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Accuracy in your area

Posted By: Wolfdog91

Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:39 AM

So im just curious about this as kinda .. regional type of thing I guess. Where y'all are from do folks consider ,like a good shooter ? Not talking about y'all personally just what y'all seen from otheres.See down here in my area the common thing is guns are sighted in like 25yd or 50 and if you can impact somewhere on a piece of copy paper @ 100yd your more then qualified for the deer woods. Like I remember at get togethers someone would take a 5gal bucket full of water and put it at the end of the cow pasture ( like 250 max) and if you could hit that you where considered some kinda sniper or something lol crazy Saw alot of money changing hands over them matches lol . Bore sighting at the pawn shop then heading straight to the woods is suuuuuper common as well. Actually gotten it along of arguments at the range when I was doing load testing. Especially with my .243

But I see guys out west and it's like if your from out that way ,your gun is gonna be shooting a ragged hole. That's just the standard out there. You know popping coyotes @300 is like a average thing it seems.
Then in UP it seems to be kinda a mix of the two .

Anyway wanted to see what it was like for everyone
Posted By: warrior

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:41 AM

Wolf, you know us southerners regularly drop em on the run at 300 while standing in a pine thicket. LOL
Posted By: Wolfdog91

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by warrior
Wolf, you know us southerners regularly drop em on the run at 300 while standing in a pine thicket. LOL

Hay hay hay you would see what some of them dog runners will do laugh
Posted By: Norwestalta

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:52 AM

I'm in northern alberta and yes there are places and times where a guy only has to shoot 50 yds but I'd say 75% of my hunting involves taking animals over 250 yds. I use a variety of rifles (243 win, 257 wby, 26 nosler and 338 wm) depending on which way the wind blows. I look for 1.5" group at a 100 and I'm happy. The 257,26 and 338 will do about a .75" group at a 100. With the confidence I have in my rifles I don't mind stretching the legs on them out to 700 yds or so.
Posted By: nh toe pincher

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:06 AM

i think more deer/game animals are shot under 100 yards than over. east of the Mississippi river anyway. when i was young there were more 30-30 lever guns than scoped bolt actions/autos in the racks of most michigan camps i visited.
Posted By: nvwrangler

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:08 AM

200 yard zero here and hit a 8 inch gong at 600 700 and 800 yards but mostly hunting shots within 500.
Posted By: Marty

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:10 AM

aim small and miss small.....I do not pay attention to others shooting, just worry about myself. I shoot well or fix the issue.
Posted By: BuckMink

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:15 AM

max is usually 100 here, if I plan on shooting I always at least see where my shots were gonna be at 200..300 and dial as needed. I dont like surprises, and you need to make good ethical kills. I always thought that was common sense, not dial at 50 and blast away at something 300 yards. Im sure it happens more than i wana know.
Posted By: charles

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:16 AM

I hunt in Eastern NC. We need “beanfield rifles” on our land. Fields shots start at 250 yards and grow. Many of our wood lanes offer 200+ yard shots.

It is very important in the woods to anchor a deer in the lane, else recovery odds become difficult. This means high shoulder shots or neck shots.

My deer rifles normally shoot 1.5 moa or better. Mostly better. Leupold scopes and Jewell, Timney, or Triggertech triggers are very important for precise shooting. My go to rifles are tweaked Rem 700s.
Posted By: Scuba1

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:17 AM

I don't think its regional as much as personal preference. Unless you are talking open country and such. My neighbor hunts with a scoped 270 ..... I find that if you want to take a shot here at 100 yards or over, ya need a weed eater in your hunting pack so I shoot a old mod 94 with peep sights in 30-30 flavor around here. whatever floats yer boat I guess. Being able to hit a soda can at a 100 yards is good enough for putting meat in the freezer so its good enough for me when I am hunting. when I have my zen time at my range it has to be sub MOA so i take other rifles along for those games and the 30-30 stays on the boat then
Posted By: cmcf

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:18 AM

We have an assortment of poke & hope guys and gals out here as well, disgusting. Once had a guy say his father told him when hunting elk a five gallon bucket on its side at a hundred yards was plenty good enough. I asked him if he knew he was gonna get shot would he rather be shot in the brain or in the gut with no possible medical help. Said he had never thought about it that way.
Posted By: Willy Firewood

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:27 AM

Depending on the gun and cartridge:
Some are zeroed at 100 and I shoot max 1/2” groups, usually ragged holes.
I am confident killing an animal out to 300 yards.
Others are zeroed at 200 and I shoot max of 1” groups.
I am confident killing an animal out to 500 yards.

My 12 ga. slug gun will shoot 1”-2” groups out to 250 yards. It is a bit of a hot rod. I am confident making one shot clean kills on deer out to 200 yards.

In my state deer gun season, the number of shots in ratio to missed, wounded, and killed deer my estimate is that many people are shooting between 50 and 100moa.

