Hunting Accuracy?

[708fan]

I thought I’d spice things up before hunting season. My .308 M70 and ammo has been in the closet for four years. Leupold 3.5-10. It got a McMillan fiberglass after I tripped on the original. Nosler 708 brass necked up to 308. WW primer and enough R15 to get 300 Savage velocity, 2650 with 150 Speer Hot Cors. JBM wasn’t working so the 400yrd sighters were low and 500 high. First guess at 600 was good so I let four more go quick as I could, 13 inch group.
Out the truck window knuckles on the mirror elbow on the wheel. Lol.
Good luck this fall.

 

[Dogleg]

Should work.

 

[Mr Bill]

I thought I’d spice things up before hunting season. My .308 M70 and ammo has been in the closet for four years. Leupold 3.5-10. It got a McMillan fiberglass after I tripped on the original. Nosler 708 brass necked up to 308. WW primer and enough R15 to get 300 Savage velocity, 2650 with 150 Speer Hot Cors. JBM wasn’t working so the 400yrd sighters were low and 500 high. First guess at 600 was good so I let four more go quick as I could, 13 inch group.
Out the truck window knuckles on the mirror elbow on the wheel. Lol.
Good luck this fall. View attachment 1018201

Nice shooting with ‘elbows up’… your trophy should be easy to grill medium rare and is already plated….

 

[PSE]

Why don't you bench it at 100 yds and fire a 10 round group very carefully just to see see what it can really do with the load you're using.

After that carefully zero it at 200 yds with 5 round groups and you'll be confident and ready for the season.

 

[jjohnwm]

Well, ma

Why don't you bench it at 100 yds and fire a 10 round group very carefully just to see see what it can really do with the load you're using.

Well...maybe he's planning to hunt that way, i.e. "Out the truck window knuckles on the mirror elbow on the wheel". That would make this the perfect way to test performance and practice.

 

[PSE]

Well, ma


Well...maybe he's planning to hunt that way, i.e. "Out the truck window knuckles on the mirror elbow on the wheel". That would make this the perfect way to test performance and practice.

That's what I'm afraid of.

 

[jjohnwm]

That's what I'm afraid of.

I'm not. I was totally kidding around, and hope the OP realizes it.

For a hunting rifle, finding out "what it does" when shooting ten-round groups is something I would never do; how does firing a slow, careful 10-round group relate to hunting? Much more useful to know what the shooter can make it do with 3 rounds from field (or roadside...) positions in a limited time frame.

Lots of guys can produce a nice round little 10-shot group from the bench because that's what they practice...and can't hit a deer offhand at 75 yards because they never practice that.

 

[bearhunter]

I'm not. I was totally kidding around, and hope the OP realizes it.

For a hunting rifle, finding out "what it does" when shooting ten-round groups is something I would never do; how does firing a slow, careful 10-round group relate to hunting? Much more useful to know what the shooter can make it do with 3 rounds from field (or roadside...) positions in a limited time frame.

I agree, it's unrealistic to expect a rifle intended for hunting anything, other than gophers, to need or be able to maintain acceptable ten round groups.

The only issues I have with the OP's post are "IF" he intends to shoot out of the truck window, and the ranges he's willing to shoot.

An eight to ten inch group at 400 yds, more often than not going to be a gut shot or wounded animal getting away to die a horrible death.

 

[PSE]

I'm not. I was totally kidding around, and hope the OP realizes it.

For a hunting rifle, finding out "what it does" when shooting ten-round groups is something I would never do; how does firing a slow, careful 10-round group relate to hunting? Much more useful to know what the shooter can make it do with 3 rounds from field (or roadside...) positions in a limited time frame.

It's called statistics and probability.

10 rounds is usually considered a high enough sample size to determine exactly where your gun is likely to place the bullet at any given time on demand (accuracy) and also give you a very good idea as to how tight a group the rifle, ammo and shooter can repeatedly achieve (precision). This is what shooters (and hunters) who are serious about precision and accuracy try to do as it gives them a very good idea as to how far they can do an ethical shot on big game.

Not quite the same as rapidly shooting out the truck I know.

I realize this is going to be like barking at the moon but since you asked.

For more and better info I would recommend Hornady podcast "Your groups are too small"

 

[708fan]

I seldom shoot deer over two hundred. Sometimes it’s good to have a little fun and highlight what not to do with so many new members and hunters here. This is my offhand plate load. Was at 550 last time out, this was to confirm what I have left for wiggle room at 6.

 

[PSE]

I seldom shoot deer over two hundred. Sometimes it’s good to have a little fun and highlight what not to do with so many new members and hunters here. This is my offhand plate load. Was at 550 last time out, this was to confirm what I have left for wiggle room at 6.

Nothing wrong with having a little fun and shooting at different positions including off hand and sitting under time constraints. I do that as well (although I admit I don't practice out of my truck window - I'm sure Sask hunting regs are similar to Alta regs regarding that method of hunting)

It sounds like you are running a pretty decent rig and since its been in storage for a while and you want to take it out hunting this fall, it's important to take it out and put some rounds through it pre season and learn all about it.

For an investment of 20 rounds or so the protocol I've suggested will leave you confident that your rifle will shoot the way you want it to when the moment of truth comes. Too many hunters wang away at a tree or rock for a couple of rounds and manage to hit it somewhere and then pronounce it good. There is a better way.

Good luck this fall - you'll do well.

 

[Mik123]

Good to go. At 200 yards minute of pie plate is more than adequate.

