How often is 1 MOA "really" 1 MOA?

[Castle Rock]

Checking zero with the 22/250, 80 ELDM
Pretty sure there is no need to fire more than 5
2-12 Athlon hasn’t missed a beat so far

 

[OKHunter84]

Yeah I'm not buying that you need to fire two boxes of shells to confirm whether or not a gun can shoot. When you're breaking in a barrel and trying different ammo to see what a gun likes, it'll be pretty obvious if it can shoot and group.

 

[ElDiablito]

Small groups (zero or checking dispersion) don’t tell you much about a rifle/load. You can rule out a load combo with a three shot group but it doesn’t really tell you how well the rifle/load will do.

According to the ballisticians at Hornady, a three shot group will vary 60 to 70% from the average of a 20-30 shot group. So your 1” 3-shot group is probably really 1.6-1.7” with a significant sample size.

 

[Eaton Hill]

If you don’t scrub your rifle, should the next shot, maybe being a cold shot at game, be as good as your last shot at the range if conditions are similar? Serious question from a guy who grew up on an 870 express for everything.
it makes sense and I ask since my 30-06 bar mk3, 2-7 vx1 with 150 grain federal blue box deer set up shoots like crazy, well within what everyone says is moa off a bench, until i occasionally clean the snot out of it with copper cleaner etc etc.
Most years, and especially in the shortage panic years, I’ve shot it once, seen a hole two inches above the bull at 100 and gone hunting. Granted, I’m talking NE woods whitetail where 150 is about a max.
I did clean it thoroughly end of last season and took it out yesterday. First group was closer to 2 inches with me being as much of a problem as the clean barrel. After that 1 inch was easy and 1.75 at 200 was my widest group of 3 groups.
Im sure antelope at 400 in wind is an entirely different ballgame and one I’m interested in, but are we overthinking some of this stuff?

 

[SDHNTR]

If you don’t scrub your rifle, should the next shot, maybe being a cold shot at game, be as good as your last shot at the range if conditions are similar? Serious question from a guy who grew up on an 870 express for everything.
it makes sense and I ask since my 30-06 bar mk3, 2-7 vx1 with 150 grain federal blue box deer set up shoots like crazy, well within what everyone says is moa off a bench, until i occasionally clean the snot out of it with copper cleaner etc etc.
Most years, and especially in the shortage panic years, I’ve shot it once, seen a hole two inches above the bull at 100 and gone hunting. Granted, I’m talking NE woods whitetail where 150 is about a max.
I did clean it thoroughly end of last season and took it out yesterday. First group was closer to 2 inches with me being as much of a problem as the clean barrel. After that 1 inch was easy and 1.75 at 200 was my widest group of 3 groups.
Im sure antelope at 400 in wind is an entirely different ballgame and one I’m interested in, but are we overthinking some of this stuff?

For shooting deer at 150yards, none of this matters much. Which is why most hunters dismiss the process.

 

[JustMe7]

Below is a nice summary article. If you want to take a deeper dive look into the your groups are too small clips at the end.

For example today I shot 5 different loads in a 270Win I know to be an accurate rifle. They were 3 shot groups. Best 3 loads were approx. 1/4”, 1/3” and 3/4”. I know 3 shot groups will about double if I shoot 10 shot groups. So the 1/4” load is really likely to be around 1/2” for 10 shots.

I am selecting a load for an elk hunt my brother has where it is likely he may need to shoot across a 500 yard canyon, so am looking for extreme accuracy. For regular hunting to 350 yards or so, 1” or 1moa is plenty for me.

For accurate data, sample size matters.

How many shots do you need to determine the accuracy of your rifle?

blog.hornady.com

I’d take the 1/2” load and run with it.
When hunting the first shot is the Prime shot.
You need two more shots you know your rifle and ammo , you will have the confidence to run em.

 

[Tmac]

I’d take the 1/2” load and run with it.
When hunting the first shot is the Prime shot.
You need two more shots you know your rifle and ammo , you will have the confidence to run em.

That’s the plan. Getting 80 rounds loaded, then will shoot 10-15 shots in a couple 3-5 shot groups at the same target to verify things, get a turret tape made, and go hunt.

 

[Harvey_NW]

I’d take the 1/2” load and run with it.
When hunting the first shot is the Prime shot.
You need two more shots you know your rifle and ammo , you will have the confidence to run em.

Considering the variability of 3 shot groups is 60-70%, statistically that same 1/4" load could print a 1.3" group. There is zero confidence in 3 shot test groups.

 

[Tmac]

Considering the variability of 3 shot groups is 60-70%, statistically that same 1/4" load could print a 1.3" group. There is zero confidence in 3 shot test groups.

Sure could, but probably won’t in that rifle. Regardless, it will get a 10-15 shot group to verify things before it gets to go hunting.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Regardless, it will get a 10-15 shot group to verify things before it gets to go hunting.

That's the important part that most people forget to do.

 

[TaperPin]

If the first two shots in a group are horrible, more shooting will never shrink the group.

In the field MOA shooters are much harder to come by than MOA rifles.

A gun that has never shot anything larger than 3/4 MOA is worth the custom barrel.