Here's something I learned years ago. It makes total sense to me. Others may disagree.
We know that all bullets fired do not go into a hole the size of the bullet. Nothing's that accurate. Can't make components and rifles good enough to do that. So we have to accept the fact that groups get bigger as range increases. Typically about 10% or more minutes of angle for each additional 100 yards of range starting at 100 yards. A 1-inch group at 100 yards will be about 1.1 MOA at 200 yards or about 2.2 inches. Groups don't stay the same MOA value as range increases; never have, never will.
How much accuracy do we need?
Consider the target shooter using a scoped rifle in a 1000-yard match. The best of them hold well enough that their wobble area on paper is about 8 inches and they try to get their shots off in the middle of that area. When their shot breaks, they want the bullet to strike no more away from where it's called than 3 to 4 inches. Which means they have to shoot their rifle and its ammo all the time no worse than 8 inches at 1000 yards; twice the distance they want to miss their call.
Big game hunters may well have other demands for accuracy. At 200 or 300 yards, they may well accept missing their point of aim by 2 inches. On deer, elk, moose and others of the same size, that's good enough. Which means they've got to shoot their rifle's ammo into no worse than 4 inches at 200 or 300 yards.
We know that all bullets fired do not go into a hole the size of the bullet. Nothing's that accurate. Can't make components and rifles good enough to do that. So we have to accept the fact that groups get bigger as range increases. Typically about 10% or more minutes of angle for each additional 100 yards of range starting at 100 yards. A 1-inch group at 100 yards will be about 1.1 MOA at 200 yards or about 2.2 inches. Groups don't stay the same MOA value as range increases; never have, never will.
How much accuracy do we need?
Consider the target shooter using a scoped rifle in a 1000-yard match. The best of them hold well enough that their wobble area on paper is about 8 inches and they try to get their shots off in the middle of that area. When their shot breaks, they want the bullet to strike no more away from where it's called than 3 to 4 inches. Which means they have to shoot their rifle and its ammo all the time no worse than 8 inches at 1000 yards; twice the distance they want to miss their call.
Big game hunters may well have other demands for accuracy. At 200 or 300 yards, they may well accept missing their point of aim by 2 inches. On deer, elk, moose and others of the same size, that's good enough. Which means they've got to shoot their rifle's ammo into no worse than 4 inches at 200 or 300 yards.