Let me know how well you're rifle shoots!!

[WARRIOR]

Just curious, how well you gun groups with factory ammo, i just got 1 in group out of my win. featherweight .243 with win super x 100gr. If you get your trigger worked how much can you expect your accuracy to improve?

[reload]

Don't shoot factory ammo - Trigger work helps, but it depends on how well you work your trigger - Best bet for small groups is get somewhere between a 24x to a 36X scope and shoot your smallest groups and after that you can take it off and use it with your next rifle you are working on and put a field scope on for your hunting. Good high power scopes can improve your groups more than a lot of other things you can do. Good Luck

[mbrook]

One inch groups with super X's is pretty good. Premium ammo, either handloaded or from Federal Premium's line should help reduce the size of your groups but you will have to try a few different loads to see what works in your gun. I shoot a .280 and with Win super X or Remington Core- I get 1.5 to 2 inch groups. Both are starting "hunting" loads and are not designied with maximum accuracy in mind. With Federal Premium ammo in a variety of bullet styles I get more like .5 to .75 inch groups at 100 yards. Handloads in my gun are about the same as the premium ammo but it gives me more flexability and costs alot less. When I buy a new gun the trigger gets worked over by a good gunsmith before I make my first trip to the range.

Sounds like you have a pretty good shooting gun. A trigger job and better ammo should help improve your groups. More important however, is your form and its consistency from shot to shot.

[Edited by mbrook on 08-21-2001 at 12:56 PM]

[Ruddy]

Outside of my blackpowder rifles and my 22 (never tried shooting them at 100yd target) Every rifle I have delivers 1" or better at 100yds.
The best one I have is a 700 in 7mm Rem mag with Federal Premium in 140 TBBC and 139 Hornady Custom will deliver 3/4" all day and if I really do my part it's delivered one ragged hole groups 1/8". With this gun I look for 1 1/4 -1 1/2 " groups at 200 yds on a normal day and 1 " when I'm shooting good.

[rkbo]

1" is good but try the federal gold medal match and it might turn to 1/2". The comment that a scope will make the biggest different is very true. I've experimented quite a bit and with a stock rifle it kinda goes like this. Ammo then scope then trigger and glass bedding. Sometimes not in that order. I have done all the good stuff to a rifle but it wasn't till I found a sweet handload till it showed it's stuff. Another thing to consider is a very stable bench to shoot off. Good benchrest bags and no wind. Also a good target. I use the type that has a square bulleseye. I put it up with a plumb bob. Now with a 18 power scope I can split the box in four equal parts. Or you can line up one side with the vertical hair and the bottom with horizontal. making the corner your bullseye. This may sound petty but if you are off 1/4" one way on one shot and 1/4" the other way on the next then there's your 1/2" added to the group.

I have 5 hunting rifles that will shoot 1" to 1/2" on a good day. The others are shooting around 2". I have a benchrest rifle that will shoot under 1/4" but that's not a fair comparison.

[skoonz]

My Howa 270 will shoot 0.8MOA groups with Rem corelokt 130gr. But I dont care. As long as it shoots minute of deer

[Fast Ed]

1" out a factory rifle is pretty good. The fact that you can shoot that well is pretty good too. A lot of the guys I see at the range couldn't hit the broadside of a barn from the inside and then complain about their rifles. Lighten the trigger to about 3 1/2 pounds for hunting. Don't spend any more money. Getting the next 1/2" in accuracy can get real expensive real quick. You have more that adequate accuracy already.

[Sunrise]

All the premium factory ammo is built good and they guarentee 2.5" at 100 yd.in a good/new gun. Each gun has different harmonics as the projectile accelerates down the barrel. What you have is very good for factory. I can only get 1.25" from my Ruger 25-06 and I have shot 2 boxes of each brand of premium to get under 2". Bedding the action did the most good for this rifle. Winchester gives me an interesting "pattern" of 2 touching bullet holes with one flyer that is always to the right about an inch to an inch and quarter. By reloading I get the bullets to come out the muzzel when the barrel is at a "sweet spot", when the harmonic is at a node. Lyman's reloading manuel has a good explaination for that event. If you decide to reload for that gun get good equipment after you read the entire process and feel comfortable with your situation.

