Accuracy Opinion

W

William Suter

Well-known member
Just for fun. :)

How accurate does a rifle/ammo/scope need to be at 100yds to be accurate at 1000yds? Lets leave "shooter experience" out of it.

I'd say it should shoot an inch or smaller at 100yds to be accurate to 1000yds.
 
If you have a rifle that can put 10-15 rounds inside 1.5 inches (preferably 1-1.2inch) you can be accurate at 1000. You’re going to miss because of bad wind calls, not because your rifle couldn’t hold a 3 round group under half inch.
 
For hunting it needs to be accurate enough for you to put your first cold bore shot in the kill zone at any range.

For targets it needs to put all of your rounds in the scoring part of the target. Now you need to find a 1000 yard range and do your homework.

I have a number of rifles that are quite accurate, sub 1" and a couple sub .5" and nome that I'd shoot at 1000 yards.
 
I imagine the shooter will be the weak link most of the time. An accurate rifle is only accurate if the trigger puller knows what to do. I've shot 600yds before but never 1000. I heard today that there is a range fairly close by that one can shoot steel to 1000yds. Maybe someday I'll make it out there.
 
William Suter said:
I imagine the shooter will be the weak link most of the time. An accurate rifle is only accurate if the trigger puller knows what to do. I've shot 600yds before but never 1000. I heard today that there is a range fairly close by that one can shoot steel to 1000yds. Maybe someday I'll make it out there.
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Unfortunately, here in SC long range shooting just isn't popular. I'm the same way, I want to give it a shot. There's a 1,000 yard range about an hour and fifteen minutes from me, but I think it's a "club" that you have to join. I need to check into it.
 
William Suter said:
I imagine the shooter will be the weak link most of the time. An accurate rifle is only accurate if the trigger puller knows what to do. I've shot 600yds before but never 1000. I heard today that there is a range fairly close by that one can shoot steel to 1000yds. Maybe someday I'll make it out there.
Click to expand...
I shot national match courses (200/300/600) for better part of 25 years. Only had the opportunity to shoot two or three 800/900/1000 yard matches. My match rifle was an NRA match rifle w/iron sights, an early Model 70 in 30-06, and perfectly capable of cleaning the 1000 yd. target. Getting your comeups from 600 to 800 to 1000 is the first step. From my very limited experience, given proper comeups, 800 is not much difference than 600 and 900 not all that bad, but the last 100 yards is a large step. The first match I shot, George Tubb was shooting and I was only a few points down from his scores leaving the 800 & 900 yard line...................then we moved back to the 1000 and let it suffice to say, that 100 yards separated the men from the boys.
The last LR match I shot was interrupted by a good old fashioned Texas blue norther, complete w/howling wind, drenching rain and golf ball size hail. Shot the 800 as the blue storm clouds approached, the bottom dropped out during my prep period @ 800 so wound up scratching that stage. Shot the 1000 yard stage just to burn up the 22 rounds of ammo that had spent an hour submerged in 6" of water that had accumulated in my range bag (which performed flawlessly). Unfortunately the nearest 1000 yard range was 300 miles, so I didn't stick with LR.
 
I shoot out to 1000-1500 yds on regular bases. I've had loads that shot 1/2 MOA and would fall apart past 400 yards. Accuracy doesn't mean anything if you and ammo are not consistent. Being able to spot my own miss, etc. makes a big difference of how/if I can correct.

Shooting at distance, things can change in an instant when weather comes into play, especially, swirling/gusting winds along with mirage.

There are many other things to consider, such as shooting position, stability and so on. It can be fun and rewarding along with frustration too.
 
TXCOONDOG said:
I shoot out to 1000-1500 yds on regular bases. I've had loads that shot 1/2 MOA and would fall apart past 400 yards. Accuracy doesn't mean anything if you and ammo are not consistent. Being able to spot my own miss, etc. makes a big difference of how/if I can correct.

Shooting at distance, things can change in an instant when weather comes into play, especially, swirling/gusting winds along with mirage.

There are many other things to consider, such as shooting position, stability and so on. It can be fun and rewarding along with frustration too.
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That’s my experience as well. I got my wife an sig cross 6.5 creedmoor recently and got a decent load for it the other week. She was banging a 10x12 inch steel plate at 960 last week. Then we had a wind shift and die down that was putting her about 2 feet off target.

Reading the wind and consistency is definitely king in my book. A legit solid data set and rock solid zero is also a close second.

Taking her and the kids out tomorrow to go shoot some long range for our 4th of July celebration.
 
Mirage helps me allot when reading wind, especially, when it's calm by me and the wind is blowing 800 yds out. The biggest mistake I made when I first started was having too much magnification.
 
Lots of variables here, just because it shoots great at 100 don't mean squat at 1000. A perfect example of this is light bullets and calibers. These combinations can shoot outstanding at 100 but they don't have the BC, weight or speed to make it.

The short answer is a bullet with a G1 .475 minimum BC is a starting point, with enough weight and or speed to stay supersonic. ES and SD will drastically be the difference at those ranges in groups/accuracy.
 
A load that has a velocity ES of 100 fps (or more) can shoot one ragged hole groups at 100 yards. Hold half moa @ 300 but fall apart past 600 yards. Bullet choice and brass prep, load consistency, cartridge, barrel and SHOOTER show up at 1000. And than wind calls can cancel out everything.
 
Consistent poi and 1" (NO FLYERS) groups will work for adult prairie dogs out to 300 yards if you can shoot the wind. Consistency is shooter and equipment. Precision is the shooter. Accuracy is the equipment.
 
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