Acceptable groups

[Pickettpuncher]

As much as I hate to admit it, the podcasts and threads with form have me rethinking my whole thought process. So my question is, what is acceptable accuracy and when do you quit searching. Ended up with a 30-06, and first range report has me around 1.4”. I only had 10 rounds made up. First three were to check zero. Produced a .7” group. Next four were after a scope adjustment and were the 1.4”. I would expect 10 shots to open up, and I would like to minimize that within reason. I shot with the magnetospeed just for a velocity reading to compare to my manuals. I would like to tighten that up, confirmed with 10 shot groups. So at what point should I quit playing with the load and just kill stuff. Any testing now will be done with 10 shot groups.

 

[JoeB]

allot will depend on how far out your wanting to kill stuff. If your staying inside 2-300 yards a 1.4' group at 100 may be good enough. Have you shot out further to see how your group holds up at distance?

 

[Pickettpuncher]

allot will depend on how far out your wanting to kill stuff. If your staying inside 2-300 yards a 1.4' group at 100 may be good enough. Have you shot out further to see how your group holds up at distance?

I don’t have a place to really shoot further. Where I hunt, 200 yards is about it.

 

[SamsonMan22]

1.5” for a 10 shot group will get you hits to 600 on a deer vital sized target. I look to be sub 1.5 for 10 at 100. Most of the time I try to be 1.5 or less for 30 if I have the time and components to play with. A rifle shooting 1.5 for 10 at 100 will pretty much keep all shots in a 10” plate at 600 if you are holding the wind correctly.

I care alot more about a scope that works correctly and a solid zero than I do the difference between a 1” and 1.5” group at 100.

 

[SDHNTR]

1.4” group with turret tinkering is not a 1.4” group, it’s probably better than that. Shoot 10 without any adjustments.

All that said, 1.4” 10 shot group is fine for ANY hunting!

 

[JGRaider]

I don’t have a place to really shoot further. Where I hunt, 200 yards is about it.

A 3 MOA load will easily kill deer sized game at 200 yards. Since most big game is killed under 300 yards, obsessing over high BC bullets and .5" loads is a waste of time (even though I obsess over .5" loads myself).

 

[willfrye027]

I’d say 2”, 10 shot group from a 30-06 is solid.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

A 3 MOA load will easily kill deer sized game at 200 yards. Since most big game is killed under 300 yards, obsessing over high BC bullets and .5" loads is a waste of time (even though I obsess over .5" loads myself).

Staying away from the high bc bullets for now with this one. It’s just a hunting rifle and other than range time, it’ll probably never go past 3-400 yards. I do have a range about an hour from me where I can shoot 1000, but I’ve not shot my own rifles there yet.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I’d say 2”, 10 shot group from a 30-06 is solid.

I hope to stay under that, but for what I’m doing it would be fine.

 

[just browsing]

Accuracy requirements are always relative to the application…

If it’s shooting where you’re aiming and not giving you cause for concern in terms of confidence, let ‘er buck.

 

[Vern400]

1. If you can put 10, or even five bullets in a cluster of 1.4 in you can hunt anything you want to, it almost any range you want to.
2. It's a good idea to use a very firm rest or even a lead sled to help establish what the RIFLE can do.
3. There is no such thing as a flyer. You held the gun, you aimed it, you pulled the trigger. The shot counts. The only way to throw it away is to immediately shoot a fresh group after your rifle cools a little bit. This is an absolute requirement to make statement number one true.

I've seen comments on this forum, and lots of YouTube videos where shooters throw away shots they don't like. Don't be that guy. I don't care if a wasp just stung you in the ear. If you send it, you own it.

If you're honest about your shooting, a few 1.4 in groups, hopefully from different positions and repeatable on several different days tells me you're in the 10 top percent. Or better.

I have a 500 yd range with a shooting table 20 ft from my bedroom window. The guys who can pull their rifle out of the truck and put a single bullet within one inch of the bullseye have nothing to worry about. And they almost never miss a shot on game. The ones that make excuses and call flyers "shoot at a deer".

Really shooting 1.4 in? You, sir, are golden. You have no need to shoot at a deer. Shoot it, or don't shoot it.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Agree, at 200 yards or less good to go. Personally, I would try to refine that group. That's the fun of shooting and gives you something to do in the offseason.

I would not consider that load for longer ranges.