I deserve to have my butt kicked.

[handirifle]

I have made a classic blunder.

I bought my new scope, base and rings for my Savage 30-06 for my Oct elk hunt.

It had an old 4X Bushnell on it and was plenty accurate with it (1 1/2" at 100yds).  It was a bit unclear and since I like a bit more power for sighting in, I got a Simmons Aetec 2.8X10.  Love that scope.  I also got Luepold base and rings.

The base and rings are the dovetail type in front and the clamp screw in the rear.

Now the stupid part.  I have been to the range twice with this setup and haven't zeroed it yet?

I am NOT a bad shot, believe me.  I was getting 5-7" groups at 100yds :shock:  I use my home made rifle rest and that sucker is rock solid.

I thought I checked everything, and since I was shooting reloads AND a NEW SCOPE at the same time I'm now wondering if the scope is bad.  A couple nights ago I noticed the barrel is REALLY pressuring on the stock.  Aha!  I made necessary adjustments and this afternoon back out to the range.  

Well after about $50 worth of ammo and still NO BETTER I was really puzzled.  Well I figured I'd put the old Bushnell back on and send the scope back to Simmons.  

Plus I've burned up most of the Nosler Partitions I bought at the tune of $27 for 50!

The REAR clampscrew  setup that clamps the rear scope ring was loose.  It wasn't finger loose but when I touched it with the screwdriver it moved.

I feel so stupid cause this is one of the first things I thought I checked.  So I loaded up a couple more boxes of ammo tonight and am going out tomorrow AM.  I REALLY hope this was all of my troubles cause I'm starting to get more than a little worried!

[huntsman]

I've done a few similarly questionable changes to guns/ammo/sights in the past and I feel your pain. I always try now to change only one thing at a time regardless of how tempting it is to make wholesale changes all at once. Funny part is how I have tried to justify changing a scope and ammo at the same time by telling myself I was saving on ammo cost. Not so when you have to go back and do everything over again!

You're better off in my opinion without a Simmons scope of any type. For the money and quality, I have had good performance from my Burris Fullfield II and Bushnell Elite 3200. Also, I always try to feed my rifle cheap fodder (regular $ ammo) until everything looks good and then switch to the high-dollar hunting rounds just to get the zero exact, which usually takes me less than eight rounds if my gun is in good order. I also like to take my tools with me when I shoot a gun for the first time with a new scope, and after a couple of rounds I recheck the torque on all the ring screws to make sure that recoil hasn't shifted any of them (too tight or too loose). Lok-tite or fingernail polish usually works well on the base screws so they are not a problem come sight-in time.

Good luck with your quest to get yourself properly outfitted for your elk hunt. Don't let thoughts of bugling bulls keep you up at night!

[Dave in WV]

Calm down, you're not the first guy to do it.  :wink:  Next, don't pull a "Dave" and drink six cups of coffeee and head to the range. (good for shooting a nice pattern but not groups) Take some fingernail polish so you can lock the rear ring screws once you gt the scope where you want it. (center the windage before you start and use the rear ring screws) Better yet, get some dual dovetail bases and rings so it won't happen!

[Questor]

I can empathize with this. Don't feel bad about it, though. I just hope you get it straightened out in time.  (I don't like to discuss my great 221 fireball fiasco, or the 6.5JDJ runaround, so I'll leave the details for another day.)

[Graybeard]

Throw those stupid base and rings away and buy something that works as it should. I've been telling folks for many years now that's the sorriest excuse for a mounting system ever invented. It is also the WEAKEST! Only the front ring has any real holding power. And it is almost sure to place uneven torque on your scope tube. Those bases and rings have ruined more scopes than all other factors combined.

The ONLY  base ring combination I will use if available for the rifle I have is a Dual Dovetail basse with Burris Signature Rings or if that's not available then a Weaver Base and Burris Signature Zee Rings. The only rifle in my house not so mounted is my Browning LW for which neither system is available.

Unless you have the proper alignment bars and a lapping bar you can be absolutely certain you're rings are misaligned. If you used your scope to turn in that front ring chances are you've already ruined your scope.

Junk the junk and buy a decent set of base/rings and you'll have no more trouble. I personally don't care for your scope choice but many seem to like them so I'll not address the scope issue further.

[handirifle]

Well I went back today and most of the issues seemed resolved except I'm running out of partitions.   At $27 a pop this is going to be a long road.

As for the scope mounts, their WAY more solid than the Weaver type that was on there and it held real well.  I would have re-used them except the main tubeon the Simmons was too short, that's why I had to get a front extension mount.

I'm getting less and less satisfied with bolt action rifles.  Theye are hard to set up in my opinion.

If you used your scope to turn in that front ring chances are you've already ruined your scope

Sorry GB I'm not THAT stupid.

I used alingment tools to align the rings and, again, these are very solid.

Here is the pic of it.



Except mine is left handed.

[Judson]

I wish you the best of luck!!!! Though it does not sound like a scope problem, in our shop we will not even order a Simmons scope for a customer!!!!    In part, this is because we guarantee our rifles to shoot 1/2" or better and also because we stand behind what we sell and I can not afford to take back 50% of the scopes we sell.    We have seen bad Atecs right out of the box, so much for that.
    Bolt rifles are not hard to set up if you use a good scope and mounts.   The mounts you are using are good if you install them right.   The windage screws are a nice feature if used right on a rifle of moderate recoil.    On a hard kicker, like a .375 H&H you would be better off with the duel dove tail mounts.

