{"id":1827,"date":"2022-02-18T15:48:53","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T20:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=1827"},"modified":"2022-02-18T15:48:55","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T20:48:55","slug":"thoughts-on-rifle-accuracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/thoughts-on-rifle-accuracy\/","title":{"rendered":"THOUGHTS ON RIFLE ACCURACY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Boddington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you want your rifle to deliver teeny, tiny groups? Sure, and people in hell want ice. The search for exceptional accuracy can be exhaustive and costly, so let\u2019s start with one question and one reality. Question: How much accuracy do you really need? Reality: Any given rifle has a finite level of accuracy it can deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One 7×57: Boddington loves the Ruger <\/a>No. One single shot but concedes that, especially with light barrels, they can be finicky. This 7×57 was all over the map and frustrating. Top right, it finally found a load it liked, and has remained consisted at about 1.5 MOA. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Colonel Townsend Whelen (1877-1961) wrote: \u201cOnly Accurate Rifles Are Interesting.\u201d Warren Page (1909-1967), authored The Accurate Rifle<\/em>. Like most gunwriters of the previous generation, both were accomplished competitive rifle shooters. They understood rifle accuracy, and both had much to do with the fixation American shooters have for raw rifle accuracy, whether needed or not. In their time, exceptionally accurate rifles existed, but were less common than today, the exception rather than the rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we take for granted that every new rifle on the dealer\u2019s rack will deliver those teeny, tiny groups right out of the box. This is more likely than ever before, and at less cost than ever before. But not all rifles will do it. Even if they will, not all shooters have the skill and technique to produce the best groups their rifles are capable of. And we don\u2019t always care; it depends on our purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This .280 Remington,<\/a> shown with a nice Coues whitetail, is the finickiest rifle Boddington ever owned. Groups were awful with all factory loads he tried, but the rifle instantly came alive with common handload recipes, shrinking groups well below one MOA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HOW MUCH ACCURACY?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most rifles deliver more accuracy than is needed! Minute of Angle (MOA) is the most common standard, expressed in terms of inches (or fractions) at 100 yards. At least in theory, a one-inch (one MOA) 100-yard group should naturally expand to two inches at 200 yards, three inches and 300 yards, and so forth on out. Please note: It is far more difficult to shoot a three-inch group at 300 yards than a one-inch group at 100 yards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In .303 British, the \u201cCourteney Stalking Rifle\u201d from Uberti is just plain cool. Boddington used it during his Kansas rifle season, but ammo and bullets were scarce and two-inch groups were the best he could do with what he had. Not great, but very adequate for hundred-yard shots at whitetails.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We used to think a one-MOA rifle was very accurate. Still is and, to be honest, that\u2019s more accuracy than I really need for most of my hunting. This week, I\u2019m hunting whitetails on my son-in-law\u2019s Texas property, using a 1950s Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Some days it will do better, but it\u2019s really a two-MOA rifle. Some Savage 99s do better, but that\u2019s typical \u201cgood\u201d accuracy for any vintage lever-action, and plenty adequate for the shots I might take here, in thick oaks and mesquite. Last night, I shot a \u201cmanagement\u201d eight-pointer at less than 40 yards, not a problem that the rifle wasn\u2019t super-accurate by today\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boddington loves his old lever-actions\u2026and accepts their limitations. This 1950s .300 Savage<\/a> will group 1.5 MOA with some loads, two inches with others. So long as he uses it in close-range situations, there\u2019s no handicap. This last-light Texas buck was taken at 40 yards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My Kansas country is quite different, thick oak ridges but, similarly, none of our stands offer potential for long shots. All through the \u201921 Kansas rifle season I carried Uberti\u2019s Courteney Stalking Rifle, new rifle on the old 1885 Browning falling-block action. In .303 British<\/a>, it was also producing two-inch groups. I wouldn\u2019t take either rifle sheep hunting, but both are adequate for my whitetail hunting (and hogs, black bear, and so forth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, I want more. Years ago, for a TV show, I went sheep hunting with an advertiser\u2019s rifle that was a two-inch gun. Got the job done, but I was nervous. For mountain hunting, I want at least a one-MOA rifle. Better is nice but, at field distances I\u2019m comfortable with, one MOA is good enough. Honestly, that\u2019s good enough for any of my big-game hunting, but some shooters want more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This .416 Rigby <\/a>was exceptionally accurate right out of the box. That\u2019s not uncommon with large calibers (if you can take the pounding), but it doesn\u2019t really matter. For large game at close range, this level of accuracy is far more than needed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes I demand less. Most scoped .375s and .416s are at least 1.5 MOA rifles (some much better), but double rifles are rarely that accurate. With open sights, I can\u2019t resolve the front sight well enough to know how accurate the rifle might be. Nor do I care, provided it\u2019s good enough for short-range use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some shooters demand\u2026and need much more.   Whether for game or target, extreme-range shooters need all the accuracy they can get. Most competitive shooters want more, but it depends on the game. Cowboy Action is not raw-accuracy centric, while Benchrest competition is the most demanding of all. Much of our improvement in rifle accuracy have come from the benchrest community\u2026who define just how small \u201cteeny, tiny groups\u201d really are! Varmint hunters need more accuracy than most deer hunters. Considering size of target and distance, for prairie dog shooting I want all the accuracy I can get. I figure consistent half-MOA groups are minimal, half that if I can get it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 6.5-.300 Weatherby Magnum <\/a>has a long, belted case and is over bore capacity. Modern pundits suggest that such an old-fashioned case can\u2019t possibly group well. Good barrel, with sound bedding and assembly, are more important than case design. This 6.5-.300 breaks the rules. