How accurate?

[Wolf76]

How accurate do you need to be to be considered ethical or good enough?

Here's the situation. I'm headed for my first elk hunt this fall during the 1st rifle season. I've been practicing longer ranges than I normally shoot for whitetails. Right now I can regularly shoot 3" groups at 300m. Still tweaking my handloads, but what should I be trying to hit or what is acceptable. In other words, what group size determines my maximum limit (8" or 10"?). I plan on becoming proficient out to 500m by the time the hunt starts.
My gun is 300 win with 200gr accubonds traveling 3031 fps, so I know the KE is sufficient to a lot further than I'm willing to shoot.

BTW RL 23 is showing a lot of promise, but so is h1000 and RL 22.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

1 MOA or under is my goal. The kill zone on an elk is big.

I commend you on your goal. Lots of hunters are just concerned with taking the longest possible shot, without regard to their ability to make an accurate hit.

 

[elktaker]

I practice on a 10 inch gong and try to practice in similar environments to what I will be hunting in. If I can't routinely hit it on the first cold bore shot its too far. 10" would be small for an elk kill zone (about 16" is probably the real kill zone) but human error in aiming should be added bringing me down to 10"

Luckily, I live 30 minutes from where I elk/deer hunt, so praticing on the forest is easy. My longest kill on an elk has been 427 yards. My ranger finder is a Leupold 800i and normally I can only get ranges to 500 yards in the field so that limits me to 500 right off the bat.

Add a windy day in the mountains and it easily limits me to 300 yards with multiple wind direction across a valley.

 

[Rick Richard]

Base your limit on your ability to CONSISTENLY hit your target while shooting in similar positions that you will encounter in the field. That should dictate what your limit should be in my opinion.

 

[J E Custom]

In my opinion any thing under 1 MOA at any distance is ok, If you can hold your groups at 1/2 MOA that Is even better. Distance is still the limiting factor though. Elk are large animals but the maximum point of impact size that I would personally except would be 8". 4" from the point of aim at any distance.

So when you reach the distance that you can no longer place a hunting bullet inside an 8' circle every shot, I would have to limit or pass on any shots farther than that.

Most members on this sight have good ethics and skill and won't take a shot that they are not sure
of 100% success no mater what the distance. sometimes you just have to pass on a shot because it just doesn't feel right. That Is what I call "Ethics".

Just My Opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[Maxxis31]

Took my 280AI out yesterday in a 10-12mph crosswind and put 12 rounds into a 10" group at 600 yards with two different people shooting it. I would feel comfortable taking a shot at that distance especially on a calm day.

 

[roninflag]

10"- with wind, and the position you shooting in the field would fine for me. good luck on your hunt. enjoy

 

[Wolf76]

Thank you all for the great advice. I will start shooting more from hunting positions and try to make it out on windy days.