Rifle Won't Sight In

[hugonian1]

I picked up a new Savage 223 to work on the yote problem in the area.

It was a package deal with a scope.

I went to sight it in and at 30 yards with the scope adjusted all the way over it is still 6" off center.

Thinking it was a junk Bushnell scope I bought a decent Nikon and put it on.

Same thing, at 30 yards and adjusted all the way to the right I am still hitting 6" off center.

Thinking something might be wrong with my eyes I got my scoped slug gun out which has a similar Nikon scope on it. At 50 yards I took 3 shots and all hit within a couple inches of center. The scope is not adjusted all the way over.

Any thoughts?

Anyone ever hear of a rifle not shooting straight?

I am going to have my son come over and take a few shots and see what it does for him.

Very frustrating to say the least.

[LMITOUT]

You mentioned changing the scope, but what about the mounts? I would loosen them from the gun and then try tightening them down again and make sure they aren't caught up on something so they fit flush. Maybe even flip them around or swap front to back and then see if that has any affect on the point of aim.

[hugonian1]

I did change the mounts to an offset mount but used the rings I had.

I had the guy a the big C store install the scope and he bore sighted it.

[LMITOUT]

Offset mount? The scope isn't directly above the bore?

[leech~~]

You mean offset like this or raised like in "see through" mounts?

[hugonian1]

I might have bad terminology here.

I had to get a different mount for the new scope that offset slightly front to back so the rings fit properly on the scope. It is the same weaver type setup that came with the gun but pulled the front ring back. they mounted in the same holes.

Both mount setups and both scopes give me the same results. I can't get the scope adjusted to hit center even at just 30 yards.

[leech~~]

Do you have open sights on the gun? If so take the scope off and take a few shots with the open sights to make sure the gun is shooting straight. Then put it back on knowing that it is and work on the scope-mounts issue. Is your front scope bell close or touching the barrel? Also, make sure that the gap if any on your mount rings are even on all sides where they fit together or you may have the scope sitting at an angle in them if not tighen down right?

[lichen fox]

What leech said...and while you got the scope off look at the numbers on the base/bases...they could have put the wrong bases on, and if it's two piece bases...perhaps the front and rear are flopped...

[Gordie]

Take a dollar bill and slide it between the barrel and stock if the bill hits anything before the barrel nut your stock maybe hitting the barrel. If the barrel hits the stock it would not sight in either and you may need it freed up a bit.

[jentz]

I say the mounts are askew.First you sight the rifle to where the projectile hits,Thats all open sights or a scope can do.The rifle will place the projectile where the barrel is pointed.If the sight cant meet that point then the sight/scope is not mounted in a position to make the two align.Gunsmith or maybe your own knowledge can align the sight/scope with where the projectile is hitting.

[leech~~]

Take a dollar bill and slide it between the barrel and stock if the bill hits anything before the barrel nut your stock maybe hitting the barrel. If the barrel hits the stock it would not sight in either and you may need it freed up a bit.

I had a feeling you would be by on this one Gordie!

[harvey lee]

I had 1 scope on a new rifle and I could not adjust it to hit low, no matter where I adjusted it, Always shot to high. Talk to a gun smith buddy of mine and he said I should put a piece of tin foil under one of the scope mounts below the scope barrel to shim it.

I did about everything I could before I shimmed it with a very small piece of tin foil.

Worked perfect after that.

I agree with Gordie that if the barrel is not free floated, it could cause an issue but I would shoot it without a scope and then see what it does first, if it shoots well, then it would have to be the mounting of the scope.

I would really look at the scope rings or how you mounted the scope, Only way to know if it is the scope or the gun is to shoot it without the scope as mentioned above. Then you will know where to look. Until that point, all guessing.

[SmilinBob]

Gordie uses bigger bills though, they clear easier and he feels like a high roller. Then he can get change too!

[fish'n'hunt]

I had a gun that did the same thing. I maxed out on the windage and it was still off. My guess is that the mounting holes were drilled slightly offset from each other so the front and back mounts are not lined up properly. I resolved this by using Burris 1" Signature Zee Weaver-Style Rings that allowed me to shim the scope one way or another by using their insert kit. This allowed me to sight in my gun. I believe they also sell adjustable windage scope bases/rings. Hope this helps.