Fortunately I grew up in a rural area long ago where I was able to shoot a lot. Plus, .22 ammunition was 40 cents a box. A buddy and I constantly coached each other shooting rifles, handguns, shotguns, longbows, recurves, and later compounds.

In college, the ROTC had a competition pistol and rifle team and a nice range. While not in ROTC so not eligible for the team, I shot practice with them. Many days, I had a handgun in my book bag. That probably is no longer permitted.

When coon hunting I didn’t want my dogs injured so the rule was one shot kills. I used a Ruger Mark II target model with a 5.5” bull barrel. My wife was plenty good with her handgun, but lacked the confidence so she used a Marlin 39 carbine. One January night, my son “winged” a big old scarred-up boar. It fell from the top of a tall White Oak, bounced once, and the fight was on between it and my two best female English hounds. I waded in and scooped up the coon by the back of the neck and shot it in the head. It had nicked a vein in the ear on the red English hound so blood was all over her head and neck. We went home and gave her a bit of a bubble bath, put on medicine, and slipped on a section cut from panty hose to stop the ear shaking. I gave her some treats and tucked her into bed.

I am very fortunate to belong to two private gun clubs that have different types of facilities and ranges. They are very impressive and provide fantastic resources for a very reasonable cost.
Posted By: KeithC

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:46 AM

The shootable range all depends on the firearm. We shoot 2 liter bottles full of water with my .204 at 1000 meters, which is 1093.62 yards. Diane has never missed yet with the .204 at 1000 meters. I sometimes miss. If I have not shot the 204 for a while, I sometimes have a hard time getting my eye the right distance from the scope and get a shadow.

Keith
Posted By: maintenanceguy

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:47 AM

Can't hunt with rifles in my state (except .22 for squirrels). So most rifle shooting is done at the range or in back yards. So we are mostly punching paper so there is some attention to accuracy. Since you can't put food on the table with a rifle, accuracy is the only reason to go out and shoot. The guys I know typically sight in at 100yds - 200yds. A lot of guys sight in AR's at 300yds, although there are few places to shoot that distance.

If you're a "good" shooter, shooting in the top 20% here, you're probably shooting 1MOA consistently.
Posted By: Willy Firewood

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:19 AM

Duplicate.
Posted By: Wanna Be

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:54 AM

Most everyone around here wants their 3 shot group at 100 to be covered with a nickel. Yes, that’s in a sled of some sort where all you’re doing is pulling the trigger, but that’s sighted in. That way if anyone ever needs a spare rifle and you loan them one of yours, if they miss it doesn’t reflect on you, lol. All our rifles get shot prior to season every year. Doesn’t matter which rifle either. Even if we stick to archery all year, we know if that rifle is needed, it has been verified to be on prior to the opening of gun season. And that’s everything from .22’s to the highest caliber you or your buddies have. We’ll even swap guns around after sighting just to double check ourselves. I’ve always thought the paper plate thing was amongst bow hunters, and I won’t go there!!
Posted By: 30/06

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 04:56 AM

We have killed 6 caribou over the past 13 months. Shortest shot was 155 yds, longest 356 yds. My expectation is to hit a dinner plate at 350-400 yds. I think that works out to around 1.5-2 inches at 100. Works for us.
Posted By: 8117 Steve R

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 11:13 AM

As a kid, when I was learning to shoot a rifle for deer in the U P, the goal was to be able to consistently hit a six inch circle from 75 yards standing, without a rest. We didn't shoot more than we needed; ammo was not to be wasted. Shooting was only a small part of learning to hunt.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 11:52 AM

I know a LOT of shooters incapable of MOA shooting.

I like to sight in my hi-powers/ test loads/ break in new guns, at 300 yards. I shoot over a pickup hood in a row crop field when the ground is froze so I can drive back and forth. Shooting into a hedgerow with a rail road track behind it. Track bed has been built up about ten feet and makes a good back stop. I like to shoot on windless days. Friend has a real nice range in his back yard but I dont like to be a pest. He invites me over a couple times a year. Has a bench, set up for clay pigeons, 22's. Really nice.

If I can put bullets into a tea cup saucer size circle at that distance I am happy . So I guess MOA is working for me and always has.

My 22 hornet is sighted in at 100 and my 223 at 200. 22 rifles at 50 and I am happy with a pistol that will shoot a quarter at 25 from a rest. ( only a few of mine will)

I started shooting/hunting in Colorado and now I live in KS so its easier to put meat in the freezer and fur on a stretcher if you can shoot to 400 yards.

Friend I used to coon hunt with bought a new 22 rifle every year cause the one he had wouldnt shoot. We would go coon hunting and he couldnt shoot a coon in the head at 20 yards sitting still in a tree. It was funny. So I did all the shooting. He never missed with a shotgun. Grew up in western KS with shotguns hunting birds squirrels and rabbits. Never learned to aim instead of point. Got more than a little mad if anybody tried to give him pointers.

