Could it shoot 1" at 200 yrds?????
- Thread starter CROWCA
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Now that is an interesting statement. A rifle that displays exceptional accuracy certainly is a confidence booster, but the chances that one can shoot better than MOA in the field, on demand, on live targets, is not realistic IMHO. Personally I struggle to shoot 2 MOA on demand under field conditions, and I consider myself a competent if unremarkable rifle shot, and several of my rifles are better than MOA, a couple of them are much better. But under field conditions I can't make use of the difference. What matters is not how tight a hunting rifle groups, what matters is how close you can place your first cold barrel shot on a target at an unknown range. If the first shot always shoots to your point of aim, and the following 4 rounds group into 4" it doesn't really matter because one does not ordinarily shoot groups on game.
In a coyote you have a broadside target with a kill zone of approximately 6" high by 10" long. Face on that target is perhaps 6" wide and up to a foot high. A 2 MOA rifle is certainly accurate enough to hit such a large stationary target, but as you know, when the target is a coyote it is seldom stationary for more than a moment. That means your shot must be made quickly, and when shooting under time pressure at a target that could move at any moment, sub MOA accuracy won't come into play.
In the field, you do not have range markers or wind flags, so it is possible that your range estimation could be off by 10%, unless you are very knowledgeable about the area you hunt and have pre-ranged the land marks within your field of view. If you find that the target angle faces into a quartering wind, that poses another problem, and shooting across the wind has been a marksmanship problem since the first time powder was burned behind a round ball.
The fact that you are interested in a semi-auto reinforces the idea that sub MOA accuracy isn't the issue you need to address. It seems to suggest that you are interested in the ability to make a very fast follow up shot on a target that is now in flight, and minute of coyote is much larger than MOA. But gas guns come with a disadvantage, unless you spend the coin to get a very special one. Sure you can tweak your load so that the rifle is very accurate, but the trigger will not allow you to make use of that accuracy. There lies another example of the difference between intrinsic accuracy you can't use and practical accuracy you can.
I don't know that half MOA at 200 can be achieved every day of the week. My Dad has an older model BAR in 243, and I was able to get him to 1/2 MOA at 100, and 3/4 MOA at 200, but beyond that the groups begin to open up.
In short, from what I have worked with for Dad, it can be done on a good day, but not everyday.
In short, from what I have worked with for Dad, it can be done on a good day, but not everyday.
Every shot is different,not many are standing still,there are many factors as you are aware that need to be calculated in a instant to hit a coyote on the move.The follow up shot would be nice( with a semi in most situations),but a gun that can only hit a 4" circle at 200 yrs is no good.
A small coyote could be 6 to 8" and if you missed by four inches you could miss based only on the poor accuracy of the weapon.
A small coyote could be 6 to 8" and if you missed by four inches you could miss based only on the poor accuracy of the weapon.
I've shot coyotes very successfully running, sitting, pooping (yep
),laying down, walking away, all with a BLR in 22-250 that shot 3" groups at 200yds. And all the way out to 450yds. You don't need a benchgun to shoot coyotes.
I've shot coyotes very successfully running, sitting, pooping (yep
I'd bet that BLR would even do better than 1.5 moa. I was getting an inch out of my BLR 358. (with handloads)
And to add to this thread with some "real world" experience my Carl Gustaf Var/Tar 22-250 shoots .5 moa with handloads...when, and only when, the moon and venus are aligned. As someone already said there are so many variables to get inside an inch at 200 yards (like a mere 10 degree temp change...rounds kept in your pocket or in your pack ect...ect...) it is an interesting topic but I agree the yote won't know the difference.
juanvaldez
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Sudbury, Ontario
From a vice with a remote trigger on an indoor range with match ammo maybe if you rebarrel with a take-off savage or stevens
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
