Accuracy

[Tancred]

What do you consider good enough rifle accuracy for this game?

Tancred

[Jerry G]

1 inch at 100m is very good but 1 1/2 inch is acceptable for 5 shot groups for the 22. Keep in mind your offhand hold wiggle is probably going to be over 4 inches without the occasional jerk that slips in.

[tenx9]

The idea is to the cheapest ammo to shoot as acceptable as possible. I've shot 9/10th of an inch 10shot group will Eley Tenex @ 100yds, but who can afford this stuff. I've been shooting the cheap Wolf lately, but at $50 for 500, its still not inexpensive, but what you going to do. Anything cheaper at least in my gun won't shoot acceptable at the turkeys and rams. I've been using CCI for the shorter distances. If your going to mix and match ammo, just make sure the bullets impact at 100yds at the same spot. This way you can use the same sight settings, which i believe is the most important. An 1 1/2" is more than acceptable. In silouette its all about acceptable accuracy, not ultimate accuracy.

[boats]

Everybody approaches it different but my take is ammo is a pretty cheap part of shooting. Match I am MD for is a tank full of gas round trip from home, with entry fees and breakfast and dinner away it's a 100 dollar day for most guys nobody is doing it under 50 bucks. Just finished compiling year end results 12 matches Regulation Silhouette 12 Iron sight swinger matches after. We rank shooters on there best 5 matches. Guys that are real happy with final ranking vs shooters disappointed are only separated by a few targets. Years ago when shooting small bore prone top shooter told me "spend all my time working on position and breaking shots, don't let poor ammo get into your program". That season I jumped classifications by 2 with only 7 points over the break score.

Thing about a lot of the cheap stuff is you often get misfires and flyer's. Can't afford flyer's if you want to do well with a lot of good competition. And all the critters are about the same size in MOA not much about chickens that's easier than turkeys or rams. Pigs perhaps but most of us need a good Pig score to make up for Turkey's so the percentage standard is higher even on the easier target. Way I judge good is just like in a match 10 shot groups on paper at each animals proper distance. Would rather have a rifle scope ammo set up that will group 1 1/2 moa for 40 shots than something that shoots small groups some time. Anything that has any tendency to throw shots out of group goes out of my ammo box with no 2nd chance

1 1/2 moa 40 shot rifle is a pretty good one too. Nothing I own will do any better.

Boats

[Tancred]

Thanks for the information, I'm feeling a little better about my gear.

Tancred

[cedestech]

It's a MOA game. As long as the rifle will do MOA the accuracy is fine. The trigger is the big deal. Then stock fit and aesthetics.

[Jerry G]

I agree with you Boats. I have to drive 80 miles one way to attend a match. Good ammo is the cheep part of the deal.

[tenx9]

I've shot 3pos smallbore as well prone smallbore, both on NRA and international targets. Accuracy on very small ten rings dictate very good ammo. Both R50 and Tenx were the ammo of choice. If you guys feel you need to shoot $120 (for 500) ammo go right ahead and make yourselves feel good. The center mass on a ram is approx 3-31/2"? Theres no need to shoot 1/2 moa ammo. And certainly no need to practice with it as well. Not many of us on here can shoot 1moa, let alone 1/2moa offhand. If you can, you should join the Olympic team. Otherwise your just wasting money.

[Jason]

Group sizes are cumulative. If your own hold isn't great, adding junk ammo to it is just making it worse.

[boats]

Lot said about ammo for small bores. Here are some truisms from me,

It's not the group it's the misfires and flyer's. I give shooters one ammo alibi in a match thats all, otherwise wal mart shoppers hold up the match with Remington won't go offs.

No need to spend Tenex or R50 money if you don't want to but going cheap does not pay.

On Olympic teams. Shot the the English metric prone match with some ex Australian Olympic team members while working down under. They laughed at me when I wanted to test some ammo in my club owned Anschutz 54, All ammo was bought from the club and only three choices. Black box and Practice for club matches. Tenex was only for sale when they hosted or traveled to big matches. They said when the club team shot every one used the same Eley ammo no question of some member claiming his rifle liked one vs the other. Asked why they used Eley, Answer was they were not going to shoot anything German & Eley was a cash sponsor.

Since I have stuck with the best for big matches same brand club grade for club matches. Changed from Federal to Eley now RWS over the years. Most of my pratice is with Air Rifle so no need for cheap stuff. That box of R50 just makes me feel more like winning when I pull it out. May not make any difference offhand at all, but it's a game of lot of small details adding up to good performance

Boats

[tenx9]

We're pretty lucky in my club. We have hanging animals up all year for us to shoot. Like you said Boats, shooting R50 makes little sense other than making you feel good about your ammo. I've never said shoot junk ammo and certainly not at a match. Do what your pocket and ego dictates, and enjoy.
Have a good New Year to all.

[Bret_K]

... without the occasional jerk that slips in.

Ha, I've shot next to him a few times! And other times I WAS him (the jerk)!!

[Jerry G]

Damn Brent...................... they are everywhere. There everywhere. Run..................

Problem is, most of them are real nice people. I didn't say all.