Not sure what caused this

[Jevyod]

I had tested a load for my 358 win and found a load that put 4 shots in .7 at 100 yards. Thought it warrented a closer look so loaded up 5 more. The first 4 went in to .8" the last shot went 3 1\2 inches low. I didn't weigh the bullets but could weight alone cause that? Or if it is leading can it throw one off that much? I mean an inch flyer is one thing but this seems extreme.

Details are as follows...Brass is 2x fired Starline, CCI 200 primers, 32 grains H4895. Bullet is NOE 360-232 RF. Used a comparator to make sure seating depth was consistent, and gave it a slight crimp. Oh, and I weighed every charge.

[Winger Ed.]

Whenever I have a flyer like that:

I start looking around to see who is the spazzo that shot on my target.:bigsmyl2:

[Brokenbear]

You don't say what rifle you are shooting from ..nor do you say if you are single feeding or loading five and letting the action do it's thing but...

I've had a couple of rifles in the last 50 years that just simply boogered the last round out of the magazine ..

I found it by accident the first time when on my 5th shot a range call for clear weapons so I gingerly come back with the bolt holding the cartridge against the ejector spring and low and behold the boolit nose was already cat-a-whompus

Not a likely or often event but worth checking (it was every time with this rifle of mine)

Bear

[444ttd]

it could have been you had flinched, warm or hot barrel, sun was in your eyes, windy day..........or you just flubbed your shot. i do, all the time.

[Conditor22]

It's "Murphy" you have a good group going then you get excited/lax/over-anxious and put one in left field.[smilie=b:

[waksupi]

I'm betting on operator error.

[porthos]

i thought they were supposed to do that

[charlie b]

Yes, a bullet with a void could do that. Or a bad base, loaded into the case crooked, a bad powder charge, being banged in the magazine, etc, etc, etc.

Congrats on the other 8 :)

I had a 10 shot group like that the other day. 200yds, 6 in a 1" group, then #7 was 1 1/2" low, then #9 hit 2" left. I was probably the cause for #7, #9 was probably me and the wind. Still not a bad group, just not great. :(

[Land Owner]

I suppose competition shooters "live by" the size of their groups. As meat hunter and Household Security Detail, I'm thinking that the first shot through a cold barrel is actually the most important. My hunting partner took the same target to the range every day. He shot that target with the same rifle first, and only one time, then put that target away. At five days and ten days he would then assess his "first shot" target for the size of his "group".

[Jevyod]

Lots of good info here. I am not so proud as to rule out operator error. I could very well have pulled it, or even had a slightly different contact/arrangement on the sandbags. What I plan on doing is to weigh some of them and see if I can find any with a great difference. Then load up half a dozen more and head to the range again. Will also pay close attention to consistency from shot to shot. Also will try and shoot on a non windy day. Was not that bad when I shot, I am guessing around 5 mph. This just gives me an ecxuse to shoot again!!

[ioon44]

The first three shots test the rifle, the next two shots test the shooter.

[Harter66]

Shot several like that myself . In the 358 I found a check 30 ft in front of the line with 4 in about .800 and the 5th an 2" out .

[dverna]

I'm betting on operator error.

I doubt it. People who can shoot small groups do not fling a shot that far out of the group.

You had a bad bullet or the GC came off. Holding the rifle a bit differently on the bags is not going to cause that kind of flier.

[waksupi]

I doubt it. People who can shoot small groups do not fling a shot that far out of the group.

.

I've managed to do it more than once!

[Larry Gibson]

nor do you say if you are single feeding or loading five and letting the action do it's thing but...


??? Need to know the answer to that question.

[Wag]

What about the next five?

I've done it from time to time. Nearly always operator error. The only time I can attribute to a dirty rifle or anything else, it's when I see the groups getting slightly bigger with each group.

--Wag--

[Jevyod]

nor do you say if you are single feeding or loading five and letting the action do it's thing but...


??? Need to know the answer to that question.

Sorry, I single feed when shooting from a bench.

[Jevyod]

I start it in the chamber with my hand and push the bolt closed on the round. So I think we can rule out the round being bumped or jammed somehow during feeding.

[TimD]

In my case it is always the nut behind the trigger.

I am not sure if segregating your boolits by weight would change anything, but it would be another data point.

[Win94ae]

I'd use slower burning powder so my case would be filled.

[GooseGestapo]

Most likely the gascheck!
I’ve had gaschecks tag my chronograph more than once.