I think a lot of boys and men don't want lessons even from an accomplished shooter. Girls dont seem to have that problem. I think that is why so many women are great shots.
Posted By: hippie

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 11:59 AM

I like my hunting rifles to be as accurate as any. I hunt in the mountains, in the thickest parts I can find where you might need to shoot through a small hole in the brush.

Dead on out to 100, not an inch high at so and so. I also have field guns which I also carried when I hunted out west. Those I had dead on at 250.
Posted By: The Possum Man

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 12:52 PM

depends on the person. i know alot of fudds. I also know alot of rednecks i surely wouldnt want to be within visual distance of if they were after me.
Posted By: HobbieTrapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:10 PM

I’m not very proficient at any great distance, so the gun I use has a 30 round clip.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:22 PM

Quote
I’m not very proficient at any great distance, so the gun I use has a 30 round clip.



grin
Posted By: SNIPERBBB

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:31 PM

Anyone can be a hero off a bench rest. Freehand is where you find your real shooters.

Ive been hunting out of a tree saddle for the last two years. One of the common questions on the saddle hunting forums is, "can you use a gun/crossbow with a saddle?". The answer is yes, but most of the guys that seem to.ask the question are the guys that can't shoot at all freehand. They have to have a rest of some sort. Which kinda defeats the point of the saddle for me as it allows you to be able to take the awkward shots that a normal tree stand would have you hanging by your safety strap of falling to the ground if you forgot said strap.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:36 PM

I can take out a quarter every time up to 200 yards with my 270.I am shooting at a local gravel pit so I never see anyone else shoot.
Posted By: slydogx

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:39 PM

In my experience, public land hunters here are in the bush with few shots over 50 yds. Guys who are fortunate enough to have permission on private could potentially have a shot across a 100 acre cut corn field, but I doubt many folks get shot opportunities on deer over 100 yds.
Moose hunting is a different story - lots of guys get shots down a long shoreline, stretch of creek or across a moose pasture at 2-300 yds depending on where they hunt.
I expect to get a 1" group at 100 yds out of any centerfire rifle; 1" @ 50 yds for any rimfire.
I find a lot of the young hotshots want to shoot MOA at 300 yds even though that shot will never present itself in the deer woods here LOL... but I admire their gumption. As I have gotten older, I have decided that the requirements I set out above will get me a dead deer every time IF you and your equipment can do it successfully (and it isn't too hard and well within my capabilities LOL)
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:43 PM

I had to look up tree saddle. First I ever heard of one. Think I will pass. I can shoot pretty good just sitting down and putting my elbows on my knees. Lots of times my stand is one of those folding metal chairs and a shooting stick. A big round bale makes a good blind and rest too.

[Linked Image]


Posted By: HobbieTrapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:44 PM

I do know a couple guys that won’t hesitate to shoot across large ag fields 300+yds with their .308. They have been doing it for 30 years. While it is impressive to me, it’s just deer hunting for them.
Posted By: jeff karsten

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:53 PM

I shoot for laugh a cloverleaf at a hundred from a rest hunting on a field 200+ is common thats about my limit most of my practice is shooting a 22 offhand helps with breathing and tirigger pull
Posted By: SNIPERBBB

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton
I had to look up tree saddle. First I ever heard of one. Think I will pass. I can shoot pretty good just sitting down and putting my elbows on my knees. Lots of times my stand is one of those folding metal chairs and a shooting stick. A big round bale makes a good blind and rest too.

[Linked Image]



I like ground hunting better myself but some of the places i hunt that outside of hay fields or harvested fields, if you arent 10ft tall, you can't see a deer let alone take a shot, so up a tree I go.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 01:59 PM

Hobbie the rifle in that picture is a 300 win mag. I am real partial to my old 270 too.

My dad shot a 308. killed a lot of different animal species with it.
Posted By: coop

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:07 PM

Our laws have allowed pretty much anyone that can scope a rifle, shotgun, ML, or crossbow to do so... not too many really good iron sight shooters anymore that I hear of.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by coop
Our laws have allowed pretty much anyone that can scope a rifle, shotgun, ML, or crossbow to do so... not too many really good iron sight shooters anymore that I hear of.

Those iron sights get a little blurry with age........ grin
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:16 PM

when I worked the gun deer sight in a 3 inch group from the bench with a rifle was considered good at 100 yards and it was plenty good most would never shoot farther in the deer woods they had access to in WI

but there were a lot of people who put some on paper at 25 and said ok I'm good especially slug hunters

I would guess it would average out around I can put 3 in the size of a softball from 50 , good enough and head hunting.

especially when it was slug only in much of the state , no sites to adjust , buy slugs and go hunting

a lot of people got handed a shotgun on the day before deer season that they were borrowing a box or two of slugs and they might go take 1 round at 25 yards maybe

I expect that happened with a lot of rifles also but I lived and hunted shotgun areas so I didn't directly see it. here you can use grandpas rifle here is a box of ammo the sights haven't been touched in 50 years don't adjust them.

