The Myth of the Sub-MOA Rifle

If you said “sub-MOA or bust,” you’re not alone. Many hunters expect even bargain-bin rifles to shoot less-than-one-inch groups at 100 yards, and I’m as guilty as anyone of wishcasting that myth into existence.

But the truth is, even when it comes to high-end rifles, true sub-MOA guns are less common than you’ve been led to believe. I’ve accuracy-tested hundreds of rifles over the last decade from across the price-point spectrum, and while some rifles adhere to the myth (which is why it persists), the majority of them don’t.

Take, for instance, the big game hunting rifles we’ve reviewed over the last 12 months here at TheMeatEater.com. If you define a sub-MOA rifle as one that shoots less than one-inch groups at 100 yards with any high-quality ammo, none passed that test.

Average of Average Group Sizes:

Ruger American Gen II: 1.375 Savage Axis 2: 2.175 Tikka T3X: 1.12 Sig Sauer Cross Magnum: 1.49 Springfield Model 2020 Boundary: 1.02 Beretta BRX1: 1.46 Wilson Combat NULA 20S: 1.12 Marlin Model 336: 1.85

The averages above incorporate the ammunition the rifles shot well along with the ammunition they didn’t. Admittedly, that’s not the best metric. Most hunters find the bullet/ammo a gun likes and use that combo exclusively. But even if we take just the ammunition each rifle shot the best, they still land mostly in the 1-1.5-inch range.

Best Average Group Size:

Ruger American Gen II: 1.1 Savage Axis 2: 1.4 Sig Sauer Cross Magnum: 1.43 Tikka T3X: 0.9 Springfield Model 2020 Boundary: 0.98 Beretta BRX1: 1.48 Wilson Combat NULA 20S: 0.83 Marlin Model 336: 1.56

Every rifle shot at least one sub-MOA group, and most shot multiple such groups with different kinds of ammunition. But if you’ve spent much time printing groups at 100 yards, you know that even the jankiest rifles can post the occasional good group. To call a rifle “sub-MOA,” that group size needs to be the norm, not the exception. While the Tikka and the Springfield barely slipped under the line, only the Wilson broke the sub-MOA barrier in a significant way, and that was with three-shot groups rather than five.

You might point out, fairly enough, that we didn’t test these rifles with every possible kind of ammunition. We used three to four bullet weights and styles for each review, but there are many other options. One of them may have produced consistent 0.75-1-inch groups, in which case that rifle would indeed be “sub-MOA.”

It’s also true that inexpensive sub-MOA rifles aren’t a total myth, as some of you might have already gone down to the comments to elucidate. I have a Howa 1500 that can shoot consistent less-than-one-inch groups at 100 yards with pretty much every kind of match ammo you can buy. It’s a legit sub-MOA rifle, and I think I paid maybe $800 for it.

Many have had a similar experience with a factory rifle, but it’s less common than gun forums would have you believe. Oftentimes, a fella who brags about how his budget rifle can shoot teeny, tiny groups really just means it shoots those groups occasionally. That’s still impressive for an inexpensive rifle, but that lack of context generates unreasonably high expectations for the rest of us.

Plus, as I’ve argued previously, group size isn’t even the best metric for determining how well a hunting rig will perform in the field. Unless you’re having a pretty bad day, you’re not going to take more than two shots on an animal. Ideally, you’ll only take a single shot on a cold bore. It’s that first cold-bore shot that really matters to a hunter, and shooting five or six groups isn’t a great real world test.

We still conduct group-based accuracy testing on our review rifles because that’s how hunters are used to comparing accuracy across different firearms. Testing for group size also provides some sense of how well a rifle will make that first cold-bore shot. But whenever you’re doing accuracy testing to find a round your rifle likes, don’t forget to send a few rounds downrange on a cold bore.

Bottom line? Don’t get bent out of shape if your rifle isn’t sub-MOA. You’re in the majority. Fretting about a rifle’s accuracy can sour a trip to the range and make you less confident in the field. But the truth is, even expensive rifles can struggle to hit that magic one-inch mark. As the last year of rifle reviews demonstrates, you shouldn’t be disappointed if your new hunting rifle shoots 1-1.5-inch groups. That’s plenty accurate for most hunts, and good enough that a miss is more about you than your shooting iron.