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New bullet help

Mike FinkMike Fink Member Posts: 274 ✭✭✭
Tried out some Nosler "combined technology" ballistic silvertip bullets today. To say the least a bit pricey. The first 5 shots were all over the place (3 inches at 100 yds.)I was using older brass fully resized. The next 5 shots formed a 3/4" group using all new brass. Winchester. I usually get under an inch with the plain jane bullets I have used for years but I can't come up with a reason for the poor accuracy of the initial five. Hope someone can shed some light on this. Thanks, Mike

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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Fouling shots?
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    Mike FinkMike Fink Member Posts: 274 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Fouling shots won't cut it on the annual deer hunt. Barrel was clean and de-copperized. ??? Mike
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    twin60stwin60s Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i used to shoot bal/sil.tips and thought they were accurate until i started using sierra bthp's.my gun now shoots the sierra's way better. believe it or not,i have heard the way you store your gun can effect the way it shoots.
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    If your gun was cleaned and decoppered down to bare metal, I still think it is an issue of settling in, that the gun required some fouling shots. That's partly why most competitions have a sighting-in phase, that's why a lot of hunters don't clean their bores over the course of a season. Some guns just shoot better slightly dirty.

    The thing to try here is to repeat your thorough cleaning and see if it settles in after 4-5 shots again, or if it was the cases used in the first batch.
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    Mike FinkMike Fink Member Posts: 274 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jonk-I cleaned the rifle again last night and got back out to the range early this morning. Keeping in mind the "fouling shot" theory. I shot in reverse order this time. New brass started and finished on the money. Old brass was a repeat of all over the place. Yesterday I started with the older brass. Non of the brass had been fired in that rifle. That is why I fully resized. I wondered about the new coating on new bullets being a detrimental factor but that doesn't seem to be the cause. ---- Twin60s- I generally shoot Sierra BTSP in the rifle. It is just used for hunting. Just took a better look at the brass. The old brass was run through a sizing die and the new brass was not. There are suttle differences in size but not length. They were all trimmed before use. I may not find the answer to this one until I take the "neck sized brass" out for a test.-Thanks, Mike
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    OdawgpOdawgp Member Posts: 5,380 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:The first 5 shots were all over the place (3 inches at 100 yds.)
    factory ammo will give most people at best 3" groups at 100yds
    they seem to kill deer quite regularly during hunting season

    although the new brass should have been resized it could be that the neck tension in them was more uniform than the resized brass due to a dirty or rough expander inside your resize die

    sometimes they get dirty or are very rough to start with and need a bit of cleaning or polishing to keep them from pulling the necks of you cases open more than they should
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    Mike FinkMike Fink Member Posts: 274 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Odawgp- I was shooting reloaded brass, not factory rounds. I did take a look at the expander and it was somewhat dirty. We may not get to the problem being solved because i'm going back to the original recipe with a different bullet. Factory rounds in the rifle shoot just a bit lower than my reloads but the accuracy factors haven't changed in 45 yrs, until now. You may have the answer. Thanks for the time guys, Mike
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    OdawgpOdawgp Member Posts: 5,380 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mike Fink
    Odawgp- I was shooting reloaded brass, not factory rounds.

    I was just stating that 3" groups although not good for reloaded ammo is still as good as factory and for general hunting purposes would suffice for most

    For my big bore magnums and other 30 cal rifles if I get 3" groups or smaller (ussually get smaller) I am very very happy as those guns are only pulled out and shot once a yr if that

    Good luck let us know what you find out
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    Mike FinkMike Fink Member Posts: 274 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Update- I just had to do it. So I duplicated all variables with a spotless set of dies and all the rounds performed very well. I don't shoot the rifle a great deal but it never lets me down. I have also been very spoiled because I have never had a Sako that shoots poorly. I am sure there are folks out there that have. With that said, I've never shot a Savage that was bad either. Again, Thanks for the help and the solution.- Mike
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