Thread: Vertical Stringing

Gidday All

Shot my new to me Lithgow LA102 308 today (at our Invercargill Rifle Club range). Today we were shooting 300M, I'd say wind was 5-8 Knts gusty from 4 o'clock at the mound, 12-18 knots steady at the butts from 3 o'clock, very typical for our range. Our most experienced shooter had one MOA dialed on for his 223 but it had dropped a bit by the time I got to shoot.

Anyhoo I just wanted to get a feel for the Lithgow so requested that my target not be marked - I'd fire 5 shots and have it reverse patched so I could read the groups. Two 5 shot groups with each ammo

So with PMC Bronze FMJ I got even "round" groups of about 80 mm (read using the Mil reticle, ffp scope), and with the MEN ball ammo, it was maybe just a smidge larger than 80mm.

The PMC "Target" FMJ ammo was the most interesting, both groups had about 20-25mm of windage, with about 80mm of vertical.

All in all quite pleasing to be shooting just a smidge over MOA with Ball ammo - with tuned handloads I'd be thinking I can probably get this rifle under 0.5 MOA. The trigger is interesting, its not especially light at the lightest I can adjust it to - but it is a very nice trigger to shoot with, I can't think of another trigger that feels the same . . . . its just not like the Timney Calvin Elite or Barnard triggers I've tried

Am I reading this correctly to say that the PMC "Target" possibly has quite a bit of variation in velocity to produce these vertical groups, or is it something I was doing - some sort of habit like not loading the bipod consistently??

It doesn't quite add up.... You say ....I got even "round" groups of about 80 mm.
That is not stringing. Stringing is a vertical line, stacked on top of each other.
Test at 100, then move out, knowing how the rifle groups, then it's you or the conditions.

Originally Posted by bully

It doesn't quite add up.... You say ....I got even "round" groups of about 80 mm.
That is not stringing. Stringing is a vertical line, stacked on top of each other.
Test at 100, then move out, knowing how the rifle groups, then it's you or the conditions.

three different ammo types - two produced rounded groups, one vertical stringing.


I can't quite shoot FTR Class "possibles" on demand with my other rifle, however I often achieve them so I know what it takes to shoot well in that discipline at the ranges we have at our club (out to 600).