American Rifleman accuracy field tests

[lilabner]

I can't remember the last time NRA tested a bolt action sporter and came up with five 5 shot groups at 100 yards averaging under two inches. And that has included some pretty nice rifles. Do most new rifles shoot better than that? I sure hope so. I own a 1934 vintage Springfield '06 with a 4 groove issue barrel that does. I like to think that technology has made some progress since that gun was built.

[Zachary]

Under 2 inches?  Heck, virtually all of my new rifles shoot 1MOA or better.  And I own a lot of bolt-action sporters too. :grin:

Zachary

[jgalar]

Maybe they are just giving honest reviews unlike the commercial gun rags that always claim every gun in perfect.

[Shorty]

Maybe it's not the rifles.  Maybe they just grab the first desk-jockey, who looks like he/she has nothing better to do, and tell him/her, "Hey it's your turn to shoot this POS".        

[Val]

All six of my hunting rifles including and old sporterized No1 Mk lll Enfield and an old sporterized K98 Mauser shoot just under 1 inch or better. You have to keep working the load until you find the load your rifle likes.

[Mikey]

I think Lilabner has a point.  It has been a while since I have read about a new off the shelf sporter grouping under one moa with 5 shots.  And I think the operational notion here is '5 shots'.  

We see a lot of testing of the newer lighter weight sporters in some of these super hot calibers, and most of them have groups larger than my sister's butt after only two shots.  I just love it when the say - "Wal, ifin ya'll cain't hit it in the first two shots ya'll shouldn't be shootin' ".  

Now, that may be but, that's not an excuse for producing a rifle that won't shoot for a 5 shot group.  It is mostly a 2 shot group these days with the caveat that "Ooops, after 2 she starts stringing or the group opens up or shifts, or something else".  

As with Val, my old mausers and old enfields all shoot under a moa at 100 yds, and group better than many of the new sporters tested and yes, with those rifles you do need to work up the best loads for that particular rifle to shoot but dang guys, newly manufactured rifles should still be able to group after 2 rounds.  

I mean, how would you feel if you had taken your new rifle in a new super great caliber and grouped it to under an inch at 100 yds and then took it out to hunt with it and the first shot takes a branch you didn't see in the scope, bambi jumps just as you pull the trigger for #2 and you miss and he runs off another 150 yds, and then your #3 shot outgroups a basketball net and you lose him (to the guy with the old enfield who drops him at 250 yds - ouch).  

I can understand Lilabner's lament.  Most new bolt rifles do shoot better than two moa, for the first couple of shots, but seem to open up the groups as the barrels warm up, which a lot quicker now with those faster moving ultra short something or another calibers.  

But, as ya'll know, this is just me blatherin' out my two cents worth.  Mikey.

[Ghoster]

I thought the Springfield had only two grooves, not four.  Anyway you are comparing a Mils Spec rifle (sloppier tolerances) to a sporting rifle (tighter tolerances).  The new sporter should be more accurate and lighter!

[Hook]

Hey guys, try this. Take a new, out of the box sporter, stick a medium priced scope on it. Then go to the sporting good store and buy three boxes of assorted, different brand bullets. Then shoot four, five shot groups without culling any fliers or any groups. Do this shooting when you have time to get to the range regardless of weather conditions. Do not hedge or stretch any of this data. Then let us know what the honest results are. Heck, go ahead and do it with one of your 1" rifles.

[lilabner]

I suppose ammo is a big part of the problem. I weigh and measure my cases and measure the primer pockets. I weigh and measure the bullets, too. I throw powder charges from a measure onto a balance scale and use a trickler to reach the measured load. And I test a number of loads to find the best for a rifle. I don't believe featherweight barrels are necessarily bad for accuracy - I had a Husqvarna featherweight '06 at 6.5 pounds that would shoot MOA if I was careful to let the barrel cool between shots. My old Springfield will regularly shoot MOA (if I throw out a group with a flyer now and again - human error! I had a Ruger 25-06 that would regularly shoot 3/4 in. groups with best loads. Still wonder why I sold it.
It would be nice if NRA would work up loads for those rifles and then show us how they can shoot.
Oh yeah - Springfields built in peacetime when there was no pressure to get high volume production had tighter tolerances and 4 groove barrels.

[ercjr2001]

grouping a hunting rifle. 3 Shots from a cold barrel is all you need.
Take separate groups letting the barrel cool properly is the best way to site in and check shoot.
5 shot groups are done for competition and sniper training.
A 3 shot sub moa light barreled rifle will often turn into a 2 inch gun with five consecutive shots.

[Siskiyou]

Hook:  You set the hook :-)

Years ago I went out and bought a new Ruger M77 in Remington 7MM Mag.  I did what you suggest.  I bought a box each of Remington, Winchester, and Federal ammo for the rifle.  At the end of the day I had a bunch of targets that looked like I was using a shotgun.  I was a little sick to the stomach because I had broke the piggy bank to buy this new rifle and scope.  A number of thoughts regarding the rifle crossed my mine.  I sure did not want to tell the wife that I had wasted our money.

One of the things I noticed was that when I shook a loaded factory case it sounded like there was a lot of unused space in the case.  I suspected the factory charge filled the case about 60 percent.  I had a good supply of slow burning H4831 all I needed was dies and bullets.  I purchased a supply of Speer 145, 160, and 175 grain bullets.  I no longer had an accuracy problem.  I then tried 175 grain Hornaday Spire point.  Outstanding accuracy.  I bought bulk 175 grain Remington CorLocks.  Good accuracy.  The CorLock bullet was the same one that in factory ammo did not provide good accuracy.  

Three powders that safely take advantage of the case capacity solved the problem.(H4831, H870, and AA8700)

I understand that factory ammo has improved over the years, but I have not bought factory ammo for this rifle since the original purchase.  In another case I had accuracy problems with Winchester-Western 150 grain ammo in a .270 Win.  This was a proven rifle and it was the ammo.  I later tried the ammo in another .270 Win. and found it to be accurate.  Enough that I used it for hunting and collected a buck with it.

Mass production ammunition has to meet the manufacture criteria.  In turn as a reloader I do not mined taking the time to load slow burning powder.  Be it  the 30-30 or the 7Mag. I chose the slowest burning powder, that provides good ballistics and accuracy.  Safety being the bottom line.  I have a 30-30 that at a one time love Federal ammo, now it likes Remington ammo.  

A number of things go into an accurate rifle: the ammo, the sights(scope), the scope mount, and the shooter.

[Lawdog]

lilabner,

Factory ammo, good as it is, is questionable at best.  I have chronographed to many factory loads that would differ as much as 150 fps. from shot to shot.  When ammo performs like this is there any wonder why rifles at time shoot groups that look like a shotgun pattern?  Another reason to reload, better quality control.  And if there is a problem with a load the complaint department is real close.  Small groups to all.  Lawdog