hunting rifle accuracy

[Anschutz]

I don't really put a lot of stock in bench groups and do most load development prone on a bipod. I'm looking for good velocities and low SD. I like around MOA prone off of a bipod (no rear bag) and practice alot offhand and sitting with a sling. I thought I'd need to shoot long in Alaska. The furthest shot I've taken was my first on a Caribou at ~475 yards. I didn't range it because we jumped them and we guessed 250ish. We all missed. Later that day we snuck up on a group and me and another took offhand shots at around 125. About 15 minutes later, my wife took her caribou at 40 yards. This year I ranged a small herd at 375 but due to tall brush and fog, I couldn't get a clear shot. After some cat and mouse, I took a bull at about 35 yards. All that to say, practice for the long shot but don't neglect your short range skills which are often offhand and fast.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

......any rifle or cartridge combination that can shoot 1 inch groups at 100 will handle any North American big game animal out to 500 with ease, your vital areas are from a basketball to a beachball and you don't need to shoot them in the eye socket to harvest them...after 500 things need to be tighten up and you'll actually need to go to a range and shoot the combination at a target instead of on paper, phone or shootin' the breeze..

 

[BenelliHunter]

First depends on what you mean by accuracy. Is it the best 3 shot group, or on average 5 shot group, or the diameter of the target you know you hit with first shot at 99% probability when you take the gun out of safe and go shoot it?

The Internet is full of guns that shoot 0.3 MOA all day but those are rare on the range and when hunting, accuracy is more important than precision. If you've got a rifle you know reliably hits a 1 MOA target with the first shot you're in good position and improving the rifle's mechanical accuracy is not bringing much benefit in hitting the target at long distances where the majority of the error is caused by the muzzle velocity variance, error in range and wind estimation and other external factors.

Not saying I'd be happy with a 1 MOA 3 shot grouping rifle neither, but instead of trying to achieve super tight groups try to minimize the distance of the worst shot from the aiming point. And remember, a 1 MOA rifle can reliably hit a 8 inch target at 800 yards. That is a lot harder than shooting tight groups. Humane kill at long ranges is more dependent on the location of the group than the group size as long as the rifle is adequately accurate which I'd say anything that reliably has a hit rate of >95% at a 1 MOA target is.

edit: corrected the accuracy <=> precision; not the first time I use them incorrectly but hopefully the last. Thank you for correction @Lionel Boyd Johnson

I think most rifles are more accurate than the human attached. I have only seen a couple of rifles ever that would not shoot less than 1" at 100. I personally will not keep a rifle that does not shoot sub 1/2" at 100 yards. Quite honestly, 1/2" groups look pretty ugly when you have a couple really good shooting rifles.

 

[73driver]

For out to 800 yards sub 1/2 MOA is what you want, because that equates to a 4" or less likely accuracy at that distance. Once you are zeroed it's worthwhile to see what kind to hits you can make first shot cold bore at different distances. My own limit is if the bullet does not hit within 3 inches of aim point then that is to far to shoot game. I know some say vitals are 12"-8" but do you want to make a hit at the edge of the vitals?

 

[cabelasken]

I might be wrong but if you have a half inch gun that means it shoots half inch or better every group right.

yes, but mine will only that with its preferred load. To save time and buying extra components, I've limited my selection of bullets to hunting bullets. In some cases, target bullets will print very good groups, but they are of no interest to me at the moment other than to break in a new rifle. The past year, I have only purchased Barnes LRX bullets in various calibers and weights and Hammer Absolutes and Hunters. I have had consistent good luck with these and see no reason to experiment further. I have some rifles that love very hot loads, the three 284 wins that I own and others like the three 280 AIs that like a load that is 75 to 100 FPS under max. I don't have a clue for the reason.

 

[std7mag]

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.

I personally would love a rifle that got the game closer to me, say 400 yards or less.

Real world hunting doesn't usually involve a bench, front rest and rear bag.

Practice shooting using a tree trunk, or branch for your rest, from different positions.
Lay your pack (that you'll actually be using) on the ground & practice in the prone.

