What is accurate?

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pyscodog

Active member
I read these post almost every day and I hear "TACK DRIVER", and Super Accurate, shoots all day long(prolly my favorite). In your opinion, what is accurate? M.o.a.,less than m.o.a., minute of volkswagon. Just curious, everyone has their own thoughts on accurate. Whats Yours? I hunted with a guy last year that said if he could hit a paper plate at 100 yds., that was good enough. Same guy with a B.P. rifle missed a 55 gal. trash can at 50 yds. and just kinda blew it off. Said it shot better than that last year and headed to the woods. OH MY!!!
 
I read in one of the shooting mags that a varmit gun should shoot .5 moa, deer sized gun 1-1.5 and the larger magnums expect 2-3". Those were all what this writer said he would expect out of a rifle.
 
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I read these post almost every day and I hear "TACK DRIVER", and Super Accurate, shoots all day long(prolly my favorite). In your opinion, what is accurate? M.o.a.,less than m.o.a., minute of volkswagon. Just curious, everyone has their own thoughts on accurate. Whats Yours? I hunted with a guy last year that said if he could hit a paper plate at 100 yds., that was good enough. Same guy with a B.P. rifle missed a 55 gal. trash can at 50 yds. and just kinda blew it off. Said it shot better than that last year and headed to the woods. OH MY!!!




Honestly, if I can shoot 1" groups from a bench rest at 100 yards, I'm usually pretty happy. To be fair, if you have a gun that shoots 1 MOA from a bench rest or sandbag, then you have a gun that's going to let you hit that paper plate from a sitting or standing position - which are the kinds of shots that I usually take when I'm hunting coyotes. As long as I can hit a paper plate at 200, from my folding chair that I'm usually sitting in when I'm hunting, that's usually enough for me :)
 
I want all my rifles to shoot under an inch at 100. Most of my shots in my area are under 100 anyway. Just knowing what it can do gives me great confidence when it comes to making the shot in real time.
 
WhitBri- Is that what you call accurate? Not trying to be a smart arse, but That is what an author said. To me 1-1/2 in. is not exceptable accuracy for a hunting rifle, (for deer size game). Maybe for elephant or cape buffalo, something under 75 yds. JMO
 
Accurate is a term used a lot, usueally in somewhat untruthful ways. Everyone seems to have a "tackdriver" but the real question is are they capible of acctually useing that "tackdriver" to it's full potential. Most if not all current production rifles come out of the box with more potential accuracy than the new owner is capible of useing, or should I say realizeing? When I see a post that goes somthing like "how do I get the best accuracy out of my new remchesger wizzbang super" I shudder a little because useually this is some dufus fudd that may hit the range once a year, shoots a pop can at ten feet after five or six tries then gripes because he took a shot at a dink at five or six hundred yards and missed, or ran off,9 I have found to many carcasses rotting to think they always miss) But that is my gripe.
Now to answer your question, if with a new rifle that has not been fuged with you can put a magazine full of bullets. In a group you can cover with your hand, at a true one hundred yards. It is an accurate rifle. After you have broken the rifle in, if you can shrink that group by half you are a good shot.
Yea I know we have many guys who routinly shoot quarter size groups,I ain't seen them. I don't believe anything I hear, and only half what I see. Especially on the internet.
 
I don't own a long action or magnum anything. I expect all of my centerfire rifle to shoot 3/4"(or less) 3-shot groups at 100yds with my handloads. If it won't do that, somebody who like minute of board side of barn can have it.
 
Just depends. Are you wanting the gun accurate or yourself accurate. Some people cannot hold a gun still enough to shoot 1in groups. My shooting partner has a 700 22-250 he cant group it for nothing. I can put 3 shots in a 1in dot with it. Some people just cant shhot as well as others. If you are happy with the way your gun shoots for you then its accurate for you mabe not for me but thats ok. I am hppy with any rifle that shoots 1in or undergroups at 100yds. Some want them all to be touching before they call it accurate. Everyone has there own opinion on a accurete rifle.
 
