Do hunters overthink accuracy

[catnthehatt]

This is likely a move committed by a seasoned hunter. A half minute rifle set up 3" high at a hundred will have a PBR somewhere between 300-400y. He knows he has a few inches grace on any given shot and isn't letting mechanical accuracy take any of that buffer. Now his buffer is available for atmopheric condition, less than ideal shooting position or a bad range estimate. I wouldn't be worried about that guy filling the freezer.

I always zero atv200 and check at 100 and 300 but am never worried if my rifle is not a 1/2 MOA shooter
I worry about how well I Can shoot.
Cat

 

[stubblejumper]

That's very true, but I know someone who missed opportunities, yes plural, on game because the field of view of their high magnification scope was too small to find the target in a cluttered background. I know someone who wounded game because in his overenthusiasm for accuracy, he chose match bullets rather than game bullets. I know someone who was unable to cover the ground he intended to, because he insisted that a sporter wasn't accurate enough for hunting, and lugged around a heavy barrel varmint rifle in tough country.

That was all a long time ago, and since that time I've learned not to "over-think" accuracy. Super accurate rifles, match ammo, and high magnification optics have their place in long range game shooting, but not for general big game hunting conducted under typical conditions. Accuracy should be viewed as a necessary element of field marksmanship, with the understanding that improvements in accuracy should not be made at the price of the hunting rifle's handling, the ease by which its target is acquired, or the terminal performance of its ammunition.

I was on a hunt where one hunter missed two shot opportunities, because he couldn't find elk in his scope at 30-40 yards, because his scope was adjusted to 9x each time. The guide finally adjusted the scope to 3x, and used electrical tape to secure it in place, but he didn't get another opportunity. However this was due to the hunter being clueless, it wasn't related to accuracy. As to using match bullets, another example of a hunter simply being clueless as to bullet selection. As to the heavy rifle, perhaps if the hunter had been in better condition, he would have been able to cover the terrain?

 

[NL-Hunter]

This is likely a move committed by a seasoned hunter. A half minute rifle set up 3" high at a hundred will have a PBR somewhere between 300-400y. He knows he has a few inches grace on any given shot and isn't letting mechanical accuracy take any of that buffer. Now his buffer is available for atmopheric condition, less than ideal shooting position or a bad range estimate. I wouldn't be worried about that guy filling the freezer.

Adrenaline and little time to get on game sometimes plays tricks with range estimation.

Only fire on game within your MPBR. Many scopes with built in range reticle are only reliable on full zoom. Have two, will not get another one. Great for target, not good when you have little time to adjust scope, find rest, find game in scope, estimate range and pull trigger.

 

[Boomer]

I was on a hunt where one hunter missed two shot opportunities, because he couldn't find elk in his scope at 30-40 yards, because his scope was adjusted to 9x each time. The guide finally adjusted the scope to 3x, and used electrical tape to secure it in place, but he didn't get another opportunity. However this was due to the hunter being clueless, it wasn't related to accuracy. As to using match bullets, another example of a hunter simply being clueless as to bullet selection. As to the heavy rifle, perhaps if the hunter had been in better condition, he would have been able to cover the terrain?

The point is that poor decision making becomes inevitable when accuracy, rather than suitability, becomes the primary consideration when selecting a big game rifle. High powered optics with fine reticles are frequently chosen by folks wanting to exploit every bit of accuracy their rifle is capable of. While a given scope does not make a rifle any more or less accurate, when chosen intelligently, it is what enables the shooter to see his target, and exploit his rifle's accuracy. Too much thinking about the accuracy needed to hit a target at a half mile, creates piss poor performance at 50 yards, because the rifle best suited for such shooting isn't much good for anything else.

 

[cam1936]

That's very true, but I know someone who missed opportunities, yes plural, on game because the field of view of their high magnification scope was too small to find the target in a cluttered background. I know someone who wounded game because in his overenthusiasm for accuracy, he chose match bullets rather than game bullets. I know someone who was unable to cover the ground he intended to, because he insisted that a sporter wasn't accurate enough for hunting, and lugged around a heavy barrel varmint rifle in tough country.

