what do you consider acceptable for deer rifle accuracy?
 

My 30-06 and my 243 shoot about 1 1/2" to 2" groups at 100 yards which is fine to me. I was just wonderin what yall consider acceptable groups for a deer rifle, just got bored I guess lol.

youre within good kill range for 100yrds...I will say though if you experiment maybe with some different loads or even just a higher quality factory load you'll get a better grouping...especially with the 243....

My Rem 700 in .270 with factory trigger really likes the 130gr Hornady SP factory loads and the Federal Premium loads as well...I played with a few different factory rounds and was happiest with these for both grouping and hunting loads...My 243 seems to favor the Fusion stuff...Most grouping 1" or under...

1 1/2 to 2" is more than good enough for hunting accuracy at the distances the average guy hunts at. I personally strive for sub moa accuracy out of my rifles.

1 1/2"- 2" of MOA works out more like this using the 2" variation is easier with said group size pattern.

100 yards= 2" MOA
200 yards= 4" MOA
300 yards= 6" MOA
400 Yards= 8" MOA
500 Yards= 10" MOA

So between 300 and 500 yards you are getting to the point of you may or may not wound that animal. 10" becomes a large pattern and for a whitetail that's just about outside any true point of aim to hit the kill zone. Especially when you add in Barometric Pressure, Mirage and Wind. Okay all said and done that's the extreme because most don't shoot deer at those ranges. But is a guideline to know your limits. Not saying you still can't shoot those longer distances and still have a great outcome but the odds are stacking against you.

Most rifles will shoot better than 1 1/2" groups by changing ammo. You may have wanted to shoot 150gr bullets out of your 30-06 but maybe the rifling likes 180gr bullets better or vice versa. Reloaders have the advantage of creating sub MOA type groups by experimenting with loads until they achieve the close to perfect load.

My two favorite hunting rifles shoot 1/2"-3/4" groups at 100 yards that is sub MOA. And they will stay under 2" groups at 200 yards. To me that's acceptable accuracy for 500-600yard kill zone accuracy.
My varmint rifle shoots 3/4" at 200 yards. That's a close to perfect load for a standard rifle setup.

All that said 1 1/2"-2" groups at 100yds will take you to 200yd plus no problem. Don't think trying a neck shot at 250yards would be wise. Best way to know what your rifle is doing at further ranges is to shoot paper at the ranges you want to use in hunting situations. I've seen people shoot some pretty horrible groups at 100 yards take big game at 400 plus yards. I think some people shoot more instinctive and natural at a animal than they do paper. My dad is one of the best big game shots I've ever seen. Whether it's a running shot or a really long range shot that animal is going down. Put him on paper and he'll shoot 1 1/2-2" groups at 100 yards. He'll let me sight his rifle in and then test fire it because he knows I'm a better paper puncher and he's a better in the field shot. It's all good.

To me a 2" group is acceptable. Our shots are usually never more that 175 yards at game. My rifles may be able to do better but that's the best I can shoot them.

This is wrong. A minute of angle is = 1.047" at 100 yards. Therefore 1 MOA would be = 2.094" at 200 yards. A 10" group at 500 yards is just under 2 MOA.

Getting technical a 2" MOA group at 100yards would result in a 10" MOA group at 500 yards in all practical information. exactly 10.47". It's not wrong it's just simplified for those that don't know. Good luck judging a 1/2" at 500yards with a standard rifle set up. Even if you had a rifle that shot holes in holes and was sub zero MOA at 100 yds the end result would be 10.47" chance of being off at 1000yards. That would depend on various circumstances and absolute perfect conditions. It's a 1.047 multiplier that's all it is for those that understand the basic concept.

i like all my deer rifles to shoot 1" or less at 100 yards.

I thought that a minute of angle was a minute of angle. I didn't know there was such a thing as 2" moa. I thought an moa was 1" at 100 2" at 200 ... 10" at a grand. Moa being a constant that you dont add inches to.

I'm confused again....

That was my point earlier. MOA is actually slightly more than an inch at 100 (1.047") or 2.094" at 200 and so on. To simplify most people refer to it as 1" at 100 and so on. People use the term 1.5 or 2 MOA gun which basically means that their gun shoots 1.5 or 2" groups at 100 yards. In a perfect world, a gun that shoots 1.5 at 100 would shoot 4.5" at 300. That should still be referred to as 1.5 MOA not 4.5" MOA which is confusing the concepts.