Grouping size for hunting

[LAKEMASTER]

For 100 - 200 - 300 yard hunting, what would you consider accurate enough?

My friend uses a load that pushes 2200 fps and yeilds 3" @ 100 yards.

He hunts in an area where you lose visibility @ 75 yards.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

that's about the same as I do with my sks, and same hunting conditions, I think it is fine. a pigs heart is probably 4"

[LAKEMASTER]

We tested 18 @19 grains of unique today.
18 gave me 4" @ 50 yards. 19 was 5/6"

17 grains seems to be promising for my gun

[LAKEMASTER]

I might try 4198 for longer distances

[Texas by God]

List your cartridge and boolit and help will come. For me, 3" at 100 yds would limit me to 100 yds.
Best, Thomas.

[LAKEMASTER]

I was looking for a generalization of accuracy moa.

[Digital Dan]

For 300 yard chipmunks I'd recommend no more than .25 MOA.

It's hard to evaluate that with a .45-70 since the holes are big on paper and measuring a one hole cluster is problematic.

What are you hunting and what cartridge are you using?

[Cowboy_Dan]

I was looking for a generalization of accuracy moa.

MOA may not be the best standard, per se. It really depends on the size of your target. My thinking is to find the distance at which you can reliably group about 3/4 the size of the vitals of your quarry. That is your maximum range with that load.

[jhalcott]

I put apaper plateat the farthest range I will shot at game.if I miss, I move thetarget closer. When all 5 shots stay in the plate, that is the range IWill hunt with that load.Itts different for rifles and handguns.

[quilbilly]

An 8" paper salad plate for deer. With iron sights my old eyes can't get a good sight picture much beyond 140 yards and that is in the morning when they are fresh.

[white eagle]

generally I like 1/2 to 3/4"@100 yds
often settle for 1"though

[runfiverun]

need to keep things In perspective.

a 45 colt shooting 5 shots all but touching in an X shape is a 2" group.
2"s doesn't sound too impressive but shoot that same group with a 223 and it's 1/2".

I find hunting loads work a lot better for me if I simply have confidence in the load/rifle to hit the target.
I don't sit and shoot a lot of groups at 300 yds but I will shoot our 8" swingers with my hunting rigs at that distance.
I know if i need to keep a bullet in a deer's boiler room that far out I can settle in on my walking stick, a rock, or a tree branch and put one in there with 100% confidence.

doubting the shot or looking for the hit will cause more misses than settling in behind the rifle, focusing on the sights, and working the trigger with confidence.

[popper]

Close as you can get to MOA @ 100 & verify decent group at 200, 200. With all the 'other' stuff going on in the field and a 4" target area (pig, deer, bear, etc.). Less accuracy lets you track more if you want. I prefer not to.

[Drm50]

For me on LV deer guns open sights, reciever sights 4" is what I go for. These same rifles with
scopes will do less than 2" at 100yds. My bolt gun/ scope are in 1" or less at 100yds, most
sighted 1 1/2" hi at 100yds. There are a lot of rifles that won't do this, no matter what the load.
If they don't preform they go down the road. A off the rack common rifle is not worth the time
or expense to make it shoot. Rifles are like cars, you buy 10 identical, one is a lemon, one is
target grade, and the rest are mediocre.

[toallmy]

Doing some tests in the field builds confidence and will show you what you can really do at different ranges . I have set sticks with paper plates tacked to them around the farm I hunt , then climb into my stand to put a few rounds on them this is still a stress free test so consider the stress when really shooting at game . By the way when the wind blows my stand moves to .

[Larry Gibson]

For 100 - 200 - 300 yard hunting, what would you consider accurate enough?

My friend uses a load that pushes 2200 fps and yeilds 3" @ 100 yards.

He hunts in an area where you lose visibility @ 75 yards.

With cast bullets in rifle cartridges for hunting deer size game I have, in the past, restricted myself to 200 yards max range. I also prefer as much terminal performance as is practical with cast bullets. For that I prefer a softer cast bullet (usually COWWs + 2% tin then mixed 50/50 with lead) pushed to 2000 - 2200 fps. I usually also slightly HP the 30 - 375 Cal cast bullet with a 1/8" HP to 3/16" deep. That allows for reasonable expansion and excellent terminal ballistics out to my self imposed 200 yard max range. With that I usually use medium to slow burning powders in the 4895 to 4831 range. I prefer to have 2 moa or less accuracy at 200 yards with the 1st six or seven shots out of a clean barrel (or fouled with not more than 2 shots). That accuracy criteria has proven entirely sufficient over the last 30+ years I have been hunting with cast bullets.

However, the last few years has seen an improvement in cast bullet performance. I am now able to achieve 2500 - 2900+ fps with cast bullets by controlling the RPM and maintain 2 moa accuracy out to 300 to 400 yards which is where velocity drops to a level of diminished terminal performance. So far tests of several cast bullets designs in well soaked newsprint at 300 yards have demonstrated the high terminal potential at those increased ranges the higher velocity provides. Also the testing has disproven the theorized bullet disintegration and lack of penetration some speculate at. Tests have shown, for example, a 311041 at 2600 fps retains 1600+ fps and 1000+ ft lbs at 300 yards. That is entirely sufficient. The NOE 30 XCB bullet cast of #2 alloy at 2900+ fps holds together at 50 yards with through and through on 12" of wet pack and gives some expansion at 300 yards with 14 - 18" of penetration in wet pack. Limited results of actual performance on big game such as deer, etc. has shown that cast bullets at those velocities do not "shatter" as many have guestimated they would.

Anyways, bottom line is 2 moa at the farthest range probable is my criteria.

Larry Gibson

[tdoyka]

it depends,

if i used my 444 marlin with 275gr ranch dogs on deer, it will go to 200 yards.
if i use my 6.5 creedmoor or 270win with 120gr and 150gr bt on deer, it will go 300 yards.
if i use my sbh in 44 mag with 250gr mihek hp on deer, it will go 25 yards.
if i use my 20 vartarg with 32gr varmadeggon on varmints, it will go 350+ yards.

for deer using cast boolits will be 6" at 200 yards. i use a 275gr rd that goes 1/2 - 3/4" at 100yards(5 shots with a tc encore).
for deer using jacketed bullet will be 6" at 300 yards. i use a 120gr bt(6.5cm) that goes 1/4 - 1/2" at 100 yards(5 shots with a tc encore)
for varmints using a jacketed bullet will be 1/2" at 100 yards. i use a 32gr varmadeggon that goes .2" at 100 yards(5 shots with a tc encore)

for deer using my revolver will be 6" at 25 yards. i want to get it at 50 yards, but 25 yards is good enuff for this disabled guy.

[Sur-shot]

I have one bottom line objective, develop the best loads possible, always, shoot those loads in the best rifle possible, so when I leave the bench to go afield I have absolute confidence in the gun and the load. My equipment or loads rarely miss, I take care of all the missing all by myself.
Ed

[tdoyka]

I take care of all the missing all by myself.
Ed

missing? missing? i know of no missing...yes, i tried to shoot that limb, so i could save the buck ...er..yeah, for next year!!!

[KYCaster]

MOA may not be the best standard, per se. It really depends on the size of your target. My thinking is to find the distance at which you can reliably group about 3/4 the size of the vitals of your quarry. That is your maximum range with that load.

Cowboy Dan has the correct answer.

Jerry