Hunting Accuracy?
- Thread starter 708fan
- Start date
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
I think you’re good as long as you hit a piece of fur with a cannon like that!Hunting accuracy for me? 1 MOA will do. Then I set 100m POI about 1" high, check 200m POI then check 100m off hand accuracy. This rifle is ready to go.
Must’ve been a hell of a wind on that second target.
The tighter your groups are @ 100, the tighter the groups will be at longer ranges 
Now, put that rifle on your shoulder, aiming & breathing etc. and your groups spread out ... thus, shoot the tighest loads in your rifle ... and don't accept anything less.
If you can at least meet or get to .5 moa off the bench in your loads, you will do just fine
If you reload, why would you accept more?
Factory: if you can get 1" or less all the better
Now, put that rifle on your shoulder, aiming & breathing etc. and your groups spread out ... thus, shoot the tighest loads in your rifle ... and don't accept anything less.If you can at least meet or get to .5 moa off the bench in your loads, you will do just fine
If you reload, why would you accept more?
Factory: if you can get 1" or less all the better
Hunting rifle accuracy requirements and techniques for same are getting stupid. Cone head comes to mind.
Give me a 1” - 1.5” rifle the feeds EVERY time. That ejects EVERY time. That maintains zero EVERY time. That can be loaded from across the room. That has nothing encumbering the loading port. With a scope mounted as low to the bore line as possible. And I’ll be fine out to 500 yards. EVERY time.
Give me a 1” - 1.5” rifle the feeds EVERY time. That ejects EVERY time. That maintains zero EVERY time. That can be loaded from across the room. That has nothing encumbering the loading port. With a scope mounted as low to the bore line as possible. And I’ll be fine out to 500 yards. EVERY time.
I think most here myself included, over think the accuracy needed, but I also think that's a good thing. 20 years ago seen a couple of guys I know from school out at the pit shooting a standard 12"x12" target at 100yds. First 3 shots were, 7" high, bottom right corner, far left side, quite literally a 12"+group, then they started cranking the scope this way and that,,, a box and a half later no obvious change and definitely no improvement thay call it a day. He lives down the road a couple of kilometers and I know he gets something just about every year.
Since the OP titled this thread as "Hunting Accuracy", I'll stick to that.
I load for hunting loads and accuracy for hunting. And I'll take accuracy over velocity. But if I can get both, even better!
For my bolt actions, I prefer a 1 MOA standard for a 3 shot group. In my early years, I practiced the 5 shot groups, but I only had and loaded for one rifle back then. (I want to do this for my 204 Ruger, as I hope to get to do some gopher hunting in the future when I travel south for antelope hunting.)
For my lever actions, while I still prefer a 1 MOA standard, but 1.5 MOA is totally acceptable. But this is my standard, meant for me.
In truth, as my average shot distance on game over the past 38 years is just 132 yards, I do not "need" this level of accuracy, but it is sure nice to have when a longer shot may be presented, such as the handful of shots take at more than 350 yards over that time span.
If I want to practice and just shoot for fun, and from improvised positions that will replicate hunting positions that may be used in the field, this adds to my skill development and my ability to work on consistent shooting form. And I am really liking shooting off of the sticks! I have used the tripod Trigger Stick for a number of years now, and am really liking to Bog DeathGrip.
Some years I have more time to spend at the range, and some years not as much as I would like. (I have been known to shoot 500-700 rounds a year through some rifles! I enjoy ringing steel at 300 to 500 yards as much as anyone. And I need to spend more time shooting the 22LR for fun! And I am still working towards getting the Bergara B14R LH Trainer tuned up out to 200 or 300 yards.)
And I like to verify my rifles before the hunting season, or before a hunt with the rifle planned to be used.
This just breeds confidence, and competence, in both me, and the rifle/ammo combo, and to me this is even more important.
For those who practice shooting differently; this is just fine, as it works for them!
Whether it be 5 shot groups, 10, or 30.
Whatever your preference, have fun!
I load for hunting loads and accuracy for hunting. And I'll take accuracy over velocity. But if I can get both, even better!
For my bolt actions, I prefer a 1 MOA standard for a 3 shot group. In my early years, I practiced the 5 shot groups, but I only had and loaded for one rifle back then. (I want to do this for my 204 Ruger, as I hope to get to do some gopher hunting in the future when I travel south for antelope hunting.)
For my lever actions, while I still prefer a 1 MOA standard, but 1.5 MOA is totally acceptable. But this is my standard, meant for me.
In truth, as my average shot distance on game over the past 38 years is just 132 yards, I do not "need" this level of accuracy, but it is sure nice to have when a longer shot may be presented, such as the handful of shots take at more than 350 yards over that time span.
If I want to practice and just shoot for fun, and from improvised positions that will replicate hunting positions that may be used in the field, this adds to my skill development and my ability to work on consistent shooting form. And I am really liking shooting off of the sticks! I have used the tripod Trigger Stick for a number of years now, and am really liking to Bog DeathGrip.
