I'm sighting in my recently purchased 541T 22 rimfire bolt action rifle. I'm using a Leupold VX2, 3-9X33AO rimfire scope with fine duplex reticles. It is mounted on an EGW forged & milled aluminum 1-piece Picatinny rail using Burris XTR Extreme Tactical rings. This is a very strong, and somewhat over engineered set up for a 22. But I can state with confidence that nothing is moving with this set up.

When I fire the first shot it will be 1-2 inches high and just a tiny bit to the right. The next 4 shots will be dead center. If I shoot another mag, all those rounds will be dead center. This is at 35-40 yards at my home.

When I let the rifle set for an hour, the same thing happens with the first shot high and the next 4 dead center. Then if I shoot another 5, they will all be dead center.

Only the first shot is off if I let the rifle set for an hour or so.

I've removed the action from the stock and made sure there's nothing wrong with the mounting locations where the action contacts the stock. When reassembling I use a Wheeler FAT torque tool to make sure the receiver screws are tightened to specs.

The next 5 shots goes the same way. First shot high and the next 4 dead on.

I'm shooting Federal Gold Metal Ultra Match UM22 ammo so it's not the inexpensive box-store promotional ammo in a small milk carton. This ammo is $200 a brick and is some of the best available.

I did have a couple boxes of Aguila Match Rifle 22 LR ammo and it does the same thing with that ammo. I assume something is happening in the gun. This happens whether I've cleaned and swabbed the barrel dry, or shoot it again with a dirty barrel. The gun does not have a free floated barrel. But what can be changing in the gun between the very first shot and all the following shots?

How can the point of impact change for only 1 shot from a cold barrel? The subsequent shot can't be heating up the 1 inch diameter heavy barrel enough to change the POI 1 or 2 inches.

This one has me stumped.

N4rod

That is strange...usually, if you sight in and fire the first shot from a cold bore...that is usually the best shot.

After a bore starts to heat up, that can mess with subsequent shots.