Oil Analysis Accuracy

[billt460]

Sorry ... they are also technically using the wrong terminology. They may purposely use the wrong term because that's what people are use to seeing, and don't really understand the difference between precision and accuracy. A rifle's MOA performance is only describing how precisely it shoots. The accuracy is dependent on the sights and if they are "calibrated" (ie, "sighted in") correctly to put the bullets where the shooter wants them. Accuracy is basically adjustable, but the precision isn't ... it's part of the design and manufacturing of the rifle ... you get what you get in terms of its precision - its MOA performance.

The rifle's MOA can be determined without the rifle being accurate ... you just need to see the MOA grouping anywhere on the target to see it (your "Precision Benchrest Compititioin" example). After that, if you adjust (calibrate) the sights to put that group on the bullseye, then the rifle is both percise and accurate, as the many examples given show.

The terminology is used wrong all over the internet, and that locks in misconceptions in people's heads on the actual correct terminology. That's why lots of people really don't know the technical difference between the definition of precision and accuracy wrt the scientific measurements, and also with rifle performance in this context.

Next time you're at the rifle range, ask everyone there if they know the difference between their rifle's precision and accuracy. The are technically two totally different things as shown many times in this thread. The same goes for measuring about anything. A digital micrometer (or any other measuring tool, like machines used in UOAs) might be very precise, but it could be very inaccurate.

It's not just the Internet or Weatherby. In 60 years of shooting I have never heard anyone describe group size as "precision". It has always been referred to as "accuracy".

In fact the only time I have heard the term "precision" used is in reloading. Where it fits because of the reference to precision, and or precise tolerances.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It's not just the Internet or Weatherby. In 60 years of shooting I have never heard anyone describe group size as "precision". It has always been referred to as "accuracy".

In fact the only time I have heard the term "precision" used is in reloading. Where it fits because of the reference to precision tolerances.

That's because It's been burned into the shooting world for too long, but there is a very technical difference as shown. The scientific community know the difference ... it they didn't, they couldn't really do their job very well - like doing UOAs and understanding their test equipment's actual precision and accuracy. Or a machinist not knowing about both precision and accuracy of the tools he uses.

Whoever came up with the "Precision Benchrest Competition" title as you described is absolutely right with that terminology. Ask the people who named it that, why they named it that. They probably do know the difference between precision and accuracy.

 

[TiGeo]

That's because It's been burned into the shooting world for too long, but there is a very technical difference as shown. The scientific community know the difference ... it they didn't, they couldn't really do their job very well - like doing UOAs and understanding their test equipment's actual precision and accuracy. Or a machinist not knowing about both precision and accuracy of the tools he uses.

Whoever came up with the "Precision Benchrest Competition" title as you described is absolutely right with that terminology. Ask the people who named it that, why they named it that. They probably do know the difference between precision and accuracy.

Why bother with science? It's whatever folks want anymore. Holy cow.

 

[billt460]

Why bother with science? It's whatever folks want anymore. Holy cow.

It's simple communication, nothing more. Walk up to any rifle shooter, on any range, on any given day, and ask him how accurate his gun is shooting, and he'll know exactly what you're talking about.

And it's been that way since long before I was born. And it most likely will never change. And it's nothing worth getting your panties in a twist over.

 

[OilUzer]

Some of oil companies websites still use weight instead of grade. It doesn't make it technically correct however. Maybe cuz people got used to it.

Another common and technically incorrect is ft.lb instead of lb.ft (lbf.ft) for torque.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It's simple communication, nothing more. Walk up to any rifle shooter, on any range, on any given day, and ask him how accurate his gun is shooting, and he'll know exactly what you're talking about.

And it's been that way since long before I was born. And it most likely will never change. And it's nothing worth getting your panties in a twist over.

That's because shooters are probably automatically wrapping precision in with accuracy. But I bet not many really know the actual difference between precision and accuracy of their rifles. Ask your shooting buddies if they know the meaning of both wrt to shooting rifles.

There are many gun sites that actually know and explain the difference ... like this one. Maybe it takes an article like this for a shooter who never heard of this to have some belief and understand the difference - which is exactly the same as what's been explained in this thread. There are all kinds of hits about this if you do some research.

https://www.ssusa.org/content/accuracy-vs-precision-sharpen-your-shooting-skills/

Regardless of how well a rifle is sighted in to hit the spot the scope cross-hairs are put on, if you asked a shooter how "repeatable" his rifle is while shooting it in a gun vice, he would probably give an answer related to MOA along the lines of: "It shoots 1/2 inch groups all day long at 100 yards." What he just described is the precision of the gun. If that 1/2 inch group was always hitting the target in the upper RH corner of the target, then it's still precise, but not accurate - which is corrected by calibrating the rifle to make the group hit at the desired spot by adjusting the sights. The MOA capability of any gun is technically only connected to its precision. It has to be calibrated by adjusting the sights to be accurate.