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WHAT CAN YOUR RIFLE DELIVER?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, we go on and on about today\u2019s great optics, better ammo, and more accurate rifles. All true, but not all rifles can deliver sub-MOA groups. Most that can will do it with some loads, not with others. If a rifle exists that will print one-hole clusters, all shots touching, with every load you might feed it, I want to see such a wonder! More on ammo later, but it seems to me the primary and most basic ingredient to rifle accuracy is a good barrel. Concentric action\/barrel mating, sound bedding, and consistent ammo are also essential. We talk about the advantages of heavy, rigid actions. We also wax eloquent about the amazing accuracy of modern cartridge design with short, fat cases. Rigid actions and case design contribute but, without a straight, well-cut, precisely-chambered barrel, you\u2019re done before you start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Modern factory rifles can be amazing. Right out of the box, this Kimber Mountain Ascent .30-06<\/a> produced three .75-inch groups with the first load tried. That search is done; this rifle is accurate enough for anything Boddington is likely to do with a .30-06. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to modern manufacturing, average barrels are better than ever. But some barrels are better than others. If I wanted to build up a super-accurate rifle, I\u2019d start with a match-grade, hand-selected barrel from a top brand. Such a barrel (barrel blank alone) might cost more than a complete basic bolt-action from Mossberg<\/a>, Ruger<\/a>, Savage<\/a>, others. No way the factories can have fifty bucks invested in the all-important barrel. It\u2019s amazing that current production rifles shoot as well as they do, and not surprising that rifles from \u201cknown\u201d makers who guarantee accuracy can start about ten times more than perfectly serviceable basic factory guns.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s factory rifles are amazing, but not all will produce MOA accuracy, and there\u2019s some luck involved in getting one out of the box that will cut that in half. Again, any given rifle is only capable of so much accuracy. Miracle cures do happen, but my experience is accuracy gains are incremental, rarely exponential. A rifle that produces two MOA at the start might, with work and some luck, cut that in half\u2014with some loads. It would then produce enough accuracy for most purposes (for most people). But if you\u2019re looking for one-hole groups, you\u2019re unlikely to get there. The search for maximum accuracy should be exhaustive and can be continuous. For instance, you could spend a lifetime and never try all the load combinations. However, I don\u2019t believe in tilting at windmills or hunting for unicorns. At some point, I accept the accuracy I have. If it\u2019s good enough for my purposes (for that rifle), wonderful. If not, time to think about starting over: Rebarreling, or trading for something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A cartridge is comprised of four components: Primer, case, propellent, projectile. Variations in any impact barrel vibrations (harmonics), which impact accuracy. Any factory load is just one combination; handloaders can vary all four, for infinite combinations.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TRY DIFFERENT LOADS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, with all ammunition hard to find and expensive, this is tough. However, the simplest and easiest way to improve accuracy is to keep trying different loads. Based on past experience, I can make predictions likely ammo brands, bullets, and handload recipes. Sometimes I\u2019m right, other times very wrong. There is no predicting what load(s) a given rifle is likely to shoot best. Some bullets are made for accuracy, others for terminal performance, but only your rifle knows what it likes. It can\u2019t tell you until you try! Often, the differences are unknowable variations in barrel harmonics. Some barrels are very finicky, others tractable and forgiving. Sometimes what works best is surprising, but you can\u2019t know until you shoot a few groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left to right: 6.5 Creedmoor<\/a>, 6.5 PRC<\/a>, 6.5-.300 Weatherby Magnum<\/a>. Newer cartridges (like the Creedmoor and PRC), with short, fat, unbelted cases are often accurate, but case design is a very distant factor in rifle accuracy. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Handloaders have a huge advantage, able to vary bullets, propellants and charge weights, even cases and primers. Users of factory ammo are in a pickle, especially right now. The worst of it, with factory ammo: You try a load, doesn\u2019t shoot well, and then you have half a box of near-useless practice ammo left over!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, but I can\u2019t help you with this. Supplies are terrible right now, and there\u2019s no way to know until you try. The only good news I can give you: There\u2019s no rush! When you see a brand or bullet you haven\u2019t tried, pick up a box and see what happens. When you find a load that shoots well, note it carefully. In fact, considering today\u2019s prices and irregular availability, measure groups and keep notes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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: Expectations should be realistic, but sometimes you get lucky. Despite featherweight barrel and walnut stock, this Jack O\u2019Connor commemorative Model 70 in .270 Winchester<\/a> produced sub half-MOA groups. Such accuracy is unusual in any brand or cartridge. A test rifle, Boddington should have kept this one. In right-hand only, he returned it\u2026and is still kicking himself! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If a rifle doesn\u2019t seem to shoot as well as you think it should, keep trying different loads. I had a .280 that printed shotgun patterns, not groups, with all the (few) factory loads I could find. I tried a \u201cnormal\u201d handload recipe with 140-grain AccuBond. Groups shrank from over two inches to below one MOA. This was a rare case of exponential improvement. Don\u2019t count on that, but before you give up, there are tricks you can try. I\u2019ll save them for next month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So, you want your rifle to deliver teeny, tiny groups? Sure, and people in hell want ice. The search for exceptional accuracy can be exhaustive and costly, so let\u2019s start with one question and one reality. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[7,101,24],"tags":[144,8,19,32,61,113,60,39,34,201],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/cartridge-components-Medium.jpg?fit=1147%2C768&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1827"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1827"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1840,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1827\/revisions\/1840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}