Scoped hunting rifle accuracy(big game)

Some people can walk to their 500 yard shot dead deer in under 100 footsteps and the bullet went right to the point where they aimed at with no hold over at all.:) Of course some people are just born lucky,especially at casinos.
 
Practice or not shooting a deer offhand at 500 yards is irresposible. If you can get closer get closer, if you can get steadier get steady. Long range shoots on game animals just for the bragging rights of it is macho BS.
 
dumprat said:
Practice or not shooting a deer offhand at 500 yards is irresposible. If you can get closer get closer, if you can get steadier get steady. Long range shoots on game animals just for the bragging rights of it is macho BS.
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I used to be of the same mind, and I still follow that premise when I hunt and will try hard not to cross the 300 yard barrier. But what consittutes long range to one hunter might not be long range to another who has spent the money on expensive range finders, wind meters, and who fires thousands of rounds annually at ranges beyond 300 yards with rifles and scopes that don't have much other purpose. We have all seen hunters who drag out a rifle once a year, make no effort to sight it in, and wound game inside 100 yards. For these guys 100 yards is too far in fact 50 yards is too far.

There is a danger to insisting that you have the only correct answer. Such attitudes divide the hunting and firearms community at a time when we must stand together. Therefore, if a man wishes to go afield with a 50 pound .30-378 to take a whitetail at 3/4's of a mile, I will not tell him he's wrong - although I might tell him it's not my thing. Ethics are a personal matter, but if a hunter has what he believes to be a reasonable expectation of a one shot kill on a game animal, he's probably close enough. It it takes 5 seconds for that bullet to reach the game animal, many things can happen, but when hunting in thick cover, a 20 yard snap shot with a .30/30 carbine at a rapidly disappearing buck might be less sure.
 
I agree with you boomer. But there is a movement afoot to promote long distance game shots simply for the sake of long range. A pissing contest of sorts. I enjoy whitetail hunting in thick bush where the time that a buck is in view is extremely limited. I don't push the range envelope for fear of wounding an animal. All of my shots have been under 60 yards. This year I got a nice buck at about 20'.
 
Depends what you round you are shooting,where, and what critter your after. If I am on open ground I have the 300WSM ( 2" at 300+ m) and use a bipod. If in bush cover I use my .308 savage 99(1"at 200m). I agree with
Boomer and Dumprat on how far you can shoot reliably for a kill. It's a good feeling to know the bullet will go exactly where you place the crosshairs and you shoot within the range of your abilities. The equipment will only get you part of the way there.
 
More accurate is always better in a rifle, but it's the shooter that makes things happen (or not). Even a vanilla rifle that groups 2 MOA will fill the freezer forever in the hands of a skilled hunter and shooter. WAY more effort needs to go into the human element of bringing down the animal, than needs to go into tweaking a rifle. Don't confuse someone who shoots 3/4 inch on the bench under ideal conditions with being automatically a skilled hunter. I've seen sub moa shooters miss big game like nobody's business. I also know a couple of long time hunters who's shooting looks like crap on paper; I mean 3" groups off the bench a 100 yards, but in the field, when their guns go "bang", something dies. These are fellows who practice in all sorts of strange situations ( super close shots, super far shots, tired, cold, wet, hot, dry, uphill, downhill, over water, low light etc) and also do not get excited when they see their targets. They also know how to estimate range very well. These are the things that will bring home the game, much more than a $2k tackdriver.
 
I prefer MOA from the bench, but I can live with 1.5-2 MOA on Brush rifles ie 45/70,44mag, 30-30. Once I find a load that gives this kinda performance I leave the bench and shoot from field positions and want my rifles, and myself, to keep a full magazine on a paper plate at whatever range I intend to hunt with that rifle.
 
I'm with those who feel confidence knowing your rifle is shooting as best it can. Groups of the bench are what proves the rifles and your capability to use it and or load for it. Once you have it shooting the best it can there you can figger in the wiggle factor of offhand etc type field shooting and decide how far YOU are capable of using that rifle.
Here's what I carried confidently last fall. This group is with cheap old Hornady 300gr bullets out of a .375 H&H wearing a cheap old second hand $40 Tasco scope:eek:. Rembering to subtract the dia. of one of the rounds and you'll find this group to be 1/2 MOA or less. I feel confident taking that rifle anywhere. Hit 9" low at 300
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Here's something else to consider...

You spend your spring and summer getting your rifle tweaked, practice lots from bench, off-hand, prone, and from a knee because you want to be prepared for that one chance during a 2 week moose hunt (or what ever). You show up to camp with your hunting partners and eventually, the talk gets around to "how's your gun shooting?" The two guys with you say, "I hit a 5 gallon pail at 50 yards, I'm good!"

:eek::eek::eek:

So, how would you feel?

This happened to my father a couple of years ago, it was his brother and a friend of the brother. My dad put out a bottle at 100 yds and told my uncle to watch it in his scope because he was going to shoot the top off. Apparently, my uncle ridiculed him until my dad actually shot. Yep, only the top was shot of the bottle. My uncle was quite embarassed, my dad was sure pissed because all of our families were counting on the meat.
 
Icon said:
Here's something else to consider...

My uncle was quite embarassed, my dad was sure pissed because all of our families were counting on the meat.
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We usually split up a moose among 2-3 guys; the good news is the best shot is the only shooter and the guys who can barely hit paper at 100 yards are in charge of meals and dishes.
 
Icon said:
This happened to my father a couple of years ago, it was his brother and a friend of the brother. My dad put out a bottle at 100 yds and told my uncle to watch it in his scope because he was going to shoot the top off. Apparently, my uncle ridiculed him until my dad actually shot. Yep, only the top was shot of the bottle. My uncle was quite embarassed, my dad was sure pissed because all of our families were counting on the meat.
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If that was freehand, scoped or not it was a LUCKY shot!
 
Northman999 said:
We usually split up a moose among 2-3 guys; the good news is the best shot is the only shooter and the guys who can barely hit paper at 100 yards are in charge of meals and dishes.
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That's funny 'cause I tried that with my cousin. Only problem is he started cooking when he saw us in the distance heading back to camp. He sure had a good line up of empties though. :rolleyes:
 
I'm not into reloading yet, and as such my BAR looks pretty ugly on paper with many factory loads. It seems to mostly like Federal offerings, as they group down to about 2" on a good day, bigger if I'm off (and since I haven't done much shooting since November, I'm off). But, in the 10 years I've owned that gun, I've always filled my tags, and never had one get away wounded, although a couple have needed a second shot. To be honest, the furthest I've hit one though would still be inside 200yds. Most are about 75-100yds, on the run.
It and me are prolly not gonna win any competitions, but I'll never go hungry. But the zombies will.
 
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