How do you evaluate yourself/rifle on the range - for accuracy?

[Wheres-Waldo]

Purely a hypothetical discussion.

Let us say you, a rifle and a single ammunition (excluding the intricacies of barrel break-in, we will say you have finished your break-in procedure if you have one), given the shooter (you), any rifle, and any ONE ammunition combination, how would you evaluate that 3 piece combination for accuracy in one given atmospheric condition? We will exclude variable such as range estimation, wind reading, etc...

How would the intended role of the rifle effect your methods for evaluation?

Are you testing at one distance or multiple distances?

3, 5 or 10 round groups?
Do 10 round groups give a better reflection of the accuracy potential of the combination or simply allow for the errors of shooter fatigue?

How many groups?
Would you drop the best and worst groups for average? Would you drop only the worst group for an average? Why?



Cold bore/shooter tracking? If you have a first round shift, do you address your fundamentals or the rifle fit first?

Would you break your position between groups to better indicate how the rifle fit (or lack thereof) effects the accuracy of the TOTAL combination which includes yourself?

If suppressed, do you break/remount the suppressor between groups to establish the repeatability of the interface?

Excluding static IBRSA style competition, what is acceptable accuracy for your evaluation? 1/2MOA, 1MOA?


I ask this to critique my own method, which I typically will do the same on any heavy barreled rifle, where I don't suspect heat will adversely effect the outcome.

Five (5) round groups, first round being cold bore/shooter, averaged center to center, coming off the rifle between groups.
If suppressed, I would repeat the test, to include cold bore/shooter, to evaluate accuracy change as well as POI shift.


Why I use this method -

5 round groups - I believe that 3 rounds isn't enough to see the true ES of POI of a given combination, unless your ES is consistent from group to group
while 10 rounds is on the margin of inducing errors of shooter fatigue that normally wouldn't be present real world.

Making sure to include cold shooter/gun - in a true defense application, that is usually the most valuable round. I also find it a good indicator of the quality of the product of both your fundamentals as well as how your rifle is set up to you. I believe cold bore shift is a phenomena that is attributable to either poor fundamentals or rifle fit.

Exclude the largest group - depending on the tempo at which you shoot, even five (5) round groups can begin to induce fatigue. I will typically exclude the largest group ONLY if it is well outside what the other 4 groups printed.

Reevaluate suppressed - Suppressors effect harmonics and accuracy nodes. I retest to evaluate accuracy as well as to get a very good idea of shift. Though I should, I normally don't remount the suppressor for every group.

100 Yards only - Mainly due to time/fatigue. I also believe that, with all things being equal, the only factor I am NOT able to see by testing at greater ranges is velocity ES producing any vertical. All things being equal (hypothetical 0 FPS ES), 3/4MOA at 100 yards should produce 3/4MOA at any other range


I ask all of this because 95% of the time, if I find myself on a 100 yard range, I'm shooting pretty close to this course of fire for each rifle I have with me.
Am I, in an effort to objectively evaluate the ability of the total combination, taking the right approach?

 

[gunsnjeeps]

I know we shoot different games but for Service Rifle and a 50 round course of fire I use my score. The gun and ammo can shoot .7 MOA on a rest at 100 yards. Which is what Rock River says there rifle will do with match ammo.

The same combo with a sling and jacket gives me about a 1.5 to 4 moa average depending on range and conditions. Fatigue and heat have a lot to do with it.

 

[bourbonbent]

My favorite test protocol is to have someone with a binary trigger and a pistol brace spraying the entire range and shooting up the floor while I’m shooting a 10 shot. Really ups the je ne sais quois factor. Lots of fun.

I like shooting dot torture sheets at 100. Cold bore and don’t stop til you finish. Local range is closed from dumbasses dumbassing and tearing everything up. So...

I confirm my zero, then just shoot steel.

When checking a new rifle with a barrel contour for it (no savage soda straws), I shoot 10 shots, and 20 if I can afford them at the time.

First a 3, then some 5’s, then a couple or three 10’s. I don’t shoot less than 5 for a group except during load development, or off a tripod for weird stuff. Once I’ve confirmed a load, it’s 5-20 shot groups. Unless it’s steel. Then I make it positional and try to get into awful positions and shoot til I’m bored or out of ammo. Most rifles will outshoot the jackass yanking the trigger, most of the time. We’re usually the weakest link.

Once initial testing is done and I know what the rifle and myself are capable of with a given ammo, I’ll check again every 500-1000 rounds with 308. Every 100 -200 with overbore barrel burners. I check and confirm my dope from 50-as far as I can get to shoot, 540 right now. This area is hard to shoot far in.

One note. I don’t do do very many 10 shots with overbore chamberings, not unless it’s a competition rifle that will be used for 20 shot strings etc., but match rifles are different than field rifles and so on. For those I’ll shoot the course of fire and go by score first, then group size and isolate where I’m getting the most dispersion and fix that flaw, be it on my end or something else. I always assume it’s me until it has to be something else.

 

[M8541Reaper]

Standard:
-100yds
-Prone
-4 identical targets on each page (1/4” aiming point surrounded by 1.75” black box on .5” grid paper (I modified a 4-Target LaRue Target Sheet)
-3rd Groups on Each Target


CB/Fouling/Zero Recording:
-1rd at top left CB square
-7-9rds at bottom left Fouling Square (my rifle fouls at 7rds so rds 8,9,10 are my zero)
-3rds at top right for zero adjustment (if needed)
-3rds at bottom right for zero adjustment/floating the turrets (slipping the scales/setting the zero stop/whatever you personally call it)
-CB impact is noted in the data book as well as any changes in fouling count or other noteworthy observations.
-I take the target paper sheet off and place it in a folder sleeve for reference (I need to just scan them all into the computer)

Ammo Testing:
-If trying new ammo
-Done after zero confirmation (above)
-1rd at top left square
-3rds at each of the 3 remaining squares (10rds total)
-I’ll do this and then shoot the remaining 10rds at distance to compare drop data (I only have 600yds here but steel at each yard line)

Note:
The above can be done to check your consistency and performance as well. Some shooters do 1rd, 3rd, or 5rd but I found that 3 works for me (it’s also what I’ve always done and I’m stubborn). Some will argue online that 5 or 10rd groups are the only groups that count for their male believe “grouping score” but at the end of the day it only matters what works for you.

Random Note:
Grouping drills are great but can also be (mentally) dangerous. If you find your groupings slipping, then move onto something else. If you’re the kind of person that gets mad about not shooting .15” groups and hate that you’re getting .5” groups, then that’s on you. Remember, 1MOA is a standard that equates to a 10” paper plate at 1000yds. Let that put it into perspective if you ever feel down about a non tenth MOA day lol.