What's your most accurate hunting rifle?

[HandgunHTR]

Mine is a custom Tikka in 7-08AI. Bartlein 20" barrel, Rem Varmint contour. Has a McMillan Game Warden stock, MCarbo trigger spring, Mountain Tactical BM and factory M+ mags.

The gun currently has an average of 0.873" for over 100 5-shot groups.

I don't have enough groups with my custom Tikka in 338 Sherman Mega to say how good it is, but it is showing some great promise as well.

 

[Macintosh]

The tikka I don't own.

In reality, all my rifles shoot adequately the same. For me, all I care about is being able to hit a 3" circle at 400 yds "cold bore" first shot.

.75moa 100% of the time is very impressive. Nothing Ive ever owned can do that.

The rifle I can shoot the best may or may not be more accurate than my other similar gun, its just heavier and has a higher-powered scope, so its easier to be a tiny bit more precise. One is a unmodified tikka CTR 6.5cm in a bravo chassis with a cronus btr 4.5-29x scope. That gun is very easy to keep 10 shots inside 1.25”, 3 shot groups are often clover-leaf touching holes. The other is a unmodified t3x in a alterra stock with a S&B klassik 3-12, I have a couple barrels for it that both shoot pretty consistent 1.5” 10-shot groups, and often put 3-shots into .5-.7 inches.

In both cases the guns are accurate enough that I really cant ever blame the gun with a straight face.

 

[TaperPin]

I always like a good shooting low-priced rifle story. Back when I was in the market for a good shooting rifle for the absolute lowest dollar amount, I’d buy a used Remington every time a good deal came up, shoot a few groups and sell it unless it was better than my main rifle. I still do that with used barrels - there’s something entertaining about looking for a good shooting bargain in aftermarket barrels. You never know how a barrel will shoot until it can be taken to the range, but the odds do go up with price, as well as the attention paid to chambering in line with the bore (generally more $$$).

 

[Hnthrdr]

140 ELDM 10 shots

6.5 tikka?

 

[roadrunner]

.75moa 100% of the time is very impressive. Nothing Ive ever owned can do that.

The rifle I can shoot the best may or may not be more accurate than my other similar gun, its just heavier and has a higher-powered scope, so its easier to be a tiny bit more precise. One is a unmodified tikka CTR 6.5cm in a bravo chassis with a cronus btr 4.5-29x scope. That gun is very easy to keep 10 shots inside 1.25”, 3 shot groups are often clover-leaf touching holes. The other is a unmodified t3x in a alterra stock with a S&B klassik 3-12, I have a couple barrels for it that both shoot pretty consistent 1.5” 10-shot groups, and often put 3-shots into .5-.7 inches.

In both cases the guns are accurate enough that I really cant ever blame the gun with a straight face.

I don't shoot just to shoot. I don't send multiple rounds downrange for grouping. I only shoot a rifle for hunting purposes. What the rifle does after 20 shots for me is irrelevant. If the rifle can hit what I'm aiming at the first time, that's all I care about. There are no guarantees the animal will stand around after that first shot.

When I zero, I zero at 300 yds. I will shoot 3 shots, spaced out over a minute each. Then let the barrel cool. Then repeat until the first shot is "sub MOA". The other follow ups aren't much different. Yes, it can take me a few days to fully sight in.

Is this an abnormal stance? Yep. It is, for most people probably.

If I have to rely on 6, 7, or 10 shots to put an animal down for the barrel to warm up to its "happy spot", then I had better take up another hobby.

 

[sodaksooner]

Seekins PH2 in 300wm. I can pull 1/2 MOA groups if I don't screw it up. In 2nd is my old Ruger M77 in 257 Roberts that I bought in 1982 when I was 15(for less than #250). It has always shot handloads but never really worked up an accurate load, just what my dad used to load for his. It's still capable of Sub MOA, once again, if I do my job.

 

[Fightswithbadgers]

So I'm curious how price plays into accuracy. My assumption is that its minor relevance.

The rifle should be of the hunting class, say less than 12lbs.

So I my most accurate is probably my tikka 22-250, I haven't taken the thermal off it to shoot a groups with it, but sighting in, she's sub 1/2 moa.

What's your go to tack driver?

Ps, second choice might possibly be my ruger american g2

My go to tack driver is a Winchester heavy varmint chambered in .223. This is my primary praire dog rifle. Non tapered 1” diameter 26” stainless barrel and it is all sitting in a HS precision stock.

 

[Zachthewack257]

So I'm curious how price plays into accuracy. My assumption is that its minor relevance.

The rifle should be of the hunting class, say less than 12lbs.

So I my most accurate is probably my tikka 22-250, I haven't taken the thermal off it to shoot a groups with it, but sighting in, she's sub 1/2 moa.

What's your go to tack driver?

Ps, second choice might possibly be my ruger american g2

Probably my savage 111 in 30-06 shooting 1/2 in at 100yds (with my reloads) but even with factory still getting 1 inch or so groups

 

[Vaquero 45]

Wish it was my Sharps 1874 twin trigger in 45-70. However to finish the original question it's my vintage Browning Medallion BOLT in 270 WSM . I'm mostly a recurve hunter , Not gonna lie my passion recurve bows . Strictly a hunter , I never been near or in a 3D or any type of competition bow shoot .

 

[yeti12]

Probably my bone stock tikka. It's not more accurate on paper than any of my other custom rifles, but it seems to get first round impacts more than the others. Still gathering data on that...

 

[kthomas]

I only have one hunting rifle, and it's a Mausingfield with a Benchmark barrel spun up by TS Customs.

Needless to say it shoots.

