.30-30 Point of Impact with 2 loads

Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Shot my Winchester 94 Sunday afternoon to sight it in to use the rest of the season. Used 2 loads. 170 grain PowerPoints and the 150 grain deer season xp.

Started off with the 170 PowerPoint and got it down to hitting the bull at 50 yards. Changed target and put 2 touching each other in the bull at 50 yards.

Then fired 2 of the 150 deer seasons and they were .5 inches from each other, but both were printing about 4 inches higher and 3 inches to the right of the 170s.

Fired 2 more of the 170s, and they cloverleafed with the other 2 170s.


I expected a small change, but being a little over 4 inches away at 50 yards was more than I expected.

Does that much difference seem normal? None of the bullets seemed to be keyholing or anything....

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wcjones

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I have a pretty large point of impact change just between 150 grain and 170 grain core locs in my marlin 336
 

brucesmith0817

Six Pointer
Shot my Winchester 94 Sunday afternoon to sight it in to use the rest of the season. Used 2 loads. 170 grain PowerPoints and the 150 grain deer season xp.

Started off with the 170 PowerPoint and got it down to hitting the bull at 50 yards. Changed target and put 2 touching each other in the bull at 50 yards.

Then fired 2 of the 150 deer seasons and they were .5 inches from each other, but both were printing about 4 inches higher and 3 inches to the right of the 170s.

Fired 2 more of the 170s, and they cloverleafed with the other 2 170s.


I expected a small change, but being a little over 4 inches away at 50 yards was more than I expected.

Does that much difference seem normal? None of the bullets seemed to be keyholing or anything....

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Doesn't surprise me that's the reason you need to test every load

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Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I have a pretty large point of impact change just between 150 grain and 170 grain core locs in my marlin 336
Interesting. I haven't shot this Winchester very much, but I'm used to much faster and lighter bullets not moving very much at 50 yards....

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Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Doesn't surprise me that's the reason you need to test every load

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Yea thats why I was shooting some of each. Just wasnt expecting that much of a change at only 50 yards. I was only expecting about an inch difference.

But cloverleafing 4 shots with the 170s at 50 yards with open sights is fine with me. Those are probably what I would have preferred to use anyway.



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JJWise

Twelve Pointer
I've had that happen with guns, a 30-06 I briefly owned would shoot under 1MOA with 165 and 180gr ammo, but with 150s wouldn't group for anything. My 30-30 luckily will shoot any ammo into a 2-3" group at 100 yards
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
forget the 150's in the 30-30 and 35 REM as well.....for most (not all of course)the 170 does the best and in the 35 rem the 200 has always outperformed the 150's.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Yup pretty normal.... I've sighted in a match rifle and had a 19 inch poi shift when I changed ammo. This is a lil on the extreme side but inside of 8 inch shift it pretty standard


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SamCo89

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Got lucky with my 336- it shoots 170gr PP & 150gr Barnes within a 1" of each other.
 

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Seems to me that there is often a middle ground load that performs better than light or heavy. Almost every .30 cal rifle i have ever seen really could shine with 165-172 grain ammo. It also seemed to be the best downrange.
 

apexhunter

Ten Pointer
As 45/70 mentioned it isn't uncommon at all for various loads to have POI several inches apart through the same barrel. I've experienced this with everything from 7mm mauser or Rem mag to .270 through 30-30 and up where different bullet weights and loads would throw groups in upwards of 6" apart. It is really a matter of finding the load that shoots the best groups then sight in to that load.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I agree nothing unusual. It has a lot to do with the load and barrel harmonics. I have had rifles that would groups several different loads good, the POI would all be different. I have also had rifles that would shoot different different loads to the same point of aim.
 

Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Thanks for the replies guys. Ill just shoot the 170s as they shot good and are proven.

Maybe ill go shooting sometime and show my buddies how well it shoots...then let them shoot it with the 150s and laugh haha

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TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for the replies guys. Ill just shoot the 170s as they shot good and are proven.

Maybe ill go shooting sometime and show my buddies how well it shoots...then let them shoot it with the 150s and laugh haha

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That's just dirty...... I like it!!


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