Sighting it in for the season

[Northcountryman]

So , went to the range yesterday to sight in a few of my rifles ; what surprised me most was how far out of whack my 22 was !! Groupings were consistently high and left and took multiple shots and big adjustments ( ie , #of clicks on scope dial ) to center it . How do they get so out of whack over the years ? Conversely , my 30-30 was dead -on ! First shot pretty much dead center so I only shot once more - also a center shot - so, I left it alone . I’m thinking now though , that I should have squeezed off a few more just to ensure it was centered . What do you think ? 

[wolc123]

5 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

So , went to the range yesterday to sight in a few of my rifles ; what surprised me most was how far out of whack my 22 was !! Groupings were consistently high and left and took multiple shots and big adjustments ( ie , #of clicks on scope dial ) to center it . How do they get so out of whack over the years ? Conversely , my 30-30 was dead -on ! First shot pretty much dead center so I only shot once more - also a center shot - so, I left it alone . I’m thinking now though , that I should have squeezed off a few more just to ensure it was centered . What do you think ? 

With the high cost and scarcity of ammo this year, I would leave it at one or two shots, if it was right on.  If you want some more practice, use a bb gun.

[Splitear]

Sounds like your scope got bumped if it was that far off. At least you’ve got a couple of sighted in rifles now, it’s a good feeling. 
 

[ny hunter]

Are all the screws tight on the 22 ??? I find I am not as careful with my 22s when I am walking around or cleaning them... you may have bumped it .... I always fire 4 shots when sighting in ... Then the rifle stays dirty till the season is over... 

[Northcountryman]

Did the 300 and Muzzleloaders yesterday ;300 

22 hours ago, Splitear said:

Sounds like your scope got bumped if it was that far off. At least you’ve got a couple of sighted in rifles now, it’s a good feeling. 
 

Yeah , it must have been ; same  with the 300 , too. Initially, It was shooting so far To the right that I took it off the range and had them adjust it  in the shop to save time - and ammo!! After that , only minor adjustments necessary to center it . Muzzle loader wasn’t too far off ; shooting a little low and left At first but dialed it in after 4 or 5 shots . I love shooting the muzzleloader , incidentally , lots of fun  

[Splitear]

14 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Did the 300 and Muzzleloaders yesterday ;300 

Yeah , it must have been ; same  with the 300 , too. Initially, It was shooting so far To the right that I took it off the range and had them adjust it  in the shop to save time - and ammo!! After that , only minor adjustments necessary to center it . Muzzle loader wasn’t too far off ; shooting a little low and left At first but dialed it in after 4 or 5 shots . I love shooting the muzzleloader , incidentally , lots of fun  

I’ve really been bit by ML bug. The process of it is almost therapeutic, and I even enjoy the cleaning process. It also helps that loading supplies are still reasonably easy to find, so I don’t worry about burning through my stock pile. 

[mike103]

23 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

So , went to the range yesterday to sight in a few of my rifles ; what surprised me most was how far out of whack my 22 was !! Groupings were consistently high and left and took multiple shots and big adjustments ( ie , #of clicks on scope dial ) to center it . How do they get so out of whack over the years ? Conversely , my 30-30 was dead -on ! First shot pretty much dead center so I only shot once more - also a center shot - so, I left it alone . I’m thinking now though , that I should have squeezed off a few more just to ensure it was centered . What do you think ? 

No except success.

Edited November 1, 2020 by mike103

[Daveboone]

Is your bore dry ? make sure there isnt any cleaning residue. All screws tightened? It doesnt happen much with .22s, but as the bbl heats up if there is any pressure on the bbl from the stock or elsewhere, the POI can change. It can be avoided by slow measured shooting, ensuring the bbl stays cool to touch between shots. 

I had a couple instances of moving groups too...I was able to identify that it was due to poorly torqued mount screws actually affecting the scope tube. Lots of variables. Pays to get this out of the way well before the season.

[hueyjazz]

I've always done the same thing with my ammo.  When I buy it I make sure all the boxes are from the same powder lot.  I Loctite all my scope screws, make sure rings are aligned and  then sight in.  From year to year I find guns to be dead on with that ammo.  Only time I test sight in is if I think scope got bumped.

Zero issues for many years