Price doesn't necessarily correlate to more precision. But if you want to guarantee good to great precision, you need to start with a quality barrel blank and have a quality chamber cut for the projectiles you are shooting.

 

[jjjjeremy]

In reality, all my rifles shoot adequately the same. For me, all I care about is being able to hit a 3" circle at 400 yds "cold bore" first shot.

Same. My hunting rifles are all zeroed for a cold bore.

 

[huntnful]

Mine is my 7-300 Norma Mag Improved. Shooting 180 ELDM’s at 3160fps. Weighs 11lbs.


12 shot group at 100 yards


And a test group at 730 yards

 

[cfounta1]

Seekins PH2 for me

 

[Macintosh]

I don't shoot just to shoot. I don't send multiple rounds downrange for grouping. I only shoot a rifle for hunting purposes. What the rifle does after 20 shots for me is irrelevant. If the rifle can hit what I'm aiming at the first time, that's all I care about. There are no guarantees the animal will stand around after that first shot.

When I zero, I zero at 300 yds. I will shoot 3 shots, spaced out over a minute each. Then let the barrel cool. Then repeat until the first shot is "sub MOA". The other follow ups aren't much different. Yes, it can take me a few days to fully sight in.

Is this an abnormal stance? Yep. It is, for most people probably.

If I have to rely on 6, 7, or 10 shots to put an animal down for the barrel to warm up to its "happy spot", then I had better take up another hobby.

Not to take this off topic, but Ive also experimented with doing as you describe. My citing 3 and 10 round groups is because ime the 10-round groups are simply more representative of what I can bank on from any one random shot, ie no rifle Ive ever owned is capable of hitting a 3” circle at 400 yards every shot—or even a 3/4” circle at 100 yards—even when I do my part, and even though I frequently see 3/4” 3-round groups from that rifle. Im just saying that being able to hit a 3” circle 100% of the time on your first shot at 400 with a hunting rifle is damn impressive to me regardless of how you do it.

Edit: I actually cant think of ever having seen anyone shoot that well. That is taking 100 3/4” dots and putting them on a big sheet of cardboard at 100 yards, taking one shot with your hunting rifle at each dot, and hitting the dot 100 times out of 100 shots. A 3” circle at 400 is the same except you are also dealing with a bit of wind at that range. For me my field positions are by far the weak link more so than taking my gun from a 1.25 or 1.5moa gun down to a .75moa gun, but again, I find this really impressive.

 

[TaperPin]

On the opposite side of the coin, just today I bought the least accurate barrel ever. It’s a 208 Ruger off an unfired Remington 700, and a lot of guys get really great accuracy so I was hopeful with this take off. . . well, this barrel won’t be one of them - the rifling wasn’t properly formed and is so super shallow that it can’t be more than 1/3 of normal depth. Oh well, you win some and lose some - that’s just part of buying things as-is without being able to see it up close.

 

[Wapato]

I have a browning x-bolt long range that is extremely accurate. I think most rifles can be pretty accurate if you find a load they like.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Semi-custom Tikka .25-284 with 22" McGowen #3. Rifle weighs around 11 pounds empty with Harris bipod, Boyd's laminate, and can. Bull is 1.25" and this is 18 rounds at 100 yards. Pretty bad mirage on the last 5 rounds or so.

My chopped 18" Tikka 7-08 consistently shoots 1"-1.25" 10 shot groups at 100 with a variety of hand loads- 120 NBT, 150 Fusion, and 162 ELDX so far. I've never weighed it, but probably around 9#-10# empty with Harris bipod and can.

 

[roadrunner]

Not to take this off topic, but Ive also experimented with doing as you describe. My citing 3 and 10 round groups is because ime the 10-round groups are simply more representative of what I can bank on from any one random shot, ie no rifle Ive ever owned is capable of hitting a 3” circle at 400 yards every shot—or even a 3/4” circle at 100 yards—even when I do my part, and even though I frequently see 3/4” 3-round groups from that rifle. Im just saying that being able to hit a 3” circle 100% of the time on your first shot at 400 with a hunting rifle is damn impressive to me regardless of how you do it.

Edit: I actually cant think of ever having seen anyone shoot that well. That is taking 100 3/4” dots and putting them on a big sheet of cardboard at 100 yards, taking one shot with your hunting rifle at each dot, and hitting the dot 100 times out of 100 shots. A 3” circle at 400 is the same except you are also dealing with a bit of wind at that range. For me my field positions are by far the weak link more so than taking my gun from a 1.25 or 1.5moa gun down to a .75moa gun, but again, I find this really impressive.

Correcting for wind drift is no different than correcting for holdover. The POI is the same when controlled conditions are met.

With wind drift, of course the shot can be off the first time if it's not corrected for.

Having spent time hunting elk with members of the Jicarilla Apache tribe and watching them purposefully shoot cow elk in the head (below the ear) at 100 to 200 yards using nothing more than the hood or door jam of the truck tells me it's not a fluke.

Not saying they are the world's leading marksmen either...

Multiple shots for grouping is nothing more than the repeatability under current conditions: elevation/drift correction, muscle memory, adjusting form, etc.

I want my hunting rifle to be able to hit a clay pigeon at 400 yds on the first shot under controlled conditions.

 

[JerkyFreak]

Stock standard T3x Supervarmint in .308 Win. Quite heavy at 12 pounds, but worth it to me for the piece of mind.

Before my last hunt I developed a load using Norma Oryx 180gr bullets. 3 groups of 5 shots over 2 days, each with 0.3gr between groups taken all together were less than 1 MOA. No fouling shots and no cold-bore shift noticed.