What is your +/- goal for acceptable accuracy?

[MRaccurate]

I have been messing around with variables on the trajectory calculator and questioned how flat of an arc I could get if I wanted to shoot a 1/4" target. I was looking at how long the projectile would stay in that 1/4" zone. I used a +/- variance of 1/8". For my application I used a Diana Chaser .177 CO2 powered pellet pistol at 630FPS muzzle velocity, my calculations were 14+ yards. In that zone, the equipment would be able to hit a fly anywhere along that 14+ yard range. I may not have the skills, but the equipment could do the job. Are there any flaws in my thought process?

 

[Sqwirl57]

Thats pretty normal. Its called your "point blank range" and can be adjusted to however you see fit.

 

[ThomasT]

I have been messing around with variables on the trajectory calculator and questioned how flat of an arc I could get if I wanted to shoot a 1/4" target. I was looking at how long the projectile would stay in that 1/4" zone. I used a +/- variance of 1/8". For my application I used a Diana Chaser .177 CO2 powered pellet pistol at 630FPS muzzle velocity, my calculations were 14+ yards. In that zone, the equipment would be able to hit a fly anywhere along that 14+ yard range. I may not have the skills, but the equipment could do the job. Are there any flaws in my thought process?

Hello @MRaccurate

Your approach / process may be correct, but I look at "what should be an acceptable accuracy" in a different view. Either a rifle or a pistol should be manufactured to a minimum standard to at least be capable of shooting MOA at an appropriate distance. A pistol should be able to shoot MOA at least to 10-meters. A rifle should be able to shoot MOA to at least 25 yards.

ThomasT

 

[Ballisticboy]

Unfortunately, just about all of the available trajectory calculators use the simplest trajectory model, which assumes the pellet is a simple lump of metal with drag and its weight being the only forces acting on it. In real life, this is not true with loads of varying side forces also acting which modify the actual trajectory. The result is the real trajectory is not the nice smooth curve you see from the usual models. So the length calculated may not be accurate, it will depend on how well the pellet leaves the barrel and other factors.

 

[MRaccurate]

Thats pretty normal. Its called your "point blank range" and can be adjusted to however you see fit.

Hello @MRaccurate

Your approach / process may be correct, but I look at "what should be an acceptable accuracy" in a different view. Either a rifle or a pistol should be manufactured to a minimum standard to at least be capable of shooting MOA at an appropriate distance. A pistol should be able to shoot MOA at least to 10-meters. A rifle should be able to shoot MOA to at least 25 yards.

ThomasT

I agree with you that acceptable accuracy is based on the customer's needs. My background in quality control / quality assurance has taught me that the customer controls the quality of the product based on whether they are willing to continue to buy the product. I have noticed that caliber and case sizing are about the only standards that the shooting industry operates by. Does the customer determine what the appropriate distance is? Thanks for the feedback!

 

[peaceful_ruler]

Point Blank Range….one reason I like to shoot slugs as they can be shot a little faster than pellets accurately.