Hope you find the "sweet spot" for your rifle. Good hunting.

[scarter]

I recently had a chance to break-in a new Ruger 44 mag Deerfield. I actually went to a shooting range for the first time, and I had it all to myself (I usually shoot at chert pits). I set the sights cleaning the barrel after each of the first 10 shots. On shots 9 and 10 I centered a paper plate at 50 yards. Next, I added a Simmons Aetec 3.8x12x44 scope and began shooting cleaning the barrel after every two shots until 20 and then after every 4 shots. I set the scope ~3" high at 50 yards and proceeded to a 100 yard shot. After lowering 4 clicks and moving to the right one click, I had the gun set at 100 yards. With shots 45, 46 and 47, I checked my group shooting 3 times at a one inch dot. I centered the target, and all three holes were touching. With my last 3 shots (48, 49, & 50), I shot at a paper plate free standing (elbows out) hitting the plate twice. I was using Winchester 240 grain solid jacket bullets from Walmart. And the best part was I skipped work to go shoot....

[Snare]

I got 3/4" with my Kimber African 416 Rigby,with Federal 400gr Safari

Snare

[Stithe]

I have 2 Tikka hunting rifles... 1 is a 7mm-08 w/ a 2x10 simmons on it, the other is a .243 w/ a 3.5x10 Leupold.. both shoot 5/8" 3 shot groups with handloads. They are in the 1" range with the factory ammo that I've tried. I also have a Savage 10FP heav. bbl., .223 that shoots under a half inch with a good hand load. Bob

[ONEBADAPPLE]

Factory ammo "rules" it's cheap no hassle and it's a proven "gametaker" I'd say yes reload if your a proffesional getting paid for MOA but if your just shooting to get sighted in for hunting season why bother????
PS this is just my opinion and not to ruffle any feathers
Yes one inch groups are dandy thats what i've got with my eighty-eight .358
and that's also with win super x 200gr factory loads couldn't tell ya how much powder but I hear it varies hahaha
OBA

Actually, onebadapple, that's not a bad philosophy. For the hunter who shoots less than 100 shots a year, reloading is false economy. Factory ammo is indeed excellent stuff today. It's darn hard to even equal some of it by reloading, much less bettering it. I enjoy reloading at least as much as shooting, though. I guess that's how I became a reloading writer, huh?

I have a Browning Hornet that shoots into one inch even with factory ammo, and a half inch with my best reloads.

My .223 Contender 14" barrel will shoot sub-inch with several factory loads and also will shoot half that with reloads.

I also have two Rem 788 rifles in .223 that beat an inch with factory and much less than a half-inch with reloads.

Finally, another 788 in the 25-308 wildcat will shoot sub-half-inch groups easily. No factory ammo for it, of course.

The champ so far is another Contender barrel - a .17 Ackley Bee that I'm now working with. Best groups so far are 0.3" - one ragged hole. Good shooter!

All the above are five-shot groups at 100 yards.

[ONEBADAPPLE]

ROCKY OK I can go with that you get into reloading like I get into making my own arrows they have to weight within 1/10 of a grain but realizing it's only a "hobby" and not a law and were both not getting paid for are accuracy..
It just crack's me up when guy's say factory ammo is no good cause my arrows only really help me in "my own mind" and would not criticize someone who has accuracy with store bought arrows
Later OBA

[theMAC]

I am ashamed to say I have yet to print my new deer rifle on paper at all.
I sighted it in in three shots on a half gallon milk jug @ 100yrds. And then checked it @200.
I go out once a week or so and try it out at both distances free hand.
It hits first shot every time.
I'm pretty confident it will handle the deer hunting I intend to do.
:)

[Crow hunter]

I reload because I enjoy it, I get to shoot more without it costing me an arm and a leg, and I make better ammo than I can buy.

