When is a load "accurate" enough?

[gillettehunter]

Great group Foxi. I like to stay 3/4 MOA or better. To a degree it really matters where you are hunting. If in cover where you will never see a 100 yd shot then 2 MOA will do the job. If you regularly have shot opportunities over 300 yds ( like eastern WY) then sub MOA is worth looking for. Like mentioned above confidence is very important. I want to know when I pull the trigger that the bullet is going to provide a fatal hit. Last May in Africa I passed on a Black Wilderbeast at close to 450 yds. Had a 15 mph cross wind and refused the shot. Next day I made a 1 shot kill at around 400 yds. The wind was much less and essentially behind me providing minimal wind drift to the bullet. The first one I thought I could make a hit. The second I knew I could make a clean kill. Working with your rifle provides confidence. Bruce

 

[Pheroze]

...The first one I thought I could make a hit. The second I knew I could make a clean kill. Working with your rifle provides confidence.

Well stated! I am going to have this engraved or tatooed somewhere I can see it everytime I go to take a shot!

 

[TokkieM]

Just for you @Foxi, when accuracy meets skill

 

[Rob404]

I guess when your satisfied that you have done and tried everything possible to make your rifle as accurate as you can. I have some rifles that have been retired to the back of the closet as I am convinced they are good as there ever going to shoot and I am happy with the results, But I always have a few works in progress that keep me busy and broke

 

[Foxi]

Just for you @Foxi, when accuracy meets skillView attachment 46201

Wow.
There can follow other an example :

 

[TokkieM]

@Foxi you cannot "fire" a canon accurately if you hold it in your hands

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

@Foxi you cannot "fire" a canon accurately if you hold it in your hands

Yeah Tokkie, but I hear Sweden is pretty cold so......

 

[TokkieM]

Marius it's Lion country when it's winter here Mate!!! Head and mane just head and mane

 

[Foxi]

Marius it's Lion country when it's winter here Mate!!! Head and mane just head and mane

would you really crawl their manes ?
Oh,it must be a long winter
Foxi
(now duck and cover)

 

[TokkieM]

@Foxi next time you are in Africa let the PH explain "Leeu Koud" (Lion cold) to you! Cant do it on a public forum
Them there "Ladies" will scare the Lion right out of me

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Also known as Leopard cold. "Just a rustling in the grass"

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Went to the range today to test some various handloads, and things went kinda south, so I didn't get to do all the shooting/testing I wanted. But I got to thinking between target checks.........what makes a load "accurate" enough to be considered a good hunting load? I know we all want that clover leaf group at 200+ yards, but the reality is that most of our loads (handloads & factory) won't do that.......
SOoooooo..................what is considered "accurate" for hunting purposes? I've decided that anything that shoots MOA will be "good enough" for hunting, be it in North America or Africa. I do have a few handloads that will shoot smaller groups than that off the bench, but with the shortages of bullets/ammo/reloading components still going on in a lot of places, I've decided that this (MOA) would be my 'standard' in case I couldn't get the components that I needed for a particular load.
Anyone else have any thoughts?

@ Mr. 16 gauge.
My definition of hunting accuracy is if my rifle will group 1 and a half inches for 5 shots all day that's fine. For small game I consider 1 inch to be fine. Anything that is better CONSISTENTLY is an added bonus to me. Yes I do strive for better but doesn't always work. If my rifles don't meet my criteria they are gone.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Providing the bullet has enough energy to make a clean kill, it depends on the distance. I aim for less than 1/2 moa out to 500 meters. I figure that covers most plains game and some wind correction.

@Hogpatrol
As the old saying goes, aim small miss small.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@Hogpatrol
As the old saying goes, aim small miss small.
Bob

I knew I read that somewhere, I was thinking along those lines.
I try improve on 1 Moa if I can , 1moa will do it but if we can get better accuracy in testing we eliminate some other variables in the field eg. Poor rest, slight wind, huffing and puffing or just an animal moving as we squeeze off at round.
Regardless of accuracy the group increases over distance so no harm in trying for better groups in setup.
Don’t choose a poor projectile over chasing zero point something of an inch.
Accuracy matters, shot placement counts but so does the appropriate projectile for taking game.
Hunting feral pigs with target ammo is likely to lack penetration or punch through without expanding, Either could increase lost game