Accurate enough?

[Gr8bawana]

Just wondering what you think. I can hit a gallon milk jug every time out to 400 yards, yet a friend of mine thinks that since it is not center punched it's not good enough. I figure that is about the size of a deer's vital area so what difference would it make? Elk have an even bigger vital area. Having a minute of angle rifle doesn't matter to me.
It's just that I don't like to waste my ammo shooting paper targets.
7mm mag and .270

 

[Sawfish]

Just wondering what you think. I can hit a gallon milk jug every time out to 400 yards, yet a friend of mine thinks that since it is not center punched it's not good enough. I figure that is about the size of a deer's vital area so what difference would it make? Elk have an even bigger vital area. Having a minute of angle rifle doesn't matter to me.
It's just that I don't like to waste my ammo shooting paper targets.
7mm mag and .270

I think that we spend too much time obsessing over MOA accuracy at long distances for hunting purposes. The majority of the animals that I have killed in my lifetime have been under 200 yards. None of the elk that I have killed were over 75 yards. If you can hit a milk jug every time at 400 yards, you are probably a better shot than 95% of the hunters in the field. Go for it!

 

[Hilltop]

MOA accuracy at 400 yards would be within a 4.184" circle... if your hitting the milk jug every shot at 400 your likely achieving MOA accuracy most of the time. I limit myself to 500 yards for big game hunting. My goal when practicing is to maintain basic MOA accuracy out to 500 yards. My final season practice, just before the hunt, is on life size home made animal targets. It is amazing the confidence that this can create because it is easier to hit the vital area on a target than it is to achieve MOA. Doing this will improve your comfort level when taking one of those longer shots. I shot my bull this year at 477 yards and the shot honestly felt easy.

 

[In God We Trust]

If you can hit a milk jug at 400 yards every shot then I would say you are good to go out to 400 yards on an animal. Guys that shoot out to 1000 yards or 500 yards are not center punching a target every shot. That is the way MOA works. If your gun shoots 1 MOA then it groups 10" at 1000 yards. You will be fine out to 400. If you want to kill something farther try shooting a milk jug at 500. Good luck with your hunts.

 

[OregonJim]

I agree with everyone else.
It really depends on your own comfort and what range you are willing to shoot.
My max comfortable range is about 350 but I shoot 400 preseason just in case that shot is there and I'm comfortable.
I'm pretty happy with a pattern of 4" to 5" at 400 yards

To put it in perspective I practice with my bow out to about 60 thats about my expectation.
Now with that I am a lot happier with a 4" circle at 40yds than I am with a 6" circle at 60yds.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Take a look at this YouTube video a friend of mine put together.

http://youtu.be/7VZJDQ1l2WA

 

[Musket Man]

What size group can this friend shoot at 400 yards?

 

[Ikeepitcold]

What size group can this friend shoot at 400 yards?

I would say sub MOA

 

[406precision]

As the video states understanding and establishing your MER (Maximum Effective Range) is about learning and accepting your limitations as a shooter and then applying those limitations to the way you approach shots in the field.

It is up to no one to push or enforce their MER on anyone else...as it is a personal decision we all must make and live with the consequences.

However each hunter needs to be man or woman enough to admit his or her limitations and these limitations are only established through practice in the field at the distances you plan on shooting and at targets that mimic the size and shape of those you plan on hitting in the field. We always use 3 or four inch bulls eyes on our targets for easy visual reference on how well your shots are centered aim small miss small....

The problem most people have with practice is that they don't like the results when they are not as good as expected and it is easy to say oh that is close enough when in fact it is not...anyone attempting to harvest game at ANY distance needs to be doing so with confidence and practiced skills and these are traits that are created shooting in the field in similar conditions and in similar positions.

As to how well the guy on the video shoots at 400 yards I didn't have a photo handy from that distance , but this was three shots at 884 yards

Jordan@406

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Thanks Jordan for signing up and chiming in. There is a lot of great guys here that I think will be interested in your knowledge of shooting

 

[woodtick]

I totally agree with Jordan's video, I have different limitations depending on what firearm I choose. I feel more comfortable with one over the other and it shows when we shoot our local swinger tournaments. My 300RUM has plenty of juice for 1000+ shots but I only shoot it well to maybe 700-750yds, my 260 Ackley on the other hand is dead nuts and I stretch the legs on it to 900 on a regular basis in our local shoots. I've made some very poor choices when I was younger shooting at game at distances I had no business shooting, to each his own in my opinion and I don't think anyone has the right to judge another person on his limitations or abilities. If you can only shoot 450yds or can plunge the long shots out to 800-1000 thats great enjoy what you do and don't hack others based on their abilities. I left probably the most authoritative forum on the web for long range shooting cause of those said reasons.

 

[woodtick]

I would say sub MOA

I'd say 1/2MOA

 

[Musket Man]

I was referring to the OP's friend that said he is not shooting good enough, not IKIC's video.

 

[woodtick]

I was referring to the OP's friend that said he is not shooting good enough, not IKIC's video.

Simmer down MM, I just noticed that! I'll send ya a gift certificate to the local loaf n jug for some keystone if that'll cheer you up!!

 

[Gr8bawana]

He shoots about the same but always tinkering with stuff, even tries different loads in muzzle loader when he's already hitting a paper plate
regularly at 100 yards with open sights. Same with archery always trying differnt arrows, broadheads, draw weights when his accuracy is already pretty darn good. I tell him he over thinks everything.
Thanks for the input everyone, my longest shot on an animal was just over 400 yards and that's about the limit for me and that's been in 36 years of hunting.