Ring Shaped Groups?

[NMC_EXP]

I am shooting an outdoor prone league at 100 yards. I am using a Remington 40-XB with the standard (as opposed to heavy) weight barrel. This season I have been using a 20X Unertl scope and SK Jagd Rifle Match.

I am relatively new to this and my hold/wobble area is just a bit larger than X-ring in size.

On calmer days when my groups are tighter and rounder, the groups tend to be in the form of a ring. That is with hits distributed uniformly throughout the 10 ring but very few hits within the X-ring. Most X's are just cutting the line. Targets appear as though there was a force field protecting the X-ring.

I would have dismissed this as being due to breaking shots on the edge of my hold but I shot a Remington Model 37 at a few matches and the groups were uniformly distributed including the center of the X-ring.

Question: Can a ring shaped group indicate a barrel problem or ammo compatability problem?

Regards

Jim

[tenring]

I'd try several different lots of ammo before I'd discount the barrel. Get on a bench and take out some of the human factor. See what happens then.

Tenring

[yana]

Agree. Might very well be a shooter issue!
For examples, a zero position not being correct, or the hold not being consistant.
Try shooting rested.

[Brian G]

On another forum this is known as the "cone of protection" :-)