Ammo Issue?

[MadDuner]

I finally got a chance to sight in my Ruger PR in .308 after waiting for the desert to open and just hitting a local range instead.

Because I’m just trying to get a feel for it, I’m using Malaysian milsurp M80 146gr ball rounds, and shooting 5-rounds groups to sight it in.

5 rounds makes a single hole at 50 yds.
5 rounds makes a single jagged hole at 100 yds.
5 rounds all fit inside a 1” diameter circle at 200 yds.
5 rounds spread out to be a 10” wide pattern at 300 yds.

Is this simply the ammo?

Next time out I will take some match grade stuff to see where it is, but was just curious about the spread.

 

[FLIGHT762]

Your Malaysian Military ammo was likely surplused and taken out of system because it was out dated or there was something wrong with it. It is not precision ammo. There's probably nothing wrong with your rifle. If this was the first firing of the rifle, I would check all of the scope cap screws, base , & clamp screws to see if they loosened and re-tighten to torque spec. I've had that happen.

Take some better ammo out to 300 yards and see what the rifle will do.

 

[MadDuner]

Your Malaysian Military ammo was likely surplused and taken out of system because it was out dated or there was something wrong with it. It is not precision ammo. There's probably nothing wrong with your rifle. If this was the first firing of the rifle, I would check all of the scope cap screws, base , & clamp screws to see if they loosened and re-tighten to torque spec. I've had that happen.

Take some better ammo out to 300 yards and see what the rifle will do.

Thanks!

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Ammo doesn't magically go from 1 MOA to 3 MOA in 100 yards.

As above, check the rifle and scope, then check the shooter.

 

[MadDuner]

Ammo doesn't magically go from 1 MOA to 3 MOA in 100 yards.

As above, check the rifle and scope, then check the shooter.

The shooter is always suspect!

I shot another series at 200 with same good results before heading home.
Everything is tight on scope.
I just hadn’t seen this before.

Probably just shooter...

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

If everything was tight and you were good at 200 - how was parallax, and your sight picture? Having a less than perfect hold is easy if you have a fixed parallax scope or the target doesn't work with your reticle.

 

[MadDuner]

If everything was tight and you were good at 200 - how was parallax, and your sight picture? Having a less than perfect hold is easy if you have a fixed parallax scope or the target doesn't work with your reticle.

Parallax was good.
Shooting from a concrete bench in comfortable position.
But it does have a junk scope on it. $125 Whitetail Classic 6-25x50.
I left it at same magnification for all shots - 10x.
Saving for a “good” scope.

Shooting a 5.45x39 Olympic Arms upper, on AR platform at same time - using Silver Bear ammo through it with only a 4x scope managed to make a tighter group at 300 yds. Solid 1.5 MOA with Russian steel case ammo.

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

You should really shoot some quality match ammo to take the ammo out of the equation.

Always question the shooter, but M80 ball is always suspect.

 

[MadDuner]

You should really shoot some quality match ammo to take the ammo out of the equation.

Always question the shooter, but M80 ball is always suspect.

Will certainly shoot good ammo through it next.

 

[MadDuner]

Just an update to the original thread.

Yes, ammo was in fact the culprit.
I tried some Hornady 168gr ELD Match.
It still shot a single hole at 100, and touching holes at 200. And it kept grouping well out at 300 too.

The next time out the wind was gusting from 20 to 40 mph from a straight 90*, but I was determined to shoot anyway. Good hits on a 6” gong at 500 yds even if I couldn’t hear it for the wind. Went ahead and went for the 1000 yd plate. The gusting wind meant I was throwing away good ammo to figure it out. 89 clicks of elevation and 52 clicks left for the hits! I can’t wait to try it again without the wind.