HuntingNet.com Forums

Big Duck, please look at the .308, .30-06, and the .300 H&H. All are very good shooting cartridges and while I'm going to attract dissenters that think the .308 is the slickest thing since sliced bread, I'm going to say that they all shoot the same accuracy when properly chambered in quality arms, fed quality ammo and set in front of a person that knows proper benchrest behavior!!

I believe the same can be said for the .222, the .223, the .22-250, and the .220 Swift!!

Now lets discuss the .30-30, normally chambered in lever action rifles and most would agree a less than stellar accuracy cartridge.....Just chamber that thing in a bolt action and watch it shoot!!...some traditional single shots will make a believer out of you as well.

Now lets define accuracy.....how about the ability to shoot to the same point of impact.....or in other words "group size"

If you're a man that frequents benchrest shoots and are really into superprecision, you'd see 5-shot groups under .250" all the time!! Well often anyway. This guy is disgusted with a half inch group..... and when he says (for example) that a .222 is more accurate than a .223, he's talking about an extremely small difference. Maybe a sixteenth of an inch and I assure you.....most folks can't measure groups that fine!!!

Normal hunting and varminting accuracy is a mix of three basic ingredients, Man, gun, and ammo. Any one of them can cause bad groups.....and I mean real bad! However all three in proper form can shoot just about any cartridge into 1" groups with regularity.

The difference between the benchrest shooter and the varminter is that the benchrest shooter is hand making his own ammo, is turning necks and has a tight necked chamber for starters.....and a dozen other little things that just is not needed for routine varminting.

In short, some cartridges are more accurate than others.....but you might have to go to extremes to prove it!