Rimfire Accuracy...expectations?

[Wheelgun Dunn]

What is a reasonable expectation for accuracy from a rimfire rifle?  .22LR? .22MWR? .17Mach2?  .17 HMR?  Let's assume a distance of 50 yds. and that you have found a good quality ammo in a factory barrel.  We have always lived by the 1 MOA law with most rifles.  Is this reaonable to expect from a rimfire?  I know all ammo/rifles are not created equal so I understand that, but what is a reasonable expectation?  What have you experienced?  Thanks!

Wheelgun

[tombogan03884]

 I would expect to be able to keep all shots in 1 inch at 50 yards, depending on your eyesight with iron sights and tighter with optics.

[mosbear]

Here is the page from the NRA rule book for Small Bore Rifle.
http://www.nrahq.org/compete/RuleBooks/SBR/sbr-w04.pdf

Gives you an idea what is expected. My .22s shoot way better then I. 

[Badgersmilk]

"After the gun was sighted-in at 50 yards in a test tunnel, the first four 5-shot groups measured .191, .202, .263 and .260 inches, for an average of .229 inches. Yep, that's less than a quarter-inch! More remarkable is the fact that these tiny groups were fired with standard Remington/Eley ammo and an old lot of CCI Green Tag, neither of which are considered the ne plus ultra by accuracy fanatics. The smallest group of all was fired by team member Sam Arnett, who demonstrated his award-winning benchrest technique with a barely measurable .109 inches. By comparison, an eighth of an inch equals .125 inches, so go figure."

http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/gear/shooting/2008/06/gun-test-08?photo=6#41789783

As good as any centerfire at that range.  It's usually more about the shooter than the gun.

[MikeBjerum]

I've been to small bore matches where guys are punching what would be one hole groups* at 100 meters all day long. 

*  These aren't true one hole groups, because in small bore you have a different target for each shot.  However, they are taking the "x" out of every target!

The most common brand at most of these matches have been Anschutz ($1,000), but I have seen a lot of older Wnchesters and Savages of all eras.

I'm thinking that you could take a new Savage Mark I (under $350) and expect sub 1 moa.

http://www.savagearms.com/markifvt.htm

[Sponsor]

[blackwolfe]

Depends on how much you want to spend and what you want out of it.  If you like to tinker with firearms and don't mind spendeing the money, you can get the results some have mentioned above.

You can do a lot with a Ruger 10/22 with out haveing to put a whole lot of $ into it if you like to tinker.  I have seen some out standing 10/22s that didn't have a lot of money into them.  Often just putting on a differant stock and making sure the barrel is seated properly and relieved in the stock  can work wonders.

Lot's of tips and teckniques.  It's amazing what some of the people are doing here:
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=167
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/

[Timothy]

Here's a question!

How does one shoot a group that is smaller than the bullet diameter?

 

[ericire12]

Here's a question!

How does one shoot a group that is smaller than the bullet diameter?

 

Got 'em!

[MikeBjerum]

Here's a question!

How does one shoot a group that is smaller than the bullet diameter?

 

Minute of angle is measured at the center point of impact.  In a perfect world, with perfect ammo, and with a perfect gun minute of angle would be zero.  However, we are not in a perfect world, so we measure the circle formed by the imaginary dots representing the center of the hit, and that circumference is the moa when adjusted for 100 yards - 2" circumference at 50 yards is a 4" moa, 2" circumference at 200 yards is a 1" moa, etc.

[Timothy]

Thanks Mike.

So they actually measure the hole with a vernier, calculate the radius and determine centerpoint of hit.  Makes sense to me!  In these cases, they measured the deviation from centerpoint of "X"!