The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How Accurate is good enough for you to head into the field to hunt?

Dearhunter61 · September 16, 2009, 09:20 PM

Wow, These responses have been pretty interesting.

I do shoot and practice on the bench. Although I would prefer to spot and stalk where I hunt that is impossible so I hunt out of a stand. Although I am not sitting at a bench I do have a good rest and shooting on a bench does help me. The shots I have run anywhere from 20 yards out to 250 yards or so.

I am not happy with my rifle unless I can shoot 1" 5 shot groups and duplicate them. Then after I have been able to do this I make sure I fire 1 round out of a cold barrel and confirm it hits dead on. Once I have done this then the load I have put together passes the test and my rifle passes the test.

I realize that there is a large kill zone when hunting deer but I believe I owe to myself as well as the deer to make sure I shoot as accurately as possible.

Some of you will probably think this is extreme? Perhaps it is but it allows me to have complete confidence in the loads as well as the rifle I am hunting with so when I pull down on an animal and place the crosshairs on the heart I never think twice about anything but squeezing the trigger and putting the deer down and doing so as humanely as possible.

September 16, 2009, 09:20 PM	#23
Dearhunter61 Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 518	Wow, These responses have been pretty interesting. I do shoot and practice on the bench. Although I would prefer to spot and stalk where I hunt that is impossible so I hunt out of a stand. Although I am not sitting at a bench I do have a good rest and shooting on a bench does help me. The shots I have run anywhere from 20 yards out to 250 yards or so. I am not happy with my rifle unless I can shoot 1" 5 shot groups and duplicate them. Then after I have been able to do this I make sure I fire 1 round out of a cold barrel and confirm it hits dead on. Once I have done this then the load I have put together passes the test and my rifle passes the test. I realize that there is a large kill zone when hunting deer but I believe I owe to myself as well as the deer to make sure I shoot as accurately as possible. Some of you will probably think this is extreme? Perhaps it is but it allows me to have complete confidence in the loads as well as the rifle I am hunting with so when I pull down on an animal and place the crosshairs on the heart I never think twice about anything but squeezing the trigger and putting the deer down and doing so as humanely as possible.