Factory guns...... What is acceptable accuracy.....

[6mm Remington]

I've never had a rifle built or rebarreled but I'm about to.Everything I own is factory,all have had trigger work and most have been bedded.
My delima now is 280Ackley or 7 STW :?:

Howard

.280 Ackley or just the plain old .280 Remington!! :lol:

 

[JD338]

I've never had a rifle built or rebarreled but I'm about to.Everything I own is factory,all have had trigger work and most have been bedded.
My delima now is 280Ackley or 7 STW :?:

Howard

280 AI with a Hart barrel. :wink:

JD338

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Factory rifle, with trigger job and good handloads should do 1" at 100 yards for 3 shots off a bench or solid rest IMO.

 

[boolit]

I like to get 1 moa or less from my rifles. Perferably with 5 shot groups.

Bruce

Me too.

Me three

 

[boolit]

I work with hand loading until I can get four out of five rounds inside 1" at 100 yards with a newly acquired hunting rifle. I have not been lucky enough to get that on the first try at hand loading for a big game rifle. Years ago, I did not allow myself that one out of five flyers, but at my current age I seem not to be able to be that consistant. The flyer will enlarge the group of five to maybe 2 or 2 1/2", at the most. With that sort of group I have no worries about bagging deer or pronghorn. The longest shot that I ever had to make on game was 404 yards on a mule deer buck. He was hit hard on the first shot, but needed one more to put him down.
By what I now see at the range, very few people who hunt deer or bigger game, practice enough and the vast majority use factory ammo in their bullet weight choice. Those people are ecstatic when they can put five rounds inside four inches at 100 yards. And, truth be known they will seldom miss on the game animal if they have time to get a steady rest and do their part. I wager that the vast majority of shots on white tail deer are inside 100 yards. For that reason the un-scoped 30-30 lever action rifle may still be up there in the ratings as one of the most used deer rifles, east of the Mississippi River. I don't remember ever seeing a deer hunter check out his un-scoped thuty-thuty and do much better than five shoots inside five inches at 100 yards, and yet, they still check in their bucks every year.
Steven

Here Here....!! :mrgreen: I asked a guy at my range if he would take a shot at a nice buck at 300 if he saw it in his binoculars, he said no he can't shoot that well. He doesn't realize he can. He also said he has a cheap stevens. Some guys just don't have any sense, I guess. :roll: You need the tighter groups at 100 in order to be on futher down range. I wish I could dupe winchester supreme ammo.

 

[hardpan]

Murphdog,
I understand the desire for more accuracy. In fact, I lead that charge all the time, and personally am not satisfied until I get at least a 1/2 inch 3 shot group. My comment was more based on need as opposed to desire. BTW, I am guiding 2 hunters next weekend. One shoots about 3 inch groups at 100, and the other will shoot under 2 at 300 yds. Bet they both have a great time and get their animals. The better shot hunter will be set up where he can take an animal out to around 500 yds, and the other at about 150 yds. Should be fun and interesting.
Hardpan

 

[roysclockgun]

"The better shot hunter will be set up where he can take an animal out to around 500 yds"

No doubt, when a rifleman can make that shot consistantly and get clean, quick kills, it has more to do with his learned and applied talents than with the equipment that he uses.
The newer "dial in" scopes give newbies a false sense of security. They do not factor in what wind can do over longer ranges.
Steven

 

[DrMike]

The newer "dial in" scopes give newbies a false sense of security.

There is still need for range time to become familiar with the equipment and to train the muscles.

 

[onesonek]

It depends mostly on the range that might be encountered. For short range rig's it isn't as critical ,,,,depending on use,,,1-3moa works. When longer ranges are to be expected, I sight in with PBR of 1/2 or less, the intended animals kill zone. Of which, I generally won't shoot beyond that range, unless the conditions are near perfect. So in those firearms, I prefer 1 moa or less, and less is better. I know I can shoot well enough for beyond those extended range's, I personally think too many things can go wrong out that far. I just rather give my hunting skill a workout, more than my shooting skills. So I tend to go with the phylosophy,,,, hunt more shoot less, or in other words get close, shoot once. Guess that's why I use single shots 99% of the time.

