Need some load development opinions

[brockel]

Same session shoots dead
Nuts then starts to wander.

Clean it and come back, sometimes don’t clean it, and come back days later and it’s back to being easily less than 1 inch…

Sounds like a heat issue to me.

 

[blueridge]

Sounds like a heat issue to me.

I tend to agree. I have a Tikka T3 in 7-08 that is very sensitive to barrel heat. First two are always nearly touching, the third 3/4” off, after that, even if I let it cool in the shade for 15-20 minutes between all subsequent groups, thereafter becomes a 2-4” gun.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I like the idea of not cleaning it between trips and then checking where it is hitting after letting the barrel cool completely to ambient temp. I'd stop shooting beyond 100 yards until you figure it out to make sure any changes in wind aren't adding uncontrolled factors. I wouldn't rule out the scope either.

 

[Whitetail_kid]

check scope bases. Happened to me once. Everyone said scope bases, scope bases but I thought I knew better. Turned out they were loose. Mounted with a rail and no issues since. Mine used to hit low and right. Then finally they started dropping more and I was like WTH. That’s when I started playing with it and realized the scope was working loose. Amateur move.

 

[44hunter45]

Do you have the scope objective bell touching any metal?