Am I expecting too much

[Stone Cold]

When are you guys satisfied? If you are shooting at 300 yards, sighting in, what size grouping do you tell yourself that you have the right load?

MOA satisfies me with 3 3shot groups or repeatable 5 shot groups is a bonus.

So at 300, I would be happy with 3" groups. Too many varible for me after that.

[Roskoe]

Kind of depends on what it is and what I'm doing with it.

For a muzzleloader, I'm happy with 2 1/2" at 100 yards. It's really the first shot from a clean cold barrel that counts, so it's essentially a one shot group. Might come out a week later with a clean gun and see where the next first shot hits. I don't shoot at 300 yards, but the 200 yard group will be around 6".

For a big game rifle, it's got to shoot MOA - at least for three shots - and not wander its point of impact over different temperature, humidity, and altitude conditions. I sometimes take some pretty long shots (under ideal conditions only, of course) - and need this level of confidence in the rifle. I really like them to shoot 3" at 500 yards . . . .

For a varmint gun, its .5 MOA. -for five shots.Samestable point of impact requirement.

Different types of competition guns vary from one-hole to MOA.

[johnch]

If a rifle for deer ,Ilike to see a 1 MOA groupat 300 yds ,but a 4 or 5" group at 300 is all a lot of rifles / scope / factory ammo/shooters can do
But I will rarly shoot farther than 300 yds in the feild.
I have helped a lot of guys that think bench rest groups are the way to practice.
I practice prone, sitting ,using my pack as a rest , standing with a tree for a rest ,form my tree stand ect

Johnch

[Vapodog]

If I can actually get 1.25" groups at 100 yards in 5-shot groups my gun is ready for hunting.

[North Texan]

ORIGINAL: Stone Cold

When are you guys satisfied? If you are shooting at 300 yards, sighting in, what size grouping do you tell yourself that you have the right load?

Depends on the quarry. For deer, your trying to hit a target about the size of a small paper plate. For most shots, 2" at 100 will work. However, use that same gun for varmints, and 2" can mean the difference between quick kill and acomplete miss.

My personal preference is much like Roskoe's. Big Game - 1", Varmints - .5"

[BarnesX.308]

to see a 1 MOA groupat 300 yds

You're a better shot than me.

[Jeep4x4]

I never have shot past 160yds so I would have to say a satisfying group for me @ 100yds is 1.5" although I can and will get a better one.