Jan 18, 2020 4 min read

It is hard to believe that it is the middle of January. I had promised myself for four days that I was going to go to the club and shoot a rifle during the winter warm spell. To be truthful, I had vowed this each of those four days and just hadn’t done it. Eventually, I made it to the club, only to find myself shooting terribly. I wasn’t grouping the shots well and my targets looked more like shotgun patterns than the results of a group from a good center-fire rifle.

Such shooting often results in much self-searching. What’s wrong? Is it some change in the rifle or the ammo loading tools? Can my shooting ability be the cause? Or I could use that age-old excuse: it’s an astronomical phenomenon. Maybe it’s the distractions coming from one of the other benches? When trying to put five bullets into one tiny hole at 100 yards or even farther, concentration is important.

I am often asked what accuracy is. Well, it is easier to state what it isn’t. For one thing, it isn’t etched in stone. A flat shooting bullet’s trajectory has little to do with accuracy. Flat trajectory is the result of speed making it easier to hit the target.

Let’s go back to the beginning. If shooting and hitting the target is not an indication of accuracy, then what is? Accuracy in a rifle is the ability of the rifle, shooter and ammo to put each and every bullet shot into the same hole or as close together as possible. Accuracy is the measurement when shooting a 5 string of shots and looking at the distance between the 2 farthest shots measuring center to center. Most accuracy tests are done at 100 or 200 yards.

The perfect group would measure, regardless of caliber, zero with 5 or 10 shots forming a hole the exact size of the diameter of the bullet. This has never been done with witnesses to verify such an achievement. Why is it that 2 rifles of the same caliber can come from the assembly line and have consecutive serial numbers yet shoot completely different? Answering that question is all but impossible for there are many factors to consider.

First of all, to test this you must not judge the rifle with junk ammo. A good hand load or premium ammunition performs better in that rifle. It is just more accurate.

Not only is good ammo necessary, but also needed is a good bench-rest shooter behind the rifle. It’s amazing how many people blame the rifle when the problem is poor bench-rest technique. When shooting on the bench and resting the fore-stock of the rifle on sandbags, think consistency. Your rifle should be not only on the bag but at the very same place on the bag. There is no need for the end to be held, and the left hand should be placed back to hold the rear bag while the right hand controls the trigger. If you are left-handed, then it is the reverse. By squeezing the rear bag with his or her left hand the muzzle is raised up and down. The above methods are basic but there are other acts that can bring shots closer together.

It is better if the rifle slides back when it is fired, otherwise it may not come back the same at each shot. You always want uniformity when bench-rest shooting. A very common thing that doesn’t seem like much but does impact groups is to steer with the right hand. Your crosshair is off just a bit so you move it toward center by using pressure with the right hand. I have heard it called heeling. Whatever its name, it definitely should be avoided.

Next week I will do mention the equipment needed for this quest for accuracy.

It won’t be long before the Crown Center Mall Sports Show. Last year, we had a pretty good crowd and gave an award to a deserving teen. This year’s show will be held Feb. 8 at noon and again we will present our George Block Conservation Scholarship. I hope some of you drop in to see the presentation because it looks to be another good one. I am happy to report there are teens making a difference, or trying to, in conservation of our outdoor lands and waters. Anyone who supports these kids should be commended and I hope to see some of you there.

I’m going back to pondering about today’s shooting accuracy, or a lack thereof, and tomorrow I will try again.