That was all a long time ago, and since that time I've learned not to "over-think" accuracy. Super accurate rifles, match ammo, and high magnification optics have their place in long range game shooting, but not for general big game hunting conducted under typical conditions. Accuracy should be viewed as a necessary element of field marksmanship, with the understanding that improvements in accuracy should not be made at the price of the hunting rifle's handling, the ease by which its target is acquired, or the terminal performance of its ammunition.

This reflects my feelings on the subject very well. Good post!

 

[cdn shooter]

We definitely hang out with a different hunting crowd, the only atmospheric conditions I'm concerned about it too many stinky men crammed in an outfitters tent away from the supervision of wives.
If yore calculating your point blank range, I suspect you've already over thought the game beyond putting the cross hairs behind the shoulder and pulling the trigger.

We probably just hunt different terrain. I'm not calculating mpbr. My rifles get set up with a 100y zero, I use a rangefinder and crank turrets for long shots. One of the spots I hunt usually has a 20-30kmh wind, if you don't pay attention to it you'll have a gut shot animal in no time.

And my go to rifle won't hold 1/2" either. Not that I don't wish it did, it's just not there.

 

[cdn shooter]

Adrenaline and little time to get on game sometimes plays tricks with range estimation.

Only fire on game within your MPBR. Many scopes with built in range reticle are only reliable on full zoom. Have two, will not get another one. Great for target, not good when you have little time to adjust scope, find rest, find game in scope, estimate range and pull trigger.

I never found a reticle that would work. One would have to really fluke out to get a reticle that perfectly matched the load your rifle likes. Then like you say, needs to be on a set power to be even close.

I'm sure we all try and setup for our hunt the best we possibly can. And as we encounter new presentations of game and get more experience our gear changes and gets refined. Rules for taking game also changes ones setup. As an example almost all bighorn in BC are for what is classed as a mature animal...past full curl. You spend so much time analyzing the animal that you also have enough time to run a kestral, crank a dial, range over and over with a rangefinder. And bringing an accurate rifle is pretty important too, not much chance of getting inside 100 yards on a group of 10 rams.

 

[Hitzy]

I tend to shoot my big game hunting rifles less then most of my other guns. Usually just to check the cold bore zero, and occasionally I'll put a second round through it to simulate a quick follow-up shot. I rarely clean the bores either, usually once after hunting season, and always recheck after a cleaning. Always use the same loads I zero with....20 rounds lasts me 4-5 years in these guns lol.

 

[j_06]

That's all fine and good depending on the muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient of your bullet. If your actual muzzle velocity is 2600 fps, and your G-7 is .207, where would you aim at say a 75 yard pronghorn (or perhaps in your case, a mountain goat) quartering away?

You don't improve your horizontal dispersion by using a long zero range. IMHO, a practical zero range is 150-250 yards depending on the velocity and slipperiness of the bullet, then if you intend to shoot out beyond a quarter mile, put a reticle in your scope that provides hold-offs for drop and windage out to the maximum range you intend to shoot. One of the Horus Christmas tree reticles is the answer once you've become familiar with their use, allowing precise aimed fire at targets both near and far, in still conditions and wind, without cranking on the turrets . . . once you understand the math that is, and carry a Kestral, whose screen you may or maynot be able to see in any given light conditions, and a laser range finder, that may or maynot reflect off the target.

Im fully aware horizontal doesn't improve with a mpbr zero, If i implied that I didn't mean too. My load work up takes care of that, and is quite fun and rewarding to wring out any last bit of accuracy I can, I know I need all the help I can get. I read it as why bother getting to 1/2 Moa if your going to use a mpr zero. My 30-06 is zeroed at 250, putting me 3" high at 100 and 4" low at 300. If I seen a prong horn at 75 i aim for his belly,250 right at him 300 for his back. I have my hunting rifles zeroed this way so I'm gonna hit no less than 3" higher than where in aiming if somethings close enough to see facial features. I only have one scoped rifle and 99% of my hunting is under 100 yards with aperture sights so it's all moot for me anyway, the 1/2 Moa stuffs just because I like hand loading and it gives me an excuse to get away from the to-do lists.