- Joined
- Sep 1, 2006
- Messages
- 255
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- 228
Here's a question....How much, if any, difference could it possible make in point of impact if your forget to replace the rubber o-ring in the primer pocket? I have a CVA Optima and I use the rubber O-rings in the primer pocket to eliminate blow back. They work great and I change them out every 12 shots or so, typically. Well, I last went to the range for final sight in about 4 weeks ago and the Optima was shooting great....about 1" high at 100 yards. Jump forward to yesterday morning. I have a decent buck standing broadside at about 80-85 yards. I setup, squeeze off a round and when the smoke clears...he's standing there looking around like he's trying to figure out what that noise was. Completely missed him. Now, I haven't missed an animal with a firearm in I can't remember when, so I was a bit stunned but reloaded as quickly as I could. Unfortunately, not quick enough because he was walking off, rear-end to me by the time I finished. Everything on the shot felt good but things happen and I'm not above admitting that I could flub a shot. Anyway, to make this a story a bit shorter.....I setup a target when we got back to my buddy's place to check things out and the rifle was shooting a full 7-8 inches low at 75 paces. It was then that I also noticed the dirty primer and a lot of blow back on the breech face. Apparently, I'd forgotten to replace the o-ring in the breech plug pocket during after cleaning the rifle last time. Now, I know scopes can go bad or they get bumped around, so I'm making a trip to the range this afternoon to check things out but I was wondering how much, if any, difference anyone has seen in point of impact when a rifle is sighted in using the o-rings and then is shot without one in place to seal the primer pocket? Thoughts?