A well built rifle should shoot well no matter what...

adam32

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So I've always been a proponent that a quality rifle put together well with quality parts should shoot sub MOA with little to no load work. A guy doesn't need Lapua brass, micrometer dies, a custom spec reamer, weight sorting brass and bullets, etc...in order to shoot good groups.

Case in point...my Dad's .270 win.

Once fired Win brass, RCBS cheap dies, a mild book load with a 130gr GMX set at book OAL.

3 shots, one minute apart.

IMG_20190120_134206694.jpg


Rifle is a Blaser R93 Luxus with a featherweight barrel.
 
I agree, a good rifle is a good rifle and most good rifles outperform our needs for hunting...if only .5moa shots or better were my norm, lol
 
I think there's some merit to that. My 65 Creed is shooting 1 inch at 300 with new brass and minimum load development.

I'm still a bit surprised when a custom flat out won't shoot a certain bullet even if it's throated and twisted perfectly for it.
 
IMO, while the basic quality of the rifle's components will have a positive influence on performance, depending on the demands of the specific application, the quality and choice of the load(cartridge) can make the difference between the rifle delivering the desired result, or not. As distances have increased, I have found the "load" requires more attention, and takes on greater importance.
 
Yes a quality rifle should shoot sub MOA. But sub MOA at 100yards and 1000 yards are very different. The smallest difference in loads show up at distance that you won't see at 100 yards. For long range accuracy quality loads and load development are just as important as a quality rifle.
 
Yes a quality rifle should shoot sub MOA. But sub MOA at 100yards and 1000 yards are very different. The smallest difference in loads show up at distance that you won't see at 100 yards. For long range accuracy quality loads and load development are just as important as a quality rifle.

Or do people's shooting skills become more apparent as the distance increases? And they try to make up for it by blaming the ammo/gun and buying "better" stuff?

All I'm saying is, people shouldn't need to burn 100 rounds of ammo and buy all the "best" gear in order to get a rifle shooting well. Most likely other factors are involved if a guy needs to do that.
 
It has been My experience, that if a rifle is well Smith'ed and has quality parts, It will shoot almost everything well. But when/if you load, and find the load that it likes best it will exceed all expectations.

But, the best smith can't make a poor barrel shoot very well. The barrel quality is the heart of a accurate rifle. I have seen rifles that wouldn't shoot 3 MOA until the action was blueprinted and the barrel replaced. With everything trued and the barrel replaced along with a good bedding job the same rifle could go sub 1/2 MOA with proper loading.

Just because you may pay $8,000.00 for a rifle, doesn't mean it will shoot. Start with a quality barrel, then a quality action that is blue printed or precision to begin with, cut a precision chamber and install on a quality stock that is pillar bedded and you should have a rifle that is very forgiving and will shoot most/all ammo well. then load for it looking for the right combo of bullet, primer and powder.

It only takes one poorly installed part or a poor quality component to have a negative effect on accuracy. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees to accuracy. It has to be built in or you have to be lucky.

If you want 1 MOA accuracy, that Is very doable. If you want 1/2 MOA then everything must be right. If you want 1/4 MOA you must work at it with quality reloading and if you want sub 1/8th MOA you have to pull out all the stops and leave no stone Un-turned. the only exception to that is Luck. Sometimes we just get lucky and end up with a 1/4 Minute rifle.

Just My Opinion based on years of experience.

J E CUSTOM
 
A flier can go unto a group just as they can go out... Something to think about. A sub 1/2" rifle always impresses me, that is if it is consistent. I've shot a few sub 1/4" groups with a "built" rifle but I can't do it every time. In my opinion, the better a rifle groups from the bench, the more confidence I have in it in the field.
 
If you have watched the animated gifs of the results of FEA on barrels, it will amaze you that any barrel would group well. There is such a huge internal stress from the pressure generated first in the chamber, then in the bore and then reflections of the shock waves off the muzzle, plus torqie reactions equal and opposite of what it took to spin up the bullet. And muzzle blast.... The world is a lot more complex than what we think...

See: Https://www.varmintal.com/amode.htm
 
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