so I think much like where you are it varies greatly

I would think most who hunt out west or pay for a big trip would spend the coin and practice and verify zero but I know it isn't true , I was doing a training at a range and two guys came in they were members , technically we had reserved the range for the day , they were headed to a big hunt down in TX they had paid couple grand each to go plus travel they each had their rifle and a rest they look to have just bought , I only had one student on that range and we were at 50 , the other groups were at other ranges separated by berms so I didn't mind they took a few shots at 100 and left. before they did I talked with them a bit. heard about the hunt , saw them figuring out where they should sight in for at 100 the guide told them they could see shots to 250 I think they were both shooting 270 had good ammo , then they trusted the back of the box for ballistics and sight in height , I explained that the back of the box was using 1 1/2 inches over bore and they were more like 2 1/4 , they were sure it would be fine , close enough they had used enough of their expensive ammo and left.

even at what likely was $1.50 a round at the time I can't imagine not knowing exactly where I am and my dope to 300 if they say I could get 250 yards shots fairly easily, especially if I am paying thousands for a hunt and traveling half way across the country

they were leaving Sunday and sighting in Saturday so I guess I would have also been on that a lot sooner also

now that I think about it it is possible they just bought those guns the week before also

at least they had a 100 yard zero to work with

I guess I also can't imagine traveling cross country with a box and a half of ammo either headed to a ranch where they said once you get your buck , we have hogs and coyote to hunt the rest of your week.

Posted By: HobbieTrapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton
Hobbie the rifle in that picture is a 300 win mag. I am real partial to my old 270 too.

My dad shot a 308. killed a lot of different animal species with it.


I used a .270 WSM one year. That gun would reach out and touch ‘em. Never measured the distance but they were in the scope. Never had to go look for them after the shot either. lol
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:23 PM

I couldn't imagine having a gun just bored sighted and take it hunting.Have had guns bore sighted when I bought them, then shot them at home and they were 2 feet off target.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce T
I couldn't imagine having a gun just bored sighted and take it hunting.Have had guns bore sighted when I bought them, then shot them at home and they were 2 feet off target.

I only ever had one bore sighted it was the furthest off gun I ever had , I mount them find middle left right then up down then shoot close on carboard and start there. I also just can't imagine but people do it all the time.
Posted By: SNIPERBBB

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:33 PM

Boresighting just gets you on paper at point-blank range
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by warrior
Wolf, you know us southerners regularly drop em on the run at 300 while standing in a pine thicket. LOL

He's not talkin' bout droppin' your Drawers. grin
Posted By: adam m

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:51 PM

It seems most scope manufacturers recommendation on zero are 200-250 yards.

Growing up most people here would say 100-200 yards is perfect even for elk. These days people here say 200 yards is for kids lol. Furthest shot I've killed elk was around 250 maybe 300 yards.

Yes out here there's plenty of open areas you can shoot 1000 yards but then you gotta ask yourself is it ethical? Is it safe for others who might be in that area? Why can't you get closer?

One particular bow hunt I was on a family was target shooting with a 9. All they knew was my truck was in front and to the north. They were shooting westbound which is where I was. I made multiple ricocheted bullets fly past me over 400 yards from where they were
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:57 PM

Like I said I shoot off my pickup hood. Keep an eye out for a 4 foot square piece of cardboard. I mount my own scopes. I leave the rings a bit loose and get the eye relief right. Then make sure the bottom of the perpendicular cross hair is directly over the center of the receiver. I know your supposed to use levels and who knows what all but this works. Works very well in fact. I dont adjust the scope any more at this point. I draw a round circle with an architects compass about the size of a fifty cent piece in the center of that cardboard and color it in black.. Then expand it using the same center and draw a circle about the size of a saucer. Color that red. Crayons work good. Then I shoot it at 300 yards. Pretty rare not to hit that cardboard someplace. If you dont move up to 100. Get close and go back to 300. Masking tape works good to cover bullet holes. Keep tinkering with bedding and loads till the shots all land inside the red circle. Not fancy and probably make a gun writer go crazy but it works. To many gadgets and too much tinkering make stuff worse IMO.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by SNIPERB🦝
Boresighting just gets you on paper at point-blank range


unless you mounted the scope crooked you were already on a 24 inch carboard at 10 yard
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:00 PM

Quote
Yes out here there's plenty of open areas you can shoot 1000 yards but then you gotta ask yourself is it ethical? Is it safe for others who might be in that area? Why can't you get closer?


Is it ethical depends on the shooter. I am not a 1000 yard man but a FEW guys are. I wont hesitate at 400 if I have a rest.
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:12 PM

Owning a shooting range has shown me just how lazy most deer guys are.
Posted By: hippie

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:26 PM

Off subject, but Wolfie being like me and building things instead of buying I'll post what I was doing Saturday morning.

Probably be my last gun for deer.

[Linked Image]
Tenon cut on the barrel blank.

[Linked Image]
Threaded.

[Linked Image]
The fit test.
I'm going to whittle this down for liteness because getting older sucks and climbing the mountain I need all the help I can get, lol.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:27 PM

Nice work hippie
Posted By: hippie

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 03:30 PM

Thanks, pretty much quit racing so on to other hobbies.

