Struggling to group .222 and .243

Conor1

Well-Known Member
I went to the range today intending to zero the above 2 barrels and check zero on 2 300 Win Mags. The 300s were required no adjustment. The first shot from each barrel was off but I put this down to some cleaning agent being left in the Barrel. However after the that the groups were under the inch so was pretty pleased. The rifle is a Blaser R93......

I then swapped barrels and put on a 222 Rem Semi Weight barrel with a Zeiss 6-24x56 scope. The first shot was 6 inches high, the second 3inches low, the third fourth and fifth left and low. In essence the group was about 9 inches. The ammunition was RWS 50 grain Jagd Match. I then tried some Privi 50g FMJ which were just as bad.......the guy next to me said it must be bad ammo! The barrel is 2 or 3 years old with less than 50 rounds through it. I checked the scope mounts and they are solid.

The 243 hasn't been fired for 3 years but it was grouping about three inches with Blaser CDP 100gr ammunition. The scope is an old Zeiss 3-12x56 Diavari on a rail mount......the mount is rock solid. I didn't have any other ammunition brand to choose from.

The only saving grace was the fact that my 300svwere working. I have a Rem 700 BDL in .222 which shoots 1.5 inch groups with Privi so I am beginning to think that this calibre is not for me. I have a .223 and .22-250 which are perfect. As for the .243 could it be that it does not like 100grain bullets......not a massive headache as I won't use it for deer.


Moan over ....
 
Any time I see a post about .222 not grouping, I get really interested. I have never encountered an inaccurate .222: just one that didn't like the ammo that was being fired through it. If you shoot factory ammo you just get what you got and it's not the fault of the rifle. The PRVI from the 700 @ 1.5" seems about right as that is generally what I'd expect from factory ammo that is at least compatible with the rifle. If the barrel isn't bad (which I doubt by your description) you need to get some different ammo. Or quit using factory ammo and handload. The triple deuce is one of the best cartridges to reload for IMHO.~Muir
 
Using factory can be a lottery like Muir says. I tried it years ago for a sako Forrester .270 and could not get the big gun down to anything less than 2inch and most times it was way out there. I gave it to an old friend who sat with it over the weekend i shot my .222. Sunday after brakefast we all normaly have a zeroing session. The old chap said give your sako ago see what you think.
They were touching.From that day on i was hooked on home loading and old Frank was like a god lol.
PS he fired less rounds developing my load than i did ****ing about with Factory.
 
Using factory can be a lottery like Muir says. I tried it years ago for a sako Forrester .270 and could not get the big gun down to anything less than 2inch and most times it was way out there. I gave it to an old friend who sat with it over the weekend i shot my .222. Sunday after brakefast we all normaly have a zeroing session. The old chap said give your sako ago see what you think.
They were touching.From that day on i was hooked on home loading and old Frank was like a god lol.
PS he fired less rounds developing my load than i did ****ing about with Factory.

I am laughing as I am in complete agreement with you..............I have the gear..............I have no alternative but to bite the bullet and handload.

Muir........point noted. I will start this Autumn.....if you hear and see a big flash coming the East...............that will be Switzerland going up in smoke!
 
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You have the reloading equipment and you still buy factory ammunition??? Monster! Mentally we are all getting out the pitchforks and torches and storming your conscience!

Can't help with the (for my part, much hated) 243 but with the Deuce, pick a powder a few rows from the top of the list, start with minimum and work up. Don't sweat the "distance to the lands" too much. You'll have fun. I hope you have been saving your brass.~Muir
 
Muir!

I have been called worse but monster is fine! I save all my brass including 9mm and 45 ACP, 38 Special, 7.65 Para and Browning. I must have 10,000 empty shells at home plus some.............excluding pistol shells. In a nutshell, nopun intended I have .222, .223. .22-250, .243, 6.5x57, .308 300 WIn Mag, 9.3x62 and .375H&H..............Probably missed something but cant remember.
 
You have a problem Conor. No matter how rough the ammo is, a Blaser in 222 should be a lot better than 9", i have never seen any 222 do worse than 2".

Check all the usual suspects, mounts, scope etc.. Particularly check the mounts.
 
You have a problem Conor. No matter how rough the ammo is, a Blaser in 222 should be a lot better than 9", i have never seen any 222 do worse than 2".

Check all the usual suspects, mounts, scope etc.. Particularly check the mounts.
+1...I know Blasers are rubbish :stir: but they should be capable of a better group!!
 
is your ammo ok with your twist rate?the only time i had groups that bad was trying to shoot 40s out ouf a 1 in 12 .204 if so i would check the bore after a clean using a tourch and magnifying glass.
 
I have checked the scope mounts, changed scopes etc etc but to no avail. I have ten Blaser barrels and each will do sub inch groups with the exception of the .222 and .243. After the 300 Win Mag thread I wanted to check the performance of both barrels, one with a brake and one without. Both gave great groups. I do a little foxing and I am tired of using my 308 and wanted to set up my .222 and .243. You could get away with the .243 but I wouldn`t be comfortable shooting live quarry at anything over 100 yards. I wil check the twist rate of the .243 but I would have thought that it would be capable of stabilising a 100gr bullet......
 
