Walking rounds

[MikeKy]

Need a little help please. I got a Stevens 200 a couple of months ago and it consistently walks the rounds from left to right. First shot will be dead on, the second will be 1" right and the third 1 1/2-2" right at 100 yds. I've put about 80 rounds through it, cleaned the barrel before I ever shot it, after every five rounds for the first 40 and every 10 rounds for the next 40. It's walked them left to right from the get go and isn't getting any better. Can't figure out why. Any ideas?

[killer]

Need a little help please. I got a Stevens 200 a couple of months ago and it consistently walks the rounds from left to right. First shot will be dead on, the second will be 1" right and the third 1 1/2-2" right at 100 yds. I've put about 80 rounds through it, cleaned the barrel before I ever shot it, after every five rounds for the first 40 and every 10 rounds for the next 40. It's walked them left to right from the get go and isn't getting any better. Can't figure out why. Any ideas?

Is the barrel getting warm? Are you sure the scope isn't jumping around? I had one and it took a little while to break in but it never jumped around like that.

[killinmammals]

First I'd check scope, could be lose somewhere or just damaged.

[biggun]

Check your rings.

[MikeKy]

I've checked the rings and mounts several times and I can't get them any tighter. The barrel gets warm but I'm only shooting three shot groups then walking the 100 yds and back before reloading and shooting again. The next group will be like the first, i.e., dead on, then an inch right and then another 1/2" to inch right. That makes me think it is the barrel getting hot but this is a .223 so it doesn't heat up like, say, a .30-06. Think I might try another scope and see what happens.

[broe]

try another scope, lap the rings
try different types ammunition to see what shoots the best

if you didn't buy the gun new... invest in a good one piece cleaning rod

good luck

[The scout'n man]

I figure you are a right handed man. so when you pull the trigger you are getting rightward movement. If the trigger pull is too stiff or gritty this could be your problem. But it is unlikely cause I figure you are useing a vise of some sort. sounds like the barrel is warming a bit. Also change ammo! usually if a scope is bad it will jump all around not just side to side.

[MikeKy]

I did buy the gun new and a couple of boxes of cheap 55 grain PSP PMC ammo just to start the break in process. The last two boxes have been high priced Remington 55 gr. PSP. When I changed from the PMC to Remington it shot about 5 inches lower but still walked left to right. The trigger leaves a lot to be desired so I have a trigger job scheduled. Going to try calling in a coyote tomorrow in a place where 150 yds. would be the longest shot. It's shooting good enough for that distance. Will swap scopes after the holidays. This is the only rifle I have that won't shoot 1 MOA. If the scope swap and trigger job don't fix it I guess it will have to go.

[DUCKY41051]

Is the barrel free floating= are you making scope adjustments while shooting- have you tried adjusting the tension on the screws that hold the action in the stock?

[mwezell]

If it is repeating the same condition, I doubt the scope or mounts is the problem. The triggers are pretty bad in the 200's and the stock is pretty flimsy. As was said before, the action screws and bedding would get some attention first, if it was mine. I'd also reload for it if I ever expected it to shoot much better than 1-1/2". Wind has alot more influence than people give it credit for, and the wind has been blowing pretty good for several days here. The crown may also need to be touched up. Just some thoughts. They usually shoot very good for what they are.:confused:---Mike Ezell

p.s.--Just replace the trigger. It's not good to stone the sear on a Savage.:eek:

[Scott7m]

i had a similar trouble out of a savage 22-250... it was the bolts holding the action, kinda had it in a bind.......


Hey mike, i also had another problem... gun would shoot a group 3/8" wide. but 1" tall.... what do you think that problem was? I already figured it out, but just wanted to see what you would think... vertical grouping

[Auk1124]

Lord knows I'm no gunsmith or shooting wiz but if it wasn't the scope or scope mounts, vertical stringing sounds like a barrel bedding issue, or maybe just plain old barrel heating, to me. Horizontal stringing sounds like an action bedding issue to me - maybe the recoil lug is not in good contact.