Waiting on one piece yet, a detachable magazine/ floorplate. Should be here soon.
Posted By: DakotaBoy

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 04:14 PM

Accuracy here seems to depend on which circle you run in...reloaders/shooters, or the folks that don't zero their rifle before each deer hunt because it worked fine when they killed something with it three years ago. I haven't seen much in-between, but that's just me. Two groups, ranging from bug-holes to milk jugs.
Posted By: swift4me

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 04:23 PM

Where I lived in the Basque country, if they could hit a wrecked car in the forest at 50 meters, they called it good. I opened more than a few eyes for my buddies when we went to sight in. Where I live now, they are better, but nothing like we were in the states.

My 220 swift shoots MOA with factory ammo, and my pre-64 270 does too. My Whelen isn't there with factory stuff, but at 100 yards it is plenty good enough.

Pete

Pete
Posted By: Mark K

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 04:31 PM

My friend Christian is not happy unless he can cover his pattern with a quarter at 300 yards. Even the 444 magnum which kicks like a mule.
Posted By: GRP

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 04:33 PM

That looks great, hippie. I bought a lathe for my shop to use for farm repairs, but I want to try that someday. As for my rifles, I have 2 Savage 110s. A 30-06 I've had since I was a kid, is sighted in at 100yds, is my "walking around" and short distance rifle. A 7mm Rem Mag, wears a target scope and bipod, is sighted in at 300 yds, and fills a "beanfield" role nicely. I demand 1.5 moa from both, and both are more than capable, with myself being the weakest link if they don't perform.
Posted By: Hydropillar

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 05:01 PM

With the scopes available today has let the amature shooter become much more proficient........ i have a swaro on 30-378 wby with reticle turret marks set to my 180 g load.. out to 600..... i havent had to shoot my deer much past 350........ if in on a steady rest or across hood of pickup i feel comfortable shooting 500
Posted By: garyll1959

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by KeithC
The shootable range all depends on the firearm. We shoot 2 liter bottles full of water with my .204 at 1000 meters, which is 1093.62 yards. Diane has never missed yet with the .204 at 1000 meters. I sometimes miss. If I have not shot the 204 for a while, I sometimes have a hard time getting my eye the right distance from the scope and get a shadow.

Keith

You need to bring that .204 to one of the Bangsteel matches down at Bland, Va. and show those guys how to never miss at 1000 yards / meters.
Some of the best long range field position shooters in the eastern US, and never missing is unheard of.
Posted By: Paul D. Heppner

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 05:45 PM

Hippie, I see your 700 action has an RR serial number. A word of caution, you may already know this info. If you do, ignore me. The issue is bolt timing. My son just had a 300WM built for a moose hunt. Material had to be added to the cam surface. His smith had it added to the bolt handle. I also have a 700 in 300WM, a 700 Long Range, with an RR number. I occasionally have bolt timing issues, extraction. The bolt timing thing seems to be more than very common with the RR numbered guns. My gun is presently with a different smith than my son used. He is adding material to the cam surface on the receiver. Both our guns will shoot into a half inch at 200 yards off the bags. My son got his moose at 289 yards, lasered, shooting off his pack on a big rock.
Posted By: trapper20

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 08:59 PM

most around here zero at 100 yds. Id say most shots are taken less than that, but there are a few taken longer. longest shot I had was about 525yds. 250-300 yds is considered a long shot around here
Posted By: Wolfdog91

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce T
I can take out a quarter every time up to 200 yards with my 270.I am shooting at a local gravel pit so I never see anyone else shoot.


Man I still don't see how y'all do that. I such a ball of nerves tired
Posted By: Wolfdog91

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by hippie
Off subject, but Wolfie being like me and building things instead of buying I'll post what I was doing Saturday morning.

Probably be my last gun for deer.

[Linked Image]
Tenon cut on the barrel blank.

[Linked Image]
Threaded.

[Linked Image]
The fit test.
I'm going to whittle this down for liteness because getting older sucks and climbing the mountain I need all the help I can get, lol.

Dang what can I have neighbors like you ! I be in your shop all day !
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/24/22 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by DakotaBoy
Accuracy here seems to depend on which circle you run in...reloaders/shooters, or the folks that don't zero their rifle before each deer hunt because it worked fine when they killed something with it three years ago. I haven't seen much in-between, but that's just me. Two groups, ranging from bug-holes to milk jugs.

You Nailed it
Posted By: hippie

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Paul D. Heppner
Hippie, I see your 700 action has an RR serial number. A word of caution, you may already know this info. If you do, ignore me. The issue is bolt timing. My son just had a 300WM built for a moose hunt. Material had to be added to the cam surface. His smith had it added to the bolt handle. I also have a 700 in 300WM, a 700 Long Range, with an RR number. I occasionally have bolt timing issues, extraction. The bolt timing thing seems to be more than very common with the RR numbered guns. My gun is presently with a different smith than my son used. He is adding material to the cam surface on the receiver. Both our guns will shoot into a half inch at 200 yards off the bags. My son got his moose at 289 yards, lasered, shooting off his pack on a big rock.

