20-30 mph cross wind? it would affect it a lot. If the wind were from behind but quartering it would still affect it...<><.... :grin: josebd, I have been following your efforts with your .223 and have to say you have tried most of everything there is to try. I don't want to sound all knowing or even imply anything about your shooting abilities, however we all do occasionally pick up bad habits and don't even know it. I think you are on the right track in going to factory ammo, you take at least one of the variables out of the equation. And remember try to limit variables to a single one at a time. I thought early in this saga I saw that you wrote you would be shooting with a mixed bag of ammo within any particular group attempt. That had me worried a bit but I thought it was just a misunderstanding on my part, after all who would do that. Well I went to the range with a friend the other day and he was trying to sight in a new scope on a .22 rifle and was having a hard time, no consistency to the groups. I went over and he had a handful of all different .22 ammo he had been saving for about 5 years and was trying to sight in with it!!! I asked him about it and he asked me in return if it really made any difference in how the gun shot!!! I suggest 2 things, 1st., have someone shoot the gun with Factory ammo, someone who you know is an Expert or Master with a rifle. This to eliminate a couple of variables and pilot error. If that fails and he cannot get a reasonable group send it back to the factory with the story for a new barrel. If not, and believe me I'm not saying I'm good, rather that this problem intrigues me, send me the gun (legally of course) and let me play with it, tune it up and/or develop a load for it, no expense to you, it just bugs me that that gun cannot be shot accurately, the erratic results are what lead me to believe that it is either 1) bad crown 2) inconsistent ammo 3) pilot error (no offense please). Start by getting the gun to the best rifle marksman you can, the club champ or someone like that, someone with credentials, not just your buddy that brags about how good a shot he is. That gun can be made to shoot good, it may take a trip to the factory (it's free) but it will shoot!!! Do not give up....<><.... :grin: