3 shot groups…

[nksmfamjp]

3 shot groups and all your issues are solved !!

I just saw this quote somewhere and I see it other places too. It is not really attributable to the person who said it here. It is a way of thinking.

Does this help you know where your shots will hit? Do 3 shots give us an absolute zero? Will 3 shots under an inch @ 100, adjust the zero, dial the dope, shoot one at 1000….will that ring 1000yd 20" steel?

I shoot 100yd groups to tell me my probability of hitting game at longer range. I need to know maximum dispersion, right? I also rely on this group to tell me my real 100yd zero.

interested in your thoughts.

 

[GLTaylor]

Well, since nobody has come forward, I'll give my 2cw.
I am not a long range hunter. My self-imposed limit is 400 yds for shots at game animals.
I do all my load workups at 100. Once I have a good load, I verify it at 4, 3 and 200 to check my drops and grouping consistency.
Most groups are 3-4 shots. I'm not shooting long strings (targets/match), and I rarely ever shoot more than once at a deer (unless I'm killing more than one).
That's my take. Now ya'll have at it.

 

[haisardao]

I just saw this quote somewhere and I see it other places too. It is not really attributable to the person who said it here. It is a way of thinking.

Does this help you know where your shots will hit? Do 3 shots give us an absolute zero? Will 3 shots under an inch @ 100, adjust the zero, dial the dope, shoot one at 1000….will that ring 1000yd 20" steel?

I shoot 100yd groups to tell me my probability of hitting game at longer range. I need to know maximum dispersion, right? I also rely on this group to tell me my real 100yd zero.

interested in your thoughts.

Good points. I use my 100 yard zero as a staring point and afterwards shoot as far as I plan on shooting at game. Bullets do weird things sometimes and they don't read the ballistic tables we do. For me it's 600 yards if all is perfect, otherwise 450 yards an in. I'm not where I need to be in terms of reading the wind to go further distances, but working on it .

 

[EM_556]

I would do 5 shot groups at 100 yards on paper, for a minimum. If it shoots well, then try 5 shots at 200 yards on paper. Then move to ballistics app, log your data and work on steel out to whatever distance you are comfortable with. The table may not always line up with the calculations. Some bullet companies inflate their BCs for marketing purposes and they don't perform quite to that. Create a shooting log with your new values. Then you're done.

 

[BillLarson]

With a hunting gun,I shoot 3...... days apart..... with dirty barrel.....

 

[FEENIX]

I just saw this quote somewhere and I see it other places too. It is not really attributable to the person who said it here. It is a way of thinking.

Does this help you know where your shots will hit? Do 3 shots give us an absolute zero? Will 3 shots under an inch @ 100, adjust the zero, dial the dope, shoot one at 1000….will that ring 1000yd 20" steel?

I shoot 100yd groups to tell me my probability of hitting game at longer range. I need to know maximum dispersion, right? I also rely on this group to tell me my real 100yd zero.

interested in your thoughts.

Everything is relative. I do not compete, so I do not do the aggregate. I stopped shooting 5-shot groups a long time ago and have settled for 3-shot groups instead for all my hunting rifles. However, I still shoot them to the maximum intended range and see how it performs. There is no need to complicate it unnecessarily; I have yet to see the opportunity to shoot at a game with 3 shots.

 

[L.Sherm]

If you can't hit your game in 3 shots put your rifle in your case and go home and work on your stuff.

 

[Radman]

Good points. I use my 100 yard zero as a staring point and afterwards shoot as far as I plan on shooting at game. Bullets do weird things sometimes and they don't read the ballistic tables we do. For me it's 600 yards if all is perfect, otherwise 450 yards an in. I'm not where I need to be in terms of reading the wind to go further distances, but working on it .

Wisdom in your words

 

[Beluebow]

Will 3 shots under an inch @ 100, adjust the zero, dial the dope, shoot one at 1000….will that ring 1000yd 20" steel?

The answer is maybe.....

Group size at 100 typically isn't linear to 1K.

Wind call will matter greatly.......with zero wind you're still looking at 1/2-3/4 moa spin drift to the right at 1k.

20" is a big target.

 

[ButterBean]

Tight groups are nice but The cold bore shot is the one that counts

 

[Allen Kitts]

Tight groups are nice but The cold bore shot is the one that counts

Amen to that brother, you can shoot little groups all day long, if that first shot ain't on it's trouble!

 

[DoneNOut]

Tight groups are nice but The cold bore shot is the one that counts

I've mitigated CB quite significantly by patching graphite through the bore after cleaning. As is "clean bore". A pencil barrel showed me Cold Bore doesn't come into play until the 3rd round.

For the thread, the larger the sample size the better, but I am not going to fire 25-30rnds per charge weight. 5 rounds in a sub-moa group is good enough for me. No fliers. I think the fliers are just telling us the load isn't harmonized yet...

 

[Lefty38-55]

The cold bore shot is the one that counts ...

So true! A few times a week at our range (that goes out to 600-yards) big black unmarked SUVs carrying any combination of FBI, Homeland Security or other Dept show up. The new guys run out the targets or work the pits, depending on what range they're shooting that day, whilst the others setup. They lie down prone or shoot off improvised perches, e.g., tipping a range bench on its side, etc.

One shot each and they're done! They're in and out in 10-minutes or less ... happens 2-3X weekly. Yeah, I'd say they're all keeping copious notes on their cold bore shots, plus the given ambient conditions.

 

[Lefty38-55]

I've mitigated CB quite significantly by patching graphite through the bore after cleaning.

FYI, an easy way to do that is to run a few patches of 'Lock-Ease' down the bore. Erik Cortina, a noted F-Class champion, swears by it.