 

[WhelanLad]

i do similiar, yes i develop a load on the table and shoot a few 3 shot groups-
after that, (sub 1.5 inch groups) i will more often shoot off my backpack on gongs to imitate the field situation..... i do not stand up an shoot past 200 meters free hand. ill always have some kind of lean / rest most of the time my backpack on the ground an i lay behind.

this is how i shoot gongs to 400m , field ready

 

[stubblejumper]

Well, ma


Well...maybe he's planning to hunt that way, i.e. "Out the truck window knuckles on the mirror elbow on the wheel". That would make this the perfect way to test performance and practice.

I wouldn't even post about shooting from a motor vehicle these days, given that it violates many provincial regulations , as well as federal legislation.

 

[jjohnwm]

I wouldn't even post about shooting from a motor vehicle these days, given that it violates many provincial regulations , as well as federal legislation.

I know we're Canadians...I know that we are legally required to be scared of our own shadows...but are we at the point where a sarcastic joking comment has now been banned by OIC?

I've been schooled about the need for 10-shot groups so that I really know what my lightweight hunting rifle is capable of; actually, I know that it's capable of heating up the barrel so much that the correlation to hunting accuracy is non-existent. And now I realize that what I thought was an obvious joke is actually endangering my freedom as the black helicopters close in on me. How's the internet service in The Big House? Or will I simply be made to disappear?

Thanks, guys, I'll try to be more careful. It's all grim-faced maximum-efficiency totally-serious work from here on in, no more smiling for me. Cheers!

Oops, sorry, that was the last one, I swear...

 

[Bustercluck]

I know we're Canadians...I know that we are legally required to be scared of our own shadows...but are we at the point where a sarcastic joking comment has now been banned by OIC?

I've been schooled about the need for 10-shot groups so that I really know what my lightweight hunting rifle is capable of; actually, I know that it's capable of heating up the barrel so much that the correlation to hunting accuracy is non-existent. And now I realize that what I thought was an obvious joke is actually endangering my freedom as the black helicopters close in on me. How's the internet service in The Big House? Or will I simply be made to disappear?

Thanks, guys, I'll try to be more careful. It's all grim-faced maximum-efficiency totally-serious work from here on in, no more smiling for me. Cheers!

Oops, sorry, that was the last one, I swear...

I think we need a first round hit milk jug challenge thread.

 

[stubblejumper]

I know we're Canadians...I know that we are legally required to be scared of our own shadows...but are we at the point where a sarcastic joking comment has now been banned by OIC?

I've been schooled about the need for 10-shot groups so that I really know what my lightweight hunting rifle is capable of; actually, I know that it's capable of heating up the barrel so much that the correlation to hunting accuracy is non-existent. And now I realize that what I thought was an obvious joke is actually endangering my freedom as the black helicopters close in on me. How's the internet service in The Big House? Or will I simply be made to disappear?

Thanks, guys, I'll try to be more careful. It's all grim-faced maximum-efficiency totally-serious work from here on in, no more smiling for me. Cheers!

Oops, sorry, that was the last one, I swear...

The point being, that while many of us have sighted in a rifle over the hood of a rifle, or out of the box of a pickup, the antis are always looking to portray firearms owners as irresponsible lawbreakers, so why give them any excuse to use what we post to do that?

 

[bunny]

Minute of deer still kills the deer!

 

[blakeyboy]

Man I chased .2 mil around frustratingly trying to figure out why ballistics programming wasn’t lining up to impacts at 600. Turns out it was my zero that was out. 3 rounds not enough to encapsulate true center of cone of dispersion for a given load in given barrel. Soon as I verified cone with 10 shots had my answer instantly. Now things line up all the way out. Minimum would be 5 shots per check and then check again with another 5 lol.

Good shooting op!

 

[bearhunter]

It's called statistics and probability.

10 rounds is usually considered a high enough sample size to determine exactly where your gun is likely to place the bullet at any given time on demand (accuracy) and also give you a very good idea as to how tight a group the rifle, ammo and shooter can repeatedly achieve (precision). This is what shooters (and hunters) who are serious about precision and accuracy try to do as it gives them a very good idea as to how far they can do an ethical shot on big game.

Not quite the same as rapidly shooting out the truck I know.

I realize this is going to be like barking at the moon but since you asked.

For more and better info I would recommend Hornady podcast "Your groups are too small"

It may be accepted if you're shooting a match, but it certainly doesn't indicate where a rifle will place shots under hunting conditions, especially big game rifles. Fine for gophers though.

The only shots that count when you're hunting game bigger than bunnies are the first, second, if needed and maybe a third shot, which usually means you missed the first two. All of this from a "COLD BARREL"

Hunting rifles, for the most part, are not heat treated or designed to shoot that many rounds in a string.

When shooting a barrel that has been sighted for ten shot strings, which shots do you use to dial in your zero?

I run into people regularly, shooting "ladders" watching their bullets walk all over the target as their barrels head up, and adjusting their scopes to the point of impact their rifles harmonics have finally settled down to, at much higher temperatures than they will ever shoot a Deer at.

Any good hunting rifle should have its zero set for the first shot from a cold, fouled barrel. The second shot will be very close, and a third if needed, will be close enough as well. After the third shot, many rifles start opening up the groups they will shoot.

I have one rifle, with a very expensive after market barrel, which has been specially heat treated, after purchase, before being installed, to shoot acceptable groups of ten rounds. It cost a lot of money and time to get that barrel.

I won't say there aren't "unicorns" out there capable of shooting good groups under such conditions, there are, but they're jewels, and few and far between.