[Gordie]

Gordie uses bigger bills though, they clear easier and he feels like a high roller. Then he can get change too!

[hugonian1]

Thanks for all of the input guys.

Unfortunately the gun does not have iron sights.

Does it make sense you can bore sight it with plenty of adjustment left at 30 yards but it shoots completely different.

I am not sure I understand the dollar test.

Do you mean slide it between the barrel and the forearm and slide it down towards the breech?

[harvey lee]

If I understand you correctly, you make your adjustment and you are still not corrected far enough and you are out of adjustment on the scope? If so, that's exactly the issue I had with 1 gun and I shimmed it with a small piece of tin foil and cured the issue. It was in the way the scope mount mounted with the rings.

If I am correct in understanding your issue. free floating the barrel will more than likely not cure that issue. Does not hurt anything to make sure it is free floating but if the rings, scope or how you mounted it is the issue, then off course making the barrel free float if it was not will not cure that issue.

Again, If I understand that you zero'ed the gun in, adjusted the scope as far as you can and you still need more adjustment to zero, that's the exact issue I had and the tin foil trick worked great, now perfect.

Link on how to-free float the barrel with a dollar bill.

http://guns.wonderhowto.com/how-to/set-up-free-floating-gun-barrel-rifle-204317

[swamptiger]

I'd be inclined to just return the rifle and exchange it for another one, but if you want to play with it, you could do the dollar bill thing, and Burris also makes rings with various inserts to adjust for windage. All this shouldn't be a problem you should have to deal with in a new rifle, in my opinion.

[harvey lee]

I would agree 100% Swamp, with a new set up, this should not be acceptable at all.

[Tom7227]

Isn't the issue of the barrel touching something only valid after firing enough shots to warm the barrel? Any distortion of the barrel that was temporary would have to come from heat and I would think after maybe a half dozen shots that wouldn't come into play.

[jentz]

Yes tom7227 I always questioned that theory, even after the barrel expands from mulitiple rounds fired.The barrel expands and touches wood.The sights or scope are attached to the barrel so if the wood expands moving the barrel why would it hamper the sights or scope thats mounted to the barrel itself.If the barrel slightly moves the sights scope move with it.

[Tom7227]

Jentz - not sure that you are correct on that theory. I think it is very possible for some distortion to occur further down the barrel and throw things off. But I still wonder if that could be the cause of the problem the OP is having.

[jentz]

Yah harmonic balance,Match shooting gets expensive but can dot a nickle at 500yds.Not many can shoot match let alone afford it.

I stated my thought on the alignment of the scope to where the barrel puts the projectile.I dont know anything of shimes in mounts to correct maybe a off center drill/tap.Thats not a professional mount.If the machineing of the mounts was done corectly the line of alignment should be close and easily found.Hunting rifle barrels seldom expand unless the other end of the rifle doesn't try to make a quick clean kill.

[hugonian1]

A dollar bill will slide down between the barrel and the forearm.

I have not had the opportunity to have someone else shoot it yet.

That would for sure eliminate if it is something to do with my eyes or not. I don't think that is it as I had no issues with my scoped slug gun.

I bought the gun at the big "C". When the issue first came up I took the gun back there to have it checked out. To my surprise I was told they are not gunsmiths but checked it out. They re-set the scope and tightened the mounts and then they bore sighted it. Based on that the guy said everything appears to be good and to take it and shoot it again. They did give me 2 boxes of shells which was great. Took it home & shot it. Nothing had changed.

I don't want to take it back there again until I eliminate other options.

The guy said if it bore sights fine it should shoot fine. I am not sure if that is accurate or not. If the scope was mounted askew I would think that would show up with the bore sighting. I did look up those rings with the shim kit and it would probably solve the problem but if there is something wrong with the gun I hate to resort to that.

[leech~~]

Can you take a few pictures of the scope and mounting from a few sides and post them? Also, where do you live? maybe someone around you could come by and pop off a few rounds through it with you and see how they do?