Accuracy

prm

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
2,144
Location
No. VA
What degree of accuracy makes you interested in a rifle? The old saying “only accurate rifles are interesting.” Also, let’s say you tried ten different bullets, a couple shot decent (for discussion’s sake we’ll say <.75” 3-shot groups consistently) and were good hunting bullets and good powders and the others were well over an inch. Would that satisfy you or would you expect a good rifle to most bullets well (define ‘well’)?
This rifle would be your big game rifle. Eastern deer to backpacking for western mule deer and elk.

At what point of accuracy do you feel really good about a rifle and not have an itch to look for another? Not to be confused with being a rifle loony and just wanting to try different things.
 

gbflyer

WKR
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
1,577
Internet stories about all day long tack-drivers aside, I’m elated with an honest 1” gun. That’s 3 in an inch, 5 in an inch, 10 in an inch. Not the cherry picked 3 shot clover leaf with the “don’t pay any attention to the flyer in the top left corner”. I’ve got exactly one of those that is man-portable.

If I can get the occasional 3 shot under an inch with anything I’m satisfied. There will be plenty over an inch too.
 

hodgeman

WKR
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
1,547
Location
Delta Junction, AK
For a hunting rifle- if I can get an honest 2" gun from field positions, that'll do for anything I'm hunting. I haven't had one that bad in a long time.

Everybody goes nuts for 1/2 MOA rifles, but most folks can't shoot that well in the field so that level of accuracy isn't very useful. My pet .300WSM will do 0.75" from a bench for 3 shots but it's more like 1.5" from prone or 3" from sitting for me. That rifle has also put a mountain of meat on the ground.
 
OP
prm

prm

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
2,144
Location
No. VA
I don't think I'm good enough to get under half inch many times in a row with backpack hunting weight rifles. Though I can come close with that Barrett in the pic to the left.

This is all helpful though. I need to keep my expectations in line for another 6-7lb rifle (depending on scope) with some recoil and a 6x max scope. I've started with fresh brass, weigh sorted and trying some loads with different primers to see if I can get a bullet powder combo to shoot for practice. I'm trying to use my hunting powder and bullets a bit less since I don't have that many and they are all unobtainable at the moment.
 

BluMtn

WKR
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
Messages
1,013
Location
Washington
5 shot groups under an inch for hunting rifles at a 100. Then go back out the next day or at some later time and do a single cold bore 300 yd shot in your hunting position and see how you do.
 

Lawnboi

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
7,693
Location
North Central Wi
I don’t put any bearing into a few three or five round groups.

For a rifle for me to be interesting I want.
~moa on command, not cherry picking groups, prone or bench
- something I don’t have to chase a zero with
- something I can shoot well from multiple positions

That makes me happy from a <10 lb hunting gun. I don’t believe that one 5 shot .3 moa group from last summer really makes my rifle a consistent .3moa rifle.
 

rootacres

WKR
Joined
Jan 5, 2018
Messages
1,027
I correlate accuracy to cost of the rifle. I have had factory rifles that shoot in that 3/4 MOA range and have done well for me out west. When I decided to sell my factory rifles to build my own my expectations changed. Now I reach for that 1/2 MOA mark. Its really splitting hairs with my self imposed limitation of 600 yds but either way I tailor my expectations to the price tag.
 

rkcdvm

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
219
Location
texas
Just remember ... 1/2 MOA means 1/2 MOA at a certain distance under favorable conditions . Having multiple cross winds at 600 yards and it’s not the rifle making the shot anymore .
those gunwerks shows on prime at 1000 yards ... they miss a lot before actually hitting an animal .
 
OP
prm

prm

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
2,144
Location
No. VA
I don’t put any bearing into a few three or five round groups.

For a rifle for me to be interesting I want.
~moa on command, not cherry picking groups, prone or bench
- something I don’t have to chase a zero with
- something I can shoot well from multiple positions

That makes me happy from a <10 lb hunting gun. I don’t believe that one 5 shot .3 moa group from last summer really makes my rifle a consistent .3moa rifle.
I’m in general agreement with this for a single load. The bigger question is about how a rifle shoots a variety of loads. I can get most rifles to shoot one very well, but maybe not the one(s) I really want.
I feel a few 3 or 5 shot groups is enough to give me a warm and fuzzy. I don’t need 10 shot groups, 100 rounds, or whatever, to know my rifle will be an effective big game rifle. Once I have a load I’m considering, as long as it hits the point of aim each time I go out I’m confident.
 

wapitibob

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
5,367
Location
Bend Oregon
Shot this today, bare metal bore and not really acceptable. I think a lot of it is me; with a bipod and rear bags I should be a lot more solid when I get into the gun and behind the scope.

a.jpg
 

mt100gr.

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
2,908
Location
NW MT
20200202_134953.jpg
This rifle blows my mind. I'll be sad when this barrel is done. 20200217_152644.jpg20200217_152458.jpg20180531_210942.jpg
These are all what I consider plenty accurate for easily portable hunting rifles. And the 7mag has actually tightened up a tiny bit since I gave up.chasing velocity with Retumbo and switched back to H1000 and 215m primers👍
 

gbflyer

WKR
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
1,577

Antares

WKR
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,724
Location
Alaska
If you can find a reasonably priced factory ammo that shoots sub MOA, you're good to go. Practice shooting in field positions, practice shooting angles, practice shooting in the wind, prioritize first round/cold bore hits on a 6-8" plate.

The difference between a 1 MOA gun and a 1/2 MOA gun isn't what's going to make you a better shooter. Practice will.
 
Top