I have only recently gotten serious with the single shot handguns and can remember reading in the posts of terrific groups that some of the members have shot. Some of these groups were on the order of a half inch at 100yds. I have had two shots touching a few times but there is no way that I can shoot them all day. My question is if you have a good shooting single shot, what is a realistic group size at 100 yards?

i've had many 5 shots group around 1/2"(center to center @100) and even in the .4" range on my best days. i've also had many comparable, or maybe a few smaller, that i did not even put a rule to, just because i'm only out to satisfy myself. i know when it looks tight....lol. some days are simply better than others also, when you consider wind/weather conditions or your own concentration etc.

now....i can't say what my actual average would be. all are surely not 1/2" or less. my large groups may be 1 1/2".... so anything less than that becomes more and more pleasing to see.

you have to shoot enough to be consistent in every aspect of grip pressures, resting the gun the same shot to shot, etc etc to get the ultimate repeatability.

right now....i'm not sure i'm 1/2" n less capable without some practice. i been one the wagon too long. i need some bullets down range!

so....the question is....what does it take to satisfy you? the guns themselves are capable of amazing accuracy.

on an overall average....i'm gonna say 1" center to center is a reasonable expectancy at 100yrds with most centerfire rifle cartridges in the break actions. you can push that some with custom barrels, intense load preparations, and cartridges known for accuracy.

I'm there with Kyode but most of mine revolve around my SSK 309 JDJ but that's because most of my other single shots are big boomers that are difficult to shoot that well.

What caliber are you shooting?

When my big game bottleneck single shots run groups under 1 1/2" @ 100 yds, I'm satisfied, because that will kill any big game alive. In my hunting pursuits, I've shot exactly two head of big game at distances over 300 yards. Like most enthusiasts, I will shoot smaller groups on occasion. My smallest, shot 15 years ago or so with a 6.5 JDJ Contender was about 1/4", but that was no doubt an accident.
I no longer have the patience in my life to allow for true benchrest technique, and the pursuit of one hole groups. Good hunting grade accuracy and power is my goal. Obviously, the interests of others may be different.

James, most factory T/C barrels in bottleneck chambers will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards and less with a good handload but, there's always that every-so-often lemon...KRal

7-30 water long ranger of Hunlee put 120 grain bullit into nice grouping at 100 yardage butt Hunlee has nice 3-12x power Burris on there!!!!!!375 Windchester does good grouping at 100 yardage but Hunlee only have 2-6x power Bushnell on there and grouping is little larger than 7-30 water!!!!!!Soon Hunlee will install 3-12x power Burris on 375 windchester and grouping will be better at 100!!!!!

hunlee

I am always happy with 1" groups at 100. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. I am relatively new to the long range handgun thing.

to go along with what the others have said you want to shoot
your best and that means practice practice we spend a lot of
time and money doing what we loves so we what to be happy with
what we get out of it.
larry

Hhmmm...I had a good comment for that but I'll let it go!

Most of my Contender varmint cal's are sub-1", usually close to .6" capable when I am on my game. Deer cartridges are also in the sub-1" range but I don't hold them to the same standard.

I used to work and work on loads that would squeak into the .6" range with every group. Anymore...if a deer load goes less than 1.5", I'm done!! Now for the LR bolt action handguns...sub-1" at 300yds is the goal.

My Super 14 .222 Rem is a true .5MOA barrel...it's a tack driver!!

Yeah, I'd have to say that the accuracy of these short tubes surprises even me. I have an XP in 6mmBR that has given me .5” groups at 200 yards pretty regularly. My 14” Virgin bbl in 6mmTCU will give .5” at 100 yards with boring regularity. My observations are that “generally” the bolt single shots have a slight edge in accuracy over brake open actions. I shoot IHMSA so ½ scale targets need to be accurate to be competitive, a game animal or varmint would never know the difference or be alive to complain about shot placement if the shooter does his / her job.

Bill in OR

my 7mm TC/U and my 6.5mm TC/U will consistently shoot a 1/2" and better if i do my part at 100 yrds. my 25 BullBerry will do better and it does get boring. because it will do it with any load i feed it. just got my 309 JDJ barrel so we will see what happens with this new one.

Generally speaking I am happy if my Varmint Caliber Contender Barrels shoot 3/4" or less and if my Deer Caliber Contender Barrels shoot 1" or less. In regards to factory barrels I have found that it is pretty easy to meet this requirement.

My current SST Super 14 .223 Remington Contender Barrel is probably the best shooting Contender Barrel I have ever had and if I shoot a group at 100 yards from the bench of over 1/2" I MESSED UP, not the gun. My current SST Super 14 7-30 Waters seems to shoot better the more rounds I put down the bore. The last group I fired prior to this years deer season checking my zero one last time measured .519" center to center at 100 yards. Granted this is the best group this barrel has ever fired with most running just under an inch.

I generally don't do much 100 yard shooting with my SST Super 14 .22 LR Match Contender but did last spring one rare day when there was absolutely NO WIND in South Dakota (if you can believe that). At any rate the only ammo I had with me was my Gopher Shooting Ammo (Remington BULK Hollow Points). I shot 4 groups from the bench at 100 yards that day with the SST Super 14 .22 LR Match Contender that measured 1" or slightly less. Yes all 4 groups.

Larry

I agree with gary, the big boomers are hard to group tight at 100, but any contender will shoot well out to that range.

Lars

My varmint guns need to be sub 1" for 5 shots at 100 yards. My big game cartridges are usually very close to 1" for 3 shots at 100 yards. But that's just me.