What do you consider a good group

[kwaynem]

What do you all consider a good group for reloads as for hunting? I know some or most mess with seating depth I never have I shoot at 100 yards and as hard as reloading components are to find the smallest group I have come up with so far is about 1 1.25 and I’m using up a lot of stuff searching just curious what you all do

 

[Honey Badger]

Someone once told if you can keep your group the size of the inside of a pie pan at 100 yards you are gonna put meat in the freezer. Personally I am a lot more picky than that. I try for a one inch group at 100 yards. Better is nice. Slightly larger doesn’t cause me to lose sleep.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

If the bullet is a good hunting bullet and you can get that moa out to 350 yards you shouldn't have any problem killing whitetail in that range. (I am assuming its a cartridge capable of killing deer)

 

[kwaynem]

It’s 6.5 creedmoor I just can’t seem to find the right load with the powder I have H4350 129 grain lrab

 

[El Pablo]

I must have been doing something wrong. My longest shot on deer is maybe 20 yards in western, ok. Most were 10 or so yards. May have put my blind a bit close

Think all my guns are far more accurate than me. I won’t shoot farther than I can keep a group within 4 inches at a given position and distance.

 

[rockchalk06]

It’s 6.5 creedmoor I just can’t seem to find the right load with the powder I have H4350 129 grain lrab

Tried 140 yet?

 

[kwaynem]

Tried 140 yet?

I would if I could find them I normally shoot 143 grain ELDX couldn’t find them and a few good people on here helped me out with some different ones

 

[kwaynem]

I must have been doing something wrong. My longest shot on deer is maybe 20 yards in western, ok. Most were 10 or so yards. May have put my blind a bit close

Think all my guns are far more accurate than me. I won’t shoot farther than I can keep a group within 4 inches at a given position and distance.

That’s me too I have tremors on my left side and head and it’s difficult

 

[swampratt]

I thought you had a good hunting load for those?

Now lets get into brass prep since you are chasing that tighter group.
Without good brass prep you are limiting the rifle. Yea 1" to 1.25" will work fine and you need to check that at 200.
My tight at 200 and 300 are 1.25 @ 300 and under 1" at 200 but only shoot .75" at 100.

Now without annealing the necks each time my groups are larger.
Brushing necks is a must do for me before and after resizing.
Same head stamp is a must.
NO Crimp!
Even bullet seating pressures are a must have.

I measure neck ID and Neck OD they can NOT vary more than 1/4 of a thousandths of an inch.
If you have an OD on one case that is .001" larger the group will show it.
.001" different on ID is unacceptable.

VLD chamfer case mouths always even if you did not trim the case.
Neck brush the cases after all prepping is finished and clean inside neck with a QTip.

You want tight groups you must work for it.
Look into the cases and notice the primer hole inside the case..some have a Burr I deburr that hole.

Oily fingers need to stay away from bullets that you are going to seat into a case.
Wash your fingers.
Some bullets have a wax on them..Those I clean off with a paper towel.

Sizing die wax on outside of case when you pick it up and then you pick up a bullet is a NO GO.
Sizing die wax or spray lube in the case to me is another NO GO.

Then there is the shooting part.
You must have the front bag in the same spot as we know and same hold on the gun.
same amount of pressure applied to the butt/shoulder area.
Lay your thumb on the barrel when you shoot NO GO.

If you can't hold on exactly the same spot on the target at 100 then do not fire the round off.
Work on your steady.

My 30-30 shoots and kills everything inside of 250 yards and it is slow 2200fps and groups 1.5 some days and .75 on other days.
Neck turning really tightened the groups in it.

Lapua cases shot horribly in my .223 and .243 until I neck turned them.
I like neck turning for accuracy and to eliminate pesky unexplained fliers

 

[rockchalk06]

I would if I could find them I normally shoot 143 grain ELDX couldn’t find them and a few good people on here helped me out with some different ones

I've killed deer with my target load of 140 Grain Berger VLD'S over H4350. Not what people recommend for hunting though. I smoked her at 330. She jumped, kicked like a mule and made it 40 yards before she collapsed DRT. My hunting buddy looked at me and said "Well, that worked better than I thought it would"