Practical Hunting Accuracy - Truth and Reality

[vavaroutsos]

IMHO the accuracy of the first cold bore shot is what matters for hunting. That being said, I think the video does bring up a valid point about the trend in marketing towards hype without specified conditions.

 

[Rosebud]

IMHO the accuracy of the first cold bore shot is what matters for hunting. That being said, I think the video does bring up a valid point about the trend in marketing towards hype without specified conditions.

Agreed, also quite a few people, Even ones on this forum state with unwavering certainly that their rifles will do MOA all day, every day. If you've been on this forum very long you will hear someone spout off about that. But I'm like you, cold bore where it's aimed!

 

[348 fan]

I think the video has merit and but really agree with Rosebud.....he's just pointing out that many hunters/shooters are fooling themselves when they make claim to their MOA shooting rifles.

 

[LRNut]

If you can take your rifle out, and take a cold bore shot, only 1 shot on any given day on an 8x8 target and hit it at 800 then I don't think it is.

I was just quoting what he said. IIRC, the video was about real life accuracy expectations.

I shoot every day at 500, 620, 760, and 910. One shot, cold bore. I start with the 910 (sometimes one at 1047) and then engage the 760, 620, and 500. I wait at least an hour between shots. How I do depends on the wind, but it is infinitely easier to hit at 620 than 760 no matter what the wind is doing. 910? You have to estimate the wind within 1 mph to guarantee a hit 100% of the time. The TOF alone is enough to cause your perfect wind call to be wrong.

But to address what you said, assume your rifle shoots 4" groups at 800 yards. If that group is perfectly centered on the 8x8 target, you have only 2" on either side of that group for allowable wind error. A .338 Berger at 2875 (hard to imagine anything with a better combination of BC and velocity) will drift 3.8" in a 1 mph wind. So theoretically, to hit 100% of the time, your wind call must be within 1/2 mph, and not change at all during the 1 second (.98) TOF. I would like to see the guy who can do that.

IF your rifle is really only 1 MOA, then you have zero allowable wind error. None. No one on the planet can call with wind perfectly every time for the simple fact it changes by the time they estimate it and the bullet hits the target.

FWIW, I hit today at 760; almost hit my 3" aiming square. I haven't missed at any target (a miss for me is >5" from center) in long time except today I missed at 910 - wind call was 1 MOA left, and that is exactly where I hit. Elevation was perfect, but I apparently missed the wind by 2 mph -or perhaps only 1 mph but was unlucky enough to have that particular bullet hit to the far left of its normal group dispersion. Or, I could have been as far off as 3 mph but that bullet was one of the 50% that would have landed right of center in a no wind situation.

Bullets do not travel in a straight line; the farther the target, the wider your group. The vital area doesn't change but your allowable wind error in inches shrinks dramatically, which is exacerbated by the fact your bullet is drifting more per mph of wind for every added yard of range. At 800, your TOF is 1 second - easily enough time for the wind to change.