Conor
From what you write you had bad results from the last 2 barrels you tried. If that is so, maybe something is wrong with the stock / bedding of the receiver.
You maybe should retry some of the barrels that worked ok to see if they still hold a group.

Ian
 
Any time I see a post about .222 not grouping, I get really interested. I have never encountered an inaccurate .222: just one that didn't like the ammo that was being fired through it. If you shoot factory ammo you just get what you got and it's not the fault of the rifle. The PRVI from the 700 @ 1.5" seems about right as that is generally what I'd expect from factory ammo that is at least compatible with the rifle. If the barrel isn't bad (which I doubt by your description) you need to get some different ammo. Or quit using factory ammo and handload. The triple deuce is one of the best cartridges to reload for IMHO.~Muir

+1 Muir is 100% right in what he say's.

Jimbo
 
sure this is nothing to do with it but I will tell you issue I had 4 months ago. shot .308 and .300win mag both tack drivers. then one day 300 stopped grouping after 4 shots. so I checked mounts, scope my load but the more I shot it the worse it got. then I shot .308 and that wouldn't group at this point I was really fu**ked off. after a week ok throwing bullets about and getting madder with it. I went to see optician. few test later. I had strain related long sighted.

meaning that the more I concentred on shooting a 1 hole group my eye would tell my head a different story.so my group would go way off now I point and shoot. not messing about or adjust eyepiece to +a half which the optician showed me.

so long and short of it was my first shots were always spot on then the rest were 8 to 9 inch group.
 
These are the other barrels that I have. 223 Match, 22-250 Match, 2x308 Match, 300 Win Mag Sporter, 300 Win Mag Semi Weight, 9.3x62 Sporter, .375H&H. I have 4 different stocks, 2x Luxus, 1 Synthetic stock and an LRS2. Any configuration will hold a good group bar the 2 calibres we are discussing. I will order some lighter bullets in .243 from 55gr to 85 and try again next week. The best groups come from the 308 and both 300 Win Mags...........However the 9.3x62 for the lack of action that is has seen is what you would call a tack driver........thanks for the input.

Regarding the stocks, they can accommodate Match barrels which are a uniform 22mm top to bottom of the barrel whereas a sporer barrel tapers down to 17mm so the barrels are always free floating.
 
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These are the other barrels that I have. 223 Match, 22-250 Match, 2x308 Match, 300 Win Mag Sporter, 300 Win Mag Semi Weight, 9.3x62 Sporter, .375H&H. I have 4 different stocks, 2x Luxus, 1 Synthetic stock. Any configuration will hold a good group bar the 2 calibres we are discussing. I will order some lighter bullets in .243 from 55gr to 85 and try again next week. The best groups come from the 308 and both 300 Win Mags...........However the 9.3x62 for trhe lack of action that is has seen is what you would call a tack driver........thanks for the input.

Regarding the stocks, they can accommodate Match barrels which are a uniform 22mm top to bottom of the barrel whereas a sporer barrel tapers down to 17mm so the barrels are always free floating.
Scrap the blaser and buy sako's. problem solved ;)
 
222 loads

If your going to load for your 222 I can thoroughly recommend Viht N130 I use it for 40 50 and 55 grain bullets. Attached is a 3 shot group I shot a couple of weeks ago with 20.6 grains of N130 and 55 grain Hornady SP's with cannelure #2266. I was proud of it but my 8 year old nephew shot me down by saying "but its not in the middle" :doh:

I've used RWS factory ammo in mine (think it was T mantel) and that grouped about 1/2" if I did my bit.

​Rick
 

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I went to the range today intending to zero the above 2 barrels and check zero on 2 300 Win Mags. The 300s were required no adjustment. The first shot from each barrel was off but I put this down to some cleaning agent being left in the Barrel. However after the that the groups were under the inch so was pretty pleased. The rifle is a Blaser R93......

I then swapped barrels and put on a 222 Rem Semi Weight barrel with a Zeiss 6-24x56 scope. The first shot was 6 inches high, the second 3inches low, the third fourth and fifth left and low. In essence the group was about 9 inches. The ammunition was RWS 50 grain Jagd Match. I then tried some Privi 50g FMJ which were just as bad.......the guy next to me said it must be bad ammo! The barrel is 2 or 3 years old with less than 50 rounds through it. I checked the scope mounts and they are solid.

The 243 hasn't been fired for 3 years but it was grouping about three inches with Blaser CDP 100gr ammunition. The scope is an old Zeiss 3-12x56 Diavari on a rail mount......the mount is rock solid. I didn't have any other ammunition brand to choose from.

The only saving grace was the fact that my 300svwere working. I have a Rem 700 BDL in .222 which shoots 1.5 inch groups with Privi so I am beginning to think that this calibre is not for me. I have a .223 and .22-250 which are perfect. As for the .243 could it be that it does not like 100grain bullets......not a massive headache as I won't use it for deer.


Moan over ....

now...did the .222 and .243's group well in the past? what has changed since, did you scrub them with copper remover, and then store them? you may need near 10 rounds with some barrels just to re-foul them after a REAL good scrubbing...

...these blaser things I tell you....waste of money...now a real good mauser action and cut barrel..that's the business ;)
 
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