What is your opinion of a "good shooter"

Canadiankeeper

Canadiankeeper

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This can vary greatly, let me know what you put into play to judge a rifle as a "good shooter"

Personal 50 yard judgement to fallow.
Semi auto, if it shoots and inch. Its a good shooter.
Bolt - Under 600 bucks if it shoots under an inch, its a good shooter.
Bolt - Over 600 bucks if it shoots under .750 its a good shooter.
Rifle over 10 years old, shoots under an inch its a good shooter.

This is stemming from out on the range today, testing a CZ 455 American synthetic with an el cheapo Bushnell 3-9 optic
The best groups from Remington subsonic (5 shot, 5 group avg. .594) and Eley High Velocity HP (5 shot, 5 group average .561)
To me that it a "good shooter" as it is a tree rat gun and fun plinker. Slightly frustrating I couldn't hit the sub .500 but maybe with different ammo.

Tried rem sub (2nd best), S&B Club(over 1 inch), S&B Subsonic(2 inch), Eley Match (fly'rs groups around 1inch), Eley High Vel HP (best so far), CCI blazer (didn't shoot that bad)
SO still need to try eley team, CCI Standard, CCI High vel, and if I can find it some Center X would be nice.

Overall, gun is a decent shooter with the right ammo!
 
I'm obviously a simpler man, a good shooter to me is one that you enjoy shooting. All my firearms are more accurate than I am, some days 'they' shoot well, other days not as good but it's almost always me being the deciding factor.
 
Just picked up a new CZ 452 Varmint in .22LR. Tried it out today with cheap bulk Remington Golden Bullets and CCI 100 pak. Amazing bench resting on a carpet covered wooden block with a light blustery wind. 10 shot groups at 50m 3/4 inch with both ammos. Color me impressed. I'm used to semi autos which I can't get better than 11/2 inch on a really, really good day with the same ammo.
 
stubblejumper said:
If a 22lr won't shoot 1/2" or less for five shots at 50 yards , with quality ammunition, I won't own it.
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I'm slowly getting there. I'm going to drop a better optic on this rifle. If I cant bring it in with a better optic and some centerX I will likely just drop the cash and get an annie.
 
FLHTCUI said:
With or without with an el cheapo Bushnell 3-9 optic .
This is where the failures start , then there is the ring selection.
The Op is close, just has to spend a little more on optics and the tight groups will follow.
Rob
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Yah, definitely need a better optic. Have the CZ rings on it. If a better optic and some more ammo cant bring it in, I may just drop the cash and get an annie.

This rifle is a "good shooter" though and would be fine for its intended purpose... Tree rat hunting.
 
A "good shooter" (50 yards) is one that you can feed just about any ammo brand (Eley sport, SK Std + grade and up) and shoot groups about 1/2" give or take, and nothing over 1". Find the pet load, and it'll deliver .2's and 0.3's. Weatherby XXII (Anschütz 64 barreled action) shown here ammo testing.



A good semi-auto shoots average under an inch, 0.6"-0.8" typical out of my Remington 597. (except el cheapo's) Any bolt action like Savage and CZ should outperform the semi auto, 3/4" and under consistently, or I won't keep it.

Custom build should hammer 0.1's and 0.2's with lot tested ammo.
 
I have a bone stock savage mk II topped with a el cheapo 3-9 Rimfire scope (Bushnell I think? It was on sale for $38 at wholesale sports) and it shoots 5/8" with CCI standard, and about an inch with federal 525. Rem thunderbolts shoot 1.5-2", with occasional flyers that are 3-4" low (low powder charge maybe? I dunno, they shoot pretty bad though)

For me, thats a good shooter. Its a hunting gun, so slapping a 20 or 30x mag scope isn't in the books, although I bet that would shrink groups farther.
 
I think the answer to that is sort of subjective. I'm with Chas59 in the sense that "good shooter" can mean a few things to me. Accuracy? Yes, that's part of it...but being easy to load/easy to clean and being a gun that just works and gets better with time~I consider that a "good shooter" too. In fact, even an "OK" shooter can be elevated to "Good Shooter" status if I have a particularly good memory (or several) attached to it.

