What are reasonable expectations?

[mstarling]

What are reasonable expectations for big bore loads when using FPGC bullets made with WW?

In the .470 NE I've seen sub 2" groups with good regulation at 50 yards with open sights. In .308 (311291) the results have been less than stellar (4" at 100 yards) using a 3-9x scope.

What's a rational hope at lower velocities (1400-1800 fps), and at higher velocities (2000-2200 fps)? Interested in 9,3 calibers, .375, .416, and .458" rifles.

Sure appreciate the input. Will save me from chasing the unlikely.

mike

[pumpguy]

I shoot my 1895 with bullets cast from WQWW Lyman 457193. I size them to .460 and lube them with LLA. The as cast weight is around 420gr. Shot at 1500-1600fps, I usually get 2-2.5" groups. Sometimes better sometimes worse. Always fun.

[nighthunter]

Reasonable expectations to me are as follows: I expect to be able to hit whatever I am shooting at. I expect myself to work up loads for each firearm that will help me achieve this goal. I expect myself to do my part on my end of the firearm to achieve this goal. I expect myself to know the difference between 75 yards with a hand gun and 200 or more yards with a rifle.
Not all firearms are capable of the mythical one hole 10 shot group that we occasionally hear of but can't be repeated when someone is watching. I reasonably expect myself to reach the abilities of the firearm I am using. I do not think you can do much better than that.
Nighthunter

[3sixbits]

I believe it is vary easy to reach the limits of your equipment vary rapidly and not be aware of it. I've had hundreds of rifles before I had one that could out shoot me. I think this is far more common than we suspect. We don't shoot in a vacuum we shoot in conditions, we shoot equipment that many times is not up to the tasks we expect it to preform to. What we want is usually not what we get. I could give many examples of this but it would take days to write it all out. I do know this, the really accurate ones shoot just about anything real well and don't take much work to get them to shoot there best. You use a 3X9 scope, great hunting scope power. I could not shoot my best at 100 yards with less than a 36 power scope. If I can not see my bullet holes and the target clearly, then I don't know if it was me or a condition or my equipment that has the problem. This means wind flags a good bench and a proper rest. Testing in that part of the day that will give you the best conditions, this usually means first thing in the morning. If we are talking hunting accuracy, then we are talking something else. This is all the fun, all ways something to do to improve.

[felix]

The gun must be commensurate with what you can see, BR or otherwise. That would sum up all of the accuracy requirements into one sentence. ... felix

[leftiye]

Depends entirely on the gun. Whatever it is capable of is what you should expect of it. If you find a gun that shoots better than you can then you know what to expect as being possible from yourself. Then you can say this gun shoots as well as I can, or merely as well as can be expected of this type of gun. This you need to know first, so you can decide whether to improve (or sell) a given gun, or to go home smiling.