Left/right shift with changing ammo?

[R.K.]

So I’ve got a .308 Ruger American. Good little rifle, treats me well. Many like it, this one is mine, etc. Currently causing me to question my shooting skills and sanity.

Went to the range, shot at 100 yards. Sitting, rest but no sled. Flyers happened on 2nd shot of each group (guessing I flinched).

Shot two rounds at group 1, then three at group 2. Two more at 1, one more at 2. Kept the same ammo at each target.

Should have been 1.5” high at that range. Group one was pretty well on for windage, but low. Group 2 was WAY right, but correct elevation.

I understand different elevation between different ammo, but the left/right impact shift has me very concerned. Can changing ammo really affect the windage that much?

Did I screw something up when I cleaned it last? Should I try other ammo? Does this matter? Should I practice with cheap stuff until season, then re-sight for hunting ammo? That last one just feels wrong.

I’ll take any help I can get on this.

Group 1- federal premium with 168gr SMK. One flyer high. I usually practice with it since it’s cheaper.




Group 2- Barnes Vortex 168gr TTSX. One flyer low. Hunting ammo, has done very well for me.

 

[MTLabrador]

Yep. It’s perfectly normal to have different point of impact with different ammunition, especially with very different bullet designs like a Sierra Matchking and a Barnes. If you feel like you pulled the flier then I wouldn’t worry about it. A single 3 shot group or two won’t tell you that much. Repeatable groups will tell you the truth.

 

[Black Elk]

Yep. It’s perfectly normal to have different point of impact with different ammunition, especially with very different bullet designs like a Sierra Matchking and a Barnes. If you feel like you pulled the flier then I wouldn’t worry about it. A single 3 shot group or two won’t tell you that much. Repeatable groups will tell you the truth.

Agree with everything MTLab said. Totally normal and expected

 

[Cornbread]

The best advice I have heard, to keep you focused on your target and follow through has been from Ryan Kleckner. "Call your shot". In other words, if you are focused completely on the target and watching it til recoil moves your sight picture off the target, you will have excellent follow through. His videos are short & to the point. His video on how to call wind was short & to the point. He definitely uses the KISS technique (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Stick with the same ammo you are going to hunt with. Once I find the factory ammo that a rifle likes, I buy 25 boxes of it, and I never use diifferent ammo brand or bullet & bullet weight. I don't reload. Different ammo will group differently and also a different Point of Impact (POI), ceteris paribas. I try to sight in on absolutely calm days. After cleaning, your first shot, or even two, is just to "clean the barrel". The residue in the barrel supposedly will increase the velocity of the remaining shots by adding drag to the bullet. Makes sense to me. After Ive sighted my hunting rifle in, I NEVER CLEAN IT AGAIN UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON. After your first two shots, let the barrel cool down. Now you're ready for THE business of sighting in. 3 shots, let it cool down before the next 3 shots, etc. That's just the way I do it. Sometimes I bring a barrel cooler (a shop fan is excellent) to speed up the cool down process, or I bring ice water and a rag to cool the barrel down really quickly. Works for me.