I would try another scope. It literally would only take a few minutes. Zeiss are generally high quality but the cheapest item built for a good brand isn’t always better than the more expensive items made by a budget brand. If the barrel is free floating, the scope is good and you are still getting 3 inch groups I would get rid of it. I like the tikka line for budget rifles but the ruger Americans are a cheap no frills rifle that have a reputation of shooting better than the average hunter for 300.
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Guns that Won’t Group
- Thread starter Wirrex
- Start date
Every 788 I’ve shot have been the same way. It doesn’t make sense with the rear locking lugs on the bolt but they shot better than most model 700s especially from that time frame.
Vtbow
Well-Known Member
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- Mar 21, 2018
- Messages
- 5,516
yup, that 5 lug lockup was fast and tight! the bolt was far from smooth like my model 70, and the stupid magazine rattled like a can of paint..but that think shot!
I would if I had one. I read about square testing a scope but how does that work when the grouping is that terrible out of the gate?
Vtbow
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
- Messages
- 5,516
How about another rifle you know shoots well? Throw the zeiss on that and go to town.
you could also always Go to wally world and buy a $50 bushnell...if your zeiss is fried, even that will shoot better. You can always return it after you verifiy the zeiss is bad.
Also, be sure the scope is mounted properly. You want the rings and the base to be on the gun as tight as you can get them. That is NOT true for the screws that hold the rest together. If memory serves you only want about 30lbs of torque on then, or "decently tight."
I have seen kids at retail stores crush scopes by bowing up on a screwdriver like they were trying to wring juice out of it.
I have seen kids at retail stores crush scopes by bowing up on a screwdriver like they were trying to wring juice out of it.
Very true , it's a pretty rum bolt action that won't shoot 2 moa nowadays
Was it a model70 in a B&C stock?
I haven’t shot a modern bolt action that bad that hadn’t been messed with. They exist. I have seen several bad scopes and if the scope is bad check the alignment on the rings. Most of the higher end scopes I have seen with problems also had ring alignment problems. After lapping the rings and replacing the scope they didn’t have any more problems.
Vtbow
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- Mar 21, 2018
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- 5,516
Pretty sure his lemon was a weatherby like mine...
It was a 700 ADL. The scope and mounts were definitely not the problem. 1 piece mount that I put on a buddy's .308 and had 0 issues with. I don't know what that guns issues were, but I wasn't about to recrown, bed, handload, etc. I floated the barrel and played with the tension on the bolt that secured the stock, tried some different rounds, and had a better shooter than me monkey with it.
I killed some critters with it, but it played some major head games with me for a few years, and my quality of life went up quite a bit when I realized, "it's not me, it's you."
I fix what can't be easily replaced. 30 minutes at a gun store and I was over that trainwreck.
I'm not a Weatherby fan, but my wife's Vanguard in 25-06 is a clover leaf, one holer, deer killing animal. I attribute some of that to my fantastic skills as a Gunsmith.
Main things I would check for that don't cost you anything:
1. Some of the model 70s were equipped with a free floating barrel and some were not. If it is a free floating barrel run a business card down the barrel to confirm its not hitting anywhere. If not, shim it and see if that pulls your groups in tighter.
2. Check the crown of the barrel. These get messed up often because the crown tends to see the floor of the truck, the ground, accidentally hits things etc. A damaged crown, evenly mildly damaged can really throw you off.
3. Research what loads shoot well out of that firearm. Some barrels just don't agree with certain brands, loads, etc. Chances are someone else had this problem at some point in time. I own a Savage that refuses to shoot anything well except cheap white box Winchester.
4. Check your fundamentals. Ensure you are doing everything right so your rifle can.
5. Sometimes you get a bad barrel even from the factory. If you try the things listed above and still see no improvement you might wanna consider selling it or atleast using a different rifle.
1. Some of the model 70s were equipped with a free floating barrel and some were not. If it is a free floating barrel run a business card down the barrel to confirm its not hitting anywhere. If not, shim it and see if that pulls your groups in tighter.
2. Check the crown of the barrel. These get messed up often because the crown tends to see the floor of the truck, the ground, accidentally hits things etc. A damaged crown, evenly mildly damaged can really throw you off.
3. Research what loads shoot well out of that firearm. Some barrels just don't agree with certain brands, loads, etc. Chances are someone else had this problem at some point in time. I own a Savage that refuses to shoot anything well except cheap white box Winchester.
4. Check your fundamentals. Ensure you are doing everything right so your rifle can.
5. Sometimes you get a bad barrel even from the factory. If you try the things listed above and still see no improvement you might wanna consider selling it or atleast using a different rifle.
My dan has a Vanguard chambered in 30-06 that is one of the sweetest shooters I've ever seen. I have witnessed him one-hole and cloverleaf with it almost every time I've seen him shoot it. He was a designated marksman in the COE, and can shoot circles around me.I'm not a Weatherby fan, but my wife's Vanguard in 25-06 is a clover leaf, one holer, deer killing animal. I attribute some of that to my fantastic skills as a Gunsmith.
ImThere
Well-Known Member
Put the factory stock back on it and see how it shoots.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good point! Some rifles are produced to have a pressure point at the forend, like Remington 700's. Some shoot great if you remove that bump and free-float it, but others get worse. Sometimes factory is the best way to go. Do you have the factory stock?
My Howa 1500 is more finicky about ammo with the B&C stock than the factory stock. Not horrible, just noticeable with some factory ammo. Still free floating but there’s probably something else in there not sitting exactly the same.
I didn't think about a box test but I think it would be worth a shot to see what happens. Even if it's shooting 3" or 4" groups, if you move the point of impact say 18" (at 100 yrds) at each point, you should still be able to follow the pattern. I've scrambled pistol scopes a few times and if I had tried to do a box test with one it would've been obvious it was messed up. Usually when something broke loose it wasn't immediately obvious. My last one was on a 375 JDJ handgun. At first the groups started getting larger and drifting away from the point of aim. Adjusting the turrets didn't seem to move the impact right. Then the reticle started turning and that's when I realized the glass was toast.
Silvio
Well-Known Member
Free float your stock...thats the problem
It’s free floated. Except for a about a half inch in front of the action there is bedding. That is how the factory bedding was and how it was suggested to be done in the aftermarket stock. Would it be worth grinding that bit out?