Dave

 

[hardpan]

"No doubt, when a rifleman can make that shot consistantly and get clean, quick kills, it has more to do with his learned and applied talents than with the equipment that he uses.
The newer "dial in" scopes give newbies a false sense of security. They do not factor in what wind can do over longer ranges."

Steven,
I could not agree more. This hunter is very comfortable out to 450 yds, with a lot of wild boar under his belt at that range. I suspect that he will actually take the animal at around 300 yds, as that is about the range that these particular animals will let you get. Hunting Blackbuck here. Anyway, that comfort combined with the right shooting skills is a lot better than a new scope. Heck, both my favorite and his favorite scopes have ballistic relicles, but I almost never use mine. never owned a 'dial-in" scope. Guess that I am just old fashioned that way, but power to those that do have them.

On this hunt, wind will be the critical issue. We can get winds well over 20 mph!
Hardpan

 

[barthowes]

I will accept MOA, but being the OCD type I keep playing with the load to see if I can tweak it. :grin:

 

[roysclockgun]

hardpan wrote : " never owned a 'dial-in" scope. Guess that I am just old fashioned that way, but power to those that do have them."

I roger that! On a number of occasions I have kept two barrels hot, shooting prairie dogs. The shooting is sometimes fast and no time to "dial in" or dope out wind on those tiny varmints. I have brought them under fire as I was taught to do in the Artillery in the early 1960s. Fire a round to "register", then correct and fire for effect! Stiff breezes in Wyoming can push a 55gr. bullet off by two to three feet at 400-500 yards. In PD shooting the wind just adds to the fun, but on a trophy animal, I take my hat off to those who can make that first shot and have the knowledge, practice, skill and equipment to pull it off with any regularity, at 500+ yards.
My personal rule is to never take the shot if I have to hold over the animal so far, that the cross hairs are off his back. Once I know the range and can hold at the top of his shoulder and no farther, I will take the shot.
One issue that many new riflemen discount is the lack of drop when shooting up or down hill. That can flatten the trajetory a lot more than many realize.
Steven

 

[RiverRider]

When I first started hunting with centerfire rifles, it was a Remington 788 in .222 vs. every jackrabbit in the county. The rifle was my uncle's and the first time he handed it to me I wanted to know why I had to shoot the ugly old clunky gun. Before the end of that first hunt with the old 788 I learned the value of supreme confidence. If I could see it, I could hit it, and NOTHING got away! I think this illustrates how you will think if you are primarily a hunter (not that there's anything wrong with that).

When I was seduced into the handloading game by that same uncle I became far more interested in realizing whatever potential was there, be it the rifle, the cartridge, or whatever. We all have our own perspectives on all this and it defines our individual participation in the shooting/hunting/handloading game.

For me, the focus is on finding the absolute limitations (idealistic, I know!) of a rifle or handgun but usually with some kind of practical limitation. By that I mean I would not bother to develop a varmint load for a .30-06, for example. I will stick with a good hunting or varmint bullet suitable for the cartridge and embark on a quest to find out what I can do with the rig. I do not keep a rifle that does not or can not impress me even if it performs well enough for practical hunting applications. I want big game rifles to shoot five shots in an inch, and varmint rifles to shoot five in half an inch or better (if/when I am up to that!).

My answer to the question is that I want rifles that shoot far better than required for hunting because my primary interest is extremely accurate sporter-weight rifles. They just happen to be very suitable for hunting purposes so they are what I have for hunting.

 

[boolit]

I think whatever Pop has. :mrgreen: HA!!.. Not.

MOA or better.

 

[240WeatherbyMag]

For me my 240 weatherby needs to be below 2 MOA. My 7mm at least 2 MOA

 

[FOTIS]

I think whatever Pop has. :mrgreen: HA!!.. Not.

MOA or better.

That would be a great choice. They all shoot great! Except the 45-70 Cowboy. I have not tested it yet.

 

[SJB358]

I would bet your CB is going to be a tack driver. Haven't seen many Marlins that can't shoot! Scotty

 

[high desert elk]

Being able to consistantly hit clay pigeon targets at 300 yds using published data from a reloading book without "tweeking" the load any.