Reading a group?

[alphaburnt]

While shooting today at 100 yards, I had a 4 shot group that was about 4 inches. This is not that good but looking at the group, from 1st to last it consistently dropped 1/2" and went 7/8 to 1 1/8" to the right and was in a perfectly straight line diagonally. What ( if anything ) would this mean the gun was doing? ( 8 minutes or more wait between shots)

 

[alphaburnt]

Knight Disc Elite .50 cal blued.

Suggestions or observations welcome. Im confused at this point. I did check scope rings and bases, gave the bore a treatment of JBs and a good cleaning. After posting about "accurizing a Knight" I remembered something that may have caused this- took a dremel tool and removed the "pad" I had glass bedded on either side of the barrel in front of the recoil lug ( I was silly for doing this without shooting it first, anyway) but left the glass I put under and around the lug extending to the trigger well. Time will tell, I plan on shooting end of this week again to see if I made a difference.

 

[Rifleman]

I would say the reason for lack of comment here is due to lack of information.
You might include things like:
Weapon used
Sights/scope
distance
load
target used
etc
etc.

At this point I can safely say it is one of these items:
Shooter error
Rifle accuracy problem
Scope failure
in-accurate load
weather conditions
shifting rest
dolphins stuck in a wicked tidal pool

 

[alphaburnt]

Sorry

Weapon: Knight Disc Elite .50 blued w/ composite stock (glass bedded )
Bases: Weaver GS
Rings: Leupold QRW
Scopes: Tasco World Class 3x9x40 (Sightron 2.5x7x32 on standby)
Propellant: Hodgdon Triple 7 FFg ( 76.5 grains weighed)
Primer: Winchester 209 in Knight FPJ
Bullet/ Sabot: TC Shockwave 200 grain in supplied blue sabot
Distance: 100 yards
Target: Lyman "hot square" stickon 2" on 1" grid
Weather: 45 F with light wind 5-10 mph towards target
Rest: Millet Bench Master on concrete table at shooting range (picture of rest, http://www.davescatalog.com/products/5/ ... 359973.jpg)

Approx 8 minutes between shots, spit patch and dry patch between shots, ramrod in thimble while shooting. Shooter error is highly probable. Bedding gun improper is probable. I just found it strange that the shots were consistently diagonal in the manner I described. Have had really good accuracy up until this point all things considered with 1.5 to 2 groups that usually consisted of 2 shots within an inch and a wee flier.

 

[alphaburnt]

No knowledge of the dolphins stuck in a tidal pool though.

 

[big6x6]

I'd say it is probably the way you were shooting. When I get a strange group I usually put the gun up and come back another day and can't repeat the weird group. It's usually a recoil issue and the way I'm handling it.

 

[jcchartboy]

IMHO....Outside of mechanical failure diagonal groups are often the result of two issues. 1)Barrel heating 2)repeated faulty shooting technique. (In this case you are a making the same adjustment every time you shoot, the only problem is that you are not making the adjustments from the original starting point.)

JC

 

[Spitpatch]

I would try 78.3 grains....
wait 15 minutes between....
get that stock free floating at the lug...
then change scope...in that order

JMHO

 

[Rifleman]

Under shooter error, a diagonal group can often be attributed to any or all or a combination of these factors.

Raising the head during the shot, improper cheek weld.

Inconsistent eye relief.

lack of proper breath control. ( Very common and one I look for quickly when coaching)

Inconsistent sling tension, or in this case, inconsitent pressure on the fore-end. ( Very often a factor with high recoil and slow lock time weapons)

Placing the weapon in the shoulder inconsistently.

Inconsitent pressure of the trigger hand pulling the weapon straight to the rear.

Goats in drag.

 

[redpep]

What's your trigger weight at? I sent mine in to Knight had it lowered to 2 1/2 lbs. That made a big difference.
Second can you feel the Trigger- Don't just pull the trigger Feel it.
Most triggers, when you are relly concentrating you can take feel the first half of weight before it breaks and fires. When I'm concetrating my groups are good. When I'm just slapping the trigger my groups can go bad real fast.
Third- Shoot shoot shoot, shoot once a week if you can, the more you shoot the better your groups will be. Move up and down 5 gns depending on conditions too. I mix up 25 loads at a time in different weights to work with.

Good Luck, it'll get better