.223 Grouping after first shot

[mantley]

I am having an issue with loads I have been working on for a Ruger MII .223 rifle 22 inch barrel.  I can get great groups only after I shoot the first shot which normally is about 1.0 to 1.5 inches high depending on which load I am using.  The other shots after the first group around .5 inches at 100 yards.  I have floated the barrel, cleaned the barrel, changed bullets until I am out of ideas.  I am using Accurate 2460 - 24 to 24.5 Gr works best, Hornady V-Max 52 Gr, Remington 55 Gr SP, Speer 50 Gr Spitzer and CT 55 Gr Ballistic Silvertip.  All do the same thing - the Remington and the Speer seem to open up a little more than the others.  Anyone seen this before?

[Badnews Bob]

Is that out of a clean barrell?  If it is you prolly should put three rounds or so down range before you ever try for groups. Most rifles shoot better with a fouled barrell.

[torpedoman]

many guns are way off on the "cold shot" all my hunting guns are fired once scope adjusted to that hole fired again severar hrs later and if needed adjusted to the hole i want it accurate the FIRST shot for hunting.

[mantley]

I shot today - I sent 4  factory Remington 55 Gr FMJ down the tube.  I had loaded some A-Max, CT's and Remington SP with powder charged from 23.5 to 24.5 Accurate 2460 and tried different COL.  Even the factory ammo shot high on the first shot and the others were lower.  I had loaded 3 of each load - I would shoot 3 shots and walk down to inspect the target, walk back and shoot 3 more shots.  The first shot was always high and sometimes to the left, the other two were always within .5 inch of each other with some of them cutting the same hole.  I shot some 5 shot groups yesterday and the four after the first shot grouped.  It seems that i get good groups with a warm or hot barrel.  I have had rifles that would shoot higher and open up after the first shot but none that shoot lower and group.  I really want to know were the first bullet is going, not that concerned about the next few since what I am shooting at will be running.

[Val]

You may need to take a little more material out of the barrel channel. You may not be completely free floated when cold, when the barrel warms after a shot the free floating may improve. Run a business card under the barrel up to the recoil lug and look for slight areas where the card doesn't slide through freely. Due some sanding in the areas that may hang up a bit.

[wncchester]

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[MZ5]

I hope one of the above suggestions works for you.  Personally, I think the barrel needs to be stress-relieved.  That is most simply done through heat treatment (it's not something you should try at home).

[Blackhawk44]

You are likely suffering from a malady common to many semiauto pistols and the M1 Garand rifle family.  Since the first round from the magazine is stripped from the magazine with a different force and velocity than those seated in the chamber by the normal spring return of the cycling action, that round lands out of the group.  It has more to do with action bedding than barrel work.  Look into gunsmithing tips for the Garand for help.