No, I hadn't heard that, i bought that action new after I heard they went bankrupt.

Ill get it checked, I don't have the knowledge to do any action work. Thanks!
Posted By: Norwestalta

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by Wolfdog91
Originally Posted by Bruce T
I can take out a quarter every time up to 200 yards with my 270.I am shooting at a local gravel pit so I never see anyone else shoot.


Man I still don't see how y'all do that. I such a ball of nerves tired


I believe most rifles are capable of sub moa accuracy. Finding the right recipe in terms of ammo is the trick.
Posted By: Providence Farm

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:01 AM

Depends on the gun i am packing. I have diffrent standerds with my 45lc black hawk than my custom 260 rem or a slug gun vs 357 carbine. Thats me.

Around here it depends on the person but very few shoot as god as they think they do.
Posted By: Monster Toms

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:08 AM

Heck wolfie come west and shoot with the big boys. This range is 15 miles from my house. Black powder and smokeless rounds allowed. Silhouettes out to a mile. Separates fellows real quick.
https://gunblast.com/AndyTuttle_FOBD.htm
Posted By: Wolfdog91

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by Monster Toms
Heck wolfie come west and shoot with the big boys. This range is 15 miles from my house. Black powder and smokeless rounds allowed. Silhouettes out to a mile. Separates fellows real quick.
https://gunblast.com/AndyTuttle_FOBD.htm


Man that look kinda awesome ! Makes me wanna save it even more for the Petersoli falling block !
Those dixion targets look especially interesting

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Paul D. Heppner

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:38 AM

Hippie, do a YouTube search on "Remington 700 bolt timing". I had not heard of it until my son and I dropped off all the parts for his build. I waited till he got his rifle back and we had wrung it out developing a load to send mine in for the aforementioned fix. I really don't know if it is a QC problem or a design issue. Whatever it is, it's inexcusable. If you have access to a TIG micro torch I think it would be pretty straight forward. At one time I did but never had the interest in building my own rifle. I was always a shotgun geek. I only really got into rifles in the mid '80's and was no longer able to get on the machine tools about that time. New job and responsibilities took care of it.

What cartridge are you planning on chambering, barrel maker, trigger, all the important stuff. My sons sports a 24 inch Proof Research carbon fiber barrel, Trigger Tech trigger, some fancy heavy recoil lug, all in an adjustable fiberglass stock from Stocky's, a 20MOA Seekins base and 30mm Seekins rings supporting a Nikon 4-14 Mildot scope. It is pillar bedded and floated. His total bill was over $3k. It's interesting that I recently acquired a new Christensen Arms Ridgeline in 7mm Rem Mag that I've gotten down to 3/8 inch at 200 yards pretty consistently. Surprised the stars out of me. Cost me just a hair under $2k then I added a Leupold 3.5-10 for $500. It still doesn't have the soul of a rifle that I built myself, just a gun I own. I envy you doing your own build/machine work. I miss that stuff now that I'm retired.
Posted By: Mike in A-town

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:42 AM

Depends around here... Some spots it'd be easier to club em with the butt. Other places are artillery distances.

One hole groups are always the ideal to strive for... But I consider target and hunting to be two different things. And I treat them as such.

I'm guessing 30-30 is still the main venison getter around here.

Mike
Posted By: danvee

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 02:44 AM

Check out Best of the West guns built in Wy 800 yard shots.
Posted By: Monster Toms

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 02:46 AM

Originally Posted by danvee
Check out Best of the West guns built in Wy 800 yard shots.



800 yards hmmm chip shots.
Posted By: bearcat2

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 03:50 AM

Depends on the gun. I expect at lest MOA out of any bolt gun. I have a 270 pump that will do sub moa and an old Savage 99 lever in 308 that will do moa also. My 45/70 guide gun will shoot 1 1/2-2" at a hundred with open sights, since I've never shot anything anywhere close to a hundred yards with it, this is more than good enough, and it is sighted in for 25 yards which is farther than it is usually ever used at. Longest shot I've made is 820 yards on an elk with my 7mm STW, two holes in it you could cover with a fifty cent piece. That rifle will shoot under three inch groups at 800.

I'm a guide, and I would be surprised at nothing anybody told me about how people sight their rifles in. I've had guys show up and refuse to shoot their rifles, miss an elk and still refuse to check their zero! I had a guy show up a year ago from New York whose dad brought him a rifle from Texas and handed it to him after he got there, then he informed me he was good to 500 (because his dad handed him a card with holdovers to 500 written on it). I've also had a guy miss (twice) an elk standing broadside at 70 yards while sitting on a stump, elbows on his knees and using a shooting stick. Then check his gun the next day and inform me it was shooting 2 inches left at a hundred. (So?) When he asked the following day, "what are we gonna have to do to get an elk?" It probably was not politic of me to reply, "hit it."

