Rifle Accuracy (What is the most accurate rifle?)

Question
Dear GCH,

Good day sir.  What is the most accurate rifle you know of?  Is there a rifle with un-erring accuracy (e.g. .308 bolt with scope, SKS, Mini 14, FN FAL, M16/AR15) or is this more a function of "who" is using the rifle?  Are some "models of rifle" just not good with their accuracy by their very nature?  

I want to get a rifle which has beautiful accuracy/with or without a scope.  I want one that has long range capability and can hit a target as far as my scope or eye can see again and again.  But I don't want to spend a long long time practicing on the rifle range to develop "accuracy" or to overcome "defects" in manufacturing processes.  Do you have any ideas? The purpose of the rifle would be both for self defense at the home and for target shooting.
Thank you.
Mike

Answer
Dear Mike,

Accuracy is a function of a number of things, including the inherent optimization within the design (rate of twist for a given round, etc.), the precision of execution by the manufacturer, the consistency and precision of the assembly of ammunition, and the capabilities of the shooter.

Theoretically, a rifle that was perfect in design, and perfect in manufacture, and was shot from a machine rest such that the human element was taken out of the equation should shoot through the same hole every time at a given distance (say, 100 meters).  However, this would never be the case because there would always be slight variances in the cartridge cases, priming charge, powder charge, and bullet length, width, concentricity, and weight.

Accuracy, since it is not perfect, then, must be measured in terms of "practical accuracy" - what variations are tolerable within the specificity of what I need the rifle to perform?

Although with the advent of excellent metalurgy, CAD-CAM design and CNC machining, it has become common for bolt-action hunting rifles to be easily capable of minute-of-angle accuracy (i.e. three shot group into 1" @ 100 yards), such is hardly necessary.

In the first place, unless the rifle is scoped, one cannot see at one inch increments at a hundred yards.  Thus, even a rifle capable of it will likely not achieve it without a scope.

In an earlier time, a rifle that would shoot into 4" @ 100 yards was throught to be extraordinarily accurate, as that is about twice as accurate as the gun would need to be to take most large game reliably.

On the other hand, if you want to shoot the gun in bench-rest competition, minute-of-angle accuracy will be wholly insufficient.  You will want a gun that is capable of shooting into .5" if you can do your part - less if possible.

Most modern rifles of good manufacture are capable of more accuracy than all but the most experienced shooters can wring out of them.  If you don't wish to spend much time at the range, the accuracy of almost any modern major caliber bolt action rifle of quality manufacture will likely exceed your ability, and serve you well.

Cost is also a factor, and what you want to spend on a rifle will determine the level of accuracy you will get.  It would be a waste of money to get a rifle that exceeded your needs or ability.  Let me give you an example:  A man with a Remington 700 in.308, which would shoot into 7/8" @ 100 yards, send it off to have the barrel cryo-treated and the muzzle crowned, which cost him about $500.  The result?  The gun will now shoot into under 3/4" of an inch - a 1/8" improvement.  Is that worth it?  It's not for me, but he happens to teach courses in police sniping, and so for him, it was $500 well spent.

Generally (but not absolutely), bolt-action guns will tend to be the most accurate.  Most accurate bolt guns (Remington, Winchester, Savage at the low end, etc.) expect you to use a scope and provide no iron sights.  They assume if you are going to spend the money to get that kind of accuracy, you are going to take advantage of it, and you can only shoot into an area as small as you can see.

You had mentioned that you want this gun for self-defense, and for me that means an auto-loading rifle.  FN-FAL's (.308), AR-15 style rifles (.223) or a Ruger Mini-14 (.223) would all fit the bill.  The .223 round is effective out to 300 yards, and devestating at closer ranges.  The AR rifles are inherently more accurate than the Rugers, but the Rugers work for what they were designed.  However, an auto-loading rifle my be disadvanteous to have, given the political climate of some locations, in which case you might want to consider a lever action gun.

Generally speaking, a quality AR, non-Mil-spec and accurized, should give you 2 minutes of angle with a scope.  Few people can shoot them into less than 4" @ 100 yards with iron sights.

All this is to say, you need to determine a few things before you buy a rifle:

1)  What do you mean by accurate?  Does it have to be sub-minute of angle, minute of angle, or will the ability to hit coffee cans @ 100 yards suffice?

2)  What kind of sights to you want?  A Scope, an optic dot without magnification, or good ol' iron?  If iron, how to your eyes see best - with a peep rear appeture (such as on the AR and Mini), or with a rear-buckhorn, as is normally found on lever actions and AK style rifles?

3)  How far do you need to shoot?  If 800 yards, I would recommend a .308 (not because it has the flatest trajectory, but because we possess the most data for it).  If within 300 yards, a .223 will do, unless . . .

4) Are you planning to hunt with it?  Larger game, in many states, deer cannot be taken less than a .270" projectile.

5)  How likely are you to use it for self defense, and at what ranges?  A .308 is more effective than a .223, but the .223 is utterly devestating at closer ranges.  At closer ranges, speed will be an issue, and an auto-loader will be more advantageous than a bolt action.  Small, light guns work better in close quarter situations.

Once you answer those questions, you'll be able to better zero in on what you're looking for.  But whatever you get, you can ring the maximum accuracy out of it if you do four things:

1) Have the barrel free-floated, so that there is no pressure on the barrel to distort the trajectory of the round.

2)  Invest in a match trigger, or have a competent gunsmith do a trigger job on the gun.  How light (at what weight the trigger breaks) will entirely depend on whether it is to be field gun or a bench gun.

3)  Get a quality sighting system in whatever your chosen sights are.  If iron sights, and there is any way to upgrade them, it is usually a good investment to do so.  If you get a scope, the rule of thumb in the shooting community is to spend as much on the scope as you do on the gun (Leupold, Zies are good choices.  So are Kahles and Nikon).

4)  Use quality ammuntion for consistency, which equals accuracy.

I hope this is helpful.  If you narrow down your criteria, and want specific recommendations about specific guns, do feel free to contact me again.