HMR barrel life?

[fieldwanderer]

Yep, gets cleaned properly and quite thoroughly (very thoroughly depending how anal I'm feeling).

 

Erm, that includes a bore guide, hoppes #9, all sorts of brushes, cut up 4by2 for patches, pro shot 4 copper solvent and Parker hale one piece coated rod. The copper solvent's new.

 

Scope turrets are more or less central and mounts are nice and tight

 

There's nothing between barrel and stock

 

Stock screws, were quite tight but I've nipped them up a bit just in case.

 

It's too windy to prove anything today so I've given the whole rifle a good going over and an extra thorough clean, including stripping and clean the bolt.

 

I can't see anything that would cause problems, if I can't get a decent group next time out I'll start working through everything: try a different batch of ammo, then a different scope, try not cleaning it for a bit etc etc but I genuinely think this might be a new barrel job. Personally, I think the ammunition might be the problem but why's it not stringing vertically if its ammo?

 

As a side note, mirage can be a problem at a hundred yards; Thursday I was watching the target "move" through the scope because of it, how can you shoot a group if the target's not where it appears to be? With my target rifle, a poleriser filter would sort it but I've no idea when it comes to a scope.

[Gimlet]

Ammo which doesn't suit your rifle's harmonics won't necessarily string, its likely to be a randomly poor group. If I clamp my .222 in a lead sled it really will put the right ammo through the same hole at 100 yards. Empty the magazine and the hole gets slightly bigger and slightly blacker. It looks like a strike from a larger calibre. If I try Norma ammo though I can't keep them in a 5" circle. An unsuitable brand or batch of ammo can make a huge difference.

As to shimmering, what mag or you using? The higher the mag the worse it wil get. I was always taught that you shouldn't use more mag than you need to identify the desired point of aim. Once you start winding up the power you magnify your own wobbbles. Your muscles naturally follow what your eye is focused on. If those wobbles are greatly magnified you will involuntarily follow them with the rifle. You start chasing our own wobbles and make them worse. 6-8 power should be enough to print a tight group at 100 yards. I've found when I'm at the range with the .222 I shoot better if I keep the mag down to 12X at 300 yards.

[turbo33]

Ammo which doesn't suit your rifle's harmonics won't necessarily string, its likely to be a randomly poor group. If I clamp my .222 in a lead sled it really will put the right ammo through the same hole at 100 yards. Empty the magazine and the hole gets slightly bigger and slightly blacker. It looks like a strike from a larger calibre. If I try Norma ammo though I can't keep them in a 5" circle. An unsuitable brand or batch of ammo can make a huge difference.

As to shimmering, what mag or you using? The higher the mag the worse it wil get. I was always taught that you shouldn't use more mag than you need to identify the desired point of aim. Once you start winding up the power you magnify your own wobbbles. Your muscles naturally follow what your eye is focused on. If those wobbles are greatly magnified you will involuntarily follow them with the rifle. You start chasing our own wobbles and make them worse. 6-8 power should be enough to print a tight group at 100 yards. I've found when I'm at the range with the .222 I shoot better if I keep the mag down to 12X at 300 yards.

 

I have a Nikon Monarch 3 and find the same. Fine up to 12x, but go to 16 and it looks like you're in the Sahara Might try mine down a bit to 8 Your'e wobble theory is very true I have no idea how some of the air rifle lads go 24x, must look a rollercoaster at the target

Edited September 29, 2013 by turbo33

[fieldwanderer]

Thanks for the help everyone, well, with it being sunday and I couldn't think of much else to do, here's what I've done;

 

Checked all scope mount screws

 

stripped and cleaned bolt

 

Cleaned barrel VERY thoroughly, even by my standards

 

Inspected crown with magnifying glass - mod's never off except for cleaning so it was unlikely but worth a look

 

removed stock to check nothing was amiss that I couldn't see

 

Re-fitted stock and tightened screws a tad more than is necessary

 

mod was already clean so I left that alone.

 

Got bored and decided I'd try to find a spot sheltered from the wind

 

I found a nice thick hedge with about 180 yds of reasonable shelter and a decent backstop (and a backdrop, if it was ever needed, of about 3 miles B) ). And went off in search of a lump of wood or something to pin a piece of paper to. When I got back to my chosen spot, I was surprised to see a rabbit sat sunning itself at about 100yds - I was almost as surprised when my shot landed precisely where I'd told it to

 

So, my little range set up and lazered at 101yds I set to work; one shot, wait 10 mins and fire the next. My group of 20 shots was about an inch low and about an inch in diameter but, again, I was fighting the mirage so can't complain really - a 1/2" dot drawn on a piece of paper appears to wander a good inch, I tried to video it but couldn't figure out how to - scope was set at about 14X iirc. Content with how I was doing, I corrected the inch low and decided to have a bit of fun - little potatoes (green ones) helped my confidence and I decided to "prove" all was well out at 150yds on an empty ammo box;

 

 

That's 10 shots, I called the two flyers (nut behind the bolt I'm afraid) - I'd guess at about 3/4" which is back to it's former glory. I couldn't see any holes in the box from where I was, just dust kicking up near it! I genuinely thought I'd only hit it a few times and was back to wondering whether to re-barrel it or just get rid I was pleasantly surprised B)

 

 

I've no idea what fixed it, but I'm pleased it did

Edited September 29, 2013 by fieldwanderer

[peek-at]

Maybe the really really thorough clean did the job then?....

[dadioles]

I am delighted that you have cracked it. That looks like very good shooting. Ignoring the two fliers you are getting groups at 150 yards that I am happy with at 100 yards!

 

I am also pleased that there was no nonsense about lots of "fouling shots". It seems as though you grouped tightly at 100 yards pretty much from the first bullet.

[Gimlet]

Inspired by this thread I went out and had a plink with my HMR this afternoon. I've not used it for a while so I gave it a clean first. There was very little fouling in it so I run a few dry patches through and called it done. It usually doesn't need any shooting in but I was only getting about 2" groups at 100 yds so I suspect my mini-clean had left some solvent in there and I didn't run a meths patch through which I do for a proper clean. I didn't worry about it, just kept shooting and within 20 shots i was down to 1/2" groups which is good enough. An inch at 100 yards is a head shoot rabbit every time at 150 so FW your group is absolutely ideal. Don't think about your rifle its shooting perfectly, just go and belt some bunnies over in total confidence.

[turbo33]

Good news. As above from Gimlet, try turning the mag down to the least you think you can cope with. As per my post, I had that "shimmering/mirage" at 16x when I was pushing out to 200 for a giggle. I dialled back to 100yds and wound the mag back to 12x and it was a completely stable image.

Glad its sorted anyway

[bicykillgaz]

Glad you got sorted. I always try to zero on 12x with my hornet but mainly shoot on 4.5x for upto 100yrds or anything upto 10x over that range. It depends on the weather/lighting etc but as you say lower mag helps with the haze.