3 or 5 shot groups shot back to back are realistically of little importance.

Instead, hang a target at distance you expect to shoot, and shoot 1 shot.
Pull your target & go home.
Next day do the same.
And the following day.
THIS will tell you what to expect from your cold bore rifle.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I might be wrong but if you have a half inch gun that means it shoots half inch or better every group right.

I have one of those…..it is in 6PPC.

 

[Texis]

While discussing the required accuracy, I would add "TRUED" dope. If i can't true my dope before a hunt, i won't shoot pass 250-300yds. I have yet to find a ballistic calculator that is dead on, and by that I mean close enough to hold the MOA at distance. Barrel twist, fps, etc all effect the actual, real dope of the round through a specific rifle.
I shoot to 500, true the BC in the calculation, validate at 200, 300 & 400 and that works for everything in that range and I'll trust it up to around 600 only.
I only bring this up because the discussion surrounding 1/2 MOA, 1 MOA at distance is only as good as the dope you are using, without that the rifle's 100yd accuracy is a mute point.
Btw OEM bullet drop tables on the ammo box are complete junk and shouldn't even be on the ammo box at all IMHO.

 

[memtb]

Texis, I absolutely agree with your post…..though I'll stretch my shots a bit farther than your 300, under near perfect conditions using only a rangefinder! memtb

 

[CoyoteConquest]

I hate to say this but I don't believe most of you on here. I think most are thinking your best guns can be used for hunting. Nobody is using a 15 lb custom rig for hunting.
You may have guns that shoot really well. You may have firearms that you have spent a lot of money on that shoot 3/8"" or better But I bet most hunting guns aren't going to shoot 3/8" or 1/2 moa all day and most weigh well under 10 lbs scoped and probably closer to 8..

. I have several guns I hunt with and most are MOA guns and sometimes I can shoot 1/2 moa but not every time. Sometimes they are over MOA. Really It's only the first shot that counts.

I'm not dragging a $3000 custom gun out in the field for hunting and most people with common sense won't either. I'm also not going to sit here and lie and say my .270 or CM is a 1/2" shooter just because I've shot 1/2" once or twice. Most of the time they are around an inch or maybe under. Sometimes over.
.
I would love to shoot with all the people on here that say their hunting gun shoots that good. I don't shoot competitive but I bet some months I shoot over 1000 rounds and can shoot pretty well.

When it comes to hunting It's the first shot that counts. I know if that first cold bore shot will hit what I want and the next couple are within 3/4-1"" it's good. Hopefully I won't need the second and if a third is needed I suck

 

[DoneNOut]

I hate to say this but I don't believe most of you on here. I think most are thinking your best guns can be used for hunting. Nobody is using a 15 lb custom rig for hunting.
You may have guns that shoot really well. You may have firearms that you have spent a lot of money on that shoot 3/8"" or better But I bet most hunting guns aren't going to shoot 3/8" or 1/2 moa all day and most weigh well under 10 lbs scoped and probably closer to 8..

. I have several guns I hunt with and most are MOA guns and sometimes I can shoot 1/2 moa but not every time. Sometimes they are over MOA. Really It's only the first shot that counts.

I'm not dragging a $3000 custom gun out in the field for hunting and most people with common sense won't either. I'm also not going to sit here and lie and say my .270 or CM is a 1/2" shooter just because I've shot 1/2" once or twice. Most of the time they are around an inch or maybe under. Sometimes over.
.
I would love to shoot with all the people on here that say their hunting gun shoots that good. I don't shoot competitive but I bet some months I shoot over 1000 rounds and can shoot pretty well.

When it comes to hunting It's the first shot that counts. I know if that first cold bore shot will hit what I want and the next couple are within 3/4-1"" it's good. Hopefully I won't need the second and if a third is needed I suck

Well, I bet you're the life of parties!

 

[memtb]

I hate to say this but I don't believe most of you on here. I think most are thinking your best guns can be used for hunting. Nobody is using a 15 lb custom rig for hunting.
You may have guns that shoot really well. You may have firearms that you have spent a lot of money on that shoot 3/8"" or better But I bet most hunting guns aren't going to shoot 3/8" or 1/2 moa all day and most weigh well under 10 lbs scoped and probably closer to 8..

