Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire One hole groups, all day long?

I had an old Rem. 700 22-250 that could shoot 3/4" @ 100 . The accuracy went south. I buy a 700 Rem in bull barrel in 22-250. I didn't get better groups , 3/4" was all I could get. Years later I buy a Savage 12 FV bull in .223 . I get about 3/4" @ 100. When I go to the range, I am along side of buys with $5,000 rigs , and they are no better than me. I saw it last week. He paid $5,000 for that gun and it was new. He was getting down to 5/8" a few times and that was it. I have never seen the groups in all my years what I hear every day on the internet when it comes to groups size. I was listening to a guy claiming one hole groups with his muzzleloader @ 50 yds. The guy listening was impressed. Problem is, he was doing 2" groups at 50 yds right there when he was talking. There is no way many of these guys can do that. I see some of the best guns there are. Bartlein and Kreiger barrels are made right down the road and these guys like to shoot. None of these guys that I have seen can do what many claim they can on the internet do all day long.

Well then....I've been a one-hole shooter for years ..just didnt know it. So far theres a lot of deer/elk/antelope/coyotes that didnt know the difference.

One shot= "one hole group"= 1 dead critter. Done.. Next question please.. Its funny, I have a buddy that is living in lala land. He says all of his rifles will shoot 5 shot groups with all bullet holes touching... I finally had to tell him the other day that he was full of cheidt. I've seen him shoot. It's not always 5 shots touching... Some guys just think they are actually better than they really are.. He still won't take me up on my 400 yard challenge on a 2" diameter plate...I only hit that 80% of the time, so I'm not perfect. No one is...

Five shots touching the target hanging board maybe.

Exactly! Me too!

Maybe it’s an ego thing, but there’s no shame In not having a rifle/ammo/scope combination that’s not capable of shooing a one hole group. There’s also no shame I’m not having the ability to do it, as it’s not easy. Hell, when it does happen for me, it’s probably mostly luck, although I’d never admit that.

I’ve got two rifles with which I’ve shot 1 hole, 5 shot groups: a Sako 85 in 6.5x55 and a Les Baer Super Varmint in .223. I’m pretty sure, but not absolutely, that when they don’t do so it’s me, not the rifle. I’ve got a couple more that I think could do it.

This except I’d point out this is my requirement for me with the rifle from field positions and the weakest link in that scenario is me not the rifle.

My understanding of the OP was relating to rifles not shooters. I like super accurate rifles and own a couple but none I’ve ever experienced were “one hole all day long”. That may also be me but more likely the fact I buy/build hunting not benchrest rifles.

If I can get consistent 3-shot groups of 1.25” off the bench at 100 yds with a load or three I’m happy. If I can get consistently .75” I’m ecstatic.

Good post buddy. I've seen the same chidt too. For a long time I was with you on the 3/4" group thing at 100 yards, I'm talking 10 shot groups, since that's what we shoot in competition. I've shot against some damn good shooters. Some keeping groups in the 5/8" range and consistent perfect scores (100-10x). This caused me to focus more on my shooting skills and also better weapons. You mention 12FV, I had one, but had to fine tune it to shoot in the .6's (again, talking 10 shot groups here). I sold it to a coworker and told him that I would not sell it to any of my club members I'd be shooting against. He's new to longrange shooting, but practices with me at 4-500 yards on occasion. The last time he went with the boss and the bosses father in law they set up some targets at 850 yards. My coworker was the first to shoot the target, since my boss likes egging people on. He set the dial in between the 8 and 9:

Yes I scribed numbers on the cheap SWFA SS 16x. Works very well though.

Anyway, he shoots 1 time and hits the steel plate (12" diameter) and puts his rifle away. The boss asks if he's going to try again. My coworker says, "no I'm good I hit the plate". The boss tries and tries with his mighty 300wm Rem 700. I guess after almost a 1/2 a box of ammo, he finally hits it. I'll throw this in, he's using a fancy expensive Leupold VX6HD with CDS. Next up was the bosses father in law, who recently bought a 7RM from best of the west. With his custom handloads supplied by best of the west, he never did hit the target... That's a $7,000.00 rifle for those that don't know. So, money paid for rifle does not always correlate to how shooter is going to do with said rifle.

3 " bench groups for big game will do it most of the time, and I have. I'm just not happy with it. Anything around or under 1.5 is GTG. If I can get 3-4" from anything but a prone/rest field position, it's acceptable. I have no idea what my heavy barreled M98 in 06 will do at 100, as I have never grouped it at that range. It will put 3 into an inch at 300 tho. If it doesn't, it's not the gun. Never bothered "working up a load". factory does just fine. I suspect the first reload I try will do the same, or nearly.

Me, on the other hand......

Years ago I had a friend who was a fair to middling' competition shooter.

I never saw anyone wound so much game.... I stopped hunting with him after 2 years.

If my rifle will put 3 shots into an inch and a half at 100 yards and the group is centered where I want it to be, I’m goin’ hunting’...!

Ditto - from a bench rest or reasonable imitation. My standards slip a bit when kneeling, standing, or sitting.

I have quite a few acquaintances who can shoot "one-hole groups all day long" but I must be a jinx because it never seems to occur when they are shooting and I am around. I know it must be true though because they tell me that they can and I see "shooting one-hole groups all day long" mentioned so often on the internet that it just has to be true.

drover

How come every rifle for sale here in the classifieds shoots one hole groups all day if you do your part??

I found Jack O'Connor's comment interesting for a hunting rifle. . .
'What is important is 5 one shot groups on different days.'


When one is sighting in a gun from scratch and has NO idea of scope/sight settings I have found this to work for me

Getting scope/sights on target at 25

Shoot ONE shot, if you feel good about all the elements of the shot adjust the scope/sights.

Save your ammo for finalizing the settings at your preferred sight in distance.

Being at the range a lot as an officer I have seen some fun sight in activities
We used to offer a free sight in day just prior to deer season and working with some of the participants was a joy, others not so much!
Fun to watch those true noobies that wanted to learn . . . learn

If I had such a mythical gun, I doubt I would know it because I never have shot a firearm for any block of time approaching all day.

When one boast of one hole groups all day long I know to discount any following commentary as BS.

Here's another raising of the bullshit flag.

This target was shot over several months from a 308 Win at 200 yards by a 24CF member and former SF Operator.

He wanted to determine how many rounds fired before the barrel would need a cleaning.

IIRC he was over 100 rounds on this target.





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One of the reasons I don’t shoot at game any further than 400 yards under perfect conditions is I can’t do it. It’s not a gun thing. I have a pre-64 M70 that groups 3-shots from 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards from a bench. I can hit milk jugs out to 400 yards when shooting from prone off my pack. I have an M700 that will do 3 inches at 300 yards from the bench. But, I don’t hit jugs any more consistently at 400 than the M70. Sitting off sticks, my limit reduces to 300. Sitting with elbows on the knees, I’m down to 200. Kneeling, 150. Off-hand, 100 yards tops.

Until I get better, throwing money into the rifle doesn’t do me any good.

Ya know, throw enough lead and with luck any rifle can be a one holer. Might take 20 rounds and be 2" c2c.....but still one hole LOL

Now shooting a clean target and making following shots hit the first.....that might be a little different.

I think folks mix up the concepts.