Does accuracy matter?

Dogleg

Dogleg

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In the spirit of "Does cartridge matter", does accuracy matter? Apparently the average range is 100 yards or less, game animals are big and dead is dead. There's nothing between dead and missed so no worries there.
A 6 MOA rifle will keep them in the kill zone to 200, maybe a bit more. (If you do your part) You should be able to get 6 MOA with your bullets seated upside down. I'm thinking a Nosler Partition would make a nice wadcutter with a long boat-tail, satisfying any legal soft-point requirements.
The "average shooter" couldn't prove that his rifle was shooting minute of hubcap from field positions, so why bother? I shudder to think of how much time has been wasted on this accuracy thing.
 
Of course accuracy matters. How else am I gonna kill pop can sized varmints out to 500 yds?

What doesn't seem to matter to the average big game hunter is any skill at marksmanship. I have seen some truly horrible shooting at very short ranges in the leadup to hunting season. But then I guess thats what happens when they only shoot 5 rounds a year.
 
Speak for yourself withthe "minute of hubcap" ability.lol. If the average shooter can't do better than that they best not be shooting at game.

Lots of us out there are very accurate field shooters in varying positions including off hand/standing.

So yes, accuracy matters when you want to hit an antelopes heart at longer range
 
Accuracy does matter. An accurate rifle takes one of the negative factors out of the formula. If you have a 6 moa rifle, and a shooter who, at best can only hold inside of 6 moa, you now have a potential spread of 12 moa. The same shooter with a moa rifle is only at 7 moa. For the vast majority of hunters who never see shots outside of 200 - 250 yards, 2 moa accuracy is adequate. For the guy who practices and can use the potential of a moa or less rifle, shots out to 500+ are well within reason. Regards, Eagleye.
 
I believe there are 3 things of equal importance to cleanly taking game
1. shot placement
2. penetration
3. wound channel volume
If any of the above 3 is lacking then the shooter/rifle/cartridge/bullet is not performing adequately.
 
I truly hope that the person starting this thread started as a joke. If not please let me know where and when you are hunting so I can make sure I am a long way away from that area. I have taken many big game animals in over 40 years of hunting. I take great pride in the fact that I can count on one hand the number of times that I took more that one shot to take my pray. I take hunting very serious and have fired thousands of round at the range to insure that I can hit what I shoot at. Any one that considers a 6" group at 100 yards is good enough is not a hunter but an idiot with a gun that bought a hunting licence. Please stay out of the woods and go play some zombie killing video game or something.
 
odd6hunter said:
I truly hope that the person starting this thread started as a joke. If not please let me know where and when you are hunting so I can make sure I am a long way away from that area. I have taken many big game animals in over 40 years of hunting. I take great pride in the fact that I can count on one hand the number of times that I took more that one shot to take my pray. I take hunting very serious and have fired thousands of round at the range to insure that I can hit what I shoot at. Any one that considers a 6" group at 100 yards is good enough is not a hunter but an idiot with a gun that bought a hunting licence. Please stay out of the woods and go play some zombie killing video game or something.
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I beg to differ, in my experience that is well within a kill shot.
The last five years deer hunting 5 deer, 5 shots fired.
1 400yrd, .270 1 shot dropped like a sack of potatoes.
4 deer 1 shot each with a SKS dropped like a sack also but these all were 35 to 75yrds out.
What bugs the hell out of me is guys who think they can shoot out to 500yrds then wound the damn animal and take 4 shots to finish the damn thing and in the mean time take two of their four legs out. Or a gut shot and then have to track the thing for 1-2 hrs.
Both of these times a hunter who sure as hell can hit a Loonie at 300 yrds with his high powered scope at the range everytime but then shoots at a running deer and the results are above. That pisses me off.
 
I think I get your point, maybe not. Its all well and good to seek an accurate hunting rifle but it don't matter a jot if you don't practice in field positions? I think there is a good bit of truth in that. One of the hard things about shooting is controlling your emotions when the quarry presents itself.
I still get excited, like every day is opening day when hunting ducks.

I don't know how you prepare for that though.
 
Hunting accuracy needs to be defined. Putting the first shot within 2" of your point of aim is much more important than the size of any 3, 5 or 10 shot group. Accuracy is important but it ends at placing a bullet properly for a clean kill shot. ### MOA groups don't mean much.