While I agree with the others that there is some excellent ammo on the market there is a big problem with it, it isn't tailored to your rifle. Anyone who's been reloading for a while has found out that one of the most critical contributors to accuracy is the bullet seating depth. You simply have to experiment with different bullet seating depths to get the maximum accuracy out of your rifle. I don't care how carefully assembled the factory loads are, you aren't going to get max accuracy out of it unless it's seated to the proper depth. Every now and then someone will get a factory load they can't improve upon, it's sheer luck that they found one that fits their rifle well but don't count on it happening in your gun. Even the factory match ammo can usually be improved upon by a knowledgable reloader.

One other reason I don't like factory ammo is that it rarely (never) reaches published velocity. I can load my own to actually do what the factories say the rifle will do.

To address the question of what my rifles will do, I have two rifles that will group under 1/2" all the time. (Groups aren't valid unless the rifle will do it every time, I once shot a .166" group out of a rifle that gave me a 3" group the next time, that doesn't make it a .166" rifle). My 1/2" rifles are a savage 112 .220 swift and a Hart barrelled 7mm stw. My Pac-Nor barrelled .257 roberts is a 1" rifle. If you are getting consistent 1.5" groups out of a factory rifle with factory ammo then you have an excellent rifle. Most won't do that.

[bridgefarmer]

My 300 win Mag shoots 3/4 inch groups a 100 yards and will hit clay birds at 300. Now thats off a bench, the west Texas Mulie that took a freehand hit at 200 yards really never knew the differance.
On the point of factory ammo. Hornaday makes really good stuff.I shoot 165 grain Interlocks out of that 300. and they run a tad faster than advertised on the box and hold tight groups.
My rifle is a plain out of the box Winchester Laredo on a factory HS precision stock,with a Leupold 4-12x40. I did have the trigger taken down to Two and one half pounds. Yep,its light but it helps.

[grayghost]

I was fortunate to find this Speer load last year. I took my Elk and Bear at 475 yards (laser range finder), and two Whitetails, (40 yards & 150 yards).I have used my Ruger M-77 in .280 for 21 years and have used handloads as well as factory. These shoot like they were made for my gun. They have fairly strong recoil but the results are excellent. I will take it this fall as a backup to my 300 UM. Good hunting, grayghost

[pighuntr270]

so far everybody has something good to contribute. i reload all my ammo but factory is fine. part of the reason is i can't afford to shoot factory, i have to recycle to stay ahead. treat your rifle as a work in progress. find what it likes now, get the best optics you can afford, bed it,float the barrell and, last but not least, PRACTICE!

[Cal Sibley]

It sounds like you have an accurate rifle and wouldn't cover your set-up costs by reloading. I am another shooter who fires no commercial ammo in any of his rifles so we differ there.

Recent experiences with new and used rifles has convinced me that unless you know the particular rifle's history, you're probably better off shelling out the $75.-100 to get it glass bedded, barrel floated and trigger lightened. It saves a several heartaches and will give you a much better idea of the rifles true potential. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Hawkee]

I am a reloader,but shoot alot of factory ammo also.i have quite a few guns that group under 1 inch at 100yds with factory ammo.Shilen DGA Sporter in 284Win with factory 125grSP.Ultra Light Arms M20 in 284Win same ammo.Harris Signature Alaskan in 358Win,factory 200gr Silvertips.Custom Husqvarna in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser with factory 140gr SP.I have quite a few lever guns that will shoot under a inch at a 100yds. One is a Savage M99F in 22 Hi-Power,another a Sako M73(lever,same as Finnwolf) in 308Win. If it shoots bad with factory loads.You may be able to shoot better with handloads.But it will not take you from 4in groups at 100yds to under 1 inch. Buy good quality guns and ammo. If you want to go cheap on something let it be the scope.I have a Custom FN Mauser Sporter(bull barrel)in 284 Win. It shot the exact same groups with $80.00 Tasco as it did with a $600.00 Leupold.That is a fact,and I've proved 20 times in my life. A lot of my guns still have expensive scopes,but only because they look better.And an expensive gun should have an expensive scope! Thanks Hawke