Is this a good group for stock sights at 100 yards?

[No Quarter]

After I got the windage and elevation figured out (windage adjusted with the help of a brass hammer!), I fired my last 4 rounds of a 20 round box of Winchester 170 grain Sp 30-30 ammo into a 2 1/2" group centered in the bull at 100 yards. wind was blowing maybe 5mph. Since everyone else at the range had scoped rifles, I was just wondering how this group compares. Is it a decent group for open sights at that range? Is it possible to do much better with this gun or do I need to improve the sights? Maybe a peep sight or something?

The gun is a Marlin 30AS with stock sights.

FWIW, I used to qualify high expert every year in the Marine Crops, but this gun sure ain't no M16!

Thanks for the feedback. I am an avid handgun shooter, but thought I'd see if rifle shooting is as much fun - it is!

Regards,

Nq

 

[R.H. Lee]

2 1/2" group centered in the bull at 100 yards.

I'd be happy with that.

 

[Jet22]

That is a great group with the factory sights! It may be half that if you had a Williams or Lyman peep.

Another thing to think about is that the most error you should be able to blame on the human eye with no scope is about 1 moa (with a 4 power scope, it would be 1/4 of that, etc). If this is true, judging by the groups you are shooting, your gun is capable of 1.5" groups. Sounds pretty good to me for a 30-30 with factory ammo!

 

[No Quarter]

Cool! The first group I shot was actually 1 3/4" but it was located at low 5:00 on the target. The hardest part was trying to get the same sight picture. The front bead basically obscured the whole bull so I had a heck of a time trying to get the same sight picture every time. Unfortunately, I think my eyes are past the point of seeing anything clearly at that distance anymore.

All in all I had a great time. Handgun shooting has kind of gotten boring to me. I am good with my carry gun and anything else I do with it is just familiarization shooting to keep my edge. The rifle poses a new challange.

It also allows me to start buying rifles now!
I think a bolt action is next on the agenda.

Thanks guys...

NQ

 

[ACP230]

I think that's good shooting with iron sights.
I just put peep sights on my Marlin 94FG because I can't see well enough to use irons on the barrel any more.

 

[GunGoBoom]

I'd be very happy with that, although to me a group is 10 rounds (bare minimum 8 rounds). YMMV. With iron sights and my eyes, anything under 4" at 100 yards is outstanding, and certainly within minute-of-deer kill-zone, provided you can duplicate in the field your rested position and other conditions you had at the range.

 

[No Quarter]

I think I'd feel comfortable trying to take a deer out to 100 yards with this gun. I agree that longer strings of shots help to ensure consistancy from shot to shot better than 3 or 4 round groups. The reason why I kept it to only 3-4 shots is to help make sure I had the elevation and windage adjusted right without burning through all my ammo!

I am actually pretty good with my heart beating and breathing hard while shooting. I am used to trying to drop plates after banging out 50 pushups just to see how well I can control the shales, breathing etc...

Translates into a pretty good understanding of how to control your nerves when aiming in and squeezing the trigger.

I am excited to have another challenge in the shooting sports to occupy my time. I just got a new Wingmaster 20 ga as well. I intend to try my hand at skeet and trap as well.

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

NQ

 

[Thin Black Line]

That group is good. Happy deer hunting!

 

[JohnKSa]

Peep sight wouldn't hurt, but that's not a bad group assuming you shot it from the bench.

If that's an offhand group it is very impressive.

 

[mustanger98]

I shoot aperture sights too. I recommend a Williams Foolproof w/target knobs.

On eyesight, I've noticed I can see the whole thing clearer with apertures- look through the aperture, ignore it, focus on the front sight over a blurry bullseye. Bullets generally go where they're supposed to.

I've also always heard and observed that the rifles generally shoot better than we can. One reason is while the gun writers always test rifles in a Ransom Rest, we don't, and we're always moving. That's because we breath. Even if we're controling our breathing, we're still moving. That's the nature of being alive.

2 1/2" group centered in the bull at 100 yards

Sounds like a good group to me. Standing or across the bench with those sights and that ammo. That oughta take out some deer.

 

[No Quarter]

Thanks gentlemen. It was off a bench. I really can't stand bench shooting. I always liked the standing, kneeling and sitting positions when shooting a rifle. something about locking in the rifle in those positions always felt really comfortable to me in the USMC.

I intend to try a Williams siht as I think it will really help with the front sight issue.

REgards,

NQ