Rifle Scopes Howa/Ferrell/Zeiss alignment issue

[rmtannerjr]

Hello, first post here. I've searched with not much luck but I may not know the correct term for what I am experiencing.

A little introduction: I am new to long range shooting so after lots of forum lurking I decided on a Howa heavy barrel 308 action for their accuracy out of the box along with a Boyd's Thumbhole stock. Buying them separate saves around $200 in case anyone is interested.
Although Zeiss Conquests aren't usually the first choice for the tactical crowd, I couldn't pass up the glass for the price. I got the 6.5-20x50, which gives only 45 moa of elevation and 30 moa of windage. I knew that the 1000 yard shot would be cutting it close with a 20 moa base, but my math told me it was doable with some 168 gr. Since EGW was out of bases I went for the one-piece Ken Ferrell 20 moa with matching high rings (so much for price shopping).

Fast forward a few weeks and a few boxes of 168 gr TAP later, and I am shooting some .5 moa 3 shot groups and averaging sub 1 moa 3 shot groups from 100-300 yds.

After sighting in, I determined that I didn't have enough elevation to make 1000yd, and it is actually around 10 moa less up elevation than expected. I need around 6 more moa to make the 1000. Although I have enough room to shoot 1000 at the family ranch, it is not a real issue since most shots will be between 100-500yds.

The real concern is the windage. I am at the far right of my 30 moa of adjustment. I only have 6 moa of right adjustment after zeroing and 24 moa of left adjustment. That's 9 moa off of center, I expected maybe 1-2 moa but 9, this can't be normal right? If there is a 10mph wind over 700yds in the wrong direction with 168 TAP this would be a problem if I'm not mistaken.

I contacted Ken Ferrell since my rings were too high anyway, and since I was trading them in for standards I told him my concerns with my scope zeroing. He was concerned with his own product enough to send me another base and standard rings to match that he checked himself, he went out of his way and I highly recommend his product although I think they added a pound to my gun!

I installed the new 20 moa base and lower rings and was as expected, I was less than an inch off of zero without adjustment from the other set which tells me that his stuff is perfect and not the problem.

So my concern is still my scope. My dad has a Leupold Vari X 3 that I centered up and although I used a Bushnell bore sighter (highly unrecommended btw) to determine zero, I got very similar results with this scope as with the Zeiss. It had 45 moa of windage, and after zero it only had 15 moa of right adj. and 30 of left. Doing the math it is 7 moa off and that was after loosening the base to try to angle it as right as possible and retightening.

So at this point, it can only be on Howa's end don't you think? Either the base taps on the action are off or the barrel is misaligned is all I can come up with.

Please let me know if there is some way to check this without relying on a gunsmith. I have a caliper, but I can say that the flaw isn't visible to my eye and I thought it may be since it is 7-9 moa off.

Sorry for the detailed post, and let me know if I missed something.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[BobinNC]

Re: Howa/Ferrell/Zeiss alignment issue

Richard,

Your problem really cannot be solved via the internet, but consider the following:

Did you bed your action to the Boyd stock?
Does the Boyd stock have pillars?
Did you just drop the action into the stock, and what did you torque the action screws too?
Is the barrel rubbing on the forend?
Did you bed the Farrell base to your action?

If you cannot properly bed a stock or bases yourself find a smith who can.

Your problem could be the stock, it's bedding or it could be the fit of the base to the action. Or a combo of all three.

Also, you could buy a set of Burris Signature Zee Rings, with the plastic inserts and recover that 7 MOA. But it is better to find out what the problem is first, and fix it.

 

[gugubica]

Re: Howa/Ferrell/Zeiss alignment issue

At what range do you have 6moa Right and 24moa Left available?

 

[CoryT]

Re: Howa/Ferrell/Zeiss alignment issue

Based on the info, it seems most likely that the base screw holes are not center to the bore. If you have a muzzle type laser boresight and a laser level, you can remove the base and center the level with the screws and see if it's in the same plane as the boresight. If you have access to a mill table, you can center the screw holes then run the indicator out to the muzzle and see if you are off center.

The problem can be fixed either one of two ways. A. Use windage adjustable rings to get the centered scope to center windage. B. fill, then redrill and tap center to the boreline for the existing base and rings.