what do you consider accurate ?

[white eagle]

For your hunting needs?
I am struggling with a rifle and it is not getting down to where I like it
Which is about 1" for 3 shots at 100 yards.
once I get it set and make up a box and retest it either moves or not what I had previously
What say You?

[M-Tecs]

That depends on application. Varmints at 500 yards verse moose at short yardage.

Varmint rifles I want under 3/4" MOA for 10 shot groups.

Most bolt gun I want under 1" MOA for 5 shot groups.

Short range lever guns for deer under 100 yard 3" MOA is acceptable.

If the accuracy or lack of accuracy limits my intended usage it needs to be dealt with.

[slownsteady22]

For me, good enough is 3 inch group of 3 to 5 shots at 100 yards. My shots are 95 % of the time 45 yards or less, compound bow range for me.

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[Shawlerbrook]

A lot depends on what you are hunting and what type of rifle you are using. Three or five shot groups are nice to see that you are getting the most out of your gun, but the first shot within a couple inches of where I am aiming at 100 yards is my expectations with the leverguns I use the most for deer.

[Budzilla 19]

Hmmm, where to begin? Optic mounting, barrel free float, stock screw torque, ammo perfect as can be, just a few things to start with! Good luck, I know you’ll figure it out.

[versa-06]

Deer Rifle At 100 yds. 1 1/2 inch - 1 3/4 inch max. Per 5 round all cold barrel shots. Or it's back to the drawing board. I don't like to pass on a good deer looking around a tree.

[Winger Ed.]

With my heavy barreled, Rem700, .30-06- I call it good if I can consistently keep almost all shots touching
at 100 yards with Sierra Game Kings or their match HPs. With cast, I have a hard time doing much better than a 2 1/2 inch or so with 190 SPs.

Open sights on M1A- I'm happy with consistent 3" groups with GI 147FMJ or 170 RN cast.
Open sights on my Marlin .45-70- I must flinch or something, 3" with it and 405 FPs is doing real good for me.

These are with me shooting off sand bags on a concrete table.
I used to have a buddy that did noticeably better with the same rifles and same ammo.

[white eagle]

lets call it your deer rifle

[M-Tecs]

lets call it your deer rifle

When I deer hunt in the woods 75 yards is a very long shot. My 3 MOA pre-64 94 is more than adequate for that. When I hunt out west 300 yard shots are common. I have anchored wounded deer (shot by others) a couple of time at over 500 yards.

[Savvy Jack]

There is about a "12 inch square" kill zone on a normal size white tail. If you can consistently hit inside 12" at any distance, it will put meat in the freezer.

When taking an exam, all one typically needs to pass is a score of 70%. Anything better is just wasted effort!

[Jim22]

There is about a "12 inch square" kill zone on a normal size white tail. If you can consistently hit inside 12" at any distance, it will put meat in the freezer.

When taking an exam, all one typically needs to pass is a score of 70%. Anything better is just wasted effort!

I dunno. I agree with the 12" figure but I would call it a circle or something similar.

I have shot game at 30 yards on out to a couple hundred yards. The long shot was a moose at about 200. He was facing me. I was shooting a .400 cal Whelen clone that was sighted a couple inches high at 100 yards. I had a nice steady rest - a moss covered boulder. I held a little daylight between the top of his back and he went down with one 400 grain bullet. It was good because he was unsuspecting.

I think most large game is pretty easy to kill. You need to keep your boolits inside 10-12 inches. Whatever it takes to do that with your rifle will dictate your maximum practical range. I have also killed cottontails at 15 feet with a .22. Any decent rifle will do that.

I have tried hunting with handguns but gave up on it. It's just too hard to shoot them accurately even if they will shoot small groups from the bench.

Jim

[M-Tecs]

This is a 125" class archery whitetail. Field dressed it went 167 for weight. A 12" killzone is a little optimistic

[Savvy Jack]

This is a 125" class archery whitetail. Field dressed it went 167 for weight. A 12" killzone is a little optimistic

12 inches from spine to heart.....yeap, meat on the table
12 inches from gut to shoulder....yeap, meat on the table

[Slugster]

Read somewhere that for a 100 yard deer rifle you just need to be able to put 10 shots into a 9" pie pan... offhand. I usually draw the line at 1.5" at 100 yards, benched and bagged.
Only accurate rifles are interesting. Forget who said that, but I am of the same mind.

[Zingger]

I believe it was Mr. Whelen who made that comment. My varmint rigs I want 1/2 to 3/4" out of. Hunting rifles- sub 1" for 3 off of rest. My Win 70 featherweight in 7mauser will do it, but just barely. But it is a heat-seeker for killing deer. When I am not overcome with buck/doe/deer fever that is. Seems like this year the safest place is in front of the bore. I haven't had much chance to get out and put rounds down- too many other things going on.

[Savvy Jack]

I can not figure out for the life of me how anyone killed anything before the advent of the boattail bullet!!

[Grayone]

Read somewhere that for a 100 yard deer rifle you just need to be able to put 10 shots into a 9" pie pan... offhand. I usually draw the line at 1.5" at 100 yards, benched and bagged.
Only accurate rifles are interesting. Forget who said that, but I am of the same mind.

I believe it was Colonel Townsend Wheeling (sp)?

[cwtebay]

You'll have to define your parameters. Yes hunting - yes deer rifle
Woods range at 200 yards or less? 3" at 100 yards is more than adequate as long as that 3" is your actual HUNTING shooting ability ( nerves, movement, shivering at -30°).
Lake side, deep draw whitetails? Headlands or open country mule deer? Sub moa is definitely desirable. Preferably through a quality optic on a rifle that you are extremely confident using out to 750 yards.... but realize that you can only responsibly fire at half that distance.

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[megasupermagnum]

12 inches from spine to heart.....yeap, meat on the table
12 inches from gut to shoulder....yeap, meat on the table

No sir. 1" to 3" is nothing but meat. Somewhere in that 3" to 5" range is spine. At 14" you MIGHT get lungs, but might not. 3" to 13" is the only reasonable kill zone. Lengthwise though, you have more leeway. From the front to back of the lungs is probably closer to that 14" range.

More realistic expectations should be to at least be able to hit lungs, with some leeway for error. My own personal limit (minimum) is 4", which allows some leeway in myself, and environmental factors. Most rifles meet this criteria just fine for reasonable ranges. Personally I have no problem with a rifle that is at least that accurate to just beyond its maximum point blank range. For example, a rifle I'm taking to the range tomorrow is a 308 Winchester, and with the load I'm using, will shoot plus or minus 2 1/2" to 250 yards. It will also shoot less than 4" groups at 300 yards which is the maximum range I'd want to shoot at without a lot more practice. For big game with a high velocity rifle, I see little reason to want better than MOA accuracy.

Another thing is I don't consider 3 shots a group. 3 shots is fine for sight in, but not much else. There's no reason to test long strings of shots for big game hunting, but if you shoot multiple 5 shot groups, and they measure 3/4", 1 1/4", 1 1/2", and 1", you don't have a 3/4" capable gun, you have a 1 1/8" average. You mention your groups moving. Your groups aren't moving, and you aren't getting fliers. You simply are not shooting as tight of groups as you think you are.

[444ttd]

since i only have one arm, i use a primos bipod and a three legged bog pod.

field shooting at a deer
open sights is around 4 - 5" at 150 yards(3 or 5 shots)

scope and cast boolits is around 2 - 3" at 150 yards(3 or 5 shots)

scope and jacketed bullets is 1 - 1 1/2" at 200 yards(3 or 5 shots)

most of my kills are around 30 - 50ish yards.