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Zeroing problems


Olliesims
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Hi, I'm having problems zeroing my new rifle, I bought a howa 1500 .223 and zeroing it is becoming a pain in the bum, I've tried zeroing it with 2 types of ammo Ppu and hornady, I put 2 shots on the board and see I have to move inch lower 3 to the left once I've changed it I fire again this time it's 4 inches top right corner 5 inches right everytime I try correct it it just moves around the board but I can get a nice 1cm group with the first 2 rounds then they just open up... I'm using a old nikko mountmaster from my .22, is it the scope causing me problems? Or just unlucky with 2 types of ammo?

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Well I've been using Ppu and the primer is cratering not a large amount but still is, altho it's not on the hornady, I've changed the mounts to some more expensive match grade ones, i haven't tried the moderator loose I always keep it tight, it's a tl sr series carbon thing does the job, I've been trying to zero it on a Harris bipod and a sandbag on the butt with me also supporting it, the poi just moves loads I move it 1inch it moves 3 inch's on the board, then it just carrys on moving the more I fire it, put 70+ rounds now and as you know there not cheap to keep wasting!!!

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Will it actually shoot a 3 shot group? About an inch ish? Ppu is extreamly corrosive, I shot a box through mine which shot great, went all to pot on the second box as the brl was all fouled up?! Personally I wouldn't use that stuf anymore! Anyway can you get a decent 3 shot group? Whether it be where you want or not?! :-)

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Is the barrel touching alongside the forend channel, slide a piece of paper up it and see but its more likely the scope. Howa's are pretty accurate by all accounts and should at least do a inch and a half group with most ammo. Remember that a centrefires barrel will heat up alot more than the rimmy and after ten or so shots it may well creep.My 243 is extremely accurate but its a stalking rifle and isnt designed for machine gun fire so that will creep when really hot( which of course is never a good idea)

Is the rifle new or secondhand, if the scopes good and everything is ok with the rifle a really good clean with a copper solvent ( if secondhand ) maybe do the trick. Failing that and its had a lot of previous use then the last option isnt worth mentioning ( for the simple reason is rarely the problem)

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It's a new rifle, I put the mod on and bipod on and could slide some paper smoothly between the barrel and stock all the way to the end, it's the first thing I checked, as the scope is a nikko mountmaster what cost £50 it will be the scope checked about them on a centerfire and said not suitable... So by all accounts think it will be that, thinking about a nikko nighteater as there apparently ok on a centerfire and not so Bad priced

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Is the barrel touching alongside the forend channel, slide a piece of paper up it and see but its more likely the scope. Howa's are pretty accurate by all accounts and should at least do a inch and a half group with most ammo. Remember that a centrefires barrel will heat up alot more than the rimmy and after ten or so shots it may well creep.My 243 is extremely accurate but its a stalking rifle and isnt designed for machine gun fire so that will creep when really hot( which of course is never a good idea)

Is the rifle new or secondhand, if the scopes good and everything is ok with the rifle a really good clean with a copper solvent ( if secondhand ) maybe do the trick. Failing that and its had a lot of previous use then the last option isnt worth mentioning ( for the simple reason is rarely the problem)

 

Some howas with the overmolded stocks i have seen have a very bendy forearm :yes: the guy says 3 shots in 1 1/2 cm thats under an inch! Still even if its 1 1/2 inches it aint bad for a centrefire newbie. yet his scope wont track, its duff!

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Bought a new Howa myself few weeks ago. Got it zero'd i thought, but missed a fox on sat nite which i knew i should of hit. Went yest to shoot at targets and it was shooting about 10 inches low. Dont know if the scope got a knock to put it off or what the problem was. Hopefully fixed now tho.

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Going to get a new scope and try that out hope that's all it is as rifle seems ok with the barrel floating and all, must be the scope I'll even try different ammo and hope that sorts the problem :) its just ending up more expensive than I planned :/

 

 

Before you buy another scope I would have a think first. - Was the scope working ok on your .22? Put it back on the .22 and see if it still works ok.

 

Any scope will be ok on a .223 (Rimfire, centerfire of airgun)

 

Have a think about your ammunition - are you shooting a suitable weight of bullet for the 1 in 12 twist of the Howa.

 

Shoot 5 shot groups without adjusting the scope - you are looking for a group, it doesn't matter where they are at this stage.

Shoot from a really solid position with front and rear bags. Check the stock to action screws are tight.

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Yes it did work on my .22lr, it groups but then slowly starts moving off around the board, im putting 55g Ppu in it and have also tried 53g hornady v max to the same effect, the barrell is floating whst I have also checked, I've even bought new scope mounts still same problem can only think its the scope

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doesnt sound right.

**** scopes wont demonstrate patterns

 

grouping then wandering would be very unusual,

how long are you leaving between shots?

if it worked on the .22 I would be inclined to test on there again.

refit to the .223 and leave a good couple of minutes between the first three shots

 

let it cool right down and repeat.

 

if you have any interference between barrel and forestock the hot barrel may be making it worse

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thats my thinking Bewsher as well, if it shoots a couple then when warm wanders its not the scope. Best option is to get someone to have a look who is fairly experienced as it will save you money in the long run. Is it 2nd hand or new is probably the most important thing as there have been some who had serious issues with Howas and never sorted them eh Mungler ;)

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The fact even when I move 1 inch Moa on the scope it moves 4 on the board makes me think it's the scope, I'll get a new scope and try some lighter ammo, I'm so annoyed with the whole situation, per shot I'm putting 2 straight in the target walking to it checking moving the Moa and see it's moved across the board with the second 2

 

It was bought new

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The fact even when I move 1 inch Moa on the scope it moves 4 on the board makes me think it's the scope, I'll get a new scope and try some lighter ammo, I'm so annoyed with the whole situation, per shot I'm putting 2 straight in the target walking to it checking moving the Moa and see it's moved across the board with the second 2

 

It was bought new

 

I think you need to see if the rifle will group first - Shoot a couple down the range, don't touch the scope, then shoot another couple down. You should have a group of 4 shots about the size of a matchbox. I don't think there is any point winding the scope about you know the rifle can put them about in the same place. Only when you get a consistent group do you want to worry about where the group is.

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internet post such as this are always difficult as you dont get the hands on. it COULD be loads of things but scopes do sometimes just let go and this is what they tend to do, hold onto a POI for a couple then wander off elsewere and fail to track true through the adjustments. The .223 isn't realy much of a scope killer but simply re-mounting them or altering the turrets has been known to set the fault going

 

You need to just work through it one variable at a time. Unless the shooter is totally competant replacing the shooter with an experianced user is a good start and there is seldom a need to buy another scope to illuminate it from the list, many like myself have proven scopes sitting. round as spare. Given twenty minutes with the gun i bet i could find the issue but thats the real problem you need some help on hand not a few hundered miles away in a sitting room

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I need to get a new scope for it anyway as it was stolen from my .22, so will buy a nikko nighteater cheap and cf rated, so Theres one down will buy a couple of different makes of ammo in different weights to try, just a box of each, so there's 2 possibiltys down, the barrel is fully floating with mod and bipod on so I know it's not that, I'm going to try leave 3 minutes per shot to let it cool down, I have friends who are extremely good shots that I can ask for help, if that all fails I'm not sure what I'll do? Maybe become another howa hating tikka loving forum user :D

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