Jan 25, 2020 5 min read

Last week, I wrote about accurate rifles, stressing the human factor in testing them. Not only the need for an experienced shooter but a few other problems. Even the best of shot has bad days and the worst shooter might be blessed that day. A one-hole group might be the result of luck just as readily as the flyer in an otherwise great group. When having an off day, remember the gods of shooting luck might blow them into one hole just as easily as that one shot being blown out of the group. To proclaim a rifle great, show me more than one group.

Aside from the human factor, there are things that affect the ability of the rifle regardless of make or caliber that improve the odds of one shot after another landing in the same half-inch group in a proverbial “tight group.” First and foremost, the ammo being used had better be consistent and correct for the firearm. Regardless of the quality of the rifle bad ammo will not bring out the best in any rifle.

A quality barrel helps too. A rifle that has warped during the machining process will not shoot as well as a straight one. In the case of a warped barrel, as it heats from shooting it, often will return to the shape it had before straightening. Thus shots will often be strung out in a line. Remember one thing when talking firearms, little is etched in stone and there is always that one occasion that will make a liar out of the most astute shooter.

There are a few observations that have jumped out at me during my many years of shooting a wide variety of guns, combined with quite a few years of just shooting. It has been proven that some cartridges seem to be more accurate than others. Just study what the pros use and you will find little or no large rounds being used unless it is ultra-long range shooting and it is a separate category.

In 100- and 200-yard shooting, the field of accurate rounds will be those like the .222 , .22 BR and the two PPCs. The largest of these rounds is lucky if it holds more than 30 grains of powder. Velocity is not all that important. For the range is known and the rifle is sighted for the distance. When in the field shooting groundhogs, distances are unknown and the flat trajectory brought about by the coefficiency of the cartridge and the speed. This is not important to the bench rest shooter. So if you really like to see those little one hole groups, leave the .300 mag at home. This can enter into the field of human error. For no one, I don’t care who, shoots a .375 as well as a .222-.250.

Even with the best of rounds the action must be square and that is stressed in the locking lug contact and the chamber cut correctly and aligned as close to perfect as possible with action and barrel. Pressure does strange things to the rifle when the trigger is pulled. Upon firing the action may twist and the barrel may whip. The secret here is to keep all that movement consistent if you want shot after shot to be the same. The muzzle crown must be the same for if one teeny weeny part of the bullets base exits the barrel before another it will cause the bullet to veer slightly spoiling accuracy. The rifle must be bedded correctly be it pressure bedded or free floating.

Special attention should be paid to the recoil lug and that should include the area in front of the lug and behind it. Remember what I said about the twisting of the action? The same can be said about the joining of the stock and metal. Good sights and trigger also are a necessity for you have to see well to shoot well and who can place the bullets together shooting with a 6 pound trigger?

Remember, while in the barrel, the bullet will rotate around the center of form. When it exits the barrel, it will rotate around the center of mass. They had better be the same.

On the other hand, just how important is it for Old Betsy to shoot hslf-inch groups? It’s fun to shoot and try for those groups that tear one hole out of the target. However if the rifle is used strictly for big game, the target is large so even a two-inch group doesn’t mean a missed grizzly bear or deer. But that’s what I hate about winter, cold fingers and short days when less light means fewer days to shoot.

So if you bump into me at the range toting a 14-pound rifle-scope combination, it’s what I need to try to take home a target with but one hole in it where I placed all 5 shots. That always will put me in a better mood.

• Don’t forget the upcoming sports show at Washington Crown Center the weekend of Feb. 8, when we measure deer racks and I present the recipient of the annual George H. Block Conservation Scholarship at noon, Saturday. I plan to be there to present it.