223 Poor Grouping

[let'sshoot 11]

What do you load for yours?

[slipper 116]

40 grain vmax tips, saved all my empty factory cases which I cleaned and reused got a tub of viht 133, some remington primers, and got the hornady reloading manual

I wanted to copy the factory ammo because it was really accurate, I tried hornady vmax 40 50 and 55 grain 40 were the best by far.

I couldn't find out what powder is in the factory ammo so used the recommended powder, anyhow all is going good initial outlay is a little bit but if you love shooting long range crows magpies rabbits etc like me but if you are only going to go foxing and maybe shoot a couple of foxes a week just buy factory ammo, please try a box of 40 grain vmax once you the scope sorted

[Toni from N.Z. 2]

Your 25yd group looks promising and indicates you are not a bad shot.

Is the front objective Adjustable or fixed?

You might have a parralax problem.

Easy to check and easier with scope dismounted.

Put the scope on top of a post so you can go hands free.

Look at something clearly defined , like the top of another post at 100yds.

Pack the scope up so the xhair is across top of distant post and leaving it steady, move your eye up, down left and right slightly and if the xhair does a waltz the parralax is incorrectly set.

No problem if it is a AO model but you can reset them yourself if you know how.

This might eliminate one possability and dosen't require a rangetrip.

Good Luck Toni.

[charlie caller 3,654]

So are you going to tell him how to reset his parallax then Tony?

[rimmer 33]

Well that was a long read, I dont know if its already been said, and i dont mean to be rude but it may not be the kit, any pics of your hmr groups?

As has been said before use lower mag, at 100yrds I zero at about 6x mag, i use a very cheap Hawke reflex 3-9 x 50 which i brought off ebay for £25, i have broken too many expensive scopes!!.

The home loads could be an issue but they are consistant, when you have a group that opens out like yours it is normally the shooter, it happens to us all, I have good days and bad days, i see your days are mostly bad!, practice dry firing learn your trigger brake and hold, sort out your breathing watch the rifle rise and fall across the target as you breath, make sure the rifle points naturally at the target, things like that make a big difference to grouping.

I dont think the scope or the barrel are at fault the poi is to consistant.

[rimmer 33]

Your 25yd group looks promising and indicates you are not a bad shot.

Is the front objective Adjustable or fixed?

You might have a parralax problem.

Easy to check and easier with scope dismounted.

Put the scope on top of a post so you can go hands free.

Look at something clearly defined , like the top of another post at 100yds.

Pack the scope up so the xhair is across top of distant post and leaving it steady, move your eye up, down left and right slightly and if the xhair does a waltz the parralax is incorrectly set.

No problem if it is a AO model but you can reset them yourself if you know how.

This might eliminate one possability and dosen't require a rangetrip.

Good Luck Toni.

If you reset the parralax on a scope thats not adjustable you lose the nitrogen in the tube! bad plan.

[let'sshoot 11]

Opticswarehouse are offering the Nikon Monarch 3 with 2.5-10x50 1" tube for £199 + postage

[charlie caller 3,654]

Snatch their hand off mate

[celticrusader 78]

2.5-10 a bit low on the magnification range unless you're shooting fox and above tbh..just my preference!

[charlie caller 3,654]

Perfect in my opinion unless you are a sniper in Iraq

[celticrusader 78]

May well be for you and many others Charlie caller but if I remember correctly let's shoot said he wanted long range rabbit headshots and you will struggle to do that at 100ms with that as they're that ever so smaller.

 

I think if you can't get it right on the range then how can you be expected to get it right in the field, also I believe its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it especially since it would be variable as you could leave it on your preferred setting.

Personnel choices mate..that's all

[let'sshoot 11]

We'll see when it gets here. 6-24x50 which is what I did have would cost £475

 

For the sake of £275 I'll put up with a lot less

 

My hmr scope is 3-9x50, granted you can't zoom so well to see a tiny hole in a target, but I've shot plenty of rabbits at 100yds with it.

 

I'll just take my old scope along to peer at those tiny bullet holes in the targets!!

 

Thanks

[charlie caller 3,654]

May well be for you and many others Charlie caller but if I remember correctly let's shoot said he wanted long range rabbit headshots and you will struggle to do that at 100ms with that as they're that ever so smaller.

 

I think if you can't get it right on the range then how can you be expected to get it right in the field, also I believe its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it especially since it would be variable as you could leave it on your preferred setting.

Personnel choices mate..that's all

I have head shot rabbits @200 yards with .22 hornet and a 3-9x40 on it,why anyone needs more than 10 times mag is beyond me? lets face it for foxing and deer stalking, most scopes spend most of their lives on 6 -8 power, I agree if you are shooting prarie dogs at 600 yards, higher mag is needed, but for shooting in this country, I dont see a need for 24x mag, but each to their own I guess, well done Letsshoot, on the Nikon, you will be chuffed to bits, did you get the bdc reticule?

[celticrusader 78]

Very true mate and each to there own, what we do have though is people do have varying techniques and am impressed that you can indeed shoot 200 yards with a 3-9 as I have perfect eyesight and struggle to see that far unless you're not specific of the round placement and don't include Kitts which are predominantly half the size at best.

That said larger targets don't need larger magnification and I do understand ..its all about the quarry and the distance and don't understand the need to restrict if it causes no problems as you've said most will never take it off a 6 or 8 x mag then a 4-16 or even a 6-24 would even be a good case for owning?

Edited August 16, 2014 by celticrusader

[charlie caller 3,654]

Not saying I hit everyone lol but head shots are the only way to go if using a hornet, so you either blow their head off or miss, simple as that, lets hope his new scope sort his zeroing problem out