RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

3" with scoped rifle at 100 yards
3" with open sights at 50 yards

How I shoot to sight in. I use a "Work Bench" and place my gun in between the vice with a piece of blanket to hold the forearm. I usually shoot off thetailgate of my truck.I sign in dead on 13 yards foropen sight for windage, and then move back to50 for elevation. For scoped rifles I do windage at 25 yards, then move back to 100 to get elevation. I try to do 3" high at 100 yard for 30-06, and dead on for in-lines.

Longest shot. I don't recall shooting over 100.

Bullets--for shooting Hornad XTP 300g with 100g of777 loose, crushed rib sabot. Hunting Nosler Partion 300g HG, why, see my tesing here:
http://www.the-gleasons.com/bullets_penetration_tests_for_mu.htm
Next year will hunt with Speer Gold Dot 300g (I like mo--momentum, energy downrange, not long range with light bullet). Accuracy is numbe 1, penetration is number 2, expansion is number 3 in my "bullet performance" metric in my mind's eye.


Alwaysclean betweeneach shot. At range 2 swabs ofwhatever I am using as cleaner (Windshield fluid, alchol, Rusty Duck, whatever), then a dry patch. Turn over each patch, up and down 2x.Hunting, 2 patches of borebutter, the bore butter is light notheavy on the patch.

I carry speed loaders but never try to "speed load", just doen't work for me. I reload if I have to, most of the time I do NOT need to reload.

<2" group at 100 with scopedML is excellent. Anything better than that isout of my league because of age and shooting rest, etc.

I prefer sabots overPRB or conicals even for FL--I know it is against tradition, but that is what I perfer, cause it kills, not wounds. I prefer heavier because of mo. I prefer 3-9 scopes. I prefer Tree stand hunting in these:

http://www.the-gleasons.com/low_cost_tree_stands_for_hunting.htm

but now that I am 59, I want tobe in ladder stands. So I have8 of them out at 4 different huntinglocations and 3 more in my shed.

Now you know allmy "secrets", butI have them on the web also, so no problem, share the traditions. Chap GleasonVa

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I had the "what if" happen to me this year. The only deer I had a shot at was at 85 yds,and looking me dead in the eyes.I was making a sneak from 150 yds,and she made me. To make matters worse,I had to shoot within an inch or so from a tree about halfway out. All I had for a shot was the head and the top part of her neck. I had a good kneeling position and a steady hold,so I took the shot. Bullet hit dead center through the wind pipe,and exited taking out a couple of vertebrae. Had I only a pie plate sort of confidence I would not have meat in the freezer. Sometimes the "kill zone" is only 1"

Charlie

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I agree with Roskoe statement, this is whatI use.

For me over 2" @100 yards is bad with scoped ML. 2" and below is what I am looking for.

I regularily practice withmy inlinesto 200 yards. I shoot off sand bags from asolid shootingbench when developing a load and looking for group accuracy. Though I also shoot off hand, sticks& in field positions to determine my effective hunting ranges.

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I had the "what if" happen to me this year. The only deer I had a shot at was at 85 yds,and looking me dead in the eyes.I was making a sneak from 150 yds,and she made me. To make matters worse,I had to shoot within an inch or so from a tree about halfway out. All I had for a shot was the head and the top part of her neck. I had a good kneeling position and a steady hold,so I took the shot. Bullet hit dead center through the wind pipe,and exited taking out a couple of vertebrae. Had I only a pie plate sort of confidence I would not have meat in the freezer. Sometimes the "kill zone" is only 1

Personally,I just won't take a shot like that. I like having to wait for the perfect shot. It makes me feel the experience more. IfI don't get the perfect shot, it's ok with me. That's a part of the fun of it.

I do want to shoot 2 inch groups at 100 yards. If I get there, I'll be fulfilled. Getting there is all the fun for me though.