Here our average shot at an elk is around 200, a lot are shot closer, but a lot are shot farther also, and the farther you are comfortable shooting the more options you have. I want all my hunters to be able to shoot 300 and expect them to be able to shoot 200 anyways. Unfortunately that isn't always true. If you are going on a hunt out west, I recommend practicing for as long of shots as you can find a range to practice on; and then be honest with your guide, don't tell him you are good to 400 (or farther) when you have only shot 200. He very well may take you up on it. If you claim you are good to 400 and he spots an animal at 300, he isn't going to want to take a chance at spooking the animal trying to get closer when it is well within your claimed range. Also, when I set up for an evening hunt, I take into account how far the client is comfortable, if I know he is only good to 200, I'll make sure I'm within 200 of the most likely spot for an animal to come out, if possible. But if he is good to 500 I may very well set up in an area where I can cover more possibilities, even though they will all be 300+ yard shots.
Posted By: Dirty D

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:37 AM

I'm happy if I can hit a paper plate at 50 yrds.
My deer gun of choice is a 870 with a slug barrel.
I set myself up in thick cover where the deer like to bed/travel.
If I had to put an estimate on it I doubt I have ever shot a deer over 25 yards. Most likely its less.


I did hunt once with Rem. 700 30-06 that was scoped. ended up shooting a buck at about 10 yards, it was coming towards me and went out of sight at the bottom of the hill I was sitting on. As it came up the hill I waited till it came back into sight. It was about 10 yards away at that point and I let him have it. I could of shot him when he was farther away but why, he was heading towards me so the longer I waited the easier my shot would be.

I'm always perplexed by the guys who set up tree stands so they can see acres and acres or land when the deer spend most of their time during shooting hours in thicker cover.
Figure out how and where the deer travel in that cover and park yourself so you can stay warm and still.

Other deer hunting for squirrel hunting I use a scoped .22. If I can hit a quarter sized target at about 30-35 yards thats plenty good for squirrels.

I know I'm no great shot, I like to set myself up for as easy a shot as possible, I wait till a good shot presents itself. I shoot from sitting positions the vast majority of the time so I'm very steady. If I don't go home with meat cause of that I'm OK.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by danvee
Check out Best of the West guns built in Wy 800 yard shots.

Wow.The longest shot I have shot deer is around 300 yards.
Posted By: HayDay

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 03:04 PM

Have documented it here a few times, but about a year ago I resumed reloading again after about a 40 year break. Purpose was to assure a reliable source of ammo. As these are flat shooting deer hunting rifles , goal for all of them was 1 MOA or better. Sighted in to center that 1 MOA group 1 1/2 inches high at 100 yards. That allows the hunter to aim at where they want to hit out to 200 yards with no compensation needed for elevation.

After that, hunter ethics kicks in....or as Clint Eastwood once remarked, "a man has got to know his limitations". At 200 yards, some can pick up that gun and hit a baseball.....some can't hit a beach ball. If they can't shoot well enough to reliably make a one shot kill, they have no business taking the shot. Very few things pop my cork more than wounding animals that get away. Have a couple relatives that struggle with that concept and it is a problem. They have wounded and lost far more than they have killed. With both guns and arrows. If not for the fact they are relatives with as much right to use the property as I have, they would never set foot on the place again.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 03:29 PM

If you want to shoot to 200 sight in at 200. The whole so many inchs high at 100 or dead on at 25 is all bunk. Shoot the thing. Stop guessing. Find out what you and your rifle can do.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton
If you want to shoot to 200 sight in at 200. The whole so many inchs high at 100 or dead on at 25 is all bunk. Shoot the thing. Stop guessing. Find out what you and your rifle can do.

Then you hit to high at close range.I would rather hit just high at 50 yards and right on at 200 yards.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 03:39 PM

all this discussion of what people expect from the bench and sight in

AND then there is the discussion of YOU

so from a bench if you can make a 2 inch group at 200 yards great , what can you do sitting , standing, kneeling , prone how fast can you get into those positions
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:11 PM

Quote
so from a bench if you can make a 2 inch group at 200 yards great , what can you do sitting , standing, kneeling , prone how fast can you get into those positions



Yep. Shoot the thing. Find your limits. Then hunt/ take shots accordingly.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:12 PM

Quote
Originally Posted by danny clifton
If you want to shoot to 200 sight in at 200. The whole so many inchs high at 100 or dead on at 25 is all bunk. Shoot the thing. Stop guessing. Find out what you and your rifle can do.

originally posted by Bruce T

Then you hit to high at close range.I would rather hit just high at 50 yards and right on at 200 yards


I guess I dont get what your saying? If you sight in at 200 you will be hitting dead on at 200. Won't you?
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton
Quote
Originally Posted by danny clifton
If you want to shoot to 200 sight in at 200. The whole so many inchs high at 100 or dead on at 25 is all bunk. Shoot the thing. Stop guessing. Find out what you and your rifle can do.

