I have a Ruger Model 77, .300 WM, that will shoot 3/8" hundred-yard groups-- when conditions are right. That means the right load (180-grain Nosler Partition, IMR 4350 - 70.0 grains), the right weather, I haven't drank too much coffee, and my shooting is inspired that day. Yes, the rifle does have a trigger job, but no other modifications.

I own other rifles that aren't as accurate that will usually shoot around 1.5" groups--when conditions are right.

Those who say rifles will usually shoot better than the shooter are correct.

Jim

1/2” group at 200 yards is 1/4 MOA.

Just sayin’.

Consistency of that type, if legit, is pretty darn impressive considering most custom makers won’t guarantee anything under 1/2 MOA.



I had a stock Rem 700 .308 years ago that printed several groups of obscenely small size over the years. The best being a .395 group at 400 yards, or, roughly 1/10th MOA.

But I certainly didn’t call it a 1/10th MOA rifle!

It doesn’t always take shiney new.
I was with another member here and stopped at a yard sale, found a beautiful Gustav Stads 1917 in 6.5 x 55. The open sights on those are set up to hit center at 333 meters and go up from there.
I took it to a gunsmith who made a new custom front site, higher, bringing the base setting to 100 yards.
The Smith locked the gun down and tuned the sight and lo and behold it shot a couple of 3 shot groups and both have all three overlapping.
I could never shoot it that well in hand but it shows some of those old Swedes were really special.

Osky

I have a weatherby vanguard that outshoots me with 55 grains of IMR 4350 and 130 grain sierra boat tails. It came with an adjustable trigger. The new ones do not and I dont think a wood stock is an option anymore. Never measured it but pretty light and no creep. I did glass bed it and free float the barrel soon after I bought it. like James I have Mark II 300WM thats a shooter as well. Has a boat paddle zytell stock and is all stainless. I put a timney trigger in it soon after I bought it as the stock trigger was worse than awful. It likes 71 grains of IMR 4831 and barnes 180 grain tsx. i worked up the load with partitions but the TSX seem to shoot even better and give impressive performance on game.

I own three sub MOA rifles, but they are all custom. Two of them are true 1/4 MOA rifles, and both of those I bought used. I reload for everything, but one of those is a 223 I bought off a friend, and I seen him shoot two ten round groups with a box of Black Hills Gold factory ammo, and then set a dime over each group, and you couldn't see a mark on the paper with those two dimes sitting on it.

Bought the wife a cheap Savage Axis in 260, and it will shoot right at an MOA out of the box. Quite a few of the newer Savages will, but I had an older one I got as my first deer rifle and it wouldn't shoot worth a hill of beans, I did a lot of work to it and never could get it under 3 MOA. Finally pulled the 270 barrel off it and made it a project rifle and put a 22-250 bull barrel on it. I made it to shoot MOA but never could get it to feed the third round out of the magazine right. That one isn't counted in my 3 sub MOA rifles, because it is currently tore down and a project again.

A lot of modern rifles are capable of sub MOA. A lot of shooters are not.

Might be the truest post of this entire thread...

5 consecutive 5 shot groups in what the NRA shoots when testing out a rifle, seems like a lot for some of those pencil barrels. I usually shoot 3 shot groups but I’m cheap.

why most of the groups are less than what people would want but fairly realistic of what you can get

looking at the most recent issue of American rifleman and the new colt bolt action rifle in 308 was what they tested with 3 different ammo

their smallest was under an inch but their average was around 1 1/4 to1 1/2 from what I recall over the different ammos

if you make the price right I would buy a rifle with a 3 inch group at 100 yards with factory ammo

ditto on the 1.5 inch group sell it on the used market with no warrantee or guarantee.

Camp Pendleton shooting competition now that is bragging rights.

my Mossberg's aren't a one hole gun by any means gun but it sure got a lot better after bedding the action to the stock
the weakness seems to be in them relying on the magazine box to hold the action with the action screws and it doesn't

but if you get the action to stock fit a lot better it tightens it up considerably also make sure the stock isn't touching the barrel at all

some floor wax , plumbers putty and a 6 dollar tube of JB weld can really make a difference

these were my first few targets after bedding I was still working on loads I didn't have any other pictures but these aren't bad if I marked it "called" it was definitely me moving as the trigger broke , it happens I was shooting from a sling.

Watching the shooters in the first few minutes of that video it’s pretty easy to see why they weren’t shooting MOA accuracy.

I've bedded two actions and fully floated the barrel 1 1/2" past recoil lug with slight improvement. I decided it would be interesting and fun to fully bed the barrels. If it didn't work I could sand it out. Both were cheap plastic stocks. Both shot much better fully bedded barrels. And another thing that really surprised me is in both it improved all the factory loads Really improving the poor performing loads the most.

I know everyone says free float but on the only two rifle I've messed around with the fully bedded barrels was far and away better. Before bedding with factory loads I was seeing 2 1/2 " to 1 1/4 groups in one rifle after bedding barrel I was seeing 1 1/4 to 3/4 groups with exact same 4 factor loads. Both sporter profile barrels. Also more consistent as barrels warmed.

My Tikka was very consistent about the third shot being some what a flyer. 2 shots usually touching or close then third being an inch plus off. Let 3 other people shot gun and pretty much same thing. Bedded barrel and that completely stopped

Another thing, most people don’t need MOA for hunting big game. Be comfortable and confident with your rifle.

deer really haven't changed since 3 inches at 100 yards was completely acceptable 30 years ago.

and generally only the first round really matters if you make the hit

more practice from actual shooting positions you might encounter and less trying to make little bitty groups will likely make you a better shooter

too much magnification is also a thing when people can see their group or their movement they will be trying to compensate for the movement and make a larger group in many cases
we would wee this in Appleseed and shoot bosses would come back a 3-9 down to 3 and see a better group than they were shooting at 9x

Like he says in the beginning, it's the first cold bore shot that counts. My PGW LRT 3 will punch 1/2" holes all day long...LOL, but it became a 31lb paper weight in my safe since the feds said firearm firing a projectile with over 7375ft-lb of energy is now prohibited.

Cold bore shots only important if you only have one target.

May have a potential money maker on my hands. New to me pea shooter in 6 Creedmoor. The actual group is 1.25", but the the high and right and low center were on me. The gun looks like it is capable of stacking them in tight if the shooter could keep up. And those were some generic hand loads being used to fire form new brass. May just end load development there.

Don't be a sissy. Lol