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Range Report Horizontal stringing?

mojojojo

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Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 25, 2010
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My Rem mod7 243AI tends to throw the heavier weights out in a horizontal pattern,107SMK's and 105Nos 600yds- 5 shots 3-4 wide and only 3/4- 1" vert. At closer ranges they often overlap exactly side by side. The lighter weights tend to group normal, 85tsx,90scenars and scirroco2"s. This is a lilja #3, 8 twist. Any thoughts?
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

I thought everything was fine with my technique, maybe not. I'll see next week when I shoot again, thanks.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

Check your barrel clearance within the stock. I had a rifle do that, whenever I used a bipod the barrel was no longer floating.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

Horizontal stringing usually comes from two things, wind or improper trigger control. (or so I've heard!) Check to make sure your finger is pressing straight back on the trigger at a 90 degree angle.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

what kind of wind conditions ? if your light bullets group better then your heavier bullets , its hard to believe its a shooter related issue. Im guessing your loads for the heavier bullets are not tuned as well are the lighter ones.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

Here's are a few things that come to mind: trigger control, NPA, and parallax. Since this is a problem with heavier bullets, I'd suspect your NPA has not been adjusted fully and/or you are not maintaining control of the rifle until recoil has subsided. Of course, if bedding is loose you'll get horizontal strings too.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

trigger control sounds plausable. so does barrel clearance. put it on the bipod and run a dollar bill down the barrel to make sure it slides all the way back.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

As a general rule horizontal stringing is from NPA, Vertical from Breathing and the triangular not staring at the crosshairs/front sight. Lack of follow through will bring out the 1st two errors more so with a bad position as it is "enhanced" by two mistakes.

Of course, we have mechanical issues with the rifle/ammo and the parallax which will cause the triangle pattern.

I've found that since stepping up to a 300wm, my NPA seems more critical.

Mark
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

Ensure that if the barrel <span style="font-style: italic">was</span> floated, that it still is. Sometimes, foreign crud can lodge in the barrel channel, resulting in an accuracy loss due to barrel/junk/barrel channel contact.
 
Re: Horizontal stringing?

I've had a chance to go over the rifle, and myself. we're both a bit to blame. I found the front screw loose, and for jollies I opened up the barrel channel from full length to floated.

I believe the horizontal mainly was me. I also noticed no change in accuracy floated. My good groups before ran about 1/2 moa or a bit better and that is about where I'm at now (with the horizontal dispersion gone) My POI did change a bit, but different loads remained in the same relationship to each other.

Thanks for the input, sometimes it's good to here it from others...