I hold a different definition that that in the photo shown by BSA1917
I work in elecrtical engineering where precision and accuracy can have a meaning that is similar, but not necessarily identical, to that photo shown.
but I spend my paycheck and free time shooting, where I feel the meanings are different.
in shooting. "Accuracy" means "group size", so upper right and lower right are both "accurate". Upper right, however is not "zeroed". (in the EE world we would call that "calibrated" or the upper right is "not tuned" or "out of adjustment". The two right side figures are "repeatable", the two left figures, less so.)
"Precise", to me means to step size to which you can measure or calibrate or zero the gun, so a target scope with 1/8moa clicks has more "precise" adjustments than the 1moa clicks on an M1 rear sight.
I almost always use the word "accurate" to describe the group size of the gun, or the shooter's ability to shoot it.
I use the term "precision" as a word to group together the other shooting sports that are not "practical" (for "practical" I often use the word "action") The "precision" shooting sports are scored by group size, or rather closeness of shots to the center, in a given time. The "action" shooting sports are scored by time or speed on given target.
by that definition, "Precision" is NRA/CMP/Olympic rifle and pistol and a few other things, even hit/miss sports like silhouette. Whereas "action" is IDPA, 3-gun, IPSC, ICORE I think, etc....
Recently one magazine, the Rifleman I think, had an article where they put the NRA/CMP/Olympic rifle and pistol type events in a category they called "classic" and used "precision" for PRS and things like that. I forge if they used the word "action" or "practical" for the speed shooting.
Performing well in a "precision" shooting sport requires one's rifle or pistol to be both "accurate" and "zeroed".
Poole