So yes..."nostalgia" is a factor for me, which makes selling guns so tough. It's why I never fully accept that "guns are tools" idea some gun owners have. My TOOLS are tools, sitting semi-organized in the tool box in my frozen garage. The few guns I own live in the safe in my house...and probably get more TLC than my wife does. :)
 
.22LRGUY said:
I think the answer to that is sort of subjective. I'm with Chas59 in the sense that "good shooter" can mean a few things to me. Accuracy? Yes, that's part of it...but being easy to load/easy to clean and being a gun that just works and gets better with time~I consider that a "good shooter" too. In fact, even an "OK" shooter can be elevated to "Good Shooter" status if I have a particularly good memory (or several) attached to it.

So yes..."nostalgia" is a factor for me, which makes selling guns so tough. It's why I never fully accept that "guns are tools" idea some gun owners have. My TOOLS are tools, sitting semi-organized in the tool box in my frozen garage. The few guns I own live in the safe in my house...and probably get more TLC than my wife does. :)
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Whether you take care of your tools or not doesn't change them from being tools. I have tools that run the gamut, from my truck tools that sit in a old ####ty tool box in the back seat, to the tools that are kept in an old dresser inside the house, to the tools needed for my gun stuff which is nicely organized in the gun closet, to the guns themselves which like you are stored in a safe, well oiled, ect ect.

Now, as for the guns getting more TLC than the wife, don't you know happy wife = happy life? lol
 
Suther said:
I have a bone stock savage mk II topped with a el cheapo 3-9 Rimfire scope (Bushnell I think? It was on sale for $38 at wholesale sports) and it shoots 5/8" with CCI standard, and about an inch with federal 525. Rem thunderbolts shoot 1.5-2", with occasional flyers that are 3-4" low (low powder charge maybe? I dunno, they shoot pretty bad though)

For me, thats a good shooter. Its a hunting gun, so slapping a 20 or 30x mag scope isn't in the books, although I bet that would shrink groups farther.
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Id say that's a good shooter!
 
Canadiankeeper said:
Id say that's a good shooter!
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I haven't adjusted my scope for the CCI standard yet, so I might be able to get that down under 1/2" too... I might do that this summer, there isn't much to hunt with a 22lr between April 15 (close of Bunny season) and September when the grouse open up again, so I don't need it sighted in for higher velocity ammo in the immediate future.
 
RabidM4U5 said:
A "good shooter" (50 yards) is one that you can feed just about any ammo brand (Eley sport, SK Std + grade and up) and shoot groups about 1/2" give or take, and nothing over 1". Find the pet load, and it'll deliver .2's and 0.3's. Weatherby XXII (Anschütz 64 barreled action) shown here ammo testing.



A good semi-auto shoots average under an inch, 0.6"-0.8" typical out of my Remington 597. (except el cheapo's) Any bolt action like Savage and CZ should outperform the semi auto, 3/4" and under consistently, or I won't keep it.

Custom build should hammer 0.1's and 0.2's with lot tested ammo.
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:agree:
 
My semi marlin will on average shoot just over 1/2" groups with CCI standard velocity. Tried again today. 5 groups were .326, .371, .493, .530 and .711. Both of those bigger groups were 4 out of 5 shots under 1/2" and one that I'm sure I pulled. Switching over to bulk pack federal I'm lucky to get a 3" group. As far as I'm concerned it's an awesome shooting rifle for a semi depending on ammo.That's with a cheapo tasco 2.5-10 scope. I'm sure the rifle shoots better than the dummy behind it and sure with a better scope it would shoot better as well. I've got an old savage 24 with a 2.5 power Burris on top that will shoot a loonie sized 10 shot group at 50 and guaranteed with high powered scope it would shoot awesome groups but for being my small game rifle I'm more than happy with it.
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[/URL][/IMG] Just went out to compare Federal auto match, federal bulk pack and CCI standard velocity. Nothing on bullseye because she is sighted in for minimags. I actually find it unreal the difference in ammo. Didn't have any minimags to compare but they shoot around 3/4"-1".
 
