how good can you shoot? trying to come up with some goals.

[lovdasnow]

ok, this post may be vague because I'm not sure exactly what i'm looking for, but here i go anyway

so over the last few years i've put in a lot of trigger time, reading, and research in regards to long range shooting. I've made one shot kills at just under 1k, killed my buck with 1st shot at 800 this year, and have killed quite a few varmints around 500-600yds. I feel pretty competent compared to most guys that i know, but i'm pretty competitive, and would like to set some goals in order to get a lot better. I still would like to improve quite a bit because there is a lot of room to do so.

so, what are some of the better shooters capable of out in the field? what degree of accuracy do you strive for? i know wind/weather conditions can change things drastically, so i'm referring to good conditions. consistent winds, etc.. i'm shooting prone with a bipod and rear bag. no fancy front rest's or bench guns.
i shot a lot yesterday with clay birds(shooting 6.5x47) at 940-960yds. i hit quite a few, and i would say over 90% of misses were within inches, but there were still quite a few near misses. i would say if it was on paper it would be very close to moa.

so, can guys bust clay birds on most shots around 1k? would that be above average, or should that be done easily in good conditions?

thanks for your guys time, i'm just trying to get an idea of what is possible on a consistent basis, so i can make some shooting goals for myself.

thanks, and i hope i made some sense here. please share your long range goals and accomplishments, so i know what's possible.

 

[Ridge Runner]

ok, can't do this regular but here is my best group to date
was shot on 11/18/10, with a 6.5 gibbs runnin a 140 berger at 3160 fps group measured .34" for 3 shots

range was 752 yards
RR

 

[RDM416]

Good question, and reason for it. I'm curious to see what kind of replies you get. I have only one buddy who lives close that shoots long range and we don't get to shoot together but maybe 3 or 4 times a year. So, I have very little actual "eyes on" experience of what other LR shooters are actually capable of.

You see a lot of posts about shooting 1/2 or 1/4 moa, and then you think 1/4 moa at 1000 yards is a 2 1/2" group!! I'm sure there are guys out there that can do that on a regular basis, but that is pretty darn good shooting if it is more than just an occasional "lucky group".

I have made posts about my "rifle" being capable of shooting 1/4 moa because I have done it often enough to know when my groups are larger it is "me" or the conditions, not the rifle.

All that said, I will jump out there and give you what I feel my capabilities are to get the ball rolling, maybe others will chime as well. This is shooting off my bench with a Sinclair front rest, and a rear bag. Out to 400 yards if conditions are reasonable I can generally keep my groups to 1/2 moa and under, often in the 1/4 moa range. My groups tend to open up a little as I go longer but still at around 1/2 to 5/8 moa out to 1000 which is as far as I typically shoot.

On most days I can sit down at my bench and ring my 15" X 15" gong at 1000 yards, first shot out of a cold barrel..... but I know the dial up already it is just a matter of doping for conditions. Normally at 1000 I can keep most of my shots in about a 6" to 8" spread on the gong..... 1/2 to a little under 1 moa. I have gotten a few of those 2" to 3", 3 shot 1/4 moa groups at 1000, but those are "high five", "dance a jig" celebration groups.

My last "dial in" "tweeking" session before hunting season each fall is to put an 8" dia. stick on target dot on my movable target stand. I start at 100, then shoot every 100 yards to 500, then every 50 out to 1000. Normally I can keep all those shots within the 8" target. If any fall out of the target, I shoot that shot again. If the second consecutive shot misses, then I re-evaluate my dial up data for that range.

I would say if you are busting clay birds at 1000 with a 50% or so hit rate that is pretty good shootin in my book.

 

[Glock2240]

RR
If I could do that consistanely at 100 yrds I would be satisfied.
Tim

 

[lovdasnow]

love the input so far. thanks for getting the ball rolling. i love real life, every day shooting, and not best group ever stuff.

i do love that group posted at 752yds, that is insane!!

looking forward to hearing more...

 

[Broz]

First, I do not consider my self an expert. I just practice a lot.

I strive to hold 1/2 moa with my rifles, ammo and me pulling the trigger. My two LR rigs will do this on a pretty regular basis. Every time... no,.. but more often than not in good conditions. If I get outside 1 moa in good conditions I am looking for what is wrong. I expect the rifles to do this to their effective range on game.

My Lapua at 1395

Lapua at 300

Lapua at 1000

1000 again

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[Broz]

What turns me on more is to be with in 1/2 moa of center mass on a first round cold bore hit. The orange circle is roughly 7" and I usually shoot it at 1395 yards. But I backed off and took this one at 1562 yards. The 1562 hit is 3 3/4" low of center and 6 3/4" right.

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[SBruce]

I am sitting here, and my shirt is getting wet........cause I'm drooling like a toddler!

I've managed to keep my favorite factory varmint rifles (slightly modified) with their best handloads around 1/2 moa most of the time, and under calm conditions out to about 700 yds when shooting from a benchrest. My experience with custom rifles and ranges beyond 700 is just beginning..........pretty impressive stuff in this thread so far, congrats to you guys.

I am thinking anything under 1/2 minute at 1000 is pretty darn good shootn.

 

[XMC]

.....

 

[lovdasnow]

good stuff.

broz, i like the 1/2 moa goal, and that sounds like something i could work towards.
at 1/2 moa, you would be breaking clays at 1k on nearly every shot?

keep it coming guys, real world stuff, admit the averages, not the "bests". holding 1/2moa averages for a long way's out there would make for some impressive shooting!

XMC. did i read right that you CONSISTENTLY shoot .625 groups at 650yds???

 

[Broz]

broz, i like the 1/2 moa goal, and that sounds like something i could work towards.
at 1/2 moa, you would be breaking clays at 1k on nearly every shot?

Well, 5" at 1000 is 1/2 moa. But I feel conditins would make a 4" clay target a challenge at 1000. Holding a 5" group at 1000 is easier than finding the conditions to allow you to place the bullet in a 4" circle on the first shot. That is why I like to move around and shoot 1 moa rocks. I go for a cold bore first round hit and pracice reading conditions. The wind is almost always present whether you think it is or not. I have learned that a no wind situation is like winning the lottery. Left, right, up or down it will be there somewhere.

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[XMC]

.....

 

[RMulhern]

First group fired from 1000 yds. with my 6.5x47 Lapua. Since then....it does better than this! There are 17 shots on the inner plate which is 20" diameter. First two shots were on the edge of the 10 ring plate at 9 o/clock and the remaining 15 are as shown. I broke one slightly left of the main group and it's just below the first two sighters. All others would make the X ring on the NRA LR target. This rifle has fired 5 shot groups for me from 1300 yards that I could cover with the back of my fist on several occasions.

 

[lovdasnow]

good shooting, very nice group. is that from a bench gun, or prone from a rifle more on the hunting side of things?

so you are saying that you could break clays at 1k most of the time? it seems that way by the looks of that group. is that group a common occurrence?

again, not doubting anything, anyone is saying, just trying to figure out what is normal for good shooters in field positions.

thanks again