Reasonable rifle accuracy goal to be competitive in local/regional PRS matches

[Onewolf42]

What is a reasonable rifle accuracy goal to be competitive in local/regional PRS matches?

I'm asking about the rifle's inherent accuracy, not the shooters ability in a match.

Let's assume you shoot five 5 shot groups and calculate the average MOA of those 5 groups.

What sort of average MOA for five 5 shot groups would you want for your rifle in order to be potentially competitive at the local/regional level?

I've only been to a couple PRS matches, but it seems like if the guy can shoot 1 MOA consistently in match environment that you will do ok
(other than the twiddly 'know your limits' type paper stages).

On the Hide I see a lot of people that seem to go totally OCD with their reloading regimen because 1/2 MOA isn't good enough for them.

My personal goal for load development for each of my LRP rifles is to achieve at least a consistent 3/4" MOA (five 5 shot groups).

 

[brian1]

In my limited experience with PRS matches, finding and getting on the targets quickly and reading the wind correctly are more important than a super-accurate rifle. IMHO, a MOA rifle will do you just fine.

 

[morganlamprecht]

bench/prone completely stable...id prefer ~1/2 moa...just because its not that difficult to do with a good rifle and ammo...not "my best groups 1/2 moa"...but like u said, consistently 1/2 moa, over and over

im completely fine with taking 5/8-3/4 moa to a match and id still have a chance to win...for 2 day matches, my prep was usually 3-5 rounds @ 100 to confirm zero, 3-5 @ 400 and 3-5 @ 800...all rounds would be 1/4-3/4 moa at their respective distances...no rounds fired excluded...after that, the rest was on me, not the rifle

1 moa is pushing it for me...just because it looks bad on paper @ 100 lol it would still be competitive tho

1 moa, from all supported positions will put you on the podium near the top at every single event

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

I would venture to say 1moa max. the tighter it shoots the more of a cushion you have from other influences.

 

[Sheldon N]

Depends on what you mean by competitive, winning the match or placing in the top 15%?

I think to consistently podium or win you need a 1/2MOA or better rifle, a lot of matches have added smaller targets as the skill level has risen over the years and matches are won by a point or two. A 1MOA rifle can certainly get you near the top though, 3/4 MOA can win in the right hands.

Maybe another way to rephrase the question would be... how many points at a match does it buy you to go from a 1 MOA rifle to a 1/4 MOA rifle? My guess for a one-day, 100 point match is that it's maybe worth 4-5 points. A couple small KYL targets, a few shots slipped off the edge since you couldn't refine your wind hold quite as precisely from shot to shot.

 

[Onewolf42]

Depends on what you mean by competitive, winning the match or placing in the top 15%?

I think to consistently podium or win you need a 1/2MOA or better rifle, a lot of matches have added smaller targets as the skill level has risen over the years and matches are won by a point or two. A 1MOA rifle can certainly get you near the top though, 3/4 MOA can win in the right hands.

Maybe another way to rephrase the question would be... how many points at a match does it buy you to go from a 1 MOA rifle to a 1/4 MOA rifle? My guess for a one-day, 100 point match is that it's maybe worth 4-5 points. A couple small KYL targets, a few shots slipped off the edge since you couldn't refine your wind hold quite as precisely from shot to shot.

By "competitive" I would mean finish above the bottom 25%.

 

[b6graham]

a 1/4 or 1/2 moa rifle doesnt matter much when you can only hold 2 or 3 or 4 moa off a given position

yeah it might buy you a hit or two, but spending 20 hours and 200 rounds in load development isnt gonna get you as much as most people believe

 

[spamassassin]

Every bit under 1moa is a bit more slop from the shooter that becomes acceptable. It's not about what is generally needed. That's not even quantifiable because it has to be taken in combination with your skill level. It's about measuring your skill level and equipment against the skill level and equipment that you'll be competing against and figuring out how much additional advantage you need to score in the rankings where you want to. Everyone wants sub-half MOA groups because that affords them some extra margin of error.

I personally look for .75MOA or better for a 10-shot rapid fire group. If the rifle will do that then I have to do pretty badly in order to miss 2moa targets and pretty horribly to miss 3moa targets. For the KYL rack, well... KYL. The secret is in the name.

 

[Sheldon N]

By "competitive" I would mean finish above the bottom 25%.

Love it!

I would say as long as your rifle is accurate enough for when you miss to say "Oops, that one was on me" rather than blaming the gun, you're in the ballpark.