Accurate for my rifles and me is they must shoot under .75 all rifles. Now with that said I have several that shoot way better than this but that is what I built them to do. I have several hunting rifles elk, deer, hogs, that shoot under .75 consistenly. But accuracy is only obtained if the shooter does his part. A gun might be capable of .5MOA but the shooter is only capable of 1MOA. So accuracy is a smudge term. My gunsmith has a saying that most people are only capable of MOOSE ACCURACY (whatever that means). I expect accuracy from my rifles and from me. HAPPY HUNTING
 
I look for sub moa from large game rifles and spend a lot of time, effort, and money attempting to achieve half that. With predator rifles I aspire to attain groups at least half the size I do for large game rifles. Varmint, or varmint/predator rifles are most appreciated when they can achieve groups half the size of predator riles. IMO, any rifle that shoots 1.5 moa has its niche. That niche just might not be in my safe.
 
I look at accurate being the ability of the weapon to meet the needs of it intended purpose.

Example If you are using a 30/30 to hunt varmints with at 300 yards it is not an accurate firearm. If you are using it to deer hunt in the brush where your shot is like to be less than 50 yards it is deadly accurate. It is hard to define accurate as a standard.

MOA on the other hand it a define measure.
 
pyscodog, you are going to get a lot of answers on your question. The answer is more of a personal thing to you and your application. Accuracy of 1" is plenty accurate for coyote hunting. Most of the factory guns that are "tuned" will give 1" accuracy with hand loads, and many will do it with selected factory loads.

It is very easy with custom varmint rifles with "tuned" loads to shoot 3/8" groups and better with a set of wind flags.

Wind flags could improve the average guys shooting more than you could ever possibly imagine, and yet it is very seldom that you ever see them at the range.

It has been common for me to take the Rem Sporters and get them to shoot 1/2"-3/4" with all the tweeks that could be done to ammo and rifle. Some barrels will do better than others of course. All the 700 Varmits that I have owned, have shot 1/2" or less with all the tweeks to ammo and gun.
Of course, high powered scopes were used for load development along with wind flags. Some times the rifles will of course shoot a little better/worse due wind, coffee, mood swings, ADD, solar and/or lunar positions. Sex seems to have a more positive effect on good groups than one could ever imagine, seems to improve the ability to concentrate.

pyscodog, I suspect that the guy that was happy with only hitting the paper plate and the guy that was happy when not hitting a 55 gallon drum, probably has a wonderful wife/girlfriend, you simply can not improve on just being happy.
 
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Get a Stevens 200 and the accuracy issue goes away /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just had to throw that in there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
All my rifles shoot .2 inch 27 shot groups every day and all day, I shoot about 37,000 rounds a week, many times in Blizzards my groups open up to .22. I prefer H&R single shot automatics with the barrel turned down to .03 over the bore diameter with a barrel mounted swivel for the slings. I think you ought to use the same scope on all your guns so just switch it back and forth, all the scopes are about the same so just buy the first one ya see.
Sometimes I like to shoot realistic groups by shooting out the window of my pick up on dirt two tracks going about 35 mph after drinking about 12 beers, with a spot light. I reload all my ammo its easy, just fill up the case thing after ya put in a primer, then stuff in the bullet, dont worry about all the numbers on the cans thay all go bang.
I like to test my reloads by getting my cousin Earl to shoot first.
Carl
 
Man, everytime I get on here and see everyone talk about their accuracy, I somehow get a huge inferiority complex and retreat to the corner and suck my thumb!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I pride myself on being able to hit what I shoot at. MY definition of accurate is being able to count on putting venison on the meatpole, or fur in the fur shed, period--all the while making clean kills.

I definitely think my rifles are capable of shooting far better than what I can do. All of my rifles shoot at least 1", or just slightly under. Now that may not be up to par with what others can do, however, at the ranges I feel comfortable taking a shot, it is adequate and will do the job.

I think the ability to be comfortable with your particular rifle, and shooting it often enough is as important as shooting tiny, tiny groups. I have been with guys that shoot great from the bench, but choke when it comes to making the shot in the field when it counts.

Just my opinion, of course!

Tim
 
This is what I deem "accurate"
1350.jpg

RR
 
Yep, that would qualify. Never shot a deer that was shorter than my rifle though. Must make it that much harder.

Kidding! Great shot man......
 
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