let's have some actual accuracy discussion. .....

[high country]

I love reading some of this stuff. "My uncle's rifle shoots .3moa with core lokts".  My 12 dollar scope is all I need to rip world record 500-yard groups.....etc, etc.

I'm a bit of a realist. I have a barrel of factory barrels that have come off actions and I would wage a bet that not a one will be under .001" runout, which is 5 times more than any self respecting accuracy smith will let out the door. I've shot several videos of Remington actions on the lathe with the bolt centerline at zero and the face flopping wildly. I have never seen a recoil lug on a factory gun be square. .....ever. crowns are cut at the factory with about 10 seconds of care....

What's all this mean? If you are seriously getting a factory rifle to shoot sub .5moa for 10 rounds, you are both very lucky and very lucky.

If you are seriously interested in what makes a rifle accurate,  I would suggest a copy of "rifle accuracy facts" by Harold Vaughn. He's possibly the smartest gun nut alive and takes actual measurement on every aspect of a rife that you and all of your buddies can dream up. I'm rarely over my head on tech data,  but I had to read a couple chapters REALLY SLOWLY.

if you think I'm full of it, keep shooting squirrels at 1500 with grandpa's 30-30 wearing that buck master.

[Miles]

This is what you wake up thinking about? 

[high country]

Litz does a good job of covering ballistic study and a call to the ballistician at Sierra is always a good listen. 

Richard Franklin produced a video that covers reloading with Wilson dies better than any I have seen and explains the "why" to do and not do certain things.

Les Brooks has made available to the public a thumb drive filled with 30 years of experience as the instructor of gunsmithing at tsjc.
These are all awesome reference pieces that serious accuracy hounds should have available. Franklin's hand loading being a must-have.

[high country]

This is what you wake up thinking about? 

I didn't get to go hunting and I had a great time reading some stuff.....lol

[addicted]

Putting the books in the shopping cart

[runamuk]

This is good information.  I am glad there are people who wake up thinking about stuff like this. 

[Biggerhammer]

I've had 250.00 Remington 788's shoot just as well as one of my 2500.00 customs. When it comes to accuracy the rifle and load has to be capable first, then it's up to its driver. Sure reading may help for a beginner or fill in the blanks for someone further along. Nothing can replace the expirience from actual trigger time (Lots of it)and proper shooting techniques.

There is no perfect way to go about it, it's what works for the individual. In my expirience around many a long range shooter and or accuracy driven types. They either have it or they don't.

[high country]

I'm at the age now where I prefer to take as many variables out as possible as opposed to play luck's card.....

Every gun will shoot something reasonably well. I prefer those that shoot everything reasonably well.

[Biggerhammer]

In my expirience over the years, there are certain cartridges that shoot most everything reasonably well. The .300 Win Mag being one of them.

[high country]

One thing that I see pooch accuracy and is overlooked is optics.  I have seen scopes doom a good rifle plenty of times.

[coachcw]

trigger pull and stock binding are the two biggest issues in my mind , with a little work most guns will shoot better than us. though it is cool to have a 5k rifle that clover leafs at 300 yards  ten shot groups don't interest me in the least . three shot groups 1/2 moa on a cold bore work for me I don't know why you guys are wasting so much money on powder and lead when the 6.5x284 flat gets it done ! lol. now go shoot that beer can at 600 yards cold bore with a 10 mph cross wind using spot on ballistics 

[b23]

In my expirience over the years, there are certain cartridges that shoot most everything reasonably well. The .300 Win Mag being one of them.

I'd agree with that but I also believe cartridges that are less "overbore", I use that term VERY loosely, tend to be that way.  That IS NOT meant as a slight in any way toward a 300 Win Mag.

[sirmissalot]

One thing that I see pooch accuracy and is overlooked is optics.  I have seen scopes doom a good rifle plenty of times.

Can you elaborate?

My dad recently got a cooper rifle chambered in 300 weatherby. He kept attempting load development at 200 yards and was growing frustrated. I talked him into just sticking to 100 yards and he found a couple good loads from 1/2-3/4 range then wanted to fine tune at 200 and his groups opened up significantly, like 4 inches. Turns out it was parallax causing it. He's got a vx6 4-24 power and at 24 power he didn't have it adjusted correctly... Neither of us had any idea parallax could change point of impact. I always just thought it was for focusing and that's it. After learning how to adjust for it my groups tightened up significantly as well. So I'm curious as to what you have to say on the optics side of the discussion

[high country]

trigger pull and stock binding are the two biggest issues in my mind , with a little work most guns will shoot better than us. though it is cool to have a 5k rifle that clover leafs at 300 yards  ten shot groups don't interest me in the least . three shot groups 1/2 moa on a cold bore work for me I don't know why you guys are wasting so much money on powder and lead when the 6.5x284 flat gets it done ! lol. now go shoot that beer can at 600 yards cold bore with a 10 mph cross wind using spot on ballistics 

I did except it was 800 yds and 260ai. .....wink.

[coachcw]

trigger pull and stock binding are the two biggest issues in my mind , with a little work most guns will shoot better than us. though it is cool to have a 5k rifle that clover leafs at 300 yards  ten shot groups don't interest me in the least . three shot groups 1/2 moa on a cold bore work for me I don't know why you guys are wasting so much money on powder and lead when the 6.5x284 flat gets it done ! lol. now go shoot that beer can at 600 yards cold bore with a 10 mph cross wind using spot on ballistics 

I did except it was 800 yds and 260ai. .....wink.

every body gets lucky once