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Whats wrong

mikecarol63mikecarol63 Member Posts: 336 ✭✭✭
edited October 2010 in Ask the Experts
Hi all; I hope you have answers to this question. All advice I've gotten in the past really helped me, but now I have this new problem.
Bought this Howa 1500 .243 for my Grandson to start hunting. He's 10 now. I took it out to sight in, and it was all over the place. It had a Nikko Stirling 3X9X42 scope on it that I never heard of. The hits were all over, nowhere near the bull. I used factory ammo, so I got out my proven handloads, and they were the same. I got home and put on my Bushnell (which I love), bore sighted it, and went back out with my handloads again. Same thing, all over the place. I got 2 about 1/2" to the right of the bull, made my 2 clicks to bring it in to the bull and fired 3 more shots. They were again all over the place, 4" low and 4" to the left, 6" low and 1" to the left, 1" low and 2" to the right. What could possibly be the problem? I shot 30 shots and ran out of ammo and called it quits for the day. Thanks, Mike
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Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it's one of the original 1500's made in the 80's for S & W and Mossberg, no telling what the round count is, and what has or has not been done to it?

    First thing I would clean the barrel real good with a aggressive bore cleaner to make sure that all copper and powder fouling has been removed. Then take it out again to see how it shoots.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Make sure the mounts to the receiver is tight. Make sure the action to stock screws are tight and look very closely at the very end of the barrel to see if you see a ding on the muzzle crown. Then take your bore sighter with you to the range Look with bore sighter installed then remove bore sighter . shoot a round and repeat test by reinstalling bore sighter then remove bore sighter and shoot another round ETC at least 4 times . If the bore sighter moves each time then I suspect the mounts If the bore sighter looks the same after each shot Then I suspect the barrel is either dirty or has bad crown. ask seller why he was selling the rifle.
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  • iwannausernameiwannausername Member Posts: 7,131
    edited November -1
    As said above, check all screws - action, scope bases, etc.
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  • Wolf.Wolf. Member Posts: 2,223 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I agree with rufe-snow:
    quote:First thing I would clean the barrel real good with a aggressive bore cleaner to make sure that all copper and powder fouling has been removed. Then take it out again to see how it shoots.

    It sounds to me like your barrel is badly fouled. It's hard for me to believe that you went through all that without checking your scope mounts, so I think it's the barrel.

    Do look at the muzzle crown for damage, as stated earlier.

    If you know about JB Bore Cleaner, use that to clean the bore. First, try to get a copper-removing solvent. If you don't have any, use household ammonia on patches and brush. Scrub the bore double. Then use a conventional powder solvent on a brush, double, to repeat that process. After that, Put the JB on a brush, lots of it; if you don't have JB, use a conventional white toothpaste..not gel. Soak the laden brush with oil and scrub the bore by doing the first 4 inches back and forth a dozen times. Then move up to the next four inches and repeat. Do it again until you come out the other end. Run a couple patches through the bore, then repeat the JB/oil thing again. Now try shooting the rifle. My guess is that your rifle will do much better. I'd be interested to know if you find that the problem is something else.
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  • barnjoerbarnjoer Member Posts: 146 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    when all else fails through the scope away & buy you A good one like Nikon or Leupold You can do all the things that every one else has said, but your shots are only as good as your scope can see. just my 2 cents worth.
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  • robertchambersrobertchambers Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If the excellent advice posted above doesn't cure your problem, perhaps this info will help...I don't know the answer to this problem but I know where to look for it. Seems to me that .243 or 6mm is particularly prone to this problem. It has to do with the length/weight/sectional density of the bullet as related to the rate of twist of the barrel. Hope I have this correct as I'm relatively new to this forum...but here goes

    .243 and 6mm barrels made with a 1 in 12 (or more) twist will only perform with the lighter varmit bullets...heavier bullets (90gr +) perform only with the more rapids twists like 1 in 8 or 1 in 10.

    You can achieve modest success with the light bullets in a fast twist but it's very unlikely that you will have any success with the heavier bullets in a long twist...in other words the shorter twists should digest just about anything while the longer twists are varmit weight bullets only

    You need to measure the rate of twist with a cleaning rod to determine what bullet weight your gun likes to eat.
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  • mikecarol63mikecarol63 Member Posts: 336 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You guys are going to think I'm an IDIOT. I cleaned the bore really good with bore cleaner and brass brush. After I did that, I checked the bolts on the rings to be sure they were tight. The front one was not even anywhere near snug. How I did that I don't know. I am going out Monday to see what kind of IDIOT I am. Will let you know Monday evening. Mike
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  • mikecarol63mikecarol63 Member Posts: 336 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Couldn"t wait until Monday. Took the rifle out today, and night turned into day. Gun shot fine. Thanks to all of you. I knew I would get the EXPERT advice I needed, and have always gotten from this site. Again, THANK YOU ALL. Mike
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  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mikecarol63
    You guys are going to think I'm an IDIOT. I cleaned the bore really good with bore cleaner and brass brush. After I did that, I checked the bolts on the rings to be sure they were tight. The front one was not even anywhere near snug. How I did that I don't know. I am going out Monday to see what kind of IDIOT I am. Will let you know Monday evening. Mike


    Don't feel bad. You're not the first (or last) "Idiot" to do this. I joined that group many, many years ago. You shouldn't feel too bad. Your mistake didn't cost the chance on a 30"+ muley on your deer hunt[B)].....[;)] Take the lesson learned and remember it next time.[:D]
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  • BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Friend of mine bought one of the Howa 1500 packages with the Nikko Sterling scopes about 6 months ago in 308. After about 6 shots he was all over the place. He called me and I told him to make sure the mounts and rings were tight. When we got to gether he was having the same issue. I checked the bases and they were loose and no lock tite had been used to mount them (this was the main issue). The rings were a joke and not made well at all. I would reccomend dumping the rings and if it were mine I would get better bases as well. The scope itself wasn't bad. After we changed his out to Leupold rings and bases and mounted them right his 1500 shoots like it should. The 1500 is a great rifle for the money.
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