“Your groups are too small” vs barrel life

[tribb]

For hunting try one shot a day at the same target for 10 days in a row. That is your animal killing MOA.
I have an old factory Rem 700 BDL in 7 mag I bought used in the 80's. It had been hand loaded pretty hot before I got it. You can keep her at 1 MOA and under if you let her cool good between shots. If you start in and shoot two three shots groups quickly she opens up bad.
Almost guaranteed that the 2nd shot after cold bore will be about 1 MOA higher than the first. So this old factory barreled gal is not a great barrel, but she is one that is a dang good hunting barrel just because that first shot is all that counts, and knowing where the 2nd shot will be helps also.

Someone once said "Beware the man that has only one gun as he likely shoots it very well "

 

[Turpentine21]

Someone once said "Beware the man that has only one gun as he likely shoots it very well "

That is the way I always practiced during deer season with my recurve or longbow. One arrow per day. Good or bad. Put everything into making that one good shot. Because that's likely all you will get on a hunt. It works

 

[Turpentine21]

For hunting try one shot a day at the same target for 10 days in a row. That is your animal killing MOA.
I have an old factory Rem 700 BDL in 7 mag I bought used in the 80's. It had been hand loaded pretty hot before I got it. You can keep her at 1 MOA and under if you let her cool good between shots. If you start in and shoot two three shots groups quickly she opens up bad.
Almost guaranteed that the 2nd shot after cold bore will be about 1 MOA higher than the first. So this old factory barreled gal is not a great barrel, but she is one that is a dang good hunting barrel just because that first shot is all that counts, and knowing where the 2nd shot will be helps also.

Fortunately I get to shoot a lot of different customers rifles when working on or zeroing them. Many are exactly as you describe. The most accurate hunting rifle I have ever shot is a bone stock factory Browning ABolt 270. If you shoot it once a day it literally will shoot in the same hole if you overlay targets from consecutive days. Shoot it twice and the second shot will be touching the first or better. After that she starts walking and you gotta let her cool. But that first one is the one that counts.