Help ..Help..Gun shooting 6" low at 50 yards all of a s

[bigbore442001]

I have sighted in my 16" TC 45-70 with Corbon's 350 grain factory load. I jave been practicing a lot with handloads and just for the fun of it, I shot three rounds at the target this afternoon.

I am shocked. The hits were 6" low at 50 yards. I haven't touched the scope at all since sighting in with that load. I just shot with the handloads. I loaded up the Hornady 350 grain flat point with 45gr of H332 for 1600 fps.

I used this practice load and I can hit very well. I am wondering if I shouldn't just go with this load rather than the Corbon? I only have 17 rounds left. Corbon won't send ammunition to Massachusetts and the Rhode Island gunshop that I bought the ammo at doesn't carry that load any more and cannot get any.

So I am just in a slight panic mode. I have tommorrow afternoon for last minute sight in and then Friday right after work, my Dad will be picking me up to go to Nh for the moose hunt. I will really appreciate any kind of advice.Thank you.

[jhalcott]

You gotta go with what ever load gives you confidence in your gun and you. It doesn't matter if you use $5 a shot ammo or reloads you cobbled together in the garage. You don't need to worry about where the bullet is going to end up when the time comes.

[Dave in WV]

I'd go with the load I know I can hit well with. Shot placement is the most important.

[Redhawk1]

I have sighted in my 16" TC 45-70 with Corbon's 350 grain factory load. I jave been practicing a lot with handloads and just for the fun of it, I shot three rounds at the target this afternoon.

I am shocked. The hits were 6" low at 50 yards. I haven't touched the scope at all since sighting in with that load. I just shot with the handloads. I loaded up the Hornady 350 grain flat point with 45gr of H332 for 1600 fps.

I used this practice load and I can hit very well. I am wondering if I shouldn't just go with this load rather than the Corbon? I only have 17 rounds left. Corbon won't send ammunition to Massachusetts and the Rhode Island gunshop that I bought the ammo at doesn't carry that load any more and cannot get any.

So I am just in a slight panic mode. I have tommorrow afternoon for last minute sight in and then Friday right after work, my Dad will be picking me up to go to Nh for the moose hunt. I will really appreciate any kind of advice.Thank you.

A lot of times no two ammo loaded differently will shot to the same point of impact. I work up a load, and that is the load I use to practice and hunt with. I could never figure out why someone would practice with one load and hunt with another. consistency is the name of the game.  

[bigbore442001]

I sighted in with the hunting load and for some reason, the point of impact changed.

I cannot explain why the gun is now shooting differently. The Corbon load was sighted in at 50 yards and was dead on. The handloads were shooting ok as well. Now, the Corbon load is low while the practice load is doing ok.

I can't really reason why this would happen.

[Mikey]

bigbore:  is the pistol scoped?  Did you whack it accidentally or hard enough to throw the scope off??  

Nope, I reread your post and you are scoped.  OK, if your handloads shoot well and the Corbond don't - go with your handloads, they may be better than the Corbon loads anyhow.

As for your scope - I can't remember how the scopes are attached to those pistols but can you open the pistol and look down the bore to see if you are at least bore sighted??  If so, and your handloads hit well, use them.  Sometimes the Corbon loads may not be as consistent as your own.  

Good luck on your hunt and I hope your shots hit where you want them to go.  Mikey.

[palgeno]

Don't know if all Corbon ammo is inconsistent or not, but  here is what I found a couple of years ago.I bought two boxes of .44mag 260 gr to try and it was great so I zeroed and shot a deer with it that season. Still had one box, but the next year, I bought two more boxes--- a different batch of the same Corbon ammo and some rounds impacted the same as the previous batch and some were several inches off---this was shooting a 6 inch 629 with 2x Leupy scope---tried it in a buddy's 8 3/8 629 and it was the same. Had to be the ammo. I am using a handload with 300gr xtp's in that gun and it is better and much less expensive to shoot. pg

[bigbore442001]

Last night I made an emergency scope change. The 2-6 Redfield was not working properly. Something happened where the elevation would not work. I would go from one end to the other and no change.

SO I quickly switched the scope to a 4x Burris. Sighted in with three shots and it hits right on the money. So it looks as if the scope was headed to the happy hunting ground.

Anyways. I will post ealry next week as to the results of the moose hunt. Good luck to all.

[Dusty Miller]

Scopes do go south from time to time.  The Leupold 2X atop my 454 Casull has been to the fixit shop three times.

[Van/TX]

Hmmmm...6" difference at 50 yards is a bunch.  I can't see how different loads would make that much difference.  One or two, maybe?   Me thinks something has gone astray.  Mounts, scope, something......Van

[Lone Star]

I can't see how different loads would make that much difference.  One or two, maybe?   Me thinks something has gone astray.  Mounts, scope, something

Oops, someone didn't read the last few posts...    The bad scope story is just one more indictment of cheap scops on heavily recoiling handguns.  Friends don't let friends shoot cheap scopes!  If you cannot afford a premium scope, get a milder cartridge or shoot irons.  Eventually you will be sorry you used a cheap scope.  This story has a happy ending, but what if the scope had gone bad with the last shot he took at the range before he left for the hunt?  He'd be SOL, and have a wasted expensive hunt.   I sure hope he had good luck this weekend and got a nice bull!

[Van/TX]

When you get my age you sometimes skip over a few posts   ....Van

[Lone Star]

When you get my age you sometimes skip over a few posts

I'm not all that far behind ya "old man"....