hunting rifle accuracy

[cajun]

How? A 1/2 MOA group at 100 is still a 1/2 MOA group at 1000. Bryan Litz and many others have shown this with their shoot through targets.
I think it's the shooter that has problems at 7-800 yards for whatever reason. Many are good at setting up on bags on a bench and shooting good 100 yard groups but terrible at laying prone or other field positions and shooting those same tight groups.

If your sd and es is high that 1/2" group at 100 is going to go to crap at 1000.

 

[BlazerBeam]

If your sd and es is high that 1/2" group at 100 is going to go to crap at 1000.

Like how high are we talking? Take the new 7prc shooting a 180 eldm. Say one shot is 2940 and the next is 3000. An ES of 60. That equates to only 2 inches of difference at 1000 yards. Under a quarter minute. People have a hard time outshooting or even noticing that small of a discrepancy at 1000

 

[Joe-boy]

This is a minimum of how accurate and precise I want my hunting rifles. 6" steel at 731 yards. Cold bore, cold shooter. This rifle will shoot in the .2s or better at 100.

I am slightly surprised to hear someone's minimum requirement for hunting rifle precision is something that would place in top three in many of the national bench rest competitions

 

[West Calamus]

What would most of you consider acceptable for accuracy in a real world 6-7 pound 8-9 pound magnum hunting rifle? I am talking from a bench with rest, bipod, sand bags what have you but as steady as you can get it. What would you want your rifle to do to hunt western big game. out to 800 yards or so.

7 to 8.5 with scope. nom magnum. 1000 energy at 500 yard; 100 yr groups 3/8 to 3/4 ". Can you shoot 6 in groups at 800 yards in variable wind and temperature ?

 

[Quintus]

I am slightly surprised to hear someone's minimum requirement for hunting rifle precision is something that would place in top three in many of the national bench rest competitions

You don't have to shoot benchrest competitions to be an outstanding shooter with exceptional ability, capable gear, and meticulous loading and practice habits. Some dogs win ribbons at trials, and some dogs retrieve limits day in day out and never lose a cripple. Don't be too surprised.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I am slightly surprised to hear someone's minimum requirement for hunting rifle precision is something that would place in top three in many of the national bench rest competitions

.2" at 100 would win some benchrest matches? I need to enter a couple then.
Or hitting a 6" plate cold bore +2 at 731? Yep, that's the the game I want to play.

I know a few benchrest guys, and had the distinct pleasure of shooting a few of their rifles, including a rail gun 6PPC. Definitely on a higher playing field than I am at. And a .2" @ 100 is not even close to those guys.

 

[cajun]

Like how high are we talking? Take the new 7prc shooting a 180 eldm. Say one shot is 2940 and the next is 3000. An ES of 60. That equates to only 2 inches of difference at 1000 yards. Under a quarter minute. People have a hard time outshooting or even noticing that small of a discrepancy at 1000

I'm not sure which ballistic calculator your using but with a 162 eldx with a .631 bc the difference in drop at 1000 between 2940 and 3000 fps is almost a foot at 1000 el.

 

[BlazerBeam]

I'm not sure which ballistic calculator your using but with a 162 eldx with a .631 bc the difference in drop at 1000 between 2940 and 3000 fps is almost a foot at 1000 el.

180 eldm sir not 162 eldx. ABM ballistics. 2 inch difference. Shoot a higher BC bullet

 

[BlazerBeam]

I'm not sure which ballistic calculator your using but with a 162 eldx with a .631 bc the difference in drop at 1000 between 2940 and 3000 fps is almost a foot at 1000 el.

But that aside that's not what I'm really disputing. That is definitely a measurable factor that you can explain why a group would be different at distance and I 100% agree with and understand that. What I am disputing is the idea that precision changes just because of distance, and only distance. That, in my opinion, is not true. If a group is less precise at distance it is because of: shooter error, too small of a sample size in picking a load, environmental conditions……but not just because of distance. If you TRULY have a half minute gun and load (confirmed by a large enough sample size of data) at 100 yards, it will be a half minute gun and load at distance (with decent velocity SD, yes)

 

[Mike Matteson]

I haven't really worked on any shooting beyond 500yds. I have held my shots to that max range for hunting larger animals. I am now going to extend my range out to 7,8 hundred yards. It will be for P. dogs. I don't like bad shots or poorly placed shots, but they will be coming with that range and size of animal. If it goes good, then I will extend my shooting range out. I am on the line of one shot one kill. Oh I have had to make up follow up shots.
So with that size of animal things have to right on to make that shot. Learning curve.

 

[Joe-boy]

.2" at 100 would win some benchrest matches? I need to enter a couple then.
Or hitting a 6" plate cold bore +2 at 731? Yep, that's the the game I want to play.

I know a few benchrest guys, and had the distinct pleasure of shooting a few of their rifles, including a rail gun 6PPC. Definitely on a higher playing field than I am at. And a .2" @ 100 is not even close to those guys.

Do so and report back with official results And also advice your benchrest friends to actually go compete; apparently they're not as for some reason no one seems to be shooting on the higher playing fields in the competitions, at least not in the varmint classes. Or please educate me if I misinterpret the results. Checking 100 yd results from https://internationalbenchrest.com/results/group#2022-group-match-results

• Penn State Championship
  • Heavy varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
  • Light varmint: one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• Fairchance
  • Heavy Varmint: one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
  • Light Varmint: six had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• Canaan
  • Heavy varmint: no one had aggregate less than 0.2"
• NY State
  • Light varmint: no one had aggregate less than 0.2"
  • Heavy varmint: no one had aggregate less than 0.2"
• Keystone
  • Heavy Varmint: three had aggregate of less than 0.2"
  • Light Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• South Creek
  • Heavy Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
  • Light Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• Canaan 2
  • Heavy Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• South Creek Charity
  • Heavy Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
  • Light Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"
• Nate Boop
  • Not sure how to read the results
• Canaan
  • Heavy Varmint: no one had aggregate of less than 0.2"

Just doing my best to add some realism to the discussion, no hard feelings

 

[StanleyActual]

I am slightly surprised to hear someone's minimum requirement for hunting rifle precision is something that would place in top three in many of the national bench rest competitions

Why? Because their accuracy standards for their rifles and their ammunition is not the same as yours?

What I find interesting is how a thread based on what an individuals accuracy standards for their individual rifles can turn Into a ****ing match.

A lot of great shooters out their that chose not to compete in certain arenas or at all for that matter. Some guys just like to shoot for the sake of shooting. Some guys chose to zero their rifle for hunting season and once hunting season is over with the rifle goes back Into the safe. Some guys want a rifle that shoots 1/2 MOA or less and some guys are satisfied with being able to hit a 12" pie plate at 300 yards.

Not everyone's expectation, capabilities, and preferences are the same.

 

[Joe-boy]

What I find interesting is how a thread based on what an individuals accuracy standards for their individual rifles can turn Into a ****ing match.

Welcome to the Internet!

 

[30378wbymag]

Why? Because their accuracy standards for their rifles and their ammunition is not the same as yours?

What I find interesting is how a thread based on what an individuals accuracy standards for their individual rifles can turn Into a ****ing match.

A lot of great shooters out their that chose not to compete in certain arenas or at all for that matter. Some guys just like to shoot for the sake of shooting. Some guys chose to zero their rifle for hunting season and once hunting season is over with the rifle goes back Into the safe. Some guys want a rifle that shoots 1/2 MOA or less and some guys are satisfied with being able to hit a 12" pie plate at 300 yards.

Not everyone's expectation, capabilities, and preferences are the same.

Flatlanders