originally posted by Bruce T

Then you hit to high at close range.I would rather hit just high at 50 yards and right on at 200 yards


I guess I dont get what your saying? If you sight in at 200 you will be hitting dead on at 200. Won't you?



what he is saying is a lot of people don't have a 200 yard range so they go 3 inches high at 100 or something like that many even try to figure it on 25 or 50 yard zero , since it changes for every scope height over bore axis you should actually shoot it if you intend to try in the field , you might need to find a different range to do it.

but it is good practice

steel is getting cheap enough and painted black you can see hits a long ways with basic binoculars a 8 inch plate is about the size of vitals , when you can't hit it 100% you found your limit.

shooting in wind is another good thing , learn how your round reacts in wind
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE
all this discussion of what people expect from the bench and sight in

AND then there is the discussion of YOU

so from a bench if you can make a 2 inch group at 200 yards great , what can you do sitting , standing, kneeling , prone how fast can you get into those positions

Find a good rest when possible like a tree,limb,rock,or shooting sticks.
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton


I guess I dont get what your saying? If you sight in at 200 you will be hitting dead on at 200. Won't you?

Yes but what are you then hitting at 25,or 50 yards after sighting your gun dead on at 200 yards?Betting your hitting very high at 25 or 50 yards.
Posted By: Ridge Runner1960

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 04:59 PM

the trajectory for my 270 weatherby, numbers are iin moa

[Linked Image]
so it would be 1.1" high at 50 yards, .6" high at 25.
the way I sight in at 300, I hold lower third of the shoulder out to 200 yards, dead on at 300, just under the hairline at 400, and 12" high at 500. My long range rifles I dial each shot, have taken 7 beyond 1000 yards, farthest was 1350.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce T
Originally Posted by danny clifton


I guess I dont get what your saying? If you sight in at 200 you will be hitting dead on at 200. Won't you?

Yes but what are you then hitting at 25,or 50 yards after sighting your gun dead on at 200 yards?Betting your hitting very high at 25 or 50 yards.

It very much depends on what your shooting

a 30-30 with a round nose bullet will probably be fairly high at 50 to hit 200 but then you really shouldn't shoot that far with a 30-30

a 308 with a 180gr bullet and scope 2 inches above the bore it is actually 3/4 of an inch high at 50 on a 200 yard zero and 1/2 inch low at 25 yards on a 200 yard zero as your still on your way up

at about 125 yards your as high as your going to go around 2 1/4 inches then you start falling back so that zero at 200 and everything is down hill form there.

it is an arch , no round is flat they all have an arch it is if you take advantage of it or not.

within an inch of zero at those close distances is less than your likely to wiggle standing and larger than minute of deer heart.


with a 30-30 and 170gr core locks you looking more like 1/4 inch highs at 25 yards 2 inches high at 50, 4 inches high at 125 yards and then you start to fall on 200 yard zero a 30-30 with a round nose bullet just really isn't a great 200 yard choice

basically everything is an arch up to at least meet the scope the scope points at the target , the barrel angles up at the scope so that the arc of the bullet passes at least up to and usually just a little above the sighting plane


Posted By: Ridge Runner1960

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 05:22 PM

Oh as far as accuracy, some has to be better than others, my savage 99 won't do better than 1.5" at 100 yards, my custom rigs do better, some much better.
this is 3 shots out of my Ray Romain built rem. 700 chambered 6.5 gibbs, at a lazer ranged 752 yaards. had a 1.5 mph LtoR breeze.
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 05:24 PM

Nice shooting
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 08:19 PM

Many here say they're good after 2 shots at 100

Then whine when they miss a deer at 200
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by 330-Trapper
Many here say they're good after 2 shots at 100

Then whine when they miss a deer at 200

Lol....I shot at 50,100,150,200,and 250 yard shots when shooting.
Posted By: Ridge Runner1960

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 10:22 PM

one. thing I will not do, is hunt with a rifle I do not have 100% confidence in, it may only shoot a 1.5" group but it had better hit somewhere in 1.5" or I will not. hunt with it!
Posted By: Bruce T

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/25/22 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Ridge Runner1960
one. thing I will not do, is hunt with a rifle I do not have 100% confidence in, it may only shoot a 1.5" group but it had better hit somewhere in 1.5" or I will not. hunt with it!

X 1,000,000,000
Posted By: Scott__aR

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/26/22 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE
all this discussion of what people expect from the bench and sight in

AND then there is the discussion of YOU

so from a bench if you can make a 2 inch group at 200 yards great , what can you do sitting , standing, kneeling , prone how fast can you get into those positions



These days it's not a problem to get into a good rifle shooting position; it's the getting back up frown
Posted By: foxhunter52

Re: Accuracy in your area - 01/26/22 02:56 AM

For many years I carried the rifle to the coyote stand and once killed 22 straight without a get away. Now at 69 years old my partner has relegated me to the shotgun. This is the formula. > the age < the accuracy.
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