doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A historical question:

When and where would you say that the birth of a rifle shooting jacketed bullets and using smokeless powder capable of consistent sub-moa accuracy first appeared in America?

There is no right or wrong answer I�m just curious as to what folks believe or for that matter if it�s something that you ever took an interest in.
Thanks,

I believe that the development of the .22-250, may have had great influence on accuracy. I believe Jacketed bullets probably started appearing regularly with the 1903 Springfield.

Jacketed bullets, hmmm, paper patch is a jacketed bullet. If you mean metal jacketed then that would be prior to 1886 when the full metal jacket was invented. Before that wire wrapped we tried I know but can't recall the history with dates.

Smokeless invented 1884.

So the real question deals with the sub-moa accuracy. That would only be a guess for me. Interesting question.

Never really a concern. Over the National Match Course, if it will hold the X ring it is plenty accurate for me. If hunting as long as I can keep a magazinefull on a paper plate at the range in question, that's plenty. As COL Cooper once said, a sub-MOA rifle is like a car that can run a 10 second 1/4 mile; fun to brag about but of little or any practical use.

I seem to recall that in the early-1960s that Sierra gave some kind of an award for a 10-shot MOA group with their bullets. At that time, I was a regular at Bob Hutton's range (Hutton's Rifle Ranch) in Los Angeles. If you could shoot a 10-shot MOA group, you could shoot that rifle at his range for life. He posted each qualifying group on a bulletin board.
Your question is probably best put to Dave Brennan at Precision Shooting Magazine.

When talking of sub-MOA the distance really needs to be part of the question. (Also the number of shots that make up the group)
Assuming 100 yard or a group size of something less then 1.047" in diameter, I would guess this was achieved in the early 1890's or shortly after Mauser introduced his rifles in the 7x57. My guess.

Eh.. when talking submoa, one really needs to understand stochastic processes.

It may not have been the birth of sub MOA accuracy, but I think Remingtons introduction of the 722 chambered for .222 Rem was the first time sub MOA was available to the masses. Before that it was either a custom rifle, or a lot of luck, or maybe both. With the 722, Joe varmint hunter could walk into the local hardware store and walk out with a gun and ammo that was realistically capable of accuracy in the 1/2 MOA range. Rifle design, bullet quality, button rifled barrels, and scope quality all came together in the early post-war era to make honestly consistent sub MOA accuracy a reality.

John

Michael, if we go back to your "woodchuck shooters" photo of Dr. Mann, Dr. Baker, Leopold & Niedner and the brass-radiator touring car, I think we are looking at the men who were the first to approach sub-MOA groups with base band jacketed bullets and smokeless powder.

Richard

OK, I may have set the bar too high, lets also include MOA.