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best group at 100 yards

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chuck-ia

45 Cal.
Joined
May 29, 2005
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Some say they are not happy unless they get 1 ragged hole at 100. I would guess off a rest? Any way, I am not calling them a liar, but would like to see it. I have been around some very good offhand shooters, and no way would they be able to keep all shots touching at even 50 yards. I might get a 1 shot group at 100 off hand if lucky. So, how accurate are you at 50, and 100? Say off a rest. chuck
 
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I’ve posted this target before, it’s the best I’ve ever seen.

This was shot off hand at 50 yards with a .58 cal... smoothbore.

Not by me. LOL
 
View attachment 8727

I’ve posted this target before, it’s the best I’ve ever seen.

This was shot off hand at 50 yards with a .58 cal... smoothbore.

Not by me. LOL
Good target! Yes it can be done. Witnessed my partner shooting the centers out of clay pigeons at 50 yards offhand with his .62 fouler smoothbore, probably shot the centers out of 5 in a row, then started to explode them, he got a little pissy cause he wasn't hitting them dead center! He said he could never do it again.
 
It would take a lot of work and dedication, and powder to do groups that small at 100, and some can. When lots of people tell you they can...time to get suspicious. I'm more than happy with a 6" group at 100, but I'm more of a hunter than a shooter, even though I love to shoot. Actually I'm more concerned with my accuracy with a pistola, as I use them to take an occasional grouse when big game hunting, and try to hit them where the neck joins the body. That requires better shooting than hitting a deer or elk in the vital zone/heart-lung area at 50 or 100 yards.
 
I rarely practice offhand cuz I hunt where I have a tree to put my hand on or similar. Shooting out the door of my Corolla I have before, one, twice, three times or more got 5 shot 2" groups at 90yds. (Where I used to shoot furthest shot was 90, they closed it and pushed us all in the woods now). Thats with a .50 CVA plainsman I got off John Burda at gunsamerica, shooting 65 gr .490 RP and patch with ticking. Likely the best shooter I have had. I did clover leaf with the crocket when sighting in at 20yds though.
 
Ya know, ifinn ya want to be some kinda accurate, you is in the wrong place! You Ken get them thar rifles that shoot 1000's of yards....no foolin!

Hey...it is what it is..
 
I do have the bull of my best 100 yard target. A .54 green river barrel. Four shots one hole a little over an inch and a half and a fifth about an inch away. Myright eye had 20/15 vision, I was shooting off of cross sticks. Shot on an overcast day, about 70 degrees and almost no wind. .526 ball 70 grains .15 lard greased patches.
Don’t have 20/15 any more, traded the gun off. Now I would be happy with that group at 50 yards, and expect it for 25.
 
Each of my rifles with designated loads have a different capability. The best of them will group 1.5" at 100-yards (3-shots) if I do everything perfect. The "worst" of them always averages 3.5" at 100-yards if I am as perfect as I can get. This is off the bench. At 50-yards things tend to look much better. One ragged-hole from some and under 2" group in others, again if I do everything the best I can. Clear conditions, mild temperatures and no wind. Switching to off-hand my group size is typically at least double compared to the benched groups regardless of range.

54 Flintlock from bench 100-yards, 5-shots. That is a 1-inch round red bullseye.
muzzleloader-group.jpg
 
Each of my rifles with designated loads have a different capability. The best of them will group 1.5" at 100-yards (3-shots) if I do everything perfect. The "worst" of them always averages 3.5" at 100-yards if I am as perfect as I can get. This is off the bench. At 50-yards things tend to look much better. One ragged-hole from some and under 2" group in others, again if I do everything the best I can. Clear conditions, mild temperatures and no wind. Switching to off-hand my group size is typically at least double compared to the benched groups regardless of range.

54 Flintlock from bench 100-yards, 5-shots. That is a 1-inch round red bullseye.
muzzleloader-group.jpg

How the heck can you even see the red dot at 100 yards? Good shooting! On my guns the front sight pretty much covers the target at 100.
 
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Just for giggles, I calculated how big a 3 inch bulls eye would look at 100 yards when compared with a front sight that was at 30 inches from the shooters eye.

The answer? .025 inches.

Most of the front sights I've seen are at least .030 inches wide and with some guns like the TC Hawken it is about .042. That means the front sight on a TC will totally cover the 3 inch bulls eye.

This is one of the reasons target shooters sight in their guns so the bulls eye is in " sitting "on top" of the front sight blade when the gun is zeroed in.
 
Using three rifles I own in .40, .45 and .50 the best I've ever been able to do at 100 yards is 3.5" to 4.0". My .62 smoothbore will do just under 3" for three shots at 50 yards.
 
A779BFC0-A9A6-4FF2-B61C-8AD0DBCE6B6F.jpeg
Lost the target I bragged about but this one was shot a few days or weeks later. Similar shooting conditions. Had a 6 o’clock hold on an 4” black bull. Was planning to shoot a three shot group but I had the gun loaded for the first shot
 
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