Random Wide Shots with 22LR Marlin 60

[invictus82]

I went out yesterday to sight in my Marlin 60 with a Bushnell rimfire 3-9x32 scope. I tried holding zero at 50 yds from a prone position with the rifle at rest. I would say about 40% of my shots landed where I wanted them to, and held to about 1" groups. The other 60% or so were all over the paper (3" high and 2" right, 3" low and centered, etc). I was shooting Federal bulk pack from WW.

Is it the cheap scope? Do you recommend a fixed over a variable scope for a Marlin 60? Should I try different ammo? I know bulk ammo is not the most reliable, but I had hoped for a little better than this.

Thanks, in advance, for your help and suggestions.

 

[rcmodel]

Assuming it isn't your shooting, or the improvised shooting position?
(Do not let any part of the barrel touch the rest)

The first thing to do would be to try better or at least different ammo.

No two rifles will like the same RF ammo, so buy a box of everything you can find and test it.

A bonus is, buy the time you get done testing, you will know how to shoot small groups more better!

rc

 

[BSA1]

The cheapest fix is to try different brands of ammunition.

I have never had any use for cheap rimfire scopes but I would try different ammo first.

 

[22-rimfire]

It could be any of those things or a combination. Pay attention to shooting fundamentals. Variable versus non variable should not make that much difference, but I would shoot at one power setting just in case the scope is moving the zero around between maginfication settings.

Run a cleaning rod through the barrel and start over. It will take about 10 rounds to get the barrel seasoned to a particular ammo when starting from "clean".

Make sure the scope is tight and shoot some more from the bench and hold at exactly the same point on the target for each shot. It does sound like the scope. If you continue to get this kind of spread and it is a bit on the wide side even for bulk ammo; try another ammo or three. People say they hate Remington Golden Bullets, but honestly I find them to be fairly consistant for HV ammo.

It may be just that batch of bulk ammo. The normal kind of spread at 50 yds with the cheaper ammo is about 1 > 1.5" with a flyer making for a larger actual group.

I would also do some shooting at 25 yds too. Try to make sure it is not operator "error". Shooting at 50 yds is not as easy as it might seem when you are really trying for groups versus perforating a soda can or something.

 

[back40]

what is your expereince as a rifleman?

when you say "40 percent" were in a one inch group and and "60 percent" were all over the map, that says to me that you have some part in it. if you were getting the occasional flyer or even three out ten, i would chalk it up to ammo.

work on your technique, try a different ammo, and shoot several separate 5 shot groups at different targets to get a reading of what your actual group size is and how good or bad you are doing.

fixed or variable doesn't really matter. just make sure your rings/mounts are tight.

 

[1madss]

Take a second and check to make sure the front takedown screw is tight.

 

[mshootnit]

its probably not the scope. Make sure the bore is clean and try some quality ammo from a rest. Groups should improve and show you what your rifle is capable of. Make sure the action is real clean including the bolt, bore, breech face, and fcg. 22lr are finicky because they are blowback actions, the ammo is cheap, and the bullets are lead or coated lead leading to fouling. Best thing you can do is make sure everything is clean and put together right and shoot some quality ammo. I like federal gold medal hv match

 

[hardluk1]

That ammo have the electro copper plateing on it?? If it does and you have cleaned it in the last a,a 2 or 3,000 rounds it could be coppered and it will do that later than sooner or if lead bullets it conld be leaded. Factory bores some times are knida rough too.
Better class of ammo tends to have some coating on it but some of the cheaper ammo does not and can screw up a barrel.

 

[invictus82]

Thanks for the input

Thanks to everyone who commented. I appreciate your time and expertise.

I think I found the problem. As was previously suggested on this post I had checked, while out shooting, the front take down screw, rear take down screw, and scope rings to ensure that everything was tight. They were, in fact, loose. After tightening them my groups improved for a few 5 round groups. Then they started to go wild again.

It turns out that the front scope ring screw was over-tightened by some allen-wrench-happy lunatic (I hear the handsome devil looks a lot like me), and the head of the screw broke off, leaving the scope completely loose on the front end. I'll pick up some new rings, or a new screw if I can find it, and go out again with a few different ammo types and hopefully I'll get back to tighter groupings with better consistency.

That said, I certainly won't claim to be the most experienced rifleman, and I'm positive that the rifle is more accurate than I am. Hopefully I'll get my equipment in proper order so I can spend some more time working on my own fundamentals.

Thanks again, everyone.

 

[7.62 Nato]

If you're snapping ring screws I would suggest getting an inch pound torque driver and be sure to tighten base and rings only to specs. Before you reinstall that scope check the tube for damage from overtightening.