most accurate pistol caliber rifle?

D

Deja vu

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One of the local ranges has set up a pistol caliber rifle competition. Its been pretty well attended. The rules are that it has to shoot a strait walled cartridge that is designed an usually used in a handgun and can not be a single shot, it must also be at least 25 caliber. So no 357 sig or 5.7X28 and no TC rifles and no 30 carbine.

Any idea what would be the best? It can be any repeater bolt, lever or semiauto.

This will likely be purely academic. I doubt ill buy whatever it is but I feel its a fun topic.
 
The most accurate cartridge back in the 1990s was the 44 Russian .Our 44 Special was designed from that .I'd pick a 44 Spl to stay away from higher velocity effects.
 
How accurate at what range??

What are allowed for sights? Iron only? Scope or red dot??

I've got a semi auto Tommygun, the deluxe one with the ladder sight, and while the trigger is miserable, I can get a 5 shot one hole group at 25yds, and also ring the 200yd gong with it. Its rather astounding how accurate it can be, shot from a bench.

I've got a Marlin 1894 in .357Mag. Sights are standard semi buckhorn, and so a bit coarse, but its pretty accurate, if I remember right, its been a while since I shot it.

You are PROBABLY going to have a more accurate gun with a semi auto than a lever, and a bolt gun has a better chance yet, but any in individual rifle can buck the general trend.
 
I would bet on a lever action with receiver or tang sight.

Ruger made some bolt actions that would be worth a look if you really wanted to throw money at the match.
 
I think nearly all the modern pistol calibers have the same accuracy potential. It's just a question of which rifle. Something with a box magazine would be my pick, either semi auto or bolt.
 
Its slow fire long range from a bench. Scopes are allowed.

3 shots per round starts at 50 yards and moves out my 50 yards each round. They go out to 500 yards. No elimination and high score at the end wins.

I am not sure when the next one will be. It was done mostly as an informal 1 off, just for fun. The last one has no entrance fee and no rewards other than pride lol. I was done as a side event to a 3 gun match we had locally. Several people that where just watching (such as me) entered it just for fun.

They had some gun you could use (if you bought factory ammo) you also where allowed to bring your own gun. I brought my MArlin 1892 and my Ruger 77/357. The ruger out shot the marlin but most it due to the 2X7 scope on the ruger and Iron sights only on the marlin.

The guy that won it has a 1873 reproduction in 44-40 with one of those long skiny old west style scopes.

p.s. I never hit any thing farther out than 250 yards and even then only 1 shot on paper... too much bullet drop for me to compensate.
 
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My vote would be for either a Marlin M1894 or one of the Winchester pattern rifles like the 1873 or the 1892. You can't go wrong with 357 mag or 44 mag.
 
(rifles chambered to shoot pistol cartridges.) Most pistol cartridges are straight walled except a few Foreign oversea's ones. 45 cal class of bullets have a history of accuracy. A 45 Colt perhaps. Or one or the other Marlin Camp rifles. Maybe a 50 Action Express. Big straight walled IMI creation. Chambered in the UZI model B. And too the Desert Eagle hand canons.
 
I just completed several 77/44 builds set up for suppressor use in Ohio's gun season. They will drop heavy 44 bullets into 1-2" at 100yds with a low power scope. Perfect for hunting out to 150-200yds with subsonic ammo. You could easily stretch them out to a few hundred if ranges are known or rangefinders are allowed.
 
My No. 4 Enfield rebarreled and modified to shoot .45 ACP. I load .45 Super for it. Tack driver with a little scope.
 
The ability to load very consistent ammo and knowing wind drift and trajectory will be far more important than the gun itself.
If I wanted to win I'd use a Ruger bolt 357 with a good mil-mil scope and shoot 180s with 296. Just for fun a 1885 low wall with a vernier tang sight.
The guy that won it has a 1873 reproduction in 44-40 with one of those long skiny old west style scopes.
Click to expand...
He cheated 44-40 is bottle necked lol
 
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