. I have several guns I hunt with and most are MOA guns and sometimes I can shoot 1/2 moa but not every time. Sometimes they are over MOA. Really It's only the first shot that counts.

I'm not dragging a $3000 custom gun out in the field for hunting and most people with common sense won't either. I'm also not going to sit here and lie and say my .270 or CM is a 1/2" shooter just because I've shot 1/2" once or twice. Most of the time they are around an inch or maybe under. Sometimes over.
.
I would love to shoot with all the people on here that say their hunting gun shoots that good. I don't shoot competitive but I bet some months I shoot over 1000 rounds and can shoot pretty well.

When it comes to hunting It's the first shot that counts. I know if that first cold bore shot will hit what I want and the next couple are within 3/4-1"" it's good. Hopefully I won't need the second and if a third is needed I suck

I tend to agree! Those using these type (very heavy) rifles are not "hunting" in the conventional manner! But, I'm old, from a different era!

This said, in the late '80's, Idaho passed a law prohibiting the use of the 50 BMG for hunting. I, using my own words, saw this as "sniping" and not "sport hunting" in the conventional sense!

But, times have changed…..we don't all have to embrace, merely accep!

I do not know if this law is still in effect! memtb

 

[StanleyActual]

I hate to say this but I don't believe most of you on here. I think most are thinking your best guns can be used for hunting. Nobody is using a 15 lb custom rig for hunting.
You may have guns that shoot really well. You may have firearms that you have spent a lot of money on that shoot 3/8"" or better But I bet most hunting guns aren't going to shoot 3/8" or 1/2 moa all day and most weigh well under 10 lbs scoped and probably closer to 8..

. I have several guns I hunt with and most are MOA guns and sometimes I can shoot 1/2 moa but not every time. Sometimes they are over MOA. Really It's only the first shot that counts.

I'm not dragging a $3000 custom gun out in the field for hunting and most people with common sense won't either. I'm also not going to sit here and lie and say my .270 or CM is a 1/2" shooter just because I've shot 1/2" once or twice. Most of the time they are around an inch or maybe under. Sometimes over.
.
I would love to shoot with all the people on here that say their hunting gun shoots that good. I don't shoot competitive but I bet some months I shoot over 1000 rounds and can shoot pretty well.

When it comes to hunting It's the first shot that counts. I know if that first cold bore shot will hit what I want and the next couple are within 3/4-1"" it's good. Hopefully I won't need the second and if a third is needed I suck

Both of the below groups are during load development. Actually the 308 didn't take any load development at all. 185gn Berger, 44gns Varget and that's what it did.

If you want to hunt with a 6lb rifle that's your prerogative but there's plenty of people laying down better groups than mine with their hunting rifles. Some people ls rifles are heavier than others, but that comes down to the individual and what they're comfortable carrying through the bush. .mil sniper rifles are +19+ lbs on top of an additional 100-150lbs of gear. I lugged and many others have lugged that gear though the mountains for weeks on end. Definetly not my preference any more though. Lol . 10-11lb rifle is about it all I want at the most now.

9lb 308 $4500-5000 with optic

10.5lb 7RM Hunting rifle $5000+ with optic

 

[memtb]

9lb 308 $4500-5000 with optic

View attachment 437899

10.5lb 7RM Hunting rifle $5000+ with optic

View attachment 437900

You seem to be the Unicorn, I have seen many (many, many) posts by those claiming to "hunt" with rifles exceeding 12 pounds. Then there are the large optics (spotting scopes, range finders,), many with moderately heavy bipods (attached to the rifle) or even a few with tripods capable of making standing shots, ect.

All of this gear associated with long range hunting used by some…..adds up to many pounds. All this can be easily done with horses and friends, or driving to an overlook as an example, ect.

Those hunting on foot, in rough country, often covering several to many miles per day with the aforementioned gear…..would be put into an rather extreme situation physically! Doable yes…..but by a very small percentage of those carrying a hunting license! JMO memtb