Last year I built a 7 MM Rem that would consistently shoot 5 rounds into 1". I was pretty pleased with this rifle, and took it caribou hunting. Well, on the trip to Quebec, something happened to it which could not be fixed until returning home. I tried sighting in the rifle, and could get maybe 8" at 100 yards. The guys told me I could just borrow their rifle, and I told them I'd just get close. I still got my 2 caribou with 3 shots(one bullet exploded on the caribou's shoulder), so I guess 8" at 100 yds. is plenty good.

Two interesting questions were posed by some of you:

1. Who smiths those guns?

2. Where are you finding all those 1/2 MOA guns?

None of my rifles are factory rifles. They were all built my the guys over at Hill COuntry Rifles and are extremely accurate. I have had a rifle or 2 built by them that wouldn't shoot to my standards with a hunting load and I sold them, but everything else they have ever built for me or my clients shot like a dream. I would also like to address a couple of more comments:

1. 5 shot groups are useless. I don't think so. I am shooting hunting rifles, not bench guns. I can't remember ever needing 5 shots on anything.

2. Practice like you hunt. Amen. I shoot off the bench when I am evaluating a gun and the first 6 shots I fire at the range are from the bench. After that, I shoot from my field positions, with and without shooting sticks. I also shoot every single week.

I am sure there is some degree of BS in these posts, but the bottom line is that there are some good shots and some great guns out there. If you are patient and keep trying loads, you can get some amazing groups out of a hunting rifle. A few people on this forum have shot with me, and 1 guy was there when I shot some tiny groups with my .375. If I am not mistaken, he later ordered a gun from Hill Country because of it.

Not every gun and every shooter can deliver tiny groups, and tiny groups don't make a good field shot, but an extremely accurate gun gives me a lot of confidence when I do have to make a tough shot.

I have friends that if their rifle won't clover leaf three shots at 100 yards they are headed to the smiths or trying a new load. For me if every time I take the rifle to the range the first shot hits where I know it should I am happy. I do not shoot groups very well though. I get about 1.5 three shot groups out of my .300 off of bipods. I am sure the rifle will do better. Right now I am playing with a .308 that will touch two shots but the third is about an inch off. I hope to play with it till it cloverleafs. I have only had one high powered rifle I could do that with and like a nut I sold it. DUMB MOVE!!!

I have watched some local bench rest shooters shoot 3 inch groups(ten shots)at 550 yards and have been pretty impressed. Other than gophers, I don't know when the last time that I saw a concrete bench out in the mountains while hunting, let alone an animal that would stand still long enough to pull out the levels to make sure the rifle was square. I prefer the ideas that several others had, take a knee, seat or the side of a tree and try to hit something like a small balloon at various distances. No offense meant.

AMEN!!!!

Weidmansheil

Martin

I zero in my rifle at approx 160 - 170 meters, that way I can put my cross right on up to 200 meters at the moose and deer.
If I can get three shots within 2 -3 inches thats fine with me.
If I were to shoot in an upright position at that distance, it probably wouldn't matter if the rifle gave me a cloverleaf or three inches spread. I'm just not up to shoot that good standing on my feet.

Magnar

You characters crack me up. For a big game rifle 2 1/2 inches will work fine for the vast majority of hunting. I don't own a rifle that shoots that poorly but if it was all I had I would use it. I concern myself more with bullet performance than absolute accuracy. That said all my bolt rifles shoot 3 shot groups into less than 1 1/4 inches amd most are sub MOA.

All of my hunting rifles MUST shoot MOA off the bench.

If they cannot be made to do so, they are sold or traded.

Once I am satisfied the rifle can do its job, I start working on MY part of the equation by shooting from field positions: sitting, kneeling, up against a tree, off sticks, etc.

From field positions I want to be able to shoot my MOA rifle into a dinner-plate size target at 200 yards, and a saucer size target at 100 yards.

That's really about all the accuracy needed for most game, excluding some dangerous animals.

Of course, the above accuracy criteria assumes I'm hunting deer-size or larger game.

I'll practice offhand some, but my belief is that a standing, unsupported shot usually should not be taken at distances over about 50 yards--some sort of field-expedient rest can usually be found, and if possible, should always be employed over an offhand shot.

In general, I try to get a predictable point of impact within 1 MOA for the first two or three shots at the range. Most of the time this involves bedding, scope mounts, and loads.

I also do not hunt with a clean barrel, always fire a few fouling shots on arrival after a few-hundred-mile drive to Wyoming or Montana to see that nothing's changed ( on one trip, something had changed and I was glad to know about it before trying to shoot game ). I try to shoot from prone off a fanny pack when possible, which is not too hard to arrange on sage flats and coulee bottoms.

Tom

I pleased with a rifle that shoot less than 1 inch-3/4 inch at 100 meters. If it's big calibre from 375 and up I can live with 1,5 inches a 100 meters.

The smaller group the happier owner

I test the loads from bench to evaluate the accuracy. After bench the true shooting practice takes over. Prone, kneeling, off hand etc.

/ JOHAN