I think you kind of answered your own question. A 1 MOA shooter puts all the rounds into 1 inch at 100 yards, 2 inches at 200 yards and 4 inches at 400 yards.

A 20 MOA rifle puts all its rounds into 20 inches at 100 yards. That is under Minute-of-Bushel-Basket, but it's still a pretty big area. It isn't even guaranteed to be centered. At 200 yards, the group is now 40 inches. Aiming at the deer's boiler room will put you. . . about 50% of the shots you take will land somewhere on the deer, but a good percentage will be in places you don't want.

Can you take a deer with that rifle? Yes.
How do I make a 20 MOA rifle work? Easy. Get in a treestand that you use for bowhunting. When a deer comes by at 20 yards or so, point the rilfe in the general direction of the chest and shoot.
How do I sight in a 20 MOA rifle? Fill a milk jug with water and cap it. Place it out on the lawn. Step back roughly 10 paces and fire at the jug. If you hit the jug, you're sighted in.

But Shaman! I don't have a 20 MOA rifle, but I want to explore this seemingly exciting niche just for the challenge. What do I do?
Take any legal centerfire rifle deer hunting:
a) Don't practice before season. If you do practice, make sure it is with a stout load that promotes a sincere flinch
b) Limit yourself to only offhand shooting
c) Don't worry about distance

. . . Following these guidelines will give you a fair approximation.

Remember, I'm the guy who wrote the thread about hunting with 4 MOA deer rifles. 20 MOA is a bit more of a challenge, but well within the same wheelhouse.


EDIT: On the way to work this AM, I was pondering the 20 MOA problem. How does one practically make a 1 MOA rifle into a 20 MOA rifle? So much of what I wrote earlier takes a great deal of discipline. I suppose you could work over the crown with a screwdriver, but that is kind of final solution. About the fastest way I've seen to temporarily accomplish this feat is to add one of those fancy bipods to your rifle and extend the legs all the way before attempting an offhand shot. I've got a fellow that comes down to the farm occasionally with a Mossberg Patriot in 308 WIN so accessorized. He can't hit within 2 feet of his previous shot. I've tried the rifle a few times without the bipod and it is a really great shooter. Make sure you let no part of the bipod touch a solid surface. You want those legs swinging freely.





Last edited by shaman; 04/01/21.
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