Acceptable Accuracy

[AJ]

What is aceptable accuracy to you? Do you have different levels of accuracy requirements for different guns and applications? I think it was Townsend Whelen that said "Only accurate rifles are interesting.” Of course we all would love to own screamer group shooting guns, but in reality what works for you? Lets hear your requirement for:

1. Varmint Gun

2. Big Game Gun

3. Slug Gun

4. Muzzleloader

[wtnhunt]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Well AJ, I hunt around here where the possibilities of a shot over 200 yards are pretty minimal. I have hunted up the road a few times where a 350 yard shot would be the furthest possible, but have never shot over 200 on an animal. In a deer rifle or a varmint rifle I would expect to be able to comfortably shoot any of the rifles we own to the 200 yard range. I have not as of yet tried hunting deer with a slug gun, but would probably use my shotgun in close quarters where I would expect to shoot to probably 75 yards, would have to see what it woud do to know for sure. With my muzzleloader I have shot some over 150, but would prefer to keep my shots under 150 yards.

Would be cool though to go to a long distance range and practice at some longer ranges.

[VTbowman]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

1. Varmint Gun: I would expect to get sub 1/2" at 100 yards with this. 200 yards, no more then 1" groups.

2. Big Game Gun: 1" to 1.5" at 100 yards.

3. Slug Gun: No preference here since I have never shot nor own one. Most likely never will.

4. Muzzleloader: I exepect sub 2" at 100 yards and sub 3" at 200 yards.

This of coarse is with a 15" ML pistol. LOL

JMO

[David_218]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

1. Varmint Gun.....1" or less @ 100 yards

2. Big Game Gun....1 1/2" to 2" @ 100 yards

3. Slug Gun.....2 1/2" to 4" @ 100 yards

4. Muzzleloader.......3" @ 100 yards

[wtnhunt]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Guess I should have given group sizes.

1. under 1.5 inches at 100 yards.

2. under 1.5 inches at 100 yards.

3. dont know.

4. under 3 inches at 100 yards.

[johnf]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

1. Don't varmit hunt

2. Big Game Depends on my guns 30-30. I try to keep a sub 2" Group. 243, 25-06 1" group at 100yards.

3. My slug gun shoots a 2" group at 75 yards. I'll never go passed that with my slug gun so that's acceptable to me.

4. ML is about 2 1/2-3" inches at 100 yards. Agin, I'm not going to shoot anything passed that with my ML.

[Jeramie]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Im not as up and up on shooting lingo so hang with me. I make my own targets in AutoCad with 1" circles all the way out to 8".

1. Varmint Gun

I bought the new .243 this year and at 200yds I was keeping around 4 of 6-shots inside of a 3" circle. I wanted to punch smaller but in most cases the width of the crosshair blocked out much of the 1" and 2" circles. Im pretty happy with that but honestly I love to shoot so much I will be trying to close that down to 2" at 200yds. If I step up to 100yds I strive to keep them all in or closly around the 1". When I was a kid I use to take my Marlin .22 and shoot spent .22 casings off of an old trash barrel. I cant quote an exact distance but I know it was more then 20 yards with a cheap fixed bb-gun scope. I have to challenge myself anytime I aim at anything.

2. Big Game Gun

That would be a .30-06. At 100 yards I have to be dead center of the target and keep my groups within no more then 2". Honestly I shoot tighter then that but I will accept 2". Last year I bumped my scope and had to shoot a half a box to get ready for season opener. I was literally about 3" off and it ate on me. I shot a deer and later went back to the range and got my groups back under 2".

3. Slug Gun

Never shot one. They arent required in Oklahoma and there isnt even a season for them. You only need to hunt with one if you are drawn into different restricted areas.

4. Muzzleloader

Much like my Rifle I am really critical on myself about even my ML. The only difference is I dont sight mine high. I figure I wont shoot much over 100yrds so dead on should work fine. Obviously I cant hold the same groups but If I find one single shot drift out of the 4" circle I will possibly seen 10 or more down range to be sure it was me and not my setup.

[too_pointer]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

I'm not to awful picky, my guns have always been better shooters than me

I am not heavy into varmint guns, but with my 25-06 might get into it , but would expect

1 1/2" to 2" out to around 200 yards.

Big game, 2" groups would be fine out to 150 yards.

Everything I would shoot at would be dead with that accuracy.

Slugs, well never shot further than 100 yards, so 1" to 3" at 100 yards has done me fine, never lost one yet !

Muzzleloading is the same as slug hunting. Everything I have shot has been under 100 yards.

If I'm not comfortable shooting at ranges, I just don't, that brings my % way up LOL

too_

[Idaho_ Elk_ Huntr]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

My 100 yard brush guns( 30-30, 45-70 etc) 3" is good enough. If its my medium long range guns 1" or less. If they dont meet the criteria I get rid of them or have them rebarreled. Sometimes its cheaper. I am learning to do many things myself that has helped rifles that I would have sold to find a permanent home in the safe.

I have learned very much by hanging out with some 1000 yard paper shooters. I am learning with their help to really shoot.

[archerjg]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

For accuracy if I do my job I expect:

1. Varmint Gun 1/2" or less @ 100 yards.

2. Big Game Gun 1" to 1.5" @ 100 yards.

3. Slug Gun 1" @ 50 yards or 2" @ 100 yards.

4. Muzzleloader 1.5" to 2" @ 100 yards.

Archerjg

[Guest hookedonhunting]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

If a deer rifle wont shoot a 1 inch group at 100 yards, i dont want it.

[Guest Colorado Bob]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

My rule of thumb

#1--Varmit gun---dime size group @100 yards.

#2--Hunting rifle-----Real happy with a quarter size @100 yards but a 50 cent piece is OK.

#3 Slug gun----Don't have one.

#4 Blackpowder gun---Here in Colorado only open (iron) sites are legal--I was happy with a group size of a pie plate @100 yards. Works on both mulies & elk for me. CB

[Strut10]

Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Since I don't have a slug gun or a blackpowder gun, I will eliminate #3 and #4.

#1. I expect to be able to shoot a 1/2 M.O.A. 5-shot group with my varmint rig. My gun is capable of better. I am not.

#2. Since I shoot more paper with my big game rifles than anything else, I expect M.O.A. from them. Not all will do it. Some will do considerably better. However, I won't keep a scoped big game rifle that won't go 1 1/2" 5 shots at 100 yards.