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I think you missed my point.What you said was hitting a pie plate every time at 100 yds is ready to hunt. Now you say you wait for the perfect shot. To me ,the shot I took was the perfect shot. I know my rifle,my load and my skill level. Had I been a bit shakey,or if there were brush etc in the way,it would not have been the "perfect" shot. As you stated in a previous post,"I know my limits and don't exceed them but I don't push myself too hard" I also know my limitations,and the "shot" was well within my limits.I agree with you 100% I say if you lack the confidence,do not shoot.

Charlie

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I think 2" @ 100yd groups will put meat on the table, for sure. May not cut it for sniping big game out to 200yds, but that's a dicey shot for most hunters anyways. I think this whole accuracy issue is overblown, IMHO. But it is fun to show off awesome groups from time to time;)

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I think ready to hunt is knowing one's rifle, coupled with knowing one's skill, sufficiently to know that a given shot offers nearly 100% likelihood of successful POI within an acceptable miss. Might sound complicated but it really isn't. For Chasam it is threading a 1" needle at 85 yards, a testament to his skill and knowledge of his rifle/load. Being ready is as simple knowing your rifle/load and your own skill. There is always a range at whichone can rely on his rifle andhis skill. At this range and less, one is red-eye ;). In this sense, outdoorslover is ready. He knows what his rifle/load will do when he shoots it. He know when he can shoot and when he shouldn't, so he is ready. He has room for improvement and is improving, so someday he may thread a 1" cylinder to 85 yards, in any case, as long as he spends time at the range and knows his rifle and himself, he is ready to hunt.

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I'm anal when it comes to accuracy, in all my guns, not just bp guns...I love to shoot and work with guns to see how accurate I can get them...I am also blessed in that I am pretty mechanical, so I can do most of the work myself.

With my Knight Disc, shooting off a rest that cradles the gun (Outers shooting rest)...A good, not uncommon group is one hole at 100 yards, using a Leupold 3x9x40 scope...Now the hole might be an inch or so large...I have to have at least a 1 1/2 inch group out of my Knight, or I keep trying...If I shoot a 2 inch group, I keep changing components...My gun will do this with 90 grains of Pyrodex R-S, and a T-C Shockwave....I'm so anal that I even tried Hornadys and they didn't group as well, I tried the MMP-24 sabots, didn't group as well...It would do this with the factory sabots that came with T-Cs a few years back (when Hornady was using a different sabot)...I drove to Greensboro (30 miles away) and bought 10 boxes of the T-Cs, just to have enough of them....And I don't share these with any of my buddies....:)

I shoot out to 150 yards, my max range, and I'm 2 1/2 inches low and have a 2-3 inch group...I don't have open sights on the Knight...

With my .54 flinter...1 1/2 inches at 50 yards and 2 1/2 to 3 inches at 100 are what I expect, any smaller and I'm happy...I used to be better than this, shot in flintlock competition for a few years when I was in my 20s and 30s...I just can't see like I used to...

I have shot at least 500 rounds through my Knight and have tried all types sabots, bullets, powder etc...But like I said, I enjoy shooting, its a hobby.
I have buddies that have me sight in their guns, if I can get a 2-3 inch group, they are happy, and they kill deer...

I'm also anal about using a rest in hunting situations....Grew up squirrel hunting with a .22, learned early to stop by a tree to use as a rest...My climbing tree stand has a shooting rail, I always get set up so when I see the deer, I can have the rifle across the rest.

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

I agree with every statement. It's all about knowing your personal limitations and skills. It's not about being the perfect shot. My uncle probably shoots no better than I do--though you'll never hear him admit it-- and he kills the biggest and most deer of anyone I know in our area. He knows his limits and has confidence in his ability at his set boundaries. That's what's important.

I bought some scope mounts and rings yesterday and hope to put on a scope eventually. I'm sureI can shrink my groups in half with it. I'll have to wait for money and nice weather. It wasn't nice today--only like 2 degrees this morning.

Good shooting to all!

RE: Good-bad-adequate
 

a scope??[:'(]

Just when i found myself getting excited and groud of you for you getting better groups, u go and stomp on my heart.[:'(][:'(]