The vital area.

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oz_lowrider

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Why do we spend so much time and money striving for 1" MOA or better at 100yds from a bench when the vital area on larger animals is 10-12". Sure it lets us know what we and the rifle are capable of, but is it really necessary to be so accurate? My reason for the question came about due to a shooting trip recently where I shot an animal in the "vital area" and found the beast over 50yds away. My bullet destroyed the lungs and heart and there was massive haemoraging and the bullet didn't exit on the other side. Surely a "head shot " just behind the ear, would have been more effective and humane. Don't get me wrong on the humane bit but in this day and age while we are in the publics eye, especially the do-gooders, surely we have to show that shooters do consider the animals right to a swift death. I understand some large animals such as a Cape buff have heads like a tank but hey they aren't all like that. So, what's best?
 
Why do we spend so much time and money striving for 1" MOA or better at 100yds from a bench when the vital area on larger animals is 10-12"
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Because hunting isn't the only purpose of a rifle.

Also at longer ranges, MOA or better rifles are required for ethical shots.
 
Because a vital, 5" to 12" shot on a whitetail deer, may be a complete miss, on a groundhog, or squirrel.
Or maybe you may be sure of what you are aiming at, but your prey may only be giving you a vital shot between branches, or a head shot from around a tree, or maybe a head shot is all you have when a burrowing animal sticks his head out.
 
My hunting time with my rifle is only a week for deer and a week for elk. The other 50 weeks a year I'm shooting steel or 1" cirlces on paper. And its way mor fun to hit zero at 300 and out or here the steel count off than it is to say well you only missed that 8" target by 2". My rifle is a source or entertainment for me, why do people buy flatscreens and blue ray players when a black and white tv and a Beta player would work?
 
A 2MOA gun shoots an 8" circle at 400m. Most hunters in American won't shoot that far for a number of reasons:

1) they know they aren't that good. They haven't practiced, their holdover estimation is weak, and they just don't have anyplace to do it. 400m ranges are the exception, not the norm.

2) They hunt where a 400m shot is rare. Most woodland or broken terrrain hunters won't even see game that far. They have to be glassing or scoping right there to do it, many don't. They just eyeball the terrain and try to stay awake.

Ethical shots are important, but the hunting community as a whole disagrees on what that is. Head shots are low percentage - it's a smaller target that moves more frequently. Only the brain shot or artery is a definite kill, any deviation only wounds the animal. Shooting for the heart-lung is much more sure in getting major blood vessels, and it's a larger, more stationary target. There's a more likely chance of breaking the leg or shoulder, jaw shooting a deer isn't going to recover it. You might find it later after the coyotes drag it down from starvation.

You don't need a MOA gun, you do need to know what is a good shot, and if you and the gun together can do it.

Most of the rest of accuracy in hunting is marketing. If you are hunting antelope or prairie dog, it's necessary. Whitetail deer near croplands, in the rut, not so much. It's more of a bragging rights exercise. Even the most accurate rifle is useless when no deer is dragged out of the woods. Hunters have done just fine with 200m lever actions. Shooters aren't made hunters because they have a scoped bolt action capable of shooting the wings off a fly. It's just ad copy.

If I could have a infra red scanner tethered on a balloon at 1000 feet, I'd be happy with iron sights. Just knowing where the game is and moving would be a huge advantage. After that, I'll take my chances. I still have to see them, and it's not all that even. But at least I would know I had my chance.

Does anyone have the cheat code for mapping a deer in real time? I'll take 50 yards and down as an ethical kill any day.
 
Everyone has their wants in a rifle...I personally do strive for that 1MOA rifle because I just love the feeling of getting that small group when I'm punching paper. Of course when it comes to hitting the vitals of an animal, its not always necessary (depending on range).
 
For me, it comes down to "margin of error." Most of my shots at whitetail deer aren't taken under ideal circumstances. If my rifle is MOA, it increases the likelihood that I'll indeed hit the vital area.
 
As a previous poster mentioned, head shots are usually not a good idea on big game. Your rifle may be able to shoot MOA, but can you shoot that well when excited in a hunting situation. A deer with a jaw blown off by a bullet is not a pretty sight. Miss your point of aim by that same amount when aiming at the center of the chest and you still have a humane kill. I just killed my 85th deer a few days ago and only one was head shot. It was a stunt, it worked (it was close and I had a rest), but I will not do it again. I like them dead, not injured.
 
Tolerance stacking:

-1moa error in the barrel
-1moa possible error in scope, scope adjustment, scope mount
-10moa possible user error:eek:
-2moa error in ammo

every little bit counts.
 
Human factor...

Out of breath and panting, from running up a hill, excited and heart pounding and arms shaking because you see the buck of a lifetime, no steady rest available, it's windy and/or raining and/or foggy, shivering because of having spent the previous 4 freezing hours sitting motionless so as not to startle the deer...

I want a rifle that decreases my chance of missing, or worse, wounding an animal, to the absolute minimum under the circumstances. I've practiced and practiced with it. I know what it can and cannot do, and I know what I can and cannot do with it.

Shooting the left wing off a gnat at 100 yd is what I want to be capable of doing under cool, calm, collected, comfortable, warm, dry conditions. Besides, I enjoy target shooting.
 
vitals.
i shoot deer in the uk. My deer are marginally smaller than yours (generally). I shoot a 7mm08 remmy model 7. i shoot quite a lot to ensure i can shoot moa. I tend to shoot inside 200 yards. I practise off sticks, freehand and off of rests.I take a dog with me when i hunt deer.... but because of all of the preceding factors i very, very rarely need her. the vitals might be 5 times bigger than MOA but because of all the work i do on it i know i can kill the deer every time. There have been lots of threads like this... why do we chase accuracy on our hunting rifles when "minute of pie plate" is as big as the vitals... the reason i do is to ensure i am as humane and accurate as possible. i know if i am going to take the demanding neck shot i will make it. So get your rifles out and get your shooting sorted!

interlock
 
I too hunt in adverse conditions be it indian summer and 80 F or January in Iowa -20 F, worse with the windchill. It's a given one should know the affects on the rifle (stock movement anyone?) but even as a 12 month-a-year range rat I can't always be assured the rifle will be tuned to conditions (the weather here spans about 140 degrees F, sometimes 50 degrees in the same day). At some point, punching tight groups in paper in all conditions is all you have for preparation and at some point you've done it enough to obtain very small groups.

I'm confident in my hits but as ethical kills are foremost on my list (I don't HAVE to hunt meat to survive) I will always pass up shots that ought not be made. With that said, I've whistled at many a deer to turn an would-be arse shot into a semi-broadside quartering away shot. Still, if I don't know in my mind that it will be one shot, it won't be shot by me.
 
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