[jvs]

Wait till you go hunting and when it's time to load your rifle you find out that you left the right shells at home.

Did you know that .30-06 shells won't fit in a .308?

Why they won't even go in the magazine !  

GRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr  STUPID GUN MAKERS ! ! !

[RaySendero]

Well I went back today and most of the issues seemed resolved except I'm running out of partitions.   At $27 a pop this is going to be a long road.

handi,

Sorry to read of your troubles.  I've been there!  Here's how I solved a similar problem:  Keep reloads in all calibers loaded with the cheap Remington CoreLokt bullets.  If you watch the web site clearence sales you can find them as cheap as $6.50 per hundred!  Use these as standard loads for sighting-in, etc.   Once you get close with these standard loads then switch to the more costly loads.  

[handirifle]

HIG
I feel your pain.  Funny how gun makers think it's OK to do that to us huh?

Judson
The scope still has NOT been ruled out.  I've heard a LOT of good about the Aetec and the 44 Mag on my 223 Ultra Varmint has done real well.  But the 223 does not produce much in the recoil dept either.

I did find the action was somehow shifting??? to cause some pretty stout barrel contact with the forend of the stock.  I adjusted and corrected this (I thought) at home, but after a couple rounds it was touching again???  

Oh, yes, I also noticed that after tightening the receiver way down that cause issues as well (duh).  I noticed that too much torque on the action screws cause the action to actually flex, I could tell cause I could feel the safety tang lift as I tightened??  Really odd.

SOOOO I took the action off yesterday and filled the cavities with epoxy.  Then coated the action/barrel with a veg oil and seated it in place screws and all.  After it dried I removed that action and cleaned it all.  I then re-assembled it and tested for clearance.  It SEEMS a LOT better and doesn't flex, but I didn't monster torque the screws either.  I used blue loc tite on them.  So tomorrow if groups suck, the scope comes off and the old 4X bushnell goes back on.  Don't have time to get and try another new one.  The 4X will do for the hunt.

Wish me luck!

Will post the results.

[handirifle]

Well it seems there were two problems.  first, my Savage really does not like Nosler Partition bullets, at least the 165gr ones.

Bedding the receiver and switching back to the Hornady bullets did the trick.  back to my old groups and happy with the new scope.

Funny thing was I forgot to take my spotting scope but the Aetec was clear enough to see the bullet holes at 100yds, clearly. :grin:

A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go,  A hunting I will go.  Ye ha!

[safetysheriff]

Handi'

I hope you drill a big one.... I mean a really big one!   .....even if you could have had a Remington for just a little bit more than that SSSSSaaaa......SSSSAAAAA    :eek:  :eek:           you know what I mean!

SS'

[handirifle]

SS
Actually I bought this gun used.  Kinda partail to the Savage.  Not sure why, but they are usually very accurate.

My sons each have a Rem 700 in '06 and I may have borrowed theirs but they are right handed and I am left.  The Rems are nice rifles to be sure just kinda like the Savage.

I may very well re-barrel this sucker to 338-06 AI next year too.  That looks like a real fun project.  I like the number of that caliber too.

Thanks
I hope we all get one. (3 of us)  Since this is my first elk hunt it will be any legal bull, that is unless there happens to be a choice :grin: .

[safetysheriff]

SS
 The Rems are nice rifles to be sure just kinda like the Savage.

:grin: .

Handi'

"......just kinda like the Savage"

Kinda like the SSSSSSSSaaaaaaa......SSSSSSSSSAAAAAA?

You're tearing the guts and the liver right outta' me!  :eek:

[Judson]

It used to be that I did not like Savage rifles, they were cheep, poor in quality and other stuff.    Yes they did shoot well but they had no quality and as a custom rifle builder this erked me.     Well times have changed and Savage has come along way!!!!    There are some things one should check out on a Savage bolt rifle before buying such as bolt jump but for the money they are hard to beat now.    Yes the savage action will flex and this will kill accuracy.    Glassbedding is very helpful but it has to be done right!!!    If you bed the action as you would a "regular rifle" you will have flex.    Do not crank the screws down really tight when seating it into the bedding compound.    The rear guard screw is only half supported and when cranked down tight during the bedding process you flex the action.
   I have found that it is best to bed the full action including the tang but only tighten the screws enough to squeeze out the bedding compound.    You can crank down the front screw but leave the rear only snug.    
    Once the bedding compound has set up you can tell if you have done everything right by tightening up the guard screws all the way.    When you loosen the front screw if you can or see the barrel rise then things are not correct.

[handirifle]

Judson
Thanks for the advice.  This summer I PLAN on converting this to a 338-06 and will re-do my bedding.  For now it will serve its purpose, and that is to hold the action steady.  Why it decided to shift all of a sudden is a big question to me but at least I can fix it.


SS
Play nice! :grin:

[handirifle]

Well sorry about the blurry pics but it was the best I could do.  That .s .601 for the smallest and 1.11 for the largest group.

I think I have the problems solved! :grin: