Wild flyer?

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

So this morning I was shooting 223 with 90 gr SMKs and 23.0 gr varget at 200 yards.
First 4 groups all under 1". But the last two groups?!? I had a 0.457" group (4 shots), but the flier made it 6.41" (no I'm not off by a decimal place)!
Then I had a 0.907" (4 shot group), and the flier made it 4.875".
BTW, it was 16 degrees F when I shot.
And no it wasn't the shooter. But what was it?

 

[TheGerman]

But what was it?

It was the flier.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Well I guess that answers it.

For a follow up question, what would have caused such an insane flier?

 

[Cascade Hemi]

So this morning I was shooting 223 with 90 gr SMKs and 23.0 gr varget at 200 yards.
First 4 groups all under 1". But the last two groups?!? I had a 0.457" group (4 shots), but the flier made it 6.41" (no I'm not off by a decimal place)!
Then I had a 0.907" (4 shot group), and the flier made it 4.875".
BTW, it was 16 degrees F when I shot.
And no it wasn't the shooter. But what was it?

Twist rate, altitude, velocity? Most likely you're on the edge stability.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

1:7 twist
1000' AMSL
2660 fps

 

[918v]

A flaw in the barrel? How many rounds does it have on it?

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

800 rnds. I don't think it's the barrel.

 

[oso1]

Either ammo or shooter, I just don't believe the flier phenomena

 

[PatMiles]

"BTW, it was 16 degrees F when I shot."
Shiver?

 

[CK1.0]

Either ammo or shooter, I just don't believe the flier phenomena

+1. It could be any one of a bunch of different things that you might have missed or haven't figured out yet (i.e. short/long/heavy/light bullet, nick/debris on a bullet, dinged case mouth, brass with more carbon in the neck than others, etc), don't be so quick to chalk it up as chance.

The only time I believe I've ever experienced real "flyers" is with a barrel at the end of its life that was finally toast (and they started to happen as much or more often than impacts)...

 

[hafejd30]

If 308pirate wasn’t banned he’d jump in here and say

“It’s you”

So,

It’s you!

What shot is the flyer? Or just random?

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

The only thing I'm 100% certain of is it's not me. I can't imagine anyone shooting 1/2" 200 yard groups and throwing a flier 6" out. Especially, not knowing you did it. I shoot enough to know better.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

No idea what shot # it was. Didn't know it happened until I pulled them.

Yes, 16 degrees was a bit frigid.

 

[hafejd30]

No idea what shot # it was. Didn't know it happened until I pulled them.

Yes, 16 degrees was a bit frigid.

It be interesting to know. Shot number 1 in a group vs shot 3 or 4 out of 5 can tell you a lot

Also was this suppressed? And we’re these groups shot back to back

I ask because hot barrels and especially hot suppressors collect moisture. Especially in those temps. If allowed to sit hot for a bit it could build moisture which throws the first shot on the next group

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

No suppressor. It was the last two groups out of 6 total. I would have thought, if it was a barrel temp issue, that it would have affected the group and not just 1 shot of 5. BTW, it's a bull barrel. Not sure i the 16 degree temp could have had any impact on things.

 

[nn8734]

No suppressor. It was the last two groups out of 6 total. I would have thought, if it was a barrel temp issue, that it would have affected the group and not just 1 shot of 5. BTW, it's a bull barrel. Not sure i the 16 degree temp could have had any impact on things.

I wouldn’t worry about it unless you can duplicate the flyers once you go out shooting again. The cause will become apparent if it continues happen.

 

[918v]

I read on here some time ago that people have random fliers with the 95gr SMK. Maybe these have issues as well if shot in freezing conditions.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Here's a flyer , Velocity was way low. I'm not great, but better than this.
88ELD.
.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

I had this exact phenomenon but with a bolt gun in 6.5CM. Long story short after weeks of trying to solve it I noticed the sight picture moving during dry fire. The rail was moving. Tight screws just the rail was sliding/shifting.

Check yer optics and mount.

VooDoo

 

[bax]

I had this exact phenomenon but with a bolt gun in 6.5CM. Long story short after weeks of trying to solve it I noticed the sight picture moving during dry fire. The rail was moving. Tight screws just the rail was sliding/shifting.

Check yer optics and mount.

VooDoo

I have been bitten by the loose scope base and ring screws a few times - same symptom, fliers.

Torque the base screws (15 inch pounds), ring-to-base (60 inch-pounds), and ring screws (15 inch-pounds). Use loktite. Numbers are for Badger Ordnance rings and base.

Check the bolts holding the receiver into the stock and make sure the barrel is tight in the receiver. I torque the barrel 30-foot pounds into the receiver, some go 60 to 70 foot pounds.

Swap on a different scope, your scope could be failing.

 

[pabrousseau]

I had a scope that started giving me what you are seeing. The internals finally got loose enough to indicate that the scope was the problem.