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A good shooter, in my book, is one that I can shoot 1 MOA 5-shot groups with, at 100 meters with cheap bulk ammo. Not all day, of course, but even once in a while, is fine.

I have sold all my 22s that have not done this, or do not have the potential of doing this. My Savage Mk2F, CZ452 Style and Varmnit have done it. My 452 Scout and Mk1GY have the potential.
 
easyrider604 said:
A good shooter, in my book, is one that I can shoot 1 MOA 5-shot groups with, at 100 meters with cheap bulk ammo. Not all day, of course, but even once in a while, is fine.

I have sold all my 22s that have not done this, or do not have the potential of doing this. My Savage Mk2F, CZ452 Style and Varmnit have done it. My 452 Scout and Mk1GY have the potential.
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Five shot MOA groups at 100 yards with "cheap bulk ammo"? Perhaps you are not counting the "fliers" that are produced with bulk ammo. The fact is they aren't fliers or abberations. They are the normal results to be expected from cheap bulk .22LR ammunition and therefore they do count.

It's challenging enough with good ammo, let alone cheap bulk ammo. Statements like this must make shooters unfamiliar with .22LR shooting wonder what the heck they are doing wrong when they can't achieve MOA at only 50 yards with cheap bulk ammo. MOA accuracy with .22LR is not going to be achieved with cheap bulk .22LR ammunition.

MOA accuracy is good results with a good shooter. It is important to note that decent ammunition is needed to have a fighting chance at achieving consistent good shooting.
 
MOA accuracy is good results with a good shooter. It is important to note that decent ammunition is needed to have a fighting chance at achieving consistent good shooting.[/QUOTE]
I couldn't agree more. Don't get me wrong I know some rifles will shoot good with bulk ammo. My bl22 shoots decent groups with that same federal bulk I used in my post above. Will it shoot moa? Maybe 1 out of 4 or 5 groups if I'm lucky. Out of that gun it will shoot 1.5" groups at 50 yds but more often than not I still end up with flyers. My experience with bulk ammo is its just to inconsistent and it seems like one box is pretty decent and the next could be terrible.Like you said it's definitely hard enough to consistently shoot moa with good ammo. I've tried a few times to get in on the 1/2" challenge and can't seem to get 5 groups in a row under the 1/2".
 
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grauhanen said:
Five shot MOA groups at 100 yards with "cheap bulk ammo"? Perhaps you are not counting the "fliers" that are produced with bulk ammo. The fact is they aren't fliers or abberations. They are the normal results to be expected from cheap bulk .22LR ammunition and therefore they do count.

It's challenging enough with good ammo, let alone cheap bulk ammo. Statements like this must make shooters unfamiliar with .22LR shooting wonder what the heck they are doing wrong when they can't achieve MOA at only 50 yards with cheap bulk ammo. MOA accuracy with .22LR is not going to be achieved with cheap bulk .22LR ammunition.

MOA accuracy is good results with a good shooter. It is important to note that decent ammunition is needed to have a fighting chance at achieving consistent good shooting.
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Yup 5 5 shot groups a 1 moa @ 100 yds is easier said than done with bulk ammo.In fact almost hard to believe "just sayin"
Start off at 50yds for 1 moa and then stretch it out.It has been noted even ammo that makes it at 50 may not bee so good at 100 yds.Your skill set is a huge piece of the challenge.

R
 
Roughly 1/2" to 3/4" groups keeps me happy for a bolt action and decent ammo. 1/2" to 1" with bulk ammo.
For a semi anything under an inch at 50 is a good shooter in my books. Any better than that is a great shooter.

Anything over $600 I would expect nothing less than MOA all day out to 100m. Not to say there aren't guns over $600 that don't shoot MOA, just that I wouldn't buy one.
 
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