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

cdb, +1

This is a my wife's Kimber .260 that I bought from a member here. ONLY rifle I've ever owned that would come close to a 3 shot, 1/2" group. It's the ONLY rifle I've ever owned that wll consistantly shoot 3 shots 1" or under at 100 yards. All the other rifles I own, or have owned, are 1.25-1.75". I've never had problems killing deer over any of our beanfields here in SC with a rifle that shoots 1.5" groups

Here's a sample of my only "1/2in rifle"

1/2 inch guns a where you find them, few of them are in safes, the vast majority of them are on the internet...

I've pondered that several times myself. Yes, I understand that the groups appear smaller with bigger bullets. I also understand that 1/2" c-to-c is 1/2"c-to-c despite the size of the holes
I'm certain that I just got lucky with this little rifle. All I did was clean the CZ gunk out of the barrel, put a scope in the rings, and take it to the range. My buddy had a couple of Fireball rifles before I bought this one, and I asked him a lot of questions before assembling any ammo. I'm sure that helped a lot, too.
Your rifle shot remarkably well. You should be, like I am, thankful that you got lucky with it. Let's just be pleased with what we have/had (in your case). My OTHER pd rifles won't shoot with the little Furball, but have other attributes I can like.

I have shot a few varmint rifles that held 1/2" or smaller no
problem, usually 222 or 22-250 caliber. I owned a custom 257 Roberts built on a Mexican Mauser that would stay around 1/2"
most of the time. Other than that all of the other rifles that
I owned over the years for deer hunting were 1.5-3" which didnt
bother me as still killed deer.

Most guys here are talking about a 3-5 shot group at 100 yards.
Most do not shoot five 5-shot groups at a time and get an agg.
With MOA being barely over an inch at 100 yards, most end up using what is called "shooters MOA" instead of being precise with a MOA measurement.
I usually get in one LR bench match per year. More of a field shooter myself.
3 different specialty pistols at three different distances when conditions were nice:
Center-grip XP-100 in 6.5-284 600 yards (4-shot group) at range just north of Hutchinson KS

18" MOA Maximum in 6x47 Lapua 500 yards off of a bi-pod (3-shot group)


5-shot group at a 1K match this past June, Rear-grip bench pistol in 7WSM ( 180 JLK's)

My only point is: With 1/2" group with a 223 or similar, the bullets ARE father apart than with LARGER caliber bullets.

I have 'rarely' used C-C in measuring groups, I prefer my groups measured O-O (outside-outside)

Those 4 shot groups with 30 cal are 'aproximately' 3/4" O-O.

REALLY, I've measured nickels that were 3/4" in dia.

Very nice shooting there xp.

I could do that IF I had a rest.

Now seriously--- man that's AWFULLY GOOD!

Got a pard who is beyond being a gunhead than anyone else I have
met. He will buy or trade into a rifle and if it doesnt shoot
how he wants it to he goes over every little detail to correct it
and drives himself crazy doing it.

I am being honest in this next statement.

I have presently other rifles,cals, that'll do that. I don't have time to dig thru NOTEBOOKS of loading/target data to post the pics.

AT THE SAME TIME - I don't call OR consider them 1/2" guns. They ARE sub 1" guns.

The 700, 6mm AND 700 06, WERE 1/2" shooters. They were also BOX, STOCK, no mods except MY trigger adjustments. I'm NOT saying they shot 1/2" groups with every load but with multiple loads.
Again, on days when I could shoot well they never disappointed me.

When I shoot em' in before a hunt for deer sized game, if my rifles will put 3 shots into an inch and a half...I'm goin' huntin'.

I could set you up with a rest like that, IF you really wanted one
I enjoying goofing at LR
FYI "xphunter" is because I hunt with XP-100's

The only rifle that I could not get to shoot 1" or less was that BBR.

With a little judicious handloading, tinkering with charges, primers, seating depth, I have found most rifles capable of BETTER THAN NEEDED accuracy for hunting.

I don't pay much attention to a lot of "stuff" posted about sorry, inaccurate, and unreliable rifles today.

My experience does NOT support certain claims. I could but will not say more. I HAVE and have HAD too many to be swayed by 'claims'.

The PROOF isn't in the puddin, it's ON THE TARGET!

I have a rifle that will consistently shoot 1/2 inch groups, but this one isn't it. This Remington 141 in 35 Rem will only shoot three into about 5/8 of an inch at 100 yds, but it will do that fairly often, if I'm not the one shooting it. This is with factory ammo. My brother, who shot this group, has one in 30 Remington that will out shoot this rifle.

That is just real cool with a pump rig.

It is not the norm in my experience, but I do have two rifles that will do 1/2" with select loads reliably. Other rifles will on occasion when the moon, stars, and tidal phases align give a 1/2 group. A mentor who taught me deer hunting said if you can hit a dinner plate at 100 yards reliably you will have meat in the freezer. I like accurate rifle but do not obsess over it.

HOW FAR can you hit that dinner plate PAST 100 yds?

I've been looking for deer with oil bottles on their sides. I can hit an oil bottle a 'fer piece'.

Have you seen any dinner plates on deer?

Mathsr, that may be the most impressive group on this [long] thread.

Well no they do not have a dinner plate on their side. However the "kill" zone is pretty close to that, it has worked for me for the past 40 years I have hunted deer. Use what works for you, I have meat in the freezer. In the deep woods that I hunt 75 yards is a very long shot. A 300H&H which is not a 1/2" rifle, I can hit within 4" at 300 yards for 3 shots. Never yet have had a need to shoot that far.