What rifle accuracy is "good enough" for hunting... - Page 3

Art Eatman · August 6, 2014, 08:52 PM

"1.5 to 2'' MOA @ 100 yards"

It's called a typo.

If you're gonna play in Ma Bell country, sub-MOA is much better. In my younger and healthier years, I worked pretty hard to be able to honestly say that anything inside of 500 yards belonged to me. Proved it, too. But I was just keeping up with my father and my uncle; no big deal.

Wyosmith · August 6, 2014, 09:19 PM

"Hunting accuracy" is far more about hunting than it is about accuracy.

Many good archers kill deer and elk at under 30 yards with accuracy that will keep all their arrows on a softball at that range.

Millions of hunters have killed deer with slugs from shotguns that only shoot 6" at 50 yards.

I often hunt with a flintlock that holds all its balls into about 3" at 100 yards and I have used a 20 gauge smoothbore flintlock to hunt and kill game with that only would keep its balls into 8" at 100 yards. I never have fired a shot with my flintlocks at any big game that I have not killed with. The reason?
I don't shoot until I know I will kill. If I don't know I can make a killing shot I don't fire.

I have also shot some game at very long range with bolt actions rifles. So I have done it on both sides of the spectrum

My advice is to work with your weapon until you are as proficient as you can get with it and use it within YOUR limitations. The better you get at shooting the longer range you can utilize up to the maximum range of your chosen weapon. You are far more the limiting factor than what you carry. You are also the part that does the hunting. Hunting is the most important part of that question, not mechanical accuracy.

Double Naught Spy · August 7, 2014, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Double Naught Spy: I suppose there are cases where a new rifle will shoot poorly with any factory ammo, but odds are that some ammo will shoot 2 moa or under.

I am not sure of the point you are making. I noted specifically and repeatedly "rifle/ammo combo" in my posts. They work in concert with one another, LOL. Yes, you should be able to find something that will work with your rifle, no doubt, that is why it is the rifle/ammo combo. However, that you can find something that works in your rifle does not mean that you will find what you want to work in your rifle.

August 6, 2014, 08:52 PM	#51
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	"1.5 to 2'' MOA @ 100 yards" It's called a typo. If you're gonna play in Ma Bell country, sub-MOA is much better. In my younger and healthier years, I worked pretty hard to be able to honestly say that anything inside of 500 yards belonged to me. Proved it, too. But I was just keeping up with my father and my uncle; no big deal.

August 6, 2014, 09:19 PM	#52
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	"Hunting accuracy" is far more about hunting than it is about accuracy. Many good archers kill deer and elk at under 30 yards with accuracy that will keep all their arrows on a softball at that range. Millions of hunters have killed deer with slugs from shotguns that only shoot 6" at 50 yards. I often hunt with a flintlock that holds all its balls into about 3" at 100 yards and I have used a 20 gauge smoothbore flintlock to hunt and kill game with that only would keep its balls into 8" at 100 yards. I never have fired a shot with my flintlocks at any big game that I have not killed with. The reason? I don't shoot until I know I will kill. If I don't know I can make a killing shot I don't fire. I have also shot some game at very long range with bolt actions rifles. So I have done it on both sides of the spectrum My advice is to work with your weapon until you are as proficient as you can get with it and use it within YOUR limitations. The better you get at shooting the longer range you can utilize up to the maximum range of your chosen weapon. You are far more the limiting factor than what you carry. You are also the part that does the hunting. Hunting is the most important part of that question, not mechanical accuracy.