Help with 308 load

[Oklahunter3]

Maybe it isn't the gun?

Definitely a possibility! . I really don’t think so as I don’t have this problem with any other rifles.

 

[Oklahunter3]

My shooting buddy has the same rifle and his groups looked about the same.
He tried many loads without much change.
I noticed his scope was moving in the rings.
Make a mark on the scope tube with a fingernail next to the rings and see if yours moves.

Another issue he had was his hold was not great.
Front was bagged keep thumb off the barrel.
Rear was bagged but he was mostly holding the butt of the gun up off the bag and I seen movement in his hold.

I told him squeeze the rear bag up against the butt with his left hand and he is shooting right handed.
That made the gun rock solid and he asked me why I never told him.

He was also not reading the scale correctly---- new to reloading.

Mixed cases are a deal breaker sometimes.
Pay close attention to bullet seating pressures when seating the bullets.

Seat them slow and if one seats even a little different it will ruin the group.
I anneal my cases every time to get the most consistent seating forces.

Digital scale or beam scale?
Can you weight the charge remove it from the scale and place it back on 3 times and get the same reading from the scale??

Slowly pull the trigger like really slow 10 seconds from start to finish on the pull and stay on target.
Should be a surprise every time it goes off.

Keep the same pressure of your cheek and your shoulder on the rifle stock.

Lead sleds I do not like them as when I have used them and then used just a bag the round will impact the target somewhere else on the paper, they do not duplicate shooting for deer in the woods.
Great for adjusting a scope though.

One buddy shot well at close range but took a sub moa rifle and shot 7" groups at 200 yards.
He was pulling the trigger too fast not sneaking up on it slowly and that caused him to jerk the rifle off target.
I have shot and hunted with him for 35 years and just mentioned this to him last year that he may have a problem.
Yep that was the issue.

I use a solid front(rock checker rest) and a solid rear rest.

I have both a digital and beam scale and verify both read the same.

I use only nosler brass on this gun

I really don’t think it’s my shooting technique as I don’t have issues with my other rifles. Also I have had my son shoot and his groups are the same.

 

[Oklahunter3]

send the rifle back to mossberg. Have them check it out. I’ve had 2 patriots that sucked…

That’s my last resort. Hoping I don’t have to as shipping guns these days isn’t necessarily good if you know what I mean.

 

[Oklahunter3]

Nobody has mentioned it so make sure you know your barrel twist rate so you can decide which bullet grain is a better fit for your rifle. X2 on the chrono, you need to know velocities to really build up a load. Then it's on to shoulder sizing your fire formed brass.

It’s a 1 in 10 twist rate. The bullets I’ve used shoul work

 

[Oklahunter3]

Chronograph would help a lot

Definitely going to when I try some new loads

 

[undeg01]

Where are you located? I can try to help you.

308 is my preferred round and I have lots of experience reloading it. I have various loads worked up for several rifles. Maybe one of them might work, or at least be close for your rifle. Or we could try your loads in one of my rifles to see if we get the same results.

 

[Shinneryfarmer]

My son bought a mossberg 308, same issue you are having. I traded him another rifle for it after he got disgusted with it. I had same issue two rounds touching, one flyer a couple to 3 inches off. Tried all kinds of loads, seating depth, changed scopes and mounts. Finally traded it in on a WASR AK, with scope and steel case ammo it will hold a tighter group than the Mossberg would. Now that speaks pretty bad of the mossberg. I really liked it and wanted to make a shooter out of it but just couldn't do it.

 

[Cat City Slim]

I've seen a lot of reviews of the Patriot rifles that accuracy is very inconsistent with them. I've also heard that Mossberg won't do anything about it. I hope you are able to find a solution.

 

[red dirt shootist]

I'm not familiar with the Patriot rifle. It sounded like a bedding problem to me, but you said it doesn't jump around with factory ammo, but it doesn't shoot well either. Torquing the screws is good, but if the bed is bad it won't ever shoot. As your barrel heats, check to make sure it is still floating. Check your scope mounts. Then load up your reloading gear, pack a lunch, spend a day at the range, that's where one hole loads are born. Consistency in your loading, the way you hold your rifle in the bags, getting comfortable at the bench, sun vs clouds, everything matters. Change one variable at a time, think about that change, read your primers. You can also mark your cases, see if it's the same case that always blows your group.

 

[swampratt]

I bought Lapua cases and for my .243 and .223 they were terrible.
I measured the neck ID after firing and to my surprise they measured the same as bullet diameter.
So I stuck a bullet in those fired cases and they held tight.

I then turned the necks thinner on those and my groups came together.
Could be something like that.
My buddies Mossberg liked to be somewhat dirty.
About 50 rounds down the tube it settled in and he has not cleaned it at all because it now shoots so well and he is afraid of messing it up.

I have 3 of the earlier 100ATR rifles and they do not have the issue of the patriot.
Buddies barrel is fluted pretty deep. All my barrels are smooth old round barrels.