Acceptable Accuracy for Hunting Rifle?

[svivian]

 

[Sako300]

Go out 5-6 different days and different altitudes and terrain. shoot one Cold bore shot at distances from 6-900 yards or however of a skilled marksman you are and want. For hunting, I want my first shot, Cold Bore, to to the most accurate. 3 shot groups, 10 shot groups, don’t mean much to me accept for load development. Shoot in your hunting position with whatever gear or gadgets you are using to dope wind and record your first shot hit percentages and your measured MOA from your target on that shot on those different days.
I personally like a sub MOA for the 6-800 yard cold bore shots.
Is there a computerized hit probability with cold bore shots (1 shot) with different calibers, (magnums, PRCs, 6s, 6.5s, etccc at long ranges 6-1000 yards like I’ve seen with the 4-500 yard probabilities? Most of the time it will be the nut behind the trigger and not the sub MOA gun or high BC bullet causing the error especially in hunting style shooting positions and conditions.

 

[General RE LEE]

I hunt at a set altitude (750 ft) on a farm in Middle Tennessee. My set limit is 500 yards which is really the furthest I can shoot from my box blind. Most shots end up being 50-300 yards. I am confident in this rifle for cold bore shots at 300. I am going to do some more cold bore testing at 500.

Some views from my box stand. Cut corn field that produces a lot of deer. Furthest corner is 625 yards.

 

[grappling_hook]

Beautiful

 

[jbspec]

Maybe try 1 shot groups?

 

[Sako300]

Maybe try 1 shot groups?

Shoot 1 cold bore shot 3 different days and come back with your average group size from the target you are shooting at!

 

[MTNHUNTER76]

Less than 1 moa.

 

[SummitsCalling]

You believe if you shot “one shot” ten different days on the same target, that those ten different first shots would be all in one bullet diameter hole?

Cold bore I would hope the results would be repeatable, not the same one bullet diameter hole but easily within 1 moa with a factory rifle and ammunition. Working your way down to smaller variations with custom rifles and handloads.

 

[Formidilosus]

Cold bore I would hope the results would be repeatable, not the same one bullet diameter hole but easily within 1 moa with a factory rifle and ammunition. Working your way down to smaller variations with custom rifles and handloads.

So they’re going to create a “group” of shots, and not just a hole? So when you go out and shoot your one cold bore shot, if you miss- how do you determine if it was a “miss” on your part, and not due to the “group” being larger than the target? In other words- if you never grouped the rifle, that is- shot enough rounds on paper to form a cone that the rifle is mechanically capable of, how do you separate the noise and get real information?

 

[Sako300]

So they’re going to create a “group” of shots, and not just a hole? So when you go out and shoot your one cold bore shot, if you miss- how do you determine if it was a “miss” on your part, and not due to the “group” being larger than the target? In other words- if you never grouped the rifle, that is- shot enough rounds on paper to form a cone that the rifle is mechanically capable of, how do you separate the noise and get real information?

 

[Sako300]

If the wind shifts all of a sudden at a long distance, which I have had happen many times , it can throw your cold bore shot off dramatically! Even with a Gunwerks LR1000 yard out of the box setup, which I think they shoot in underground tunnels now, that groups bug holes with no wind. I’d buy a larger target that can compensate for these cold bore misses. Whether it be the shooter or Mother Nature! Its a hunting rifle that will be used different terrains, temperatures, across canyons, angles, etcc. I’d spend more time preparing for the shot with my instruments and needed corrections before the squeeze of the trigger goes off.

 

[Dobermann]

Cold bore I would hope the results would be repeatable, not the same one bullet diameter hole but easily within 1 moa with a factory rifle and ammunition. Working your way down to smaller variations with custom rifles and handloads.

Have you tried The Kraft Drill?

You might find that 1 MOA fairly hard to achieve in field conditions. Give it a go - very good shooters are often at 2 MOA; most high-level shooters are more like 3 or 4 MOA.

 

[General RE LEE]

Cold bore 3 shot group at 500 yards with 15-20 mph headwind. First shot was the highest one in the group. I think this load will work for long range hunting to 500.

 

[KenLee]

I deer hunt with guys that will shoot a 4” group at 100 yards, call it good and go hunt. Those same guys will make some terrible shots on game.

I've shot off the bench with numerous half moa shooting guys (and gals) who choke when a big deer, elk, moose, or turkey show up.
It ain't all about the paper.

 

[wind gypsy]

I've shot off the bench with numerous half moa shooting guys (and gals) who choke when a big deer, elk, moose, or turkey show up.
It ain't all about the paper.

Sure but I doubt someone who shoots one 4" group from a bench before each season is going to become Bob Lee Swagger once a deer walks out.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Sure but I doubt someone who shoots one 4" group from a bench before each season is going to become Bob Lee Swagger once a deer walks out.

My step dad becomes Bob Lee Cerable Palsey once there's game in sight.

 

[jjjjeremy]

For me, I'd say the max distance is the distance when double your five shot range groups meets half the size of the vitals. 2 MOA gun shouldn't be flinging them past 200y on a deer. .75 MOA gun can take an elk at 600.

 

[Formidilosus]

For me, I'd say the max distance is the distance when double your five shot range groups meets half the size of the vitals. 2 MOA gun shouldn't be flinging them past 200y on a deer. .75 MOA gun can take an elk at 600.

How did you come to that conclusion?

 

[jjjjeremy]

How did you come to that conclusion?

Personal experience and time in the field, I guess. Doubling the MOA of the rifle when moving from the range to the field takes into account shooter error. Halving the target size takes into account changing environmentals.

 

[eric1115]

Personal experience and time in the field, I guess. Doubling the MOA of the rifle when moving from the range to the field takes into account shooter error. Halving the target size takes into account changing environmentals.

Why not practice from field positions in field conditions? If you don't know whether you go go from a 1 moa shooter at the bench to a 2 moa shooter off a pack, or a 5 moa shooter off a tree branch, that blanket rule doesn't work. If I know I'm 1.5 moa seated with a tripod for a 5 shot group because I do it regularly, that's way better than assuming I'm double.

I think the two main issues with this approach are:
1) group size is going to be additive, not a multiplier. Mechanical accuracy plus shooter error. lets look at an extreme example to make the point clearly. If you have a legit benchrest gun that shoots in the .1's from bags/rest, you would be silly to expect .2-.3 moa precision standing and resting your rifle on a tree branch. You probably have a 0.1 moa gun plus a 3 moa wobble zone, for a 3.1 moa capability from that position. Conversely, if you have an old rifle whose mechanical precision is 3 moa, on good bags/rest that let you hold .5 moa (3.5 moa total group size), going to a good field position might increase your wobble zone to 1 moa for a total group size of 4 (not 7).

2) This method is just a guess if you don't go practice. Do you know your precision from prone off a pack? Seated off a tripod? Standing off hand? I get what you're saying, and it's WAY better than the "I shoot .5 moa groups off the bench sometimes, so my rifle is a .5 gun and I can shoot deer out to 800 yards." crowd. But there's (IMO) a better way to look at it.