Budget Rifle Accuracy

[blfx4]

It is really hard to say what makes one rifle shoot great and another not so much. I know trigger, bedding, stock, ammo, and most of all the shooter. Then again some really don’t make sense at all. Here is a case and point. About six yes ago a friend from high school never hunted before and got invited on a cull buck hunt with his boss. He went to Academy and bought a savage axis with whatever scope they came with and five boxes of core lokt 150 gr. Even with 6 lb trigger and scope which really doesn’t have eye relief, that gun will shoot consistently .75 moa and even better sometimes. Fast forward to now, my friend loves hunting and got on a lease with his boss. He purchased a tikka and a upper end Leupold and that gun is an inch gun with all sorts of various ammo. Which is fine, but with the core lokt ammo about a 2.5 in gun. Again, I would take the tikka everyday of the week, but for a gun scope combo that is roughly five times the cost, it doesn’t make sense. I would say it is a crap shoot.

[TB80]

It is really hard to say what makes one rifle shoot great and another not so much. I know trigger, bedding, stock, ammo, and most of all the shooter. Then again some really don’t make sense at all. Here is a case and point. About six yes ago a friend from high school never hunted before and got invited on a cull buck hunt with his boss. He went to Academy and bought a savage axis with whatever scope they came with and five boxes of core lokt 150 gr. Even with 6 lb trigger and scope which really doesn’t have eye relief, that gun will shoot consistently .75 moa and even better sometimes. Fast forward to now, my friend loves hunting and got on a lease with his boss. He purchased a tikka and a upper end Leupold and that gun is an inch gun with all sorts of various ammo. Which is fine, but with the core lokt ammo about a 2.5 in gun. Again, I would take the tikka everyday of the week, but for a gun scope combo that is roughly five times the cost, it doesn’t make sense. I would say it is a crap shoot.

This sounds like an ammo issue, not a gun issue. As stated above, even high dollar guns may not like certain ammo.


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[joel45acp]

I’ve been very fortunate with my Remmy 700s in 300BO, 308LTR and 223 Tactical. All three are .5 MOA guns with my hand loads. Not sure what they shoot with factory ammo since I’ve never tried it.

Five shot group from the 300BO at 100yds


Five shot group from the 308 at 100yds



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[blfx4]

I agree it is a ammo issue, I’m just saying it doesn’t make sense sometimes. The tikka .308 he has shot everything from power shocks to match ammo and the results vary greatly. The savage he never tried anything else, because it hard to fix what isn’t broke. I have guns that love one ammo and hate the others. Some guns cheap and some not. My old 788 .243 shoots most all factory ammo well and that was a cheap gun in its day. In all reality, buy what fits your needs and your budget and for most hunting situations you will be fine.

[dimeboxbill]

Nice shooting

[mikerosa]

I am in the group that says no. Have your friend shoot five 3 shot groups or three 5 shots groups on a single target. This will more indicative of how well the rifle shoots. A single cherry picked group doesn’t count as a acccuracy standard. If it can be repeated on a regular basis then thats a different story.

Believe it or not the rifle is only a part of the equation.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

3 shots is nothing. 3 shots done 25x ? Yeah now you see a pattern to the consistency. That’s what shooting is all about, consistency.

Again for a inexpensive rifle ? 700 Remington BDL is a good value. Was a good value anyway. Not sure anymore.


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[DFWPI]

Budget Rifle Accuracy



Ruger American Ranch rifle in 7.62x39 with cheap ammo at 100 yards off a rest. 5-shot groups





From my Make Believe World

[tdwinklr]

DFW .... yep, all day long.

[black dallas]

my 700 ADL in 30.06, trigger job, with 150g ballistic silvertips will cut the holes at 100yds

[muddydog]

Good accuracy is a combo of several factors. Not necessarily the rifle. A preferred load, good appropriate scope, wind conditions and shooter skill level. Most all guns made today are capable of shooting very good groups. My 250.00 TC compass is one of the most accurate rifles I've shot.

[crash8005]

I bet if bought 10 of your choice budget rifles, sighted in each one then shot all with various factory ammo you could find a unicorn- then sell the other nine.

I'll throw my Thompson Compass in the conversation. I was impressed with what it could do for the money. It now has new trigger springs and a boyds stock.

I've been really impressed with mine as well. I have 4 of them. All shoot really well. I have a 22-250 in the compass that will stack them.

I also think that certain calibers just shoot really well. Like the 22-250 and 243.

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[twosixteens]

You want to know how to tell if it's a fluke or not? Have him shoot this same group into a target once it's sighted in. I always see people post groups like this but they don't even hit the target they are aiming for. If it is that accurate, sight it in and do it again 3 times in a row. That will tell you more about the real capability of the rifle.

Would love to understand how a zeroed rifle would make a difference in group size.

[TB80]

You want to know how to tell if it's a fluke or not? Have him shoot this same group into a target once it's sighted in. I always see people post groups like this but they don't even hit the target they are aiming for. If it is that accurate, sight it in and do it again 3 times in a row. That will tell you more about the real capability of the rifle.

I always assumed when groups are posted off target, it is because they are shooting different types of ammo in their gun and trying to see which one groups the best. So they aren’t as concerned, at that point, about whether they hit the bullseye. Maybe I was mistaken.


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[db@100]

If it's a rifle you will use to hunt with, the only shot that counts is the first shot.
So, shoot one, wait for barrel to cool and shoot another and repeat.
If you are stacking them in a .5" or smaller groups then you have a special shooting rifle along with your skills.

[MLank]

I always assumed when groups are posted off target, it is because they are shooting different types of ammo in their gun and trying to see which one groups the best. So they aren’t as concerned, at that point, about whether they hit the bullseye. Maybe I was mistaken.


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You're spot on.