.300 WSM / Leupold Problems

[fireguy459]

Hello, i have a practically brand new .300 WSM winchester/featherweight/SS. topped with leupold mounts and a leupold 3.5-10 vari-x III. I generally dont have a problem sighting in my guns but this one i am. Everything is new. i have shot roughtly five boxes of shells through the gun. the only ones i can find that work are 150 grain winchester supremes. I would liike to shoot the barnes 180 MRX's or the Winchester 180 XP3 elites. i have tried both with no such luck. the problem i am having is that i am consistantly low 3-5 inches ( which i can fix) but i have lateral movement of up to 14 inches. i will shoot one shot 7 inches left and the next will be 7 inches right. the 150 grain shells do not seem to have a problem. however getting up into the 180 grains i cant keep them central. any ideas?

[WDFW-SUX]

play with your seating depth on the bullets and also make sure there is no residual copper fouling in the barrel.  Make sure you use a cleaning product specifically designed to remove copper not just powder solvent.

[high country]

here is how I would address the problem;

clean the gun completely. use something like remington bore cleaner to really scrub that hummer out.

shoot it.

clean it, swap scopes for a known good one, check mounts...shoot it.

clean it, remove the action from the bedding, reinstall and torque action screws properly...shoot it.

clean it, touch up the crown, shoot it.

from here you should have seen a difference in performance. realize that some guns just dont really like the whole gammut of bullets. I suspect you will find the scope/mounts as your problem. if you were shooting 1-3" fliers there could be a bunch of things to check, but I bet scope is where you can stop.

[Ray]

I suspect you will find the scope/mounts as your problem. if you were shooting 1-3" fliers there could be a bunch of things to check, but I bet scope is where you can stop.

I would check them too. It was the root of some problems for me on my new rifle earlier... So subtle I didnt notice where the problem was at first..

[fireguy459]

thanks for the replies. its getting alittle spendy to just sight the gun in. haha i havnt even started hunting yet!. i think i have a medical condition: i have increased respiration, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and i cant stop thinking about going hunting? anybody have any help there? A Witch doctor said i might be in "the rut"?   

[Idabooner]

I agree with high country and huntwa, I once found a scope mount screw that was tight but broken when I finally took it off after a couple hundred rounds experimenting with every thing I could think of on a used 06 I purchased.

[arrowflinger]

High country and huntwa hit it right on the nose. working at the range I have seem many rifles that come in that way. First thing I do is clean the barrel of the gun with a foaming bore clean. After waiting the 10 to 15 minutes......wipe it clean. Then to check the action screws. After that to the scope mounts and scope rings. Not sure what rifle but make sure you have the correct bases, seen new rifle come from a super market store with them backwards. Also, have seen a problem it the crosshairs are not correctly position.............Just some helpful hints, good luck.

[bobcat]

Just buy new rings. Try the Talley lightweights. The Leupold mounts have the adjustable windage in the rear mount and that is a weak point. The Talleys are solid and once installed can't move. Give them a try. They're only about $40.

Here is a good place to get them:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=33

[GoldTip]

I would have to agree with what has been said above, the mounts are loose.  There are only two other explanations there could be.  One of which is extremely unlikely, the other is difficult to judge as I don't know you.  #1 you could have simply gotten a bad scope.  Very hard to believe this could be the culprit with Leupolds standard for excellence.  #2 Your flinching horribly.  Have you had anyone else shoot the rifle with same results you have had?  If it's not your mounts, you may try having a friend shoot the gun and see if he has the same accuracy results that you have.  Good luck getting that gun sighted in, hunting season is a coming!

[fireguy459]

Yeah i have had someone else shoot the gun with the same outcome. i did not rule that out! haha. i appriciate everyones advice. currently i am swaying toward the scope/mounts issue and hoping that is it. has anyone heard of any bullet issues with the .300 wsm? as far as fouling? falling apart? anything like that?

[high country]

bullet issues would typically be a keyhole in the target or oblong holes or lack of hole totally.....all scopes fail  TRUST ME! I have killed just about every decent mfr at one point or another.

[tlbradford]

If your mount screws appear to be good, swap scopes and try again.  My first thought was a broken reticle.  If it is broke, leupold is close by and you have a lifetime warranty.  If you can't get a 3 shot group within an inch at 20 yards after bore sighting a different scope, then I would take it to a gunsmith.

[ICEMAN]

Eliminate all variables. Sandbag the gun. Shoot up close, at 25yards or less, three rounds. Shoot close to help eliminate other variables.  Tap the scope mounts, push/rack the scope a bit, try to dislodge it from front, back, sides, three more rounds, same distance sandbagged, see what happens. Fouling and shooter manipulation will throw a round, but not 12+ inches.  I suspect mounts, or reticle. Let us know what you find!

I also use a laser boresighter for first time out, these can help a bunch. You can find a bad scope or mount this way without touching off a round. Boresite, move scope, boresight, etc... look for variance.