Reloading Ammo: What is acceptable hunting accuracy?

Although rifles and reloading components have improved greatly over the years, hunting accuracy is still very low. Most game can still be taken within 250 yards. A rifle and ammunition with 2 MOA will theoretically keep its shots in a 6-inch target 300 meters away. A rifle and ammunition with 1.5 MOA will theoretically keep its shots in an 8-inch target 400 metres away. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers and lose sight of the purpose of what you are doing. We need to know what ammunition we make, but hunting ammunition requires us to adhere to a different set. The author’s.308 Winchester with a 1.5-MOA group. Even though this rifle is not the most accurate, it has taken many species. We have a great selection of hunting rifles that guarantee sub-MOA accuracy. Is sub-MOA accuracy required for all hunting rifles, or can it be a deal-breaker?Recalibrating Reloading GoalsAs a younger man, when a hunting rifle or handload printed a three-shot group at or under an inch, it was noteworthy. Many rifles, especially those with factory ammo from yesteryear, would hover around 1.5 to 2 MOA. Despite these numbers, many game animals were kept in the freezer. A rifle that consistently prints 2-MOA groups will, theoretically, and wind deflections values aside, keep all shots within a 6-inch radius at 300 yards. If that number is lower than 1.5 MOA, the shots will be kept in a 6-inch radius at 400 yards. The majority of game animal shots, country-wide, remain within 250 yards. If your rifle prints 1-MOA groups, or a fraction thereof, that’s great. However, a rifle that consistently prints 1.5 MOA groups is not a cause to be concerned or disappointed. There will be a lot of different powders, boxes with different primer types, and more equipment that is discarded because it is not satisfactory. It may be excessive for a hunter. We have “Mr. Good Enough.” He will make a handload and, as long as it is accurate and goes bang, he’ll go hunting. He doesn’t know the actual velocities and other parameters. I believe the best balance of results and sanity is somewhere in the middle. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to go hunting with the ammunition. Who wouldn’t? But I don’t lose my sleep when my Ruger 77 MKII Ruger.308 Winchester prints the same 1 1/4-inch groups it has been printing for over a quarter-century. It’s accurate enough for hunting rifles. A five-shot group made from handloaded.270 ammunition. It measures 1.4 MOA, which is not inspiring, but it will suffice for most hunting situations. The premium bullet market should be a key focus for hunters who handload. I get that a Magnum cartridge shouldn’t run 300 fps slower than the normal, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. Although it is true that humans have nearly eradicated many species with lead bullets, hunters should not lose sight of the premium bullet market. Download your Storm Tactical printable target pack 62 printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle range in YARDS. This amazing target pack comes from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets that can be used for rifle or handgun range. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting! Get free targets