and loosened the rear screw on the hanger bar. This helped quite a bit. Groups were around 1.5". I also tried tightening the screw, with a paper shim between the hanger bar and the barrel, and that didn't help as much.

My current theory is that there was a problem with the scope, and that there is also a problem with the difference in thermal expansion between the hanger bar and the barrel.

I have been fighting the problem of accuracy with my Encores, (.223 and 7mm Rem. Mag). When I first started with the .223, the target I used to sight in looked like a load of #4 buck. I almost gave up and sold the whole set up, however, after looking at Mike Bellms' site, I pillar bedded the fore arm, and put in a #1 pin, and the rifle now will shoot .68" groups, if I do my part. The synthetic forend was most of the problem, I think. Heating up the barrel would cause verticle stringing, but since getting the fore arm bedded, I have not had that problem since.

The nicest Sako action I ever had was attached to a barrel with a bulge from some snow or water or possibly oil about 2 inches from the muzzle. The first round was always 7 to 9 inches high and the rest in sub MOA groups on Zero. I purchased it used at a gun show for full value, and was most upset, but did learn a thing or two. First tight patch when i was fully concious told the story.