What kind of accuracy do you shoot for with hunting ammo?

[MOwhitetail]

I’ve started working on a new load for my 300 win mag since H1000 has become nonexistent. My previous load with 212 gr ELD-X shot under 1/2” groups at 100 but it took a lot of work to get that good. I don’t exactly love shooting this rifle since it is so light and I don’t wanna have to shoot 100 rounds just to work up a load. What kind of accuracy do you guys expect out of rifles that you hunt with out to 500 yards?

 

[Dustin the wind]

I hunt with a Rem 700 in 30-06, 185 berger vld, H4350. I expect .5” groups at 200yd with my current loads unless I create user error.

 

[MOwhitetail]

Doesn’t that seem unnecessary though? I’m not shooting any competitions, just trying to kill animals. If the vitals on even the smallest animals are 8” I feel like moa should be enough.

On another note, how do the Bergers perform in an animal? I’ve heard wonderful things about how they shoot but never heard anyhung about expansion or penetration.

 

[RBHunter]

Same 1/2" or less. My typical practice shooting at the range can go to 600 yards. Where I can accurately shoot paper or a painted steel. If every trip out I can stay in that 1/2 or better I'm happy. I dont bench shoot. It's all prone, bipods or tripod. As I cannot carry a bench whyll hunting

 

[RBHunter]

Aim small miss small.
All i shoot is bergers in 6.5 CM. And 300 WM. Love them. VLD hunting. Elk, deer and lops. 50-650 and perform great!

 

[Brent111368]

What sort of wind flags are you both shooting over?

 

[RBHunter]

None

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

For me the better group a load produces, the more confidence I have in the rifle and myself putting the bullet where I want it.

 

[archp625]

I expect the same MOA group at 600 as I do at 100. I want to practice further just need more time and room. The brush is getting in my way to go to 800.

 

[Dustin the wind]

Doesn’t that seem unnecessary though? I’m not shooting any competitions, just trying to kill animals. If the vitals on even the smallest animals are 8” I feel like moa should be enough.

On another note, how do the Bergers perform in an animal? I’ve heard wonderful things about how they shoot but never heard anyhung about expansion or penetration.

To each their own. I’m far from a competitive shooter but this combo is doing really well so I expect it to keep doing so with this setup. My dad is more of a perfectionist in accuracy and he shoots barrels out trying for better groups, I just quit while I’m on top. If 1 moa is good enough and you don’t take shots over 3-400 yards then by all means go with it. It’s all mostly dependent on the monkey pulling the trigger anyway.

 

[Billinsd]

1 moa works well for me, mostly because I can't shoot much better than that.

 

[LaHunter]

1 moa for a hunting rifle at 500 yards is plenty accurate, as long as your 1 moa group is within your 1 moa POA.

 

[BuckSnort]

1 MOA or better is more realistic in real life and will be fine for most... MOST peoples .25-.5 MOA rifles will shoot closer to 1 MOA at least one or two days a week.... 10 shot groups turn A LOT of .25 rifle to 1.25 rifles...

 

[Dustin the wind]

1 MOA or better is more realistic in real life and will be fine for most... MOST peoples .25-.5 MOA rifles will shoot closer to 1 MOA at least one or two days a week.... 10 shot groups turn A LOT of .25 rifle to 1.25 rifles...

Correct, I guess if we are talking a real kill shot situation then we are talking a one shot group which has no moa. Every situation is different but it really comes down to; can I get a good rest and slow my heart rate enough. Last deer I shot I had to not touch anything on the stock at all except the trigger otherwise i’m sure that shot would have been way off.

 

[Wrench]

.5 at 200 is one of those that you're gonna get called out on in my group and asked to put it out there.

Really, a moa gun in the hands of a shooter who can read the wind and do the math is flat deadly into the 4 digits.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m usually happy with anything sub MOA, if I’m bored sometimes I’ll start trying to tweak it but once I’m consistently shooting under an inch I figure that’s good enough for me, I generally don’t shoot at animals past 300yds and never past 500.

 

[Dustin the wind]

I’m usually happy with anything sub MOA, if I’m bored sometimes I’ll start trying to tweak it but once I’m consistently shooting under an inch I figure that’s good enough for me, I generally don’t shoot at animals past 300yds and never past 500.

Ethically I don’t shoot further either, good rule of thumb.

 

[Brent111368]

Wind flags, you can’t know your rifle and your load unless you are shooting over flags.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Ethically I don’t shoot further either, good rule of thumb.

I practice regularly out to 500 and I feel pretty comfortable there but I’ve never had to actually shoot an animal at that distance. The longest shots I’ve ever made at game we’re on mule deer and elk but those were still in the 400s.

 

[Wrench]

My advice is to go shoot a heap of coyotes at ranges you hope to achieve and go check your work.

I'm lucky enough to have about a zillion acres of yote country out my door and the confidence that inspires makes dropping the hammer on a big target much easier.