“My rifle shoots .2s and .3s” ... huh?

[Capt RB]

This is out of my Vangard in 270 with the tupperware and now the LSS XL Both are only 3 shots It has a timney at 2ish pounds and now the chassis. I had some issues at first because the thin barrel needs to be damped so I put a Limbsaver barrel thingy on it and kept trimming it on the bottom to fit between the barrel and the chassis forend. The group. The tupperware shot well but the zero wandered around with temp. The redfield target was after confirming dope to 650 I brought it back to 100yds(200 yd ero) and forgot I had.1 right wind dialed. The other was cold bore and 2 follow up shots Xmas day. It weighs the same without the bag rider and folder and 4oz more with the folder piece. I think my bagrider is 2 pounds but haven't weighed it yet. It is a piece of antenna off my boat 4" long filled with melted lead with a 10x32 SS machine screw epoxied into it.
Shooting lightweight guns well demands perfect because there is no weight to help control the recoil pulse or keep it steady on target. I typically sling up with this rifle off the bipod and forego the rear bag.

 

[adamjp]

My deer hunting rifles are all under 9lb in weight, including my 338 Norma.

For my hunting rifles I want the first shot to go exactly where I want it. The second shot should form a figure 8.

After that it becomes less important where the third and subsequent bullets go.

My 416 Ruger on a BLR just puts the first two 400gn Woodleigh Hydros into a close pair, after that things may well become exciting and as long as they conform within 2in of the crosshairs I'm happy. Ranges could well be rapidly shortening so function is more important.

 

[adamjp]

**** duplicate!

 

[ilc]

Translations:

"My rifle shoots in the .2s" = if I fire enough shots, cross out the flyers, the ones I pulled, and the ones where the wind or sighting got me, sometimes I'll have 3 shots within .2

"My rifle shoots in the .2s if I do my bit" = I'm a poor shooter with delusions of grandeur and have never shot a group under 1", but I know my rifle shoots .2 even though I've never been able to prove it.

"My rifle shoots .x inches all day" = as soon as I get a .x inch group I put my gun away.

"I once shot a .x inch group, here's a photo to prove it" = I got lucky, thank god for camera phones!

"I just shot five consecutive 5-shot groups under .2 on the one target" = would you like to see my gold medal from the world benchrest championships?

All in jest my friends!

[EDIT - added another translation]

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I do original load work up prone with a mechanical front rest with a rear bag, then switch to a bipod and rear bag. Tightest 5 shot group I ever shot was .230 moa. Tightest 3 shot group has been .076. I've shot one other 3 shot that was .096, and a few in the .1, but those are only 3 shot groups and were not super cconsistent when I hear some of the groups people spout off about and say :all day long" I shake my head. I know how hard I work to achieve sub .5 moa for 5 shots let alone .25! Maybe I'm just a bad shot who knows.

 

[sturner]

I've had poor luck from any sled type rests. I love my crown Royal bags full of sand.... And no, I don't and haven't shoot in the 2's.... Ever.

I like my rifles way too much to put them in the death sled

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

I use a front rest w/bag and rear bag for all my load development.

Yeah you never know on the internet who talks trash and who doesn't, way it is I guess. Only place a true shooter and gun get noticed is when people are there to see it happening. Nothing proves anything online cause you don't see the groups being fired only pics of tight groups shot somewhere at some distance. I respect all posters on here and see they shoot at much longer distances than myself, I accept what they say and to call BS is just calling another a liar. My thing is 100yd poorman's benchrest shooting and I will say conditions have to be perfect (wind, humidity, painstaking cartridge prep, lack of coffee, and for me no recoil). I shoot 3 shot groups extreme spead less caliber, Hey its my rules so that's what my groups are. No one can do it all day or everyday, conditions won't permit. Good Shooting Dave

 

[FEENIX]

I have a hard time believing these statements without pics of a full session to show consistent performance. We can all shoot a group in the 2s once every trip, but the majority of the time, not so much.

LOL, esp. when the claim is .25" group at 400 yards. Stir, stir, stir ...

 

[Deputy819]

which method did you use to get that group—solid rest or bipod/bag?

Front mechanical rest w/owl-ear sand bag and rear rabbit-ear sand bag. Below is a picture of an OCW I did at 200 yards with my .243 back in September. I managed 2 back to back 1/4 moa (roughly) 3-shot groups during the shoot with 41.2gr and 41.7gr. Have I been able to do that since then? Yes. Every SINGLE time since then? ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT. So, it's just like Mram10us said , "We can all shoot a group in the 2s once every trip, but the majority of the time, not so much".

 

[338 dude]

I have shot .25" groups before but it is very few and far between. Never shot anything smaller than that and it's not consistent. Heck...anything below 1/2 MOA is not consistent for me. The only time I have had a rifle shoot consistent 1/3 MOA groups was when I had my custom 338 Lapua and it weighed 14 lbs. I shot two different 4 shot groups with it on different days at 1300 yards and one group measured 4.7" and the other measured 4.9". It was a real easy rifle to shoot because of the weight. A lightweight rifle will give me fits at distance. I go for the happy medium of 9-10 lbs now. Oh and I do everything prone off a bipod and rear bag.

I can do it once in a blue moon as well also a 338 Lapua

 

[Cuz]

I usually shoot with bipod and rear bag from the bench, sometimes use front sandbags or mechanical rest. I don't consider myself a target shooter, more of a hunter and plinker. If I can get 1/2 moa during load development I will call it good and not chase little groups. If I can hold that 1/2 moa at distance I'm happy.

 

[YZ-80]

Heck, I'll even shoot a couple free hand just to make sure I can still at least hit a deer sized target at 100 yds if the moment arises and I don't have a rest.

This can be a very humbling experience.

 

[Mram10us]

This is probably the best group I have ever shot due to the poi. 3 shots at 500yds with my old 300 rum. I can do this all day, baby!

 

[YZ-80]

I use a big 35 lb. "Dog-Gone-Good" bag up front and a sandbag in the rear. When I achieve .5 MOA consistently out to 300 yards (I max out at 400 in the field) I then put on the Harris and go prone, frontloading the bipod on my shooting mat to validate that the rifle is still "minute of deer" out to that distance.

I spilt the difference on the shot groups, often times shooting 4 shot groups instead of 3, usually just because the multiples of 4 are convienient for how many rounds I have time to prepare and what I want to shoot at each charge.