Acceptable accuracy

[Demetrius]

Sub 0.5 MOA...........anything else is a waste of time/effort/money, certainly for target shooting...

D.

 

[hairlesshunter]

I think it all depends on if you home load when zeroing your scope
If you don’t home load you are tasked with finding a factory round that you can zero and be happy with
If you do home load and spend time finding a load you are happy with the zeroing is the end result . I must admit part of the
I have a good mate and we always nearly go to zero together
And if I get tired as I seldom do quite quickly I get him to put a couple down
And conclude from that and he can produce the results I know it’s me

 

[Heym SR20]

I knew a head stalker up on a high land estate. With a guest he would meet them, load everything up into the argo, finish his can of coke, walk out to an indeterminate range a bit over 100 yards away. He would invite the guest to shoot the can. If it was hit first shot they went to the hill. I never found out what happened if you missed!

I the DSC Shooting test is a pretty reasonable guide to acceptable accuracy. If you are going hunting that should be well within anybody’s comfort zone.

2nd or 5th shot accuracy from a warm is a complete irrelevance. Can you put a shot into a Coke can / smart phone / clay pigeon sized object when you are lying in a bog in the snow with a bit of breeze, or standing on woodland edge with midges when a buck of a lifetime pops out. And it matters not whether your rifle/ammo etc is benchrest winning standard. Or as the assessor when I did my DSC1 25 years ago said - you are welcome to use any deer legal calibre and aids - but if you want to use a heavy bench rest rifle and stands you are welcome, provided you can demonstrate you can carry it up that hill (about a 20min walk to the top).

 

[Longstrider]

Off a bench or using a BogPod my ancient .270 Sako will make cloverleaf groups at 100 yds with my home-loads. Expecting that sort of performance 'in the field', off sticks, (or leant against a handy tree) with a varying cross-wind, frozen fingers and toes, and your eyes watering from the chill breeze would be lunacy. BUT, knowing the rifle will do the job and make bullets go where you point it gives you the confidence you want to take the 'real world' shots you need to take to put animals on the deck as quickly and humanely as possible.
It's one less variable. One less thing to consider or worry about when it comes to the most important shot of the day.

I'm not fool enough to claim I shoot all my deer exactly where I wanted to. I doubt anyone on SD would. There's often an inch or sometimes even two between where I thought I would hit it and where I did hit it, but they fall over just the same and taste just as good.

 

[Dave_45]

I'm with Dave 45. As accurate as you can get.

I've knew one friend who said that once his rifles group size opened up over .5 of an inch it was time to get rid of it.

I once got a new rifle and couldn't achieve a group better than 1.5 inches. Another guy said what's wrong with that, you will be able to shoot a deer

It wouldn’t last long in my cabinet

 

[Leec6.5]

I'm not fool enough to claim I shoot all my deer exactly where I wanted to. I doubt anyone on SD would. There's often an inch or sometimes even two between where I thought I would hit it and where I did hit it, but they fall over just the same and taste just as good.

100%

 

[bowji john]

Pitching up and being expected to hit a coke can at 100m is a fair test for hunting

 

[gixer1]

Anything less than a raggedy hole is for beginners.

 

[Malxwal]

Anything less than a raggedy hole is for beginners.

At 300...

 

[mudman]

Beer mat at 100 m.

Kills a deer every time

I’ve never shot better than that, not sure whether it’s me or the rifle but I gave up worrying about it many years back and just carried on knocking deer and foxes over

 

[Leec6.5]

Anything less than a raggedy hole is for beginners.

Or for people who have fek all better to do!

 

[old 30-06]

I normally shoot off a wooden platform that I have made that attaches to the drivers door of my car. A one inch group at 100 yards is fine for me. For all my hunting I do not need any more than that.

 

[tarponhead]

1 MOA off sticks at 100m, in a field, in weather, as close to my actual stalking as possible. If it strays beyond that and Im not sure it’s me, I check it on the bench, min 5 shot groups. I am practicing more but not just on the trigger, practicing getting closer and being in the right place at the right time. Groups just give me confidence to pull the trigger, field craft helps make sure it doesn’t go wrong when I do.

 

[VSS]

If you can knock a grapefruit off the top of a fence post under field conditions, every time, you're good to go.

Chasing smaller groups is just using up ammo that could be killing deer.

Lots of people claim sub inch (or better) at 100 yards/200 yards etc, but I don’t believe that they can do it consistently under field conditions. If it were true then head shooting deer would be the norm.

 

[geordiemacatac]

If you can knock a grapefruit off the top of a fence post under field conditions, every time, you're good to go.

Chasing smaller groups is just using up ammo that could be killing deer.

Lots of people claim sub inch (or better) at 100 yards/200 yards etc, but I don’t believe that they can do it consistently under field conditions. If it were true then head shooting deer would be the norm.

Lol..some guy eventually shoots a 0.5 inch group once and he's a 0.5 moa shooter..

 

[paulst]

Lol..some guy eventually shoots a 0.5 inch group once and he's a 0.5 moa shooter..

I frequently shoot better than half MOA, always with my first shot and don’t need to expend any more rounds after that!

 

[Malxwal]

But let's not blur the lines between what a rifle is capable of, and what a shooter is capable of.
Load development, or the practical execution of, is underpinned by ability with the rifle. I know I'm a bit **** with a lightweight stalking rifle, so I'd need someone good to actually do the shooting.

 

[Klenchblaize]

The nodding Odocoileus virginianus says "good to go"!

K

 

[Leec6.5]

I’ve been hunting for this pic

Shot this after I tweaked the load, 6 shot group off sticks @100m

Plenty good enough!

 

[geordiemacatac]

I’ve been hunting for this pic

Shot this after I tweaked the load, 6 shot group off sticks @100m

Plenty good enough!

Shotgun?