Some years I have more time to spend at the range, and some years not as much as I would like. (I have been known to shoot 500-700 rounds a year through some rifles! I enjoy ringing steel at 300 to 500 yards as much as anyone. And I need to spend more time shooting the 22LR for fun! And I am still working towards getting the Bergara B14R LH Trainer tuned up out to 200 or 300 yards.)
And I like to verify my rifles before the hunting season, or before a hunt with the rifle planned to be used.
This just breeds confidence, and competence, in both me, and the rifle/ammo combo, and to me this is even more important.
For those who practice shooting differently; this is just fine, as it works for them!
Whether it be 5 shot groups, 10, or 30.
Whatever your preference, have fun!
I have no idea what kind of a group my main hunting g rifle will shoot because I quit shooting groups with it as soon as I got the loads worked up .
I do know that it has been killing animals every year for 15 years with both irons and/ or a 4X scope from less than 15 yards out past 300.
I figured I would check the 100 yard POI on it this fall off my pack pack just for yucks.
Yup, IT'LL still kill efficiently .
Cat
I do know that it has been killing animals every year for 15 years with both irons and/ or a 4X scope from less than 15 yards out past 300.
I figured I would check the 100 yard POI on it this fall off my pack pack just for yucks.
Yup, IT'LL still kill efficiently .
Cat
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Well that's the whole question(s) isn't it? Do you really have a 1 - 1.5 MOA rifle? Is your zero really precisely where it should be? Do you know your rifle/ammo as well as you think you do?
If you intend on making a 500 yd shot if the opportunity presents itself (A long shot in anybody's book) then those questions need to be answered rigorously. Will small sample sizes give you those answers?
All I'm saying is that people whose lives are competitive shooting make it their business to answer those questions. They've figured some of this stuff out. Perhaps we as hunters can learn something from them and in so doing make ourselves more capable/ethical hunters.
If the max range you would ever think of taking a shot is 150 yds maybe it matters little - on the other hand 500 yds is a long way off (EVERY time to boot) and we know how small errors can get magnified as range increases.
You should be able to grab your hunting rifle out of storage right now and shoot game dead with 1 round. If not youre just guessing. How does the saying go for hunting season.... just need 3 bullets. 1 to foul the bore. 1 to confirm zero. 1 to shoot the animal.
Id suggest taking the rifle with you to the range and shooting it one time. Make an adjustment if necessary and try again next time. Until the bullet goes exactly where you think it will go on the first shot, it's unethical to shoot at an animal.
Id suggest taking the rifle with you to the range and shooting it one time. Make an adjustment if necessary and try again next time. Until the bullet goes exactly where you think it will go on the first shot, it's unethical to shoot at an animal.
There’s lots of sayings. The target shooting saying I like goes like this:
Beginners talk about rifles. Better shots talk about ammo. The winners talk about wind.
I get them shooting as good as possible, no real downside to having accuracy.
Most run of the mill hunting rifles will shoot sub moa with a decent load.
This Bubba HVA 98 in 9.3x62 was pretty easy to get shooting tight, 70 years old or so, $400 rifle.
Most run of the mill hunting rifles will shoot sub moa with a decent load.
This Bubba HVA 98 in 9.3x62 was pretty easy to get shooting tight, 70 years old or so, $400 rifle.
100% agree with you and Original poster.
its all mostly PRS/ bragging rights, or in some case like mine just testing for fun what's capable.
You would have to be a total #######, to barrel burn down 10 rounds under a min on a hunting rifle with a pencil barrel. Its gonna walk.
(im that ####### and have tried, and yes its fun) HAHA!
note for OP, that's a pretty good 12-13" group considering the variables, and good shooting, should take down any animal with proper bullet.
However will say I base my calculator factors at 8-10" kill zones. 12-16/ hell even 20" im sure are fine on moose and elk, I just error on the side of the caution.
Tough to judge and talk crap when most of the OG hunters still have no clue how to dial or let alone hunt with a straight 6x and fill the freezer.
End of the day always just fun to talk about it and compare stories and experiences. Cheers!
I restored one almost identical, and shoots almost the same. 9.3 for whatever reason is such a wicked shooter... Ive owned 4 and have yet to find one that cant shoot, Its IMO just inherently accurate. great shooting!I get them shooting as good as possible, no real downside to having accuracy.
Most run of the mill hunting rifles will shoot sub moa with a decent load.
This Bubba HVA 98 in 9.3x62 was pretty easy to get shooting tight, 70 years old or so, $400 rifle.
That sounds like a reasonably good progression.
Thank you. At 4500 rounds my M70 is still doing most of the work, we’ve been tight since I was 13 lol. I have a very beat up 10 inch square for hunting practice.
well just a subtle piece of advice as my classic hunting 280 rem, before I crashed my quad and broke the stock....
once you fix or change a component its garbage, will never shoot or be the same lol. So enjoy it! 4500 rounds still have 1/3-1/2 life if you treat it well, but sounds like a good shooter...or at least MOA off a truck mirror shooter.hehe
I hold really tight. NFG for 10 or 20 shot groups.
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