100 Yards: What's your most accurate rifle, the ammo and group size?

[Don Fischer]

Day in and day out, it's my 6.5x06 closely followed by my 243's. But for all time it's my 25-06. Fired a .111" 5 shot group with it, couldn't see more than one hole till I got right on the target, though 4 shot's had missed completely. The load was a 100gr SMK with H120 primer, 53.0 grs IMR 4350. Fired that one group and hung it up. Didn't want to have to try that again. So, I guess the most accurate is that one. Never fired a bigger than .111" group @100 yds with it! :-)

[Model12Win]

My Cz452 is accurate at 50 but haven't tried 100.

[michaelcj]

My 1951 Winchester Model #43 in .22 Hornet will shoot three shot cloverleafs and 5 shot sub .5" all day long at 100yards.

Always use my handloads of: WW brass, WW small pistol primers, Sierra #1210 45gr, and 12.8 grains of Lilgun.

[darkgael]

Reposting my picture (best 100 yard 10 shot group) after the blocking by Photobucket.

[Mozella]

I usually shoot 5 shot groups, but I do have a 100 yard 3-shot group from my Savage .223 with a 30" PacNor barrel. It was measured as having an MOA of .085. That's a little more than 1/16" center to center.

My best 4 shot group from my Savage 6mm BR Norma with a 28" Shilen barrel is .168" center to center.

My best 5 shot group from my Howa 1500 .223 with a factory barrel is .162" center to center.

Of course this kind of performance isn't "normal" but it shows what is possible with inexpensive guns on a good day. All of these rifles have produced plenty of 5 shot groups below .300 MOA.

It's not easy getting an occasional 5 shot group smaller than 3/16" but it need not be expensive. None of my guns cost over $1000. However, it does require paying attention to good reloading practices.

All these groups were scanned into the very good On Target scoring program and carefully marked and measured to the nearest .001". If you don't have On Target software and if you're interested in developing accurate loads, you should get it.

[Mobuck]

Ruger 77/17HMR, 100 yards, 3 shot cloverleaf-I cut that one out of the target and kept it.

[Hanshi]

My most accurate rifle is an old Ruger M77 in .250 Sav. With Speer, Hornady or Sierra bullets (100 grains down to 87 grains) loaded with 32 grains of 3031, it will consistently go under 1/2" with occasional 1/4" groups. I'm not that good of a shot but the rifle is. Running a close second is my Remington M700 limited edition classic in .350 Rem Mag. With 200 grain Hornady pointed bullets, it is a consistent shooter hardly distinguishable from the .250. I would not part with either for any amount of $$; well, maybe a LOT of $$.

[jersurf101]

My 1980s Weatherby Vanguard deluxe will shoot bug holes with sierra 130 gk's and IMR4064. It shoots very well with most 130s and that particular load is my pet load.

[RaySendero]

To Quote an Earlier Post:

Smaller than a dime size group(3 shot clover leaf) ..... Off a bench on a good day.

[dgludwig]

I can do that too all day long, or until I run out of dimes.

[TXAZ]

Hey dgludwig,
How do we know Ray hit the target vs. just putting a dime on the target?

[dgludwig]

That was my point, TXAZ. The "evidence" is completely covered.

[RaySendero]

Gosh, Ye of little faith!

We're just talking about 3 shots at 100 yds!?

Are there any that think that there is a good possibility that
there is a 3 shot touching cluster under that dime?

[Tinbucket]

Weatehrby .270 magnum, Weaver steel tube 3x9 variable scope. Speer 90 or 100 grain bullets near 4000 fps. I shot t dimes to get the scope dead on. 130 grain bullets too.

[Doc7]

This was the second group I shot with my Tikka T3. I shot 5 groups of 3 shots that day, still only the first 15 shots I've shot from the rifle and the largest was 1.05". I sold an old beat up savage I couldn't shoot well to pay for it and wow, was I happy how this turned out!!

Federal PowerShok 150 Grain 7mm-08 Tikka T3 Stainless Lite with Leupold VX-3i

[darkgael]

I was just reading about the NRA smallbore championship matches - just finished.
The Army's Mike McPhail won the 100 yard prone match - 40 shots prone with metallic sights - with a 400 - 36X. The X-ring on that target is one inch wide.
I wonder how far out the four tens were.

In another part of the competition - 120 shots - he shot an 1198/1200 with 102Xs....and came in third.

Ques.: Are group size and accuracy the same thing? I don't think so.

[dgludwig]

Ques.: Are group size and accuracy the same thing? I don't think so.

Answer: Group size is certainly evidence of accuracy; the more shots in the group, the more valid the evidence for same.

[darkgael]

I am thinking about the difference between the size of the group and the location of the group on the target.

[RaySendero]

Oh, Come on guys;

There must be some believers here!

[PoiDog]

My Savage 6mmBR is extremely accurate. My best group was 5 years ago.

It was at 100 yards, and was 5 rounds. The group measured .200" center to center. I couldn't believe it. It was my best group with any rifle ever. OR since.

The load was an 80 grain Berger, Lapua brass, 30.5 grains of Varget, and CCI BR4 primers. It was from a concrete bench.

I also have a Savage .308 I bought from a friend. He shot a 3 round dime size group while prone before I bought it. I saw him do that, but I haven't duplicated it yet. He did it with Federal Gold Medal Match 168 grains.

[stuckinthe60s]

M1A 168gr bthp.
a little left.............

[dgludwig]

I am thinking about the difference between the size of the group and the location of the group on the target.

The location of the group on the target means little in terms of accuracy. To change the location, you change the sights (or employ "Kentucky Windage") to address poa with poi. The size of the group connotes accuracy or at least the potential for same.

[darkgael]

DGL: Yeah....that is certainly the case. Change the sights, of course. If the gun/load combo does not group, then it does not matter a whole lot.
I always wonder, though, why groups that we see are only occasionally in the center of the target. Is it because we chase then first shot or ....?

[dgludwig]

[QUOTE]If the gun/load combo does not group, then it does not matter a whole lot.[QUOTE]

All shots on any target group, of course. It's just a matter of how close together or far apart the holes are.

I always wonder, though, why groups that we see are only occasionally in the center of the target.

Mostly because if you're trying to determine the intrinsic accuracy of any firearm, where the shots land is of no consequence. Better sights and better triggers might help a shooter to shoot more accurately but they have nothing to do with how accurate the firearm is.
With respect to rifles, barrels and bedding are the biggest contributors to accuracy, good or bad. Too, some firearms are much more sensitive to ammunition types than are others, meaning that just because a firearm is less accurate with some ammunition doesn't mean that it won't shoot more accurately with different ammunition and vice versa.

[MrBorland]

Originally Posted by TXAZ

just putting a dime on the target?

Originally Posted by dgludwig

That was my point, TXAZ. The "evidence" is completely covered.

How 'bout through the dime?

I made these 100-yard keyring fobs with my Tikka T3 CTR .260 Remington.