Took my favorite rifle to the range today to warm up for deer season. It is a Ruger 30-06 model 77 with a tang safety I bought new 30 years ago. It is topped with a Leupold VII 2x7 and has killed numerous whitetails and coyotes. I am just a good old boy hunter and not much of a benchrest shooter, but always put in some time at the range before deer season shooting a couple boxes of factory loads.
My best three shot 100 yard group ever (Federal 165 grain Nosler ballastic tip ammo)...

... sometimes I even surprise myself !
Andy

Nice! So, what did the group after that one look like?

I bet he called it good, loaded up and went home. Yes it is a good group.
Butch

ghostbird, we are NOT taking anything away from that group, which is "wallet worthy", but, generally when I shoot something like that I try to duplicate it, either with a 5 shot group or, with another 3 shot group, just to make sure it wasn't "statistics". A repeatable group gives one confidence in their equipment.
Peter.

Knowing myself, I woulda shot another group or two just to ruin the good day!!! Seriously though, I remember way back when I started to get interested in accuracy, I would do everything possible to accurize my factory rifles...tweaking my loads until I had the best combo I could come up with. I shot a number of targets like the one pictured, but it was the exception, not the rule, of course. Most shooters leave it at that, but a few get wrangled into the depths of true competitive accuracy. It really is a lot of fun, just wish more folks would come along for the ride.

Oh, I shot another group off the bench and then I practiced off hand and kneeling about 20 rounds, letting the barrel cool off between rounds. I was practicing for deer season and this was my third trip to the range and will probably be my last trip to the range until this time next year. I will pattern my turkey shotgun before turkey season in my front yard.

...second group off the bench at 100 yds (165 grain Nosler ballastic tip)

Hard to tell, but that looks like a 1" group. Still pretty darn good for factory ammo and a presumably stock Ruger! Good shooting. That rifle is ready!
Peter.

Be interesting to see how it does at 200.