Expected Rifle Accuracy Observed During 1920

Great information in this publication. Chapter 4 (as above) was written by Lt.Col. Townsend Whelen. As any shooter of note knows, Townsend Whelen is to shooting as Chuck Yeager is to aviation. Perhaps Charles Lindbergh is more appropriate to keep the time-frame correct.

I especially appreciate that in the day, target groups reflect the marriage of the rifle and the shooter COMBINED to produce the group. I hear our younger shooters claim their rifle shoots 1/2 MOA and therefore will deliver 2.5" groups at 500 yards. Nonsense.

Their rifle, clamped into a rest, and fired with match ammunition may deliver 1/2 MOA but when shot by the marksman, off a rest (sandbags or such), with a shooting jacket, will deliver substantially higher MOA numbers than what the rifle alone is capable of delivering. Stating that because a rifle shoots 1 MOA at such and such, and therefore by extension, 1 MOA at any range, is preposterous. I also agree with the higher shot group philosophy and the marriage of the rifle to the shooter to determine the sheath of trajectories capable with the equipment+marksman+ammunition.

It's good to see realistic data like this in print. Unfortunately only the historically interested researcher will find it in the pages of tomes like the one listed. This data is a realistic portrayal of rifle/cartridge capabilities before we insert shooter ego into the data!

Of interest in the book is the section on rifle fouling, causes, and cleaning methods for different types of fouling. It begins on page 112 and again is an excerpt derived from Townsend Whelen.

Great book. Reminds me of the visuals and methods taught by the NRA Marksmanship programs of the 1960's.