Originally Posted by HuntnShoot
Originally Posted by Swifty52
Originally Posted by bsa1917hunter
Originally Posted by country_20boy
Originally Posted by bsa1917hunter
I highly doubt its a true "1/2 moa" rifle, even at 100. Those, as we all know, are hard to come by.

I agree. Never said it was a 1/2" rifle and it's suspect at best right now....


The title of your thread says "why would a rifle shoot 1/2 moa at 100 yards and 2 moa at 200 yards". I didnt say it was a "1/2" rifle" either. There is a difference. If you want help, you need to know and understand the difference. I also think its a parallax issue, as i have lost all faith in leupold rifle scopes. Ive seen so many go tits up, it isn't even funny. Vortex is in the same boat. When evaluating the accuracy potential of a rifle, one of the general rules (for myself) is to start with a "proven" rifle scope and mounting system. If you buy a rifle that already has bases and rings attached, pull them. I make damn sure everything is de-greased and ill go through the extra bit and chase/clean up the tapped holes in the receiver, check screws for proper length (to be sure they arent going to bottom out prematurely), use blue loctite and make sure everything is tight and perfectly lined up. As ive said before, out of alignment rings puts uneven pressure on the scope tube, which may allow the scope to move during recoil. What some dont realize is, if the scope twists or moves, just a minuscule amount, it will have a profound affect on accuracy. If you dont believe me, do a little test with said rifle: Get it all zeroed, then pull the scope off, tighten it back up and see where your poi shifts. It may be an eye opener. Thats why it may be necessary to lap your rings and in some extreme cases, even bed your bases. Furthermore, Im not saying its a bad shooter or bad rifle, but you need to make sure your bases are well covered and your foundation established, before pulling the trigger, if you are in search consistent accuracy in a rifle. Jb has been hitting the nail on the head, you may want to pick up some of his books or search out articles regarding accuracy enhancements, rifle accurizing etc. I havent bought a magazine in over a decade, but i know accurizing tips and tricks were always a hot item, discussed by JB's buddies in rifleshooter.


Just got back to this, while you do have a good point, I did some digging.
Nosler only guarantees 1 model, full custom to shoot 3 shots into 3/4” at 100. And that’s with Nosler approved ammo only. 😀
All the other M48’s are only to expect 1 MOA or less at 100.
1 MOA is 1.047” at 100. So if it shoots 3 shots into 1.02 then it’s meeting the accuracy guarantee. 😀
1 MOA @ 200 = roughly 2.094 if it can hold true MOA.
So if it’s shooting 2” @ 200 then it’s actually bettering the guarantee. But I still wouldn’t call 2.5”- 3” out of the realm of normal with out match grade ammo.
I still don’t think it’s parallax, but more him expecting more than the rifle and ammo can do without tuning or a little more work.



I disagree. Maybe with an inexperienced shooter, your viewpoint has some validity, but with someone who has BTDT, shooting off a good bench or rest, if the optics are fine, the group isn't going to open up like that. At least I have never seen it over thousands of rounds in about 2 dozen rifles, and while watching many thousands more fired in at least 2 dozen other rifles and involving at least 20 other shooters. Unless something wonky happens with the bullets, the cone of the load's ability and the shooter's ability to group are going to be roughly linear, if wind is a non-factor. I've been involved in teaching several kids to shoot rifles with magnifying optics, and it is just as true with them. If they can shoot 1" at 50 yds, they basically shoot 2" at 100, 4" at 200, and roughly 6" at 300.

I'm with you HuntnShoot. I think something is wrong, but I'm going to have to do some more testing to figure it out. As I said before, I'm not a professional or a trained sniper, but when I can sit down and shoot multiple groups of 3/4" or better at 100 and then 3"-5" at 200, something is off.........