Sighting in for the first time.

[montana]

Finally got the time to shoot the new gun(Tikka t-3 .300wm). I have a couple of questions.
I'm using a redfield precision target, starting at 25 yds. Federal 180gn sp. factory ammo. My first groupings all made sense, and was able to dial in fairly close, even though I was shooting off the hood of the truck, resting on a couple rolled up jackets.
See below target.


The Target claims that a bulls eye at 25yds will put the rifle on at 1" high at 100yds. I shot one round at 100yds. and was way the hell up the target at 4D! It should put me on at 1d, at 100yds. I wasn't sure what happened, so I put a three round grouping on it, and it confirmed I was way high.


So I did some calculations and re-adjustment to the scope, and my next three rounds were in the ball park. I ran out of ammo before I could do further shots. Where did I go wrong? Oh yeah, the scope is a leupold vxII 3x9, I was shooting on 3x.

[Papershredder]

I'd just go back out; set-up at 100yds, get it grouping at where you want to be, zero the scope and call it good. I never start at 25yds, unless I'm not on the paper at 100yds, and if the bore sighting is done properly that should never be a problem. Myself I like to be between 2-3" high at 100yds with my .300 RUM, so that first group you shot from 100 would have been real close to bang on for me. Great groups for shooting off the hood of a truck!!!

[blacktail]

The only thing you did wrong was to believe that the target could tell you what that round was doing.

Most 30 cal rounds will first cross the line of sight somewhere between 21 and 28 yards depending on the load and the bullet weight.

setting a target up at 25 yards is just a "ballpark estimate" and should never be taken as gospel as to where the round is going to hit a 100 yards.

You made your adjustments to pinpoint at 100 yards now all you need to find out is how it shoots that load at longer yardages to find your optimum effective kill distance.

[montana]

Yes I do need to shoot it more to figure out whats happening at longer distances, I just thought I was/am moving in the wrong direction with my sighting in. I don't have a benchrest/vice to zero the scope on my groupings, which is what I think papershredder is suggesting?

I forgot the second part of my question, which is about 'cleaning' as your breaking in the barrel. When should I be concerned with brushing the barrel to remove copper? How much attention is paid to the chamber itself? Do I need a throat guide if I use a 1 piece coated rod? I cleaned from the breach end pushing to the muzzle, removing jag before drawing the rod back, is this too picky?

[Papershredder]

I do always sight in/develop loads on a bench. I have never used a brush in my barrel; I use Barnes CR10, and lots of patches. I have read many different theories on breaking in barrels.
http://www.savagearms.com/cs_barrel.htm


http://www.hartbarrels.com/

[slopeshunter]

brushing the barrel to remove copper

I could be wrong but I think Brushing will not remove copper.

I recently started using Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner, removes copper and carbon foul. Works great! Wipeout is another similar product.

Do I need a throat guide if I use a 1 piece coated rod

I always use a bore guide & a one piece coated rod.

[Downwindtracker]

When rifle lines up,it takes three shots.
1) set the rifle on sand bags,pull the bolt,and line the bore up at a sheet of white 18"x18" paper on a 1/4" wide felt tip cross.100yards
2) line up the cross hairs on the cross without moving the rifle. It's bit tricky and easier with two guys.
3) shoot one shot
4) line up the cross hairs on the cross
5)move the cross hairs to the bullet hole,and with out moving the rifle,remember they work oposite when moving to the bullet hole.Up is down
6)shoot the second shot,it should be close to the center of the cross
7) dial in 8 clicks of up
8)shoot the third shot,it should be 2" high at 100 yards and on at 200

With good rifles and scopes it works

[the rifleman]

Montana, your getting pretty good groupings for factory loads at 100 yards. I would be tempted to just adjust the scope a tad so it groups around 3" high, and leave it there. Of course if you change ammo, you may have to start all over again.

If you like the bullet construction, and it shoots as good as groups as it appears, I would buy several boxes of it at the same time, check the lot number on the box, and get the same if possible. Then you don't have to worry about slight deviations from lot# to lot#. Once it's sighted the way you like, you know that all of your ammo will shoot consistant.

A clean barrel will often shoot slightly different then a fouled one. Chances are you will be taking your first shot at a game animal with a clean barrel, presuming that you cleaned it after your last time shooting it. If you clean the barrel, while at the range sighting in, every say 5 shots, you will then have a pretty good judge of where it's going to shoot the first time you pull the trigger on game. Some people sight in a fouled barrel, without cleaning it between shots. If this is your case, than when you first get out hunting, you should shoot a fouling shot through the barrel. This will help get the barrel back to what it was sighted in for at the range.

Barrel steel is way harder than a bronze brush, so running it through the barrel wont hurt it. I don't bother taking the brush off between strokes. It's not the brush that damages the muzzle, its the cleaning rod. Thats why you always clean from the breach. The solvent your using is what helps remove the copper, and fouling. Some are better at copper than others. Some remove powder residue only. Hoppes #9 seems to do a decent job at both. Ammonia will work good for copper, but is a bitch to work with, and stinks bad.

Looks like you've got a good shooter in that Tika. Great choice of scope too!

[ohno]

Does your T3 look something like this?
I have the same calibure gun and scope and I had similar results sighting in at 25yrd and then shooting at 100yrds. Nice groups.

O.