Thread: Causes of accuracy in a rifle

Aside from the shooter and rest, what of the below elements contributes the most to accuracy in a rifle?:

Action
Barrel
Bedding
Bullet
Stock
Trigger

All of the above...if they are not living together in perfect harmony you will rapidly lose interest in your rifle....

Originally Posted by Mangle

All of the above...if they are not living together in perfect harmony you will rapidly lose interest in your rifle....

Yeah but surely some are more important than others in regard to accuracy...

Yeah some are but any one of those components not being up to scratch will scunner you in the quest for accuracy...

The guy building the rifle. This is also a very good read. https://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/...ifle-accuracy/

Shooters abilities...

That is somewhat like asking what organ contributes most to the quality of life of a man.

Brain
Heart
Lungs
Liver
Kidneys
Anal Sphincter

As Mangle has said, I suggest (for your rifle) that all have their part to play and if one fails then just as if the anal sphincter had failed in a man the result would be rather shitty.

Most custom rifles will need all, some factory rifles only need ammo or a trigger job or replacement, some stocks need bedding.
All depends on rifle combination?
And some people just can’t shoot with all the best gear in the world.

Barrel. Read up on the Houston Warehouse. If a rifle has a crap barrel none of the other factors can make up for it. If a rifle has a shit trigger and a good barrel it can still be shot well with practice not so the other way around.

The 3 most important factors affecting accuracy in any rifle:

1) the shooter
2) the shooter
3) the shooter

Originally Posted by ebf

The 3 most important factors affecting accuracy in any rifle:

1) the shooter
2) the shooter
3) the shooter

Yes realized but...

Aside from the shooter and rest...

If you insist on keeping it to the hardware side, it would help if you break it down into bits that really matter.

So for instance instead of saying "barrel", you might want to have distinct items for chambering and the crown, both of which affect matters.

It also depends on what rifles you are talking about. In general bedding the action in the stock makes a huge difference, but for most of the Tikkas this does not seem to be as much of an issue as with other makes...

Originally Posted by ebf

If you insist on keeping it to the hardware side, it would help if you break it down into bits that really matter.

So for instance instead of saying "barrel", you might want to have distinct items for chambering and the crown, both of which affect matters.

It also depends on what rifles you are talking about. In general bedding the action in the stock makes a huge difference, but for most of the Tikkas this does not seem to be as much of an issue as with other makes...

Hmmm I don't think I need to break it down too much. Let's try it this way:
I know you like Barnard actions @ebf, but if I was short on funds and the action doesn't affect accuracy that much (but a match-quality barrel does), then why should I not just thread a match barrel onto a 2nd hand Rem 700 rather than shoot a Barnard with a less quality barrel?

IMO, barrel is the most important - followed equally by a stock that is stiff enough and a good bedding system. Its not going to perform well without those pieces of the puzzle. A trigger makes a rifle easier to shoot more accurately, but does not change the fundamental accuracy of the rifle.

# 1 =Using a Night Force Scope