Necessary Accuracy for Elk

[Silentstalker]

Everyone has answered your question quite well. I can’t add much to what has already been said.

A factory rifle should be able to hold 2” groups at 100 yards at the very worst. If you’re 6” at 200 that is not good enough.

Have your gun checked all the way down to the mounts. Try several different types of ammo with quality bullets. Don’t stop until you’re close to 1 MOA or better.

Elk are not hard to kill if you hit them well and they are damn near impossible to kill if you hit them poorly.

Good luck in your search and on your elk hunt!

 

[mavinwa2]

"6 inches at 200 yards, within a dollar bill"

NOT good enough. You need it dial that in considerably and know how your shots place at extended yardages. Provided your rifle & scope are inline, mounted correctly, maybe trying a few different loads/brands might get better results.

example: my Browning 300 win mag, 200 gr Nosler Partitions, custom hand loads. Old A-Bolt with 26" Bbl. Leupold Gold ring 3.5x10x scope.
I get 1.25" group at 100 yards, 2.5" for 3 shots at 200 yards while benched at my local gun range, little swirling wind that day about 10mph.

IN hunting scenario's, I limit my shots to 450 yards max depending on conditions. And that is my rifle bench sighted in 3.5" high, dead center @100 yds, which puts me on hold to 300 yards, 12" drop at 400 yards, 15" drop at 450 yards. All these numbers are mine from the range and practice. These days prior to each season, I shoot the old magnum 2 shots each at 100 and 200 yards, just to check that sight-in hasn't changed. But most of my practice is with a Win70 FW in 30-06. After all, the Browning is a 300WM and it belts ya pretty good.

in 50 years of hunting elk, my 2 longest shots on bulls with the 300WM were 454 and 425 yards. Both 1 shot kills, shot placement in the crease behind shoulder & centered. Total heart-lung shots. One fell where he stood, the other bull went 20 yards and down before I could shoot again. Most of my shots have been at ranges of less than 350 yards.

 

[rclouse79]

A previous post stated vertical stringing can be due to eye alignment. I put adjustable cheek pieces on all of my guns. I love planting my cheek and knowing I will get a perfect and consistent view through the scope. Might be worth a try if you don’t have one.

 

[Dirtscoots]

I have a factory rifle with factory loads and it is consistently sub moa at 200. I’m very comfortable dialing it to distance in a hunting situation for my wife, who shoots lights out. My buck fever limits my shooting range to about half of hers however. As stated i would want a lot better group before I attempted putting cross hairs on any animal.

 

[Sled]

I'd say 6" group at 200 is pretty good if you're shooting off hand. If not, it's time to recheck a few things. I don't shoot many groups but rather 2 shots back to back over the course of several outings. I prefer them to be within a couple inches at 400 but my guns are precise with the loads I shoot. Acceptable for hunting is 2moa out to 200. Suggested would be closer to 1moa or less.

I require both accuracy and precision from my weapons. If I can't get it in varying conditions then my effective range is reduced.

 

[Wassid82]

What kind of accuracy do you recommend for Elk ?
Right now, 200 yards, I'm about the size of a dollar bill. I can't get it any tighter. The windage is actually pretty good. But the elevation changes is about 6".

I'm zoomed in 16x on the scope. This is from a bench, so I figured I'd be good with elevation.

The question is, how much accuracy do you need for elk?.

If you are shooting from a bench I think 6" of elevation is rough. I would try new ammo or cleaning your gun. 8" kill zone is probably good but many shots at an elk where I hunt are 300-400+. I would want better accuracy. But to each their own

 

[BRTreedogs]

Usually consistent vertical stringing is cause any ammo with a high extreme spread. Aka velocity changes.
If possible you need to find more consistent ammo.

 

[Fbratschie]

Usually like no more than 2" at 200 and consistent pie plate at longest comfortable range. Comfortable at range and in field much different for me. Comfortable prone at range at 950, never considered anything over 450 at an animal.

 

[Gila]

Don't know what your cartridge or load is. Don't know how the rifle is set-up. Don't know what scope you are using, if it was sighted in correctly, or if it tracks correctly. No sense in going any further if you can't get consistently tight groups at 100 yards. Too many unknowns for any sage advice.

 

[Flyjunky]

Usually consistent vertical stringing is cause any ammo with a high extreme spread. Aka velocity changes.
If possible you need to find more consistent ammo.

I don't care how bad the ammo is, 6" at 100 is not because of velocity changes.

You have already received some great advice from others. Start with having someone else shoot your rifle. That will take you out of the equation and eliminate one variable. If the gun shoots more consistent, well, you have your answer. If not then have a gunsmith look over everything, I mean everything from bedding, bases, rings, scope, etc.. Eliminate one variable at a time.