Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Obsession with accuracy.

Here, there is more time to shoot targets that to shoot deer. 4 shots a year at deer, if I fill all of my tags. What you going to do the rest of the year? miles

Go bass fishing.

I guess I am missing something here but if a rifle has never seen paper, how do you know it hits when you fire it?

You serious?

Some people like to take hunting rifles and grind out group after group over sandbags at 100 yards; tweak 3/4" groups to half inch groups and jump for joy if it happens. The information age has convinced them that unless a rifle does this it is worthless for BG hunting.

I think it's an absurd waste of time.

Some of these guys never hunt...remarkable I know but true. They NEVER hunt. They talk about it a lot but never do it.

My approach has been (in the interest of time) to get to a one MOA (or better) load at reasonable velocity for the cartridge, and with a bullet I can "trust" for everything from antelope to bull moose,as soon as possible...also have a cheap practice bullet for range use and general shooting.

I shoot it at various times at 300-600 yards to meet or maintain the MOA or under standard.

This does not mean I don't "play" with rifles quite a bit and have done lots of it over the years....but once achieved with a rifle I never bother with any load development again for that rifle. I load a bunch of ammo and work on my shooting from field positions.

Frankly I find a lot of the fussing and playing we do with rifles and "group shooting"to be pretty damned boring. I'd rather hunt, shoot at animals, or fish or spend time with my grandchildren..

I already stated it. I lined up a few hedge apples and 60 yards and went 5 for 5 on them offhand.

If I can hit a hedge apple at 60 yards, I can hit a deer. I have another that I took out and rung a 4" steel plate a few times offhand at about the same distance, called it good.

This sheit ain't rocket science.

I didn't say I didn't shoot, but I don't need to shoot all my rifles. A bunch of the older ones hunt, but not fired much. I shot a deer last week with a rifle I haven't fired a shot with in over 4 years. It still kills.

Got it Bob. That 130TTX load was the first-maybe second-load I tried. It holds it to 300. Unless I want to mess around with NBT's or another bullet, load development for that rifle is done. One range has gongs, so it is usually a target sighter, then play.

I ran half the life out of a Nula 7mm-08 barrel on targets because it shot so well. Barrels are eaisly replaced, but I didn't learn anything new or improve much if any when it comes to hunting.

BSA, If I have a shooter that's "not" putting them on target.... I adjust the scope!!!!! . memtb

Mr. Kleinguenther once told me he could make my rifle shoot but he could not make me a shooter.
A lot of people who don't spend the time on the range never know if they own a shooter or not. Hasbeen

I always ask "how does it shoot?" As many do... but in the end my rifles are for hunting. I like accuracy but haven't ever shot for groups. I sight them in and then let them do their job with the "first shot".
Not that I ever plan on it, but if my rifles get sold someone will be getting a low round rifle.
I shoot pretty regular each year but not a weekly or monthly range guy..... wish I was sometimes. Hopefully the long range bug doesn't bite me..... I hear it's pricy.

Owning a 'shooter' doesn't make one a thing hitter with it. A point that is often missed with many.

For years I picked a bullet, powder & charge, seated the bullets to the bottom of the neck and checked if the round fit the magazine, cycled through the action, and was off the rifling (with a dummy round). Sighted in and hunted. Everything was 1.5 moa or better for three shot groups. Only three shot groups???
I'm hunting for one deer not trying to kill a herd!

I've killed a bunch of deer with a cheap Mossberg ATR100 in .270 with a 4.75 Weaver Grand Slam on top. It shoots factory Fusion ammo into 1.5" 5-shot groups at 100 yards all day, and 1-1.25" with my handloads.

Then again, I've killed a bunch with a single-shot 44 mag handi-rifle with a Weaver 1-3x that holds about 2" at 100 on a good day.

In the woods I hunt, 50 yards is a medium-long shot, and I don't like dragging my "nice" rifles up into trees behind me all that much.

I might re-think it when I have to shoot a deer twice.

I like accurate rifles as well as anyone an as it happens my current go to cud killer is very accurate with it's favorite bullet(NBT), but that's not the bullet I chose to use. I use a NP because it's been good to me for 30 years or more and I don't care if it's not always a moa producer. I shoot elk, deer and such with it not p.dogs. I doubt I'll ever need more precision than I get from the NP. I want dead animals not just small groups. I also want a rifle that's light enough so as not to be a burden if I have to carry it a lot as I've never killed a bull elk from the truck. I want a rifle that will put it's first shot from a cold barrel on target at 300yds or so. I want a rifle/scope combination that does not change POI every time the sun goes behind a cloud. I love to shoot but I don't shoot off a bench much because I've yet to kill one head of big game from a bench. I practice getting on target quickly and shooting quickly. Big buck deer and herd bulls seldom wait around till you are ready to shoot. When this years bull elk and his cows broke out of the aspens at 250 yards, I didn't have an moa rifle nor was a bench rest handy. I quickly got in a sitting position and stated shooting when he slowed to a walk. I've been eating elk for a couple of weeks now.

Only thing I care about is the cold bore shot.
I take full credit for all misses, not the rifle.

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OOps hit the wrong button.
No way in Hell I'll go bass fishing. Crappie maybe. miles

I have never been a hair splitter, as far as accuracy is concerned and I am not a target puncher. I have also been lucky, in that I have always been able to get moa accuracy from my rifles. I have never gotten rid of a rifle due to lack of accuracy.

I have burned two barrels on accurate rifles and replaced them with even-more-accurate Criterion barrels. I own five rifles right now and they are all 1/2-3/4 moa rifles at 200 yards with my hand-loads. I have been reloading since I was 17 and have not shot factory ammo in the field since.

I have to say that if I had a two-inch shooter, I would be messing with my loads to improve it, or it would probably go away. It is all about the confidence factor and my field confidence comes from knowing that my rifle is very accurate-whether I am or not. It just takes that error out of the equation.

I like my hunting rifle/load to be at least 1 1/2 inches or smaller at 100 yards, purely for the confidence that it gives me to take whatever shot may present itself. All of my hunting rifles will do better than 1 1/2 inch with at least a load or two, but if I could not get a rifle to at least 1.5 inches, then it would go on down the road.