Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What do YOU consider to be an accurate load?

In your hunting rifles, what do you consider 'acceptable' accuracy?

I was at the range this past Saturday and a guy came out, set up and shot 4 rounds and left. I heard him comment that 'that's what I was looking for' before he left. He wasn't there for 10 minutes.

I went down and looked at his target and he had a 3.5" group at 100 yards.

Got me to wondering what others thought made for an accurate round in your rifle?

Is a matter of context. I've got a single shot .22 that ain't worth a hoot at 200 yards.

i try for 1/2" 3 shot groups but if it won't do 3/4" with any loads after several trips, the gun goes to someone else's house.

not that it needs to shoot that well for my hunting, just that i like chasing the goal

3.5" at 100 yards isn't it....but you don't need one hole either.

100 yard groups are interesting but what they do at 300-400(as a minimum)is a lot more revealing.

Consistent 4-6" groups at 400-450 yards(which is my personal hunting max). No benchrest, shooting from the dirt similar to a hunting situation.

Haven't even shot groups at 100 yards with the last two or three rifles I've purchased. Seen great 100 yard loads shoot like chit at 400 so I quit the short range work-up.

Depends on the platform, sights or optics, intended use. A scoped big game rifle for the areas I hunt, it's nice to have a tight shooter -- sub inch is nice. In an aperture sighted ex military rifle or carbine, 3" at 100 and then limit the range of the shots you take.

1-1/2" or less at 100 yds. Most of the shots I have are 200 yds or less. Except for a deer I missed TWICE at 400 yds.

Killed this coyote at about 225 yds and that has been the 2nd or 3rd longest shot I have made on coyotes in 18-20 years of calling coyotes. Most are under 100 yds.



Killed this cow elk at about 75-100yds away. Have yet to shoot at an elk over 200 yds.

Yeah, that's sorta what I was alluding to. The .22 SS is sub minute of pig brain at 20 yards; +\- 20 yards. Other stuff is minute of boiler room or fly at longer distances. I usually remember to grab the right one, depending on the mayhem menu du jour.

ya'll gotta be careful takin advice from a rotary-wing driver, though ... they's more coordinated than the rest of us

consistent MOA or less 3 shot groups at 100yds...........Hb

I'm not certain of the above statement. I have a daughter that flys a rotary-wing and I don't think she can walk across the street without hurting herself....

consistent 1.25"or less 3 shot groups at 100yds and most of my rifles do better, with the correct hand loads,off a good bench rest,and I try hard to find loads that produce 2" or less 200 yard groups, I,m just as concerned with maintaining a consistent impact point in relation to the scope cross hairs as any minor change in group size

If my deer rifle/load combo allows me to keep my shots on a pie plate when shooting offhand at 100yds, it's good enough. Varmint rifles and rifles destined to never make it from the bench to the deer woods, then MOA, give or take, is good enough. Smallbore CF's and .22's intended for the squirrel woods had best group into 1/2-5/8" at 50yds. or they don't make many trips into those woods.

A sub-MOA high power is a wonderful thing, and a joy forever, but if the rifle's ergonomics are such that I have difficulty hitting animals with it when shooting from field positions, then its inherent accuracy is meaningless. The same thing can be said in that super accuracy in a rifle is meaningless if the dub shooting it can't hit a bull in the ass with a scoop shovel.

I consider 46 grains of Varget behind a 155 Scenar in my GAP .308 to be an accurate load......

MOA or better for 3 shots out to the 5.



Travis

Never thunked of a Pie Plate at 100yds as a barometer of anything,except [bleep] humor. Now THAT is funny!

I shoot daily,so don't fret much,as I'm always in the loop on what's doin' what and more importantly...why.

Yesterday was Krunchentickers,an Anschutz,THE Sleeper,The Hurt Locker,Hummer,Marvel Unit 1 1911,Dick Rifle and Rainbow Warrior. Didn't shoot much past 1100yds,as the winds were brisk...but did get carried away enough,that I made it back home with only 3:30 left in the 'Bowl.(grin)

Will mix it up a smidge today and gun some different platforms...looking for Pie Plates.

Laffin'!

I expect to get the game with the first shot.

Thus I record at the range, where the first shot hits from that rifles cold barrel.

Here is what the 308 Kimber did at 200 yds.

You "hard chargers" are a [bleep] riot!

First there's Pie Plates and now Dumb [bleep] Day Dreaming Don and the list of schit she almost did?!? Right on! Don,dangle a pic of sumptin' you whacked with a Montana...it'll be funny and rest assured that's a Double Dog Dare. Use as much Imagination and Pretend,that you can muster. Laffin'!

Looking forward to those excuses and the accompanying Whine,as well.

Wow +P+.

Depends on what you are hunting, range of your shots, etc.- maybe this guy only shoots whitetails out of a stand and over a feeder, at 100 yd. or less, and 3.5" accuracy works fine for him.

MOA at all ranges.

When doing new load development, I always shoot 100 yards. If a gun/load has a 3" 'capability' at 100, longer distances ain't gonna help it.