Henry Rifle Forums

I am not a scope guy (I need to keep reminding myself of that fact).

The other day I took my Marlin 30-30 to the range with a box of my handloads. It was sort of cold, the trigger was stiff, and I didn't shoot well. The handful of shots, however, where I did get a good trigger release confirmed that my scope is dead on for my "go-to" handloads.

Yesterday, I went back with the same rifle, but with a box of factory ammo that I wanted to shoot to get the brass. This time, it was a whole different story, and also a bit puzzling. My shots using the scope and the factory ammo were WAY off. Farther off than I have experienced in the past. Six inches high, and three inches to the right.

The thing that puzzled me? The scope is mounted on 70's cool see-through rings, so I can also use the iron sights. The irons are dead on for the factory ammo I was shooting yesterday. If I lined up the sights on a target, and then looked through the scope, the crosshairs were way off, and in fact were sitting six inches low, and three inches to the left. Weird.

Did you happen to take any of your handloads with you the second time to shoot and see if in fact it was the factory loads? I wonder if maybe the crosshairs in the scope may have broke loose. Al

What distance were you shooting? Even at 100, though, that's still too much to be a difference in the ammo unless your reloads are radically different than the usual factory loads. The best way to test this, though, is to shoot both types of ammo in the same range session under the same conditions.

Also, were you still shooting decent groups or were you getting unexplained flyers? If you were still shooting good, consistent groups, but just to a different POI and assuming your mounts are good and tight, then it's possible there's been a change of pressure on your stock forearm, via the barrel band if your Marlin has one. Going from a warm car immediately to cold air and then shooting could be a culprit, here.

If you were getting unexplained flyers and poor groups, but the mounts are all tight and secure, then I would begin to suspect the scope. Next time at the range, work the adjustments to see if the groups follow. If they don't, good chance your scope is shot.

Aslo, I wouldn't put much emphasis on judging by looking though the scope versus the iron sights. With scopes mounted that high on those types of mounts, the scope can seem to be pointing in a different direction than the iron sights. Only way to be sure the scope is bad, other than doing a check on the scope for tightness of adjustments and lenses, no rattling, and so on, is to actually shoot the scope, as above, or better, yet, try a scope you knows good.

The rifle is a 1982 I bought used about a year ago. It was well cared for, and came with the scope. Judging by the scope and rings, it's likely it was installed when the rifle was new, and nothing has moved for 35 years.

Last week, shooting the handloads, I was not getting good trigger releases. When I did get good ones, my shots landed within a half inch of where I had the crosshairs. Yesterday with the factory ammo, yes it was grouping, just way off in windage and elevation.

When I go back there later this week, I will bring some of both factory and hand loaded ammo and see what happens.

Well, it's been cold here. Not too cold to go to the range, but too cold to do any serious shooting. Sposed to warm up next week, so maybe then I can get back there and experiment some more.