Edited to add one other reason for vertical stringing is cheap, crappy factory ammo, or just a load the rifle doesn't like. I had a couple hundred rounds of cheap factory 30-06 one time that would string vertically like crazy. I took a box of the loads apart, and the powder charges varied by as much as half a grain in that one box.

[Scott7m]

Lord knows I'm no gunsmith or shooting wiz but if it wasn't the scope or scope mounts, vertical stringing sounds like a barrel bedding issue, or maybe just plain old barrel heating, to me. Horizontal stringing sounds like an action bedding issue to me - maybe the recoil lug is not in good contact.

Edited to add one other reason for vertical stringing is cheap, crappy factory ammo, or just a load the rifle doesn't like. I had a couple hundred rounds of cheap factory 30-06 one time that would string vertically like crazy. I took a box of the loads apart, and the powder charges varied by as much as half a grain in that one box.


it was with reloads that it did the vertical grouping..... had nothing to do with the load.... after i fixed my problem it shoots bulletholes

[stalkingbear]

Since the other factors have been Xed out,it can only be 1 of 3 things. Either the action screws aren't tightened properly(it's possible to get them too tight as well as loose),the stock(bedding) is pushing on the barrel,or(more likely),the barrel is walking due to the fact it wasn't properly stress relieved at factory and any temp change in barrel is making it "want to return to destressed state). It takes VERY little to make a barrel walk when heating up if it wasn't stress relieved at factory(likely due to the price of them). Nothing against them,just for that price they HAVE to cut a few corners.

[Scott7m]

Since the other factors have been Xed out,it can only be 1 of 3 things. Either the action screws aren't tightened properly(it's possible to get them too tight as well as loose),the stock(bedding) is pushing on the barrel,or(more likely),the barrel is walking due to the fact it wasn't properly stress relieved at factory and any temp change in barrel is making it "want to return to destressed state). It takes VERY little to make a barrel walk when heating up if it wasn't stress relieved at factory(likely due to the price of them). Nothing against them,just for that price they HAVE to cut a few corners.


wellllll it was all my fault actually..... here is the skinny...... i had just got a new primer tool and i didn't notice that the primers weren't being seated past flush.. and were actually sticking out of the pocket by a few thousandths! that is what screwed me up........

[MikeKy]

I appreciate all the help. I'm ordering a new trigger tomorrow and will keep tinkering around with it. Since it seems to hit right where I want it to on the first shot I guess I'll just have to be sure to make the first shot count. This is supposed to be my coyote gun. When I bought it, I was all set to order a Rock River AR but got to thinking about it and decided that since I really dislike coyotes I'd rather kill them with a $300 gun and $50 scope than a $900 gun and $300 scope. IMO, a coyote just isn't majestic enough to deserve a big pile of pictures of Ben Franklin.

[tex]

left to right walking tends to be trigger problems. Although I am intrigued by the stress relieving thing. That makes sense too. Vertical stringing generally tends to be from heating, doesn't it?

[WSM Man]

I had the same thing happen to me while setting the scope on a .243 this fall. After damn near a box of ammo, the moron who put the scope on (me) found that the front ring wasn't tightened on the base which was letting the front of the scope move sideways. $18 lesson on how to use a screwdriver.........................

I think stalkingbear got this though, barrel is walking from temperature change even after a single shot due to improper heat treatment at factory. If it was trigger, I doubt it'd be so consistant each time. Not sure on that??

[stalkingbear]

The thing is,a barrel can be stressed in any direction,and when heating up,will try to return to least stressed direction. Sometimes the stock pushing against barrel causes this too. That's why most barrels will shoot most consistant with free floated barrels-note I didn't say most accurate because some barrels,like lighterweight sporter barrels,shoot better with some upward pressure from fore end. What that does is change the harmonics of the barrel vibrating as bullet goes down bore. The thing is,NO barrel bedding treatment will be best for EVERY barrel,thus experimenting with bedding to see which treatment is better. You might want to check and see if the fore end is touching/pressing against the barrel on 1 side as that could accelerate the walking. Neil

[timberhead243]

i have 308 in same gun it was not free floated right the barrel was touching on left side it had horizontalstringing little sand paper fixed problem