We all talk about our weapons, ammo and accuracy...but just exactly what does "accurate" mean to each of us?
Personally if I have a rifle ammo combination that shoots any sloppier than 1 minute I do not consider that rifle to be accurate, but I assume others have a slightly different opinion of accurate…so let us hear it, what do you consider accurate?
I have a friend who (I shoot with regularly) feels 3 minute groupings are good enough. The question is not intended to lead to debate…it just gives us all an idea how the people we get advise from rate accuracy for themselves.
"Is it accurate?"
"Yes"
"How accurate is it?"
"Really accurate!"
"What does that mean?"
"If you shoot at something you'll hit it."
"You mean like a shotgun?"
"No, this gun is really really accurate!"
If your head is about to explode, I feel your pain. To me accuracy is quantitative, and whether or not something is accurate is relative to the use and user.
Open sited, I can't see myself ever imagining the need for a gun that can shoot under 2moa. Using a scope with confidence, I'm closing in on MOA and have touched on it on occasion, but can't really say I'm that good yet. So I wouldn't find myself having any particular need for a gun that could do fractions of MOA. 1moa will do me for a while. When I can honestly say that my groups are the gun, and not me, then I'll see about spending the money for a sub-moa gun.
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Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
I have had rifles that were accurate enough to deer hunt with, 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards,(most deer in this area are taken between 40-70 yards) but a waste of time for me on the target range where 1-1/2 inch groups are the norm, on a good day.
A rifle is just a tool, for a specific job, so IMHO accuracy is what that job calls for.
I have a sported Turk Mauser that I am trying to find a load it likes. It shoots 2" @100yds. That is perfectly capable for the deer hunting I do, yet I am not satisfied. That may be the best I get from it, yet I will still try to get better.
2" at 100yd is reasonable for a Turk Mauser with original barrel. If you can do better that's great, but even if the ammo is perfect the rifle may be able to do no better.
__________________
Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
My idea of accuracy is being able to know you'll hit your target should you pull the trigger. Any rifle/handgun that you feel confident enough in to say " If I pull this trigger, I'll hit what I'm aiming at" is accurate. I agree with ninwnc when he stated " A rifle is just a tool, for a specific job, so IMHO accuracy is what that job calls for. " but would add pistol in that definition as well, let's just say firearms in general are tools. When shooting at an indoor range you're shooting in a controlled environment, will your pistol prove as accurate outdoors at it will indoors? Same can be said for bench shooting at the rifle range v/s hunting in the mountains for bear. Accuracy has a lot to do with your tools, but it has even more to do with the ability behind the sights.
I don’t know but anything sloppier than one minute just aggravates the !!!! out of me when shooting groups…unfortunately I just get completely angry with my rifle\ammo, and if I am unable to make it perform better I will sell the weapon. I can say this though, some days that one character flaw has made a good day shooting, turn into an aggravating experience. Which is why I almost always take my Panther with me…and I make it the last weapon I shoot…
It depends on the gun and the target, basically it is being able to hit what you aim at with confidence. For a combat handgun it would be hitting a dinner plate at 50 yards. For a target handgun it would be a clay bird at 50 yards. Hunting rifle would be sub MOA, target rifle would be 5 shots in one hole.
it is rare to have to shoot outside of 100 yards for me. heck, a gun that gets 3 inch groups will get the job done for that range. if the gun (not always the shooter) will do 1 inch groups at 100 yards, that oughta do the job.
1/2 MoA at 100yds, 2 MoA at 700-800yds. That would be using a high-powered rifle with standard ammunition, on a bench rest.
Okay, I assume you mean ~2 inches at 800 yards... but wouldn't that have to be an uber-expensive rifle with cryo floating barrel and all that jazz? 2 inches at 800 yards would be shooting- lesse.. 1.04''x8=8.32'' 2/8.32= .2404 minutes of angle. That would be one HECK of a gun. Best groups I've ever seen are like.. .265 MOA, at least in .308 winchester with factory loads. If there's a gun that's much better than that I'd like to see it, just out of curiousity.
Anyway, I personally consider 1 MOA to be quite sufficient for anything I would ever realistically shoot at. That's 10 inches at 1000 yards, soooo Yeah I'd be happy with that.
JD
Varmint calibres = under 1" @ 100m
Medium game = under 1.5" @ 100m
Big game = 2" @ 100m
But most guns I have ever owned I have managed to get shooting less than 1" and all of my Varmint rifles have gone around the .5"
Depends on the gun and what it was designed for.
Three inches at 100 yards is accurate for my SKS, but it would be deplorable for my Winchester 75T target rifle (it'll shoot a nice cloverleaf, all touching at that distance).
My two Thirty-thirties shoot an honest one inch group at 100 yards - from the bench. Good enough for my hunting down here. From a tree with 'buck fever' running high, I'll probably shoot four inches or more with them.
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it depends on which rifle im shooting, 4in. groups with a sks, 1.5 with saiga .308, 1in with a polish m44, a pie plate with my 91-30,the inside of a barn with the yugo mauser.
clarification: the inside of a barn WITH THE DOOR CLOSED.
Last edited by billy; 02-28-2007 at 01:10 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
