Okay new reloader still learning as much as possible. I have been working on my 243 loads and am getting MOA groups at 100 yards pretty consistently now. Preparing it for hunting I fine tuned the scope adjustments and then popped off a few groups at 200 yards. Surprisingly my groups were only about 1.25" to 1.5" consistently. So at 100 yards I am about 1 MOA consistently then at 200 yards .6 to .7 MOA, why not closer to 2 MOA. I was under the impression (remember new reloader here) that if my group size was 1" at 100 yards I could expect 2" at 200 yards and 3" at 300 yards and so on.

Wind was relatively nonexistent this trip.

Not looking for flames only instruction or enlightenment.

Thanks
BB

It's not uncommon for groups to get better as you get beyond 100yds. Many bullets will stabalize after the initial 100yds & your groups will tighten. It's one reason serious accuracy guys seldom bother w/ 100yd groups. Your initial thought proces is correct though. Several of my rifles shoot 1MOA out to as far as I can, but few shoot better at 300yds than 100yds.

This is because bullets travel in a spiral path and sometimes that spiral does not open up with range i.e. the longer range groups are about the same size as closer up.

Most often reason, if distant average groups are smaller than closer average groups, is less paralax in the scope at longer range. Hence you are actually aiming with better accuracy.

Also remember that group sizes are not always exactly the same at a given range. If your average group at 100 yards is 1" based on groups from .75 to 1.25" then you could also shoot 1.5 to 2.5" groups at 200 yards. A single 1.5" group at 200 yards is .75 moa. If you also shot a 1.25" (moa) at 100 yards then it gives the appearence of smaller groups at longer range.

However both groups are within the "cone of fire" of your rifle and normal. That would have nothing to do with twist or paralax or anything else. Both groups are just within the normal capability of you, the rifle and the load. Shoot five 5 shot groups at 100 yards and five 5 shot groups at 200 yards. You'll more than likely find the 200 yard average group size to be close to double the average group size of the 100 yard groups. This then is as expected.

Larry Gibson

Larry Gibson

I agree several groups need to be shot to prove a load. Also, it has lately become fashionable to shoot 3 shots and call it a group. The manufacturers love to do that because it's fairly easy to get a nice looking target. Five shots is more informative--10 is better.

I shoot a couple of 6mm (.243) match rifles and have found that it generally takes boat tailed bullets in that caliber more than 200 yards to stabilize to the point that they outperform flat based bullets, so I don't expect any great differences in grouping (by MOA) caused by bullet stabilization at 100 vs. 200 yards.

I've found this kind of results especially with match and VLD type bullets. Sometimes 1 moa is hard at 100 yards, but I can get well under moa at 600 yards even with a bit of wind.