Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 1/2" Guns

The question I have is when did all the rifles and shooters become so accurate that they all shoot 1/2" groups. I have hunting rifles that on a good day will shoot 1/2" but I don't think I am capable of doing it all the time. Everytime I look at an ad for a cutom or a factory it seems that the magic number is 1/2" where it used to be 1 moa. Did the barrels and componets get that much better in the last 5 years or am I missing something.

....the classified's are loaded with 1/2 inch guns. I guess 1/4 inch is the new standard.

Al Gore invented the internet and the rest is history, not only does everyone have a 1/2" gun but they will shoot it ALL DAY LONG.



Now that's some impressive chitt right there.

1/2 inch isn't all that hard. I have a lot of rifles that do 1/2 inch all day long. The problem I run into is when I move the targets from 25 yards to 100 yards the groups get much bigger.

Actually gunsmithing methods, barrels and bullets have improved, though I'd say it's the gunsmithing methods that have improved the most. I'd also say it's been that way for over 10 years now.

But you do hit the nail on the head, not all shooters are capable of 1/2" accuracy day in, day out, especially when you add a bit of wind. I don't think anyone is going to claim a gun will shoot 1/2" for all loads and in all conditions.

I'm a bit dishartened when a gun isn't capable of 3 shot 1/2" group at 100yds at it's best. Such guns will shoot moa day in, day out, if the nut behind the but is up to the task.

1/2" group all day long? I have no idea I normally don't shoot at paper all day long with a rifle. Once I find a load that is acceptable for hunting I stop shooting at paper and move onto other stuff with it.

I have several rifles capable of 1/2" groups. A .220 Swift has never shot over 1" for 10 shots, and regularly puts 3 into 1/2" and less. Two .257Rs are sub 1/2" capable. The only true sub 1/2" rifle I have is a Savage 10 FCP-K .308, which has always shot 1/2" and less with 155 SMKs and 168 A-max loads. Several other rifles have shot into 1/2", on occasion, but those occasions don't occur that often. That said, my deer rifles are all sub-minute-of-vital-zone accurate, and the groundhog rifles are good to 300yds, after which my skill level becomes an issue.

If i can get a hunting gun to shoot 1/2in. to 1in. with the load i want consistently i feel like i got a real winner. I've often wondered if it's just me, or my guns, or internet BS. Seems like i've got some that will, but truly most just won't. That's not to say they aren't good hunting guns. One of my favorites is my M-7 in 260 Rem., 1 1/4in. most times, but just kills chit.

Guy

A fly fishing author many years ago wrote, "the best fishing is done in print". I have no doubt the same applies in spades to shooting claims on the internet

From what I have right now:

7 out of 10 will not shoot a 1/2" group at 100 yds.
2 will consistently do 1/2" groups.
1 will occasionally do a 1/2" group.

mine have come and gone but the rifles i hang onto will shoot 1/2" to 3/4" every time out. i reload for each of them and i pay a lot of attention to my bench technique and i properly mount a quality scope and adjust the trigger and use bags to shoot off of.

i don't understand why people doubt reports like this. rifles are capable of it more often than not, if the shooter is.

i am no benchrest champion, it's a hobby and lots of people are better shots than i am. but to act like 1/2" is some holy grail...JB himself has brought up several times that he has a rem700 .223 that is an honest 1/4" rifle. couldn't mine or yours be only HALF that good? lol

Factory Ruger 350 rem mag allweather, nothing done to bed the Tupperware stock or lightening to the heavy trigger and topped with a 2.5x scope. I�d put 10 rds of factory fodder through it first time out which shot ~3� and I was not too happy with that. My first attempt at handloads through the gun, groups 1 and 3. Group 2 was a bit over an inch.




For me this has been pretty typical for factory rifles. They won�t shoot everything into �� or every time, but mechanically they are typically capable of such accuracy. I�d be down right disappointed if a custom rifle wasn�t capable of shooting at least this well. I can�t stand a finicky rifle or inaccurate rifle so have no problem getting rid of one that isn�t up to snuff.

TFF!

Half inch is hard. I have at least three rifles that will do it, as long as EYE am on my game...which isn't that often. But when I'm in the groove -- it never fails to amaze me how important the shooter is to how the gun does, even rested on a bench.

Slammer,
That's my problem too!
Really though, how sad it is that SOOOO many have to say they shoot 1/2" groups. Every time I go to the range with someone that say's "this rifle shoots 1/2" all day long", it always turns out to be just not on the day we shoot.
I have owned 4 Kimbers, have seen at least another 10 shot at the range and they all shot 2-5" groups @ 100 yards. Yet several of the owners told me they shoot sub MOA (some even 1/2") with no problem.
I just don't get it, be honest.......

I've got 2 Colt Light Rifles that are 4/1" capable (not 1/4" capable). Does this count?

I disagree. Most rifles will not shoot 1/2". I shoot benchrest, long range, f-class, and hunt. I have sent many factory rifles packing because they wouldn't shoot under an inch. 1/2" is sloppy, gotta shoot in the teens to get my attention.

I won't say they,or I can do it everytime, all day long. But I have several rifles that will put 3 shots into 1/2" pretty consistently. I cannot remember the last time I fired 3 that went over 1" with these rifles. They are all hunting rifles, so I rarely shoot more than 3 at a time.





Just over 1/2 MOA, but at 200 yards

Half-inch hunting rifles became a lot more common when 3-shot groups became the norm.

I am much more impressed with rifles that will actually groups 1/2" for 5-shot groups at 100 yards, and even more impressed with 10-shot 3/4" groups.

I am even more impressed with how many 1/2" 3-shot groups are reported on the Internet by hunters who've never tested their 3-10x scopes for parallax, tested their handloads for bullet run-out, and never put out any sort of wind-flag when shooting.

mjbgalt,

I won't go so far as saying most rifles are capable of 1/2" groups at 100 yds, cause most of mine are not.

But to shoot a 1/2" group it takes a shooter AND a rifle AND a solid rest AND ammo that are all capable individually of 1/2" accuracy or better. If any one of the 4 won't do 1/2" - The combo won't.

The disbelievers, that have never shot a 1/2" group,
may never unless they figure out which of the 4 is THEIR problem!