Thread: Accuracy expectations

I have been looking after a rifle for a few weeks, and hoping to get it shooting right for an upcoming comp. Have had it kinda sorted but wanted to make sure so did some research and loaded up 3 different random loads, 6 of each. Had 30 minutes to spare after work so took it down to our range. First shot, cold dirty bore, about 30mm high @100. Next 5 shots in to a nice tidy wee group. Next load at 200, a decent looking group as I walked up, but you know, not teeny weeny. Back to the bench and shot off the last 6. Tidied up my bits and pieces, loaded up the truck and drove up tp pick up the target. Another decent group.
So I came back home and thought I'd just play with numbers to see how good these groups were. My range is 100 and 200 metres so had to do the conversion to them old fashioned yards things. Then I got the micrometer and measured the group, centre to centre, as you do. Then I googled the formula just to make sure I kinda knew what I was doing. First load .66moa, second load. 82moa, third load .69moa. And at first glance I thought these groups were pretty so so.
Have no idea what speed they were doing, dont really care cos they work. But will find the speed out by verifying rather than a chrony cos the best load is gonna be used for a comp.
My suggestion is dont get hung up on tiny little teeny weeny wee groups, stop looking at FB and Youtube, and just take your best load and go shoot some shit. Maybe try it at 200 and 300 to see what it does, and if it still holds about 1-1.5 moa call it quits.
I have a BSA 7x57 Viscount, sorted a load for that about 15 years ago and have never changed it. Think it shot about 1.5moa. I fire one shot occasionally just to see if its changed, but never group it. And that rifle is probably my go to rifle for one of the local deer, or a trip to Fiordland, or a trip to South Westland. The only thing I've had walk away was a bloody boar that tipped over at 70 metres the other night and then decided it was gonna up and run away and die in the bracken. Cant recall any animal thats come back to me and told me that the bullet was going too slow, or wasnt quite as accurate as it should be, even a stag that was later measured at 275 metres.