I think most of us should take a rifle to the range put up a 4" dot and try 1 shot fired offhand. No rests, no bench, no taking a knee...Be honest did you hit within the dot?
Likely you will find your super accurate under 1 moa rifle turns to a 4moa rifle real quick. From most range shooting I have seen, 4moa would be very generous. A bullet inside the dot is a clean kill, and if you didn't get within a 6" circle you better practice a bunch more.
 
you also need to take into account the TERRAIN where you'll be hunting- if it's bald ass prairie and you're after speed goat, or mountain to mountain, or valley, you're darned right ACCURACY MATTERS-some animals i swear have super hearing and sight and you'll be lucky to get within 300 yards- that ALL changes when you're on horseback- they see and smell horse, not you
 
Accuracy isn't really an issue IMHO.
Doesn't EVERYONE on the www shoot 1/2" groups ALL DAY LONG?;)

I like to think I'm a fairly reasonable shot. I probably go to the range 3 times a week in the summer and 2x a week in the winter.
It helps that it's a 5k drive.:D

I've got a bunch of guns that will shoot 1/2" groups fairly often, but not all day long.

Does accuracy matter?
In the real world I think maybe. A 6 MOA rifle would be fine if you kept your shots at 100m or less.

On the www it doesn't matter because more 1/2" groups are shot with keyboards than rifles.:p
 
Accuracy must be taken in context with the size of the target and the conditions under which the shot is taken. Certainly a popcan sized varmint at 500 yards requires a higher level of accuracy and marksmanship than does a moose at 50 yards. If the hunter can always put his bullet within a 6" circle, no shot will ever be more than 3" from his intended point if impact. There's not much wrong with that level of accuracy on a 12" target. It also provides an index for the hunter to determine his maximum range. If he can hold 6" at 800 yards, then that is the longest shot he can ethically take. But if the best he can do is hold 6" at 50 yards, any shot beyond that range is unethical for him to take. If the hunter can stay within 6" or for that matter 8" on demand under any condition he will encounter within the range limitations of his cartridge and his own ability, he is not only a fine marksman, but also an ethical hunter. Anyone who thinks this is insufficient hasn't tried it. So get off the bench, and try shooting off your hind legs or from supported field positions.
 
http://1m1f.com/video/CXrmLPo3Jkw/At-the-shooting-range-from-Lethal-Weapon-movie.html

Like this but 100 yards away with a rifle??

I did It at 300 standing but didn't wanna post the picture , figured it would be bragging.:p







LongBomber said:
Hunting accuracy needs to be defined. Putting the first shot within 2" of your point of aim is much more important than the size of any 3, 5 or 10 shot group. Accuracy is important but it ends at placing a bullet properly for a clean kill shot. ### MOA groups don't mean much.

I think most of us should take a rifle to the range put up a 4" dot and try 1 shot fired offhand. No rests, no bench, no taking a knee...Be honest did you hit within the dot?
Likely you will find your super accurate under 1 moa rifle turns to a 4moa rifle real quick. From most range shooting I have seen, 4moa would be very generous. A bullet inside the dot is a clean kill, and if you didn't get within a 6" circle you better practice a bunch more.
Click to expand...
 
Pickles said:
Accuracy isn't really an issue IMHO.
Doesn't EVERYONE on the www shoot 1/2" groups ALL DAY LONG?;)

I like to think I'm a fairly reasonable shot. I probably go to the range 3 times a week in the summer and 2x a week in the winter.
It helps that it's a 5k drive.:D

I've got a bunch of guns that will shoot 1/2" groups fairly often, but not all day long.

Does accuracy matter?
In the real world I think maybe. A 6 MOA rifle would be fine if you kept your shots at 100m or less.

On the www it doesn't matter because more 1/2" groups are shot with keyboards than rifles.:p
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Im glad someone can shot 1/2 moa all day long, I cant, but I can place my shots within my range and skillset with the rifle of choice and its limitations and more important my limitations.
Just because you can shoot paper really well with a kick ass rifle does not equate being able to do it in the field.
Practice does help but sometimes for some it goes right out the window.
 
Any one that considers a 6" group at 100 yards is good enough is not a hunter but an idiot with a gun that bought a hunting licence.
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Under what circumstances? If you can do that from offhand, there's no shame in that. What about shotgun slugs used within 100 yards? They often have similar accuracy.

Far too many people spend too much time shooting off a bench and never practicing field positions. A competent shot with a mediocre rifle who knows its capabilites is far ahead of someone with a 0.5 MOA rifle who has only ever shot it off the bench to zero it.
 
Sure accuracy matters, but these days it's maybe taken to silly extremes (guilty:p)

I recall reading JOC talking about "very accurate rifles" and he was describing 2MOA accuracy. I think most hunters that shoot under 300 yards wouldn't be underarmed with a 2MOA rifle. Not that I would be happy with it, but heck, I can't even hit a moose properly with a sub MOA rifle.;)
 
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