Is The Stated MOA Of Your Rifle Like A Good Fish Story?

[WhelanLad]

Yeahhhhp.... fair bitta exaggeration i rekon

 

[Dogleg]

It depends on what circles you travel in, and the uses you put it to. For some people MOA is a delusional fantasy. For others its a candidate for rebarrelling.

 

[-Savage-]

I agree with comments above. In regards to accuracy, the shooter is at least as important a factor (usually more so) than the gun. I give a real-life example:

At our local rifle range, after my friends and I work to get 1 inch groups in paper at 100 yds with our rifles, we have fun shooting at the 18 inch steel gong at 300 yds. Most days, we have no problem hitting the gong with our rifles, even with iron sights. So we felt pretty good about our accuracy, until one day about a month ago .. when a young man, from a standing position, hit the 300 yd gong easily with his Ruger .44 magnum revolver! He did not even seem surprised. So, I just had to ask him how he achieved that level of accuracy. He casually replied: "I've been practicing shooting golf balls at 100 yds with this revolver for a couple of years .. and now I can hit 8 out of 10".

 

[track]

Fire forming brass.
6.5x284 Norma
140 grain Nosler CC
15,000 Jump
COL 3.007"
100 meters (110 yards)
Oblique winds
Heavy snow

Would you believe that I was shooting in this?

 

[cdn1canhunt]

Quite honestly the key to a good hunting rig is consistancy and knowing one ablities from real life shooting positions. Laying across a bench off sand bags doesn't help a whole lot when a buck jumps up from the fence row your walking down to climb into your treestand, staring at you at 150yrds. Your ability to fire offhand and keep the bullet in the kill zone is the true equlizer of accuracy! The only comfort that is provided by benchrest shooting is knowing that your gun is up to the challenge over and over again. The big question is......... if you are up to it??????

IMHO that's what I define as "THE MINUTE/MOMENT OF ACCURACY" because when you hunt you usually only get a "MOMENT TO BE ACCURATE"

Benchrest shooting is fun but it really ain't worth a squirt of donkey urine if you don't practice real life hunting situations!

 

[oldfart]

I agree with comments above. In regards to accuracy, the shooter is at least as important a factor (usually more so) than the gun. I give a real-life example:

At our local rifle range, after my friends and I work to get 1 inch groups in paper at 100 yds with our rifles, we have fun shooting at the 18 inch steel gong at 300 yds. Most days, we have no problem hitting the gong with our rifles, even with iron sights. So we felt pretty good about our accuracy, until one day about a month ago .. when a young man, from a standing position, hit the 300 yd gong easily with his Ruger .44 magnum revolver! He did not even seem surprised. So, I just had to ask him how he achieved that level of accuracy. He casually replied: "I've been practicing shooting golf balls at 100 yds with this revolver for a couple of years .. and now I can hit 8 out of 10".

Now thats a really big fish

 

[cdn1canhunt]

Might be a "big fish" but if we all took the time to "ring the gong" offhand at 100yrds we"d all be better shots

 

[tylerjwitty]

moa is lovely

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

If you can print nice groups off a bench then it is a bonus in the confidence department.

Confidence is your biggest factor when making shots in the field.If you don't know where your rifle is shooting, well that is the first negative on a long snowball effect when you miss game, in any shooting position.

If you know you are bang on @ 200 yards and making a 2" group off the bench, the last thing on your mind when you pull the trigger will be if your rifle is sighted in.

Don't worry I am confident in my abilities and equipment, a washing machine @ 100 yards don't stand a chance, bench or off hand shooting!!

 

[Dogleg]

Shooting small groups at close range may install confidence, but it may be a false confidence. Keeping them close together in varying wind is another thing, knowing the trajectory is another, and placeing the first shot in the middle is still another.

Set out kill zone size targets at varied distances and shoot them from field positions in varying conditions. Its the difference between thinking you can do something and knowing you can.

The ability to breath, squeeze and zero a rifle is something, but its only kindergarten as far as shooting goes.

 

[Brutus]

I have two deer hunting rifles capable of this for very short durations of time.

Let me explain: My Voere 2185 semi-auto rifle is a 1 MOA shooter until the barrel heats up. After three rounds of Federal 125 grain SPs in 30-06 calibre in quick succession, then that's it until the barrel heat is gone. With barrel still hot it strings groups vertically.
I also have a 1956 made Winchester Carbine in 30-30 that does much the same after five shots in a short time frame. Then it must cool down completely, as it strings groups also vertically, much like my 30-06 Voere.

Now I have a Remington M788 in .222 Remington that is a true half MOA shooter with several different handloads and a Leupold 6x42mm M8 scope. It can maintain this for quite a number of shots. But exactly how many, I do not know.
But comparing this varmint calibre rifle, to my previous mentioned deer rifles is quite a bit unfair IMO.

I would mention my Wichita 1375 actioned rifle with Krieger barrel, but this is Hunting Rifles we are talking about here right?

 

[tylerjwitty]

a 10 shot group fired in rather quick fashion is a truthful way of telling what a barrel is capable of

 

[track]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwca7EZHz0M
Here is a Mexican I guided where he made a 300 yard shot in heavy snow. I guess that's what some of you guys are talking about when it comes down to the nitty gritty of shooting/hunting.........I think.

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

I agree with ya , but there are too many folks(many I know) that throw a scope on get bore sighted at the retailer and go hunting, then leg shoot moose and gut shoot deer."Kelly, I missed again!", "Did you sight in on a target?" "Well no, but it's good enough", like WTF???

Maybe we need a hunting/shooting test as they do in Europe before issuing a license.For the ones that can't hit washing machines of course.

Shooting small groups at close range may install confidence, but it may be a false confidence. Keeping them close together in varying wind is another thing, knowing the trajectory is another, and placeing the first shot in the middle is still another.

Set out kill zone size targets at varied distances and shoot them from field positions in varying conditions. Its the difference between thinking you can do something and knowing you can.

The ability to breath, squeeze and zero a rifle is something, but its only kindergarten as far as shooting goes.

 

[broadhead67]

what would be the best rifle for washing machine deffense?

 

[tylerjwitty]

the doors are mighty vicious, perhaps a scattergun would be the best option at this point

 

[oldfart]

Might be a "big fish" but if we all took the time to "ring the gong" offhand at 100yrds we"d all be better shots

You obviously didn't understand my comment. I was refering to offhand shooting with a 44 revelvor at 300 yards.

 

[jethunter]

I don't shoot MOAs any more, because there is not much meat on them and they taste bad anyway. LOL

Most people don't even know what real the real MOA measurement is, let alone shoot it consistantly.

 

[Dogleg]

a 10 shot group fired in rather quick fashion is a truthful way of telling what a barrel is capable of

And for an F-Class or gopher rifle it even means something. For a hunter how a rifle groups 10 after 2 sighters doesn't amount to much.

 

[cdn1canhunt]

No I get it... fish story a revolver at 300yrds....but the point of the comment is correct. Practice the way you gonna use the firearm is more valuable than little tiny groups from supported shooting positions.