Crazy target- Who can explain

[JWFilips]

HI Guys ,
Yesterday I was shooting My Savage 340 30-30 with my normal 165 gr NOE Ranch Dog Bullet load.......
OK , 50 yds zero wind


Shot the upper left target 1st....5 shots........I then shot 5 shots at the bottom target and the bullets hit in the order of A,B,C,D, & E
Shooting light loads I could see the bullets walking left with each shot!
I was puzzled!
I then shot the Top Right Target.......not knowing what to expect but after 5 shots the target looked good so I shot 5 more into it!
"The ghost had left the machine"
Now before shooting the above targets I shot 5 before these Groups looked normal & I also shot 5 more groups after the ones above and they too looked normal
What the heck?
Powder is hand weighed each load to less than .1 grain bullets also are weighted to .1 grain

 

[Ben]

Is this scope or receiver sight ?

 

[popper]

What is the load? PC or lube. Recoil generally does that for me. Or if from bags that aren't in the correct location and I try compensating. Possible the way those feed/chamber? Doubt it's the sights, how about the stock?

 

[FrankCVA42]

Bedding problem?. As the barrel heats up could be walking your shots due to a bedding problem. Just a guess on my part. Frank

 

[Rick H]

I had a similar problem with a CVA Scout2 in 44 mag. The supplied scope mount was installed, the screws were tight but bottomed out. It drove me crazy until I felt the scope mount wobble a bit. Took a thread off each of the 4 mounting screws and problem was solved. The screws held the mount down, just not tight enough when bottomed out.

 

[Winelover]

Was the barrel allowed to cool, between shooting the three groups?

 

[Rockydoc]

What was the wind doing? On the second target it looks like a wind from the left was dying off.

 

[JWFilips]

No Wind , Barrel Bedded, Scope sighted, All groups were shot one after another! PC Lube!
All of your question were in my mind when it happened!!!
Need some deep thinkers here!

 

[Rockydoc]

If I am out of my depth does that mean I don't qualify?

 

[JWFilips]

I think it was "Ghost in the Machine"
Are you one of those Ghost hunters?

 

[RicinYakima]

I'm going to guess issue with you holding it in the rear bag when you shifted to change to target #2.

 

[Mitty38]

Maybe your loading your rounds way too slow, and shooting south to north. Could be Coriolis Effect ????

Now I have had something that happen, using sandbags that were not full enough. They started sagging, allowing the rifle creep on me. But it did not continue taking a straight line across.

 

[Brad]

Cheek weld. If it exactly the same shot to shot this is what happens. Can cause vertical at times too

 

[Ben]

My friend was in the Marines during the mid 60's.
He said that when he didn't get a firm cheek weld on that M-14 that those
drill instructors said some really nasty things to him.

 

[fiver]

shoulder contact, or the gun touching the front rest can do it too.

I'd say the gun moved on, I'd do the same unless it become a regular feature.

 

[Tomme boy]

I have had a lighting change do it for me. It was the way the sun was hitting the front sight. The sun was going in and out of the clouds and my shots got thrown to one side each time it changed

 

[Ian]

The rifle was adjusted in the bags for both windage and elevation just prior to the anomalous group. First shot was the furthest out and it had you concentrating harder on the following shots so the group settled/walked in. Going into the next group with your awareness tuned up payed off.

I.O.W. the "ghost in the machine" is you.

 

[Ben]

I've always found it interesting that if I had a box of 50 rounds ( all identical loads ) and went to the range and shot 1/2 of them on Day A , they shot great.

I went back with the remainder of the box on Day B and they were all over the paper.

I always assumed it to be " operator error ".

 

[JWFilips]

OK Guys! Now you're talking! I see exactly how it happened....yes the error is me.
I still have the scope on the 340 with a custom top receiver mount. I recall fiver mentioning that it sits up pretty high so I need to use A high cheek pad to keep my cheek position consistent. Aaahh When I took the scope off last year and went to Receiver sights, I pulled the high cheek pad out of the Comb sock! .....never put it back when the scope went back on! I thought something wasn't right with my cheek placement and had to work hard to get back on target after every shot!
Just needed to hear from you guys to give my brain a kick in the pants! once we got to post #11 I knew right away where things were heading!
Then the light bulb went on!
Thanks
Jim

 

[fiver]

heck JW you could do what I done to my K-31 when I scoped it.
I just shaved the stock down so I could set my chin on the stock.
I love watching others try to shoot that rifle.
the Springfield scope has a range estimating moving set of 2 cross hairs.
I set the main crosshair to be 1" high at 100yds and the second crosshair dead on at 300 yds. instead of using it to estimate range.
everyone looks in the scope like they are cross-eyed, they keep moving their head around trying to line things up, and the off set scope really throws them off.
once I show them how to use the rifle properly, some take right to it, and the others [I think it's the left eye dominant ones] just sit and shake their head like I just showed them how to read ancient mandarin.