# help....accuracy problems



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

alright heres the deal...i have a stevens 200 in .243 that i bought last winter. I bought a bushnell elite 3200 10x40 scope for it. From what i heard theyre good quality affordable scopes so im hoping the scope isnt the issue. Anyway I sighted it in with remingtons accutips and it shot them great. Ive been practicing and hunting with them throughout the winter and spring and can shoot fairly well with them (as in close to moa at 100yds just to give you an idea). havent had a single problem yet with the gun until this week..i was shooting the other night and was doing terrible, just figured a was having a bad day. went out the next day and the same thing happened...surely i cant be shooting that bad. I then figured someone messed with the knobs on my scope and the zero was just way off. so i went out yesterday and set up at 50 yds to resight it in...i shot 9 rounds before i said i was done wasting ammo...3 rounds didnt even hit the plate and the other 6 were all over the place, like 5 or more inches apart. the very first shot i fired was the only good one and it hit dead bullseye..keep in mind this is at 50 yds with a .243..somethings not right..and like a said flinching shouldnt be an issue since i use to shoot great with the gun, not to mention at 50 yds you should still be able to keep them all on a dinner plate while flinching all you want i would think...so throwing any flinching and shooters error out what could be wrong here? Like i said the gun isnt even a year old..how should i go about fixing and/or just assesing the problem? all help is appreciated! thanks


----------



## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

First thing to do is check and recheck the scope,mounts,gun etc... for anything that came loose. Also check the end of the barrel to make sure you did not damage the crown. Had this happen to me a number years back caused the gun to spray all over. Clean it as well including removing all copper from the barrel.

Then if none of this is th issue, and the gun was shooting fine prior. Then you will need to look at the optics.


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Agree with Ron.

My first thought would be the scope mounting system. What are you using and is everything tight? Most people who have this problem have skimped on the scope rings and bases.

Let us know all of the componants that you are using. And make sure that the rings and bases are tight.

If you have good mounts that are tight it's likely a scope issue.

huntin1


----------



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

i cant fully remember exactly what the base and rings are but im pretty sure theyre weaver. i do remember though that they werent cheap cause i didnt want to deal with them slipping  so hopefully thats not the case but ill check. do you think the scope can be messed up internally already? and is there any real way to check? i havent even had the scope a year


----------



## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

I have seen issues like you describe caused by improper base alignment and not show up right away. Had it happen on a 300 Win myself a few years back. Scope was fine, but not properly set into the rings because rings where not square with each other. I have also had screws loose on the gun itself that where causing issues.

Do not assume anything check it all and if you are not sure have someone else check it as well.


----------



## ndm (Jul 22, 2007)

Good advice from Ron and H1. I would also check to make sure your barrel is floated. I have seen cheaper synthetic stocks do goofy things on hot days. Never that extreme but who knows. Make sure you allow plenty of time for the barrel to cool.

If you narrow it down to a bad scope. I would advise you to send it to Bushnell as soon as possible. I sent one in 6 weeks ago and I'm still waiting. Hunting season is not that far away. Good Luck


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

A scope is a mechanical device, it can fail and at any time. A year, ten years, whatever.

Not trying to be an *** here, but weaver mounts and bases aren't all that expensive. The bases aren't too bad, but the rings suck. I've used weaver bases with Burris Zee rings and had good luck, in fact that is what I run on my in-line MZ.

On my .308 I wanted good solid mounts and went with tactical mounts. The base is Ken Farrell, the rings are Tactical Precision Systems, base and rings ran something like $150. Buying expensive mounts does not ensure that you won't have problems, but it does make it a bit less likely. Same goes for the scope itself.

I had considered the bedding issue as well, but since it had been shooting fairly well and now it is as wild as you say, I don't think the bedding would cause it to become that wild. Still may be worth checking too.

Also check the action screws and make sure that they are tight. An action just slightly loose in the stock can cause some pretty wild results.

huntin1


----------



## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

Since your first shot was dead on, and then it was all over after that, I'd be checking the barrel for free-float first thing.


----------



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

alright i checked and everything was tight. barrel seems normal, still floated not touching the stock or anything. im gonna re tighten everything and start over again and see what happens. and my base and rings are warne maxima series not weaver, i just found the package. from what i hear theyre quality rings and bases and they were still tight as hell so hopefully that throws that out the window


----------



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

and by the action bolt do you mean the bolt holding the gun to the stock? it was tight if thats what youre referring to


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Yeah, Warne aren't too bad.

Copper build up can also cause accuracy problems, but I've never heard of it causing the wild results you are getting.

If the bedding is OK, everything is tight and nothing has changed since you were getting good groups, then I would suspect that the scope is causing your problem.

Do you happen to have a spare scope, or know anyone that has one you can use? Swapping the scope out with one you know works would be a fast way to test it out.

huntin1


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

blowefosho said:


> and by the action bolt do you mean the bolt holding the gun to the stock? it was tight if thats what youre referring to


Yes, that is what I was referring to, the screws going through the bottom of the stock that hold the action and stock together.

huntin1


----------



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

alright thanks for the help. ill tighten everything up and clean it real good and if its still everywhere ill do the scope swap


----------



## birdsforever (Oct 28, 2008)

If for some reason you don't happen to have another scope to try and all of the mounts are tight as you say they are, you can still have an internal scope problem. One good, inexpensive way to check that is too get a piece of graph paper. In the center, make crosshairs out of red sharpie marker. Clamp the rifle down in a gun vise so it absolutely, positively won't move. Mount the graph paper on a piece of cardboard or something sturdy and set it out approx. 20-25 yards from your gun and set the scope to its highest power. Align the crosshairs of the scope with those on the paper by adjusting the paper to match the gun in the vise. With a rubber handled screwdriver or small rubber hammer, lightly tap the tube of the scope a few times (equal to recoil lets say.) Check the scope and see if the crosshairs stayed aligned. Next, adjust your windage and elevation knobs approx. 10 clicks, say up and to the left. Tap the scope again and then turn them both back the same amount of clicks. If the crosshairs do not come back to the red lines completely, then you have internal scope issues and it'll need to be sent back for repair.

You can also check the crown (muzzle) with a Q-tip. Run it in the end of the barrel and slowly pull it out straight and check to see if any strands are getting caught at the end of the crown. You can damage a crown during a cleaning process real easy if you're not careful and if you have a bad crown as stated in an earlier post, you'll have lots of fliers. At that point, it's off to a gunsmith or the factory to be re-crowned.

Hope this helps and you get to the root of the problem. It's frustrating, I know.

Scott


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Ever get this resolved?

huntin1


----------

