Alabamacoastie
Adiutor vicinorum
Puddle Pirate
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Life Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Hi friends. About 8 years ago I built an AR10 from an 80% lower that I drilled out on a CNC machine. After assembling it, I put it in my safe and there it stayed for 8 years. I never even test fired it.
80% DPMS pattern LR308 billet lower made by JL Billet
JD Machine billet upper
Black Hole polygonal 24 inch. 308 barrel
Barrett "look alike" brake
JL Billet 18 inch floating handguard
Rifle length gas tube
JP Industries adjustable gas block
NiB .308 BCG
Magpul PRS gen 1 stock
Standard cheap trigger/ hammer
Cheap Sightmark 8.5-24x50 scope
Well today was the day I decided to take it to the range and see if it would shoot. It did! I put about 30 rounds down range, but I noticed an interesting pattern forming on all my targets.
Disclaimer: I spent 4 years on a tactical assault team and 1 year as a shooting instructor. I can tell you all about the fundamentals of breathing, trigger control, blah, blah, blah, and I'm a good shot with every gun I pick up, BUT I have never had any formal training with scopes or long range shooting.
So, after getting my gas block adjusted and getting the scope sighted in, I decided to start shooting groups to see how tight they would be.
I was shooting at 100 yards, from a bench, with the bipod, as pictured above. Wind was calm. About 40 degrees outside. Shooting PMC Bronze .308 rounds in the pic above. Scope was zoomed all the way out to 8.5 magnification which was the lowest setting.
I immediately noticed that my first shot would hit bullseye. 10 seconds later, shot 2 would hit about 2 inches to the right. 10 seconds later, shot 3 would hit bullseye. 10 seconds later, shot 4 would hit 2 inches to the right. I was not moving between shots. I made no scope adjustments between shots. But my rifle produced this same pattern over and over again. One shot on bullseye, next shot to the right, third shot back on bullseye, fourth shot back to the right. Over and over again...
Does anyone know why this happened to me over and over again today?
Maybe the scope mount was loose? Maybe the reticle inside the cheap scope is loose? Maybe .308 recoil is too much for the cheap scope? Maybe it's me (but I honestly don't think it's me).
Any opinions would be much appreciated. Especially if you say, "It's not you. It's the scope. Go buy a new scope!"
Thanks everyone!
80% DPMS pattern LR308 billet lower made by JL Billet
JD Machine billet upper
Black Hole polygonal 24 inch. 308 barrel
Barrett "look alike" brake
JL Billet 18 inch floating handguard
Rifle length gas tube
JP Industries adjustable gas block
NiB .308 BCG
Magpul PRS gen 1 stock
Standard cheap trigger/ hammer
Cheap Sightmark 8.5-24x50 scope
Well today was the day I decided to take it to the range and see if it would shoot. It did! I put about 30 rounds down range, but I noticed an interesting pattern forming on all my targets.
Disclaimer: I spent 4 years on a tactical assault team and 1 year as a shooting instructor. I can tell you all about the fundamentals of breathing, trigger control, blah, blah, blah, and I'm a good shot with every gun I pick up, BUT I have never had any formal training with scopes or long range shooting.
So, after getting my gas block adjusted and getting the scope sighted in, I decided to start shooting groups to see how tight they would be.
I was shooting at 100 yards, from a bench, with the bipod, as pictured above. Wind was calm. About 40 degrees outside. Shooting PMC Bronze .308 rounds in the pic above. Scope was zoomed all the way out to 8.5 magnification which was the lowest setting.
I immediately noticed that my first shot would hit bullseye. 10 seconds later, shot 2 would hit about 2 inches to the right. 10 seconds later, shot 3 would hit bullseye. 10 seconds later, shot 4 would hit 2 inches to the right. I was not moving between shots. I made no scope adjustments between shots. But my rifle produced this same pattern over and over again. One shot on bullseye, next shot to the right, third shot back on bullseye, fourth shot back to the right. Over and over again...
Does anyone know why this happened to me over and over again today?
Maybe the scope mount was loose? Maybe the reticle inside the cheap scope is loose? Maybe .308 recoil is too much for the cheap scope? Maybe it's me (but I honestly don't think it's me).
Any opinions would be much appreciated. Especially if you say, "It's not you. It's the scope. Go buy a new scope!"
Thanks everyone!