message board home
Next
8/27/2014 1:25:08 AM
 
Reply
or ReplyNewSubject
Section 4: Guns/General Subject: Shooting Groups Msg# 898000
|
||||||
|
It does no good to have your sights dead on to the theoretical group center if that group is so big that you never see the shots on paper!
Maybe there are loads that won't group tight enough to get the shots on paper but I'll have to see one before I'll believe it. The worst factory or home-grown load I've ever seen in a .22 or centerfire rifle would group inside 10-12 inches at 100 yards. When I try a new load in a known rifle I'll fire one round at 100 yards in hopes of saving myself time and ammo. If it isn't on the paper I'll move to 25 yards and adjust the scope to walk the holes to the bullseye. If they won't walk to the bullseye I dump the round - I don't try to shoot a group with it or take pictures of the target. If they do walk to the bullseye at 25 yards that should put me in the black or very near it at 100 yards (centerfire rounds). Once again I'll adjust the scope to walk the holes to the center of the bullseye at 100 yards and if they "shotgun" all over and won't walk to the center of the bullseye I dump the round, I don't shoot it for a group or take pictures of the target. If it will walk to the center of the target I will then shoot that load for a group. I use the paper targets with red-orange diamonds on white paper, and use the big diamond in the center to walk the rounds to the bullseye and then I switch to the small diamonds in the corners to shoot for groups. This keeps me from accidentally getting any of the "walking" shots included in a group. Finally, if the load makes bragging groups I'll take some pictures. So, if a new load isn't consistent enough for me to walk the holes in the target to the bullseye it never makes it to the group-shooting point for me. I don't do any kind of shooting that isn't about hitting where you're aiming so pictures of groups that aren't at the point of aim don't impress me. Apparently, lots of other peoples' mileage varies... |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: And while both the load and getting the load on target might be separate things, why not do the most important part first? While there's a place for each, group size and accurate aim, I think that - in most cases - the most important first thing to do is find out just how well your combination of gun, ammo and shooter can group. It does no good to have your sights dead on to the theoretical group center if that group is so big that you never see the shots on paper! Once that usable group is attained, it's no big deal to shift it to your point of aim. In reality, we usually do both at the same time unless our only specific objective is to minimize group size. Then it's immaterial where the group prints, so long as it's tight and can repeat. So, if we're shooting for bragging groups, to evaluate different loads or in bench rest competition, it's totally immaterial whether or not the group is centered on some aiming point. On the other hand, if we're practicing for deer season or high-power competition, we certainly want to be sure our rifle is zeroed. Again, there's a place for each. Stu |
