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Before I start off on this diatribe, let me define the difference
between accuracy and precision. Accuracy is the ability to hit your
target, even if it's a very small one. Precision is how tightly your
shots group. Now that that's out of the way...
I was having a conversation with another shooter this past weekend at a
match. He was (note that I said "was") of the opinion that shot
precision is not important in CAS and that his load (which grouped about
3 inches at 10 yards) was good enough to get the job done (pistol
load). He loaded for minimum recoil. This causes group size to increase
partly through the very erratic velocities that you get with small
charges of powder. And from using a bullet too light for the twist rate
of your barrel (it won't stabilize).
Anyway, I asked him how he liked the 9 inch circle pistol targets we
were shootin. He said "9 inches? Those targets are 12 inches across!"
(ok, they were small targets for CAS, but very close so that the profile
was pretty good sized.) I said, "yeah, they are for me. My loads group
in one hole at 10 yards. But for you, they are 9 inches. "
He ended up with a very puzzled look on his face.
I explained to him that with groups that big he is effectively shooting
at a smaller target because the bullet could be off as much as an inch
and a half from where he was holding his sight picture when the bullet
left the barrel. So in effect, his poor load was making the target
smaller. He would have to hold much closer to the center of the target
than I do in order to hit it. So, his target size (the part of the
target he has to aim at in order to be sure of a hit) is 3 inches
smaller than mine.
I think that sunk in as he said "I'm going to come up with a load that
groups better."
The moral of the story is that you really do need a load that groups
well!
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