AR accuracy

[hq]

All the nonsense about "gotta be a heavy barrel, gotta be fast twist is just that.

It's not by any means an absolute requirement, it's just probability. Premium quality lightweight barrels can be extremely accurate when barrel harmonics, loads and twist rate match. It's just a matter of having such a barrel made and finding the perfect combination, not something that can automatically be expected from an over the counter bulk barrel and factory loads. I've seen a bone stock A1 shoot consistent 0.3MOA with regular Norma 55gr Jaktmatch all day long. Once. I suggested that the guy who owned it bought a bunch of lottery tickets now that he was really on a roll.

 

[rayatphonix]

I just learned I want to go hunting in Finland! Beautiful and unique.

 

[Kame B.]

Bolt actions are cheaper than 3000 dollar AR's.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Some AR's are cheaper than some bolt guns. It's all relative. You can buy cheap AR that shoots great you can also spend a heck of a lot more money on a bolt gun than just about any AR if you want to.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

, heavy milled receiver

ALL AR receivers are milled in some fashion. They are either milled out of billet or milled from a raw forging. There is no real weight difference that I am aware of.

One big contributor to AR accuracy is a free float barrel. Get a simple float tube, not a quad rail full of accessories and you can build a nice light and accurate rifle. I have a Daniel Defense 16" pencil barrel on my first build. With irons only, it's under 6#. Shoots about MOA from prone with good ammo. About 2moa with green tip.

 

[d2wing]

Have a stock 20 inch, Gv't profile from Delton that shoot under MOA with Hornaday and Black Hills ammo. The key is a good barrel. Maybe I am just lucky cause most of my guns shoot really well.
And Justin, nobody believes you. Quit crapping in other people's threads. This is about AR's I have probably been as guilty as any for doing the same thing lots of times. But I see the error of my ways and will try to do better.

 

[d2wing]

There are lot's of Fins here in Minnesota. In Menagha they celebrate St. Urho's day. There is a funny story about sauna's in the local history from pioneer days. I have good friends that are Finish. Finland is a cool country but it is cool enough here in Minnesota. Lol. Good to hear from you.

 

[Hookeye]

The heavy barrel rigs do shoot well, but are a PITA to lug around.
Most folks I know have switched to 16" rigs for yotes. Under 300 yards, don't need the heavy bbl or big scopes.
My Stag 16" does .75" @100 w Vmax factory ammo. That with a Redfield Revolution 2-7X. JP spring kit and GI trigger parts (set screw to take out some creep).
Non free floated too.

Built another one (7th?). Not really into them, but for a truck gun they're handy.
And they're cheap (compared to an FNC para).

Got another build going, ultra cheap. All my $$$$ buds.........am slapping one together with their takeoffs. Should come in under 350 bucks. Some cosmetic issues covered up LOL. Might spraypaint "ex wife" on it and treat it as such (throw it in trunk).

 

[RainDodger]

Yeah, the whole black rifle craze has depressed me. My off-the-rack 20" barreled Rock River Arms groups better than my very NOT off-the-rack Sako heavy-barreled .243. This should not happen... but it does.

It just made me go buy more of them, and then they multiplied in my safe. Depressing.

 

[justin22885]

ALL AR receivers are milled in some fashion. They are either milled out of billet or milled from a raw forging. There is no real weight difference that I am aware of.

One big contributor to AR accuracy is a free float barrel. Get a simple float tube, not a quad rail full of accessories and you can build a nice light and accurate rifle. I have a Daniel Defense 16" pencil barrel on my first build. With irons only, it's under 6#. Shoots about MOA from prone with good ammo. About 2moa with green tip.

2MOA with M855 is about what i get in my pencil barreled un-free floated AK-74

 

[AABEN]

I have a stock Armalite M4 and have as my next "want" to get a heavy barreled upper and better trigger for accuracy. As it is, the best I can get is 1.5-2.0 MOA

If I had that I might shoot it more and find something to hunt with it.

Try some or 69 gram Fiocchi match my Arma Lite 15A4B likes them I am 75 and I can get a dime size hole with 5 shots.My Windham likes 61 62 gran that I buy by the 1000 so it saves me a lot of money. I do all of reloading for every gun that I have. Good Luck

 

[Caliper_Mi]

2MOA with M855 is about what i get in my pencil barreled un-free floated AK-74

2moa is also about the accuracy limit of M855. It's simply not precision ammo, but 2moa is plenty for the intended purpose.

To me, the biggest benefit of free floating is when shooting from field positions. Varying pressure on the stock from sling tension, bipod loading, bag placement, etc won't affect the barrel so the rifle is more consistent.

 

[cfullgraf]

I got interested in AR-15s when I saw how accurate they were at Service Rifle matches in the early 2000s.

I got real interested in them when i learned that accurate AR-15s were easy to assemble from a cornucopia of parts suppliers.

I've assembled long, heavy barreled, "crew served" AR-15s to short barrel, walk about hunters. All shoot better than 1 MOA and most better than that.

As an aside, I mostly use 5 and 10 round magazines. More convenient in length when hunting or shooting from a fixed position and I do not worry about being over run by the animals or targets.

 

[jmorris]

All shoot better than 1 MOA and most better than that.

Better is better AR or not.

 

[justin22885]

2moa is also about the accuracy limit of M855. It's simply not precision ammo, but 2moa is plenty for the intended purpose.

To me, the biggest benefit of free floating is when shooting from field positions. Varying pressure on the stock from sling tension, bipod loading, bag placement, etc won't affect the barrel so the rifle is more consistent.

yeah, i dont expect anything better than 2moa from M855, i can get even more accurate with new factory ammo and if i wanted to handload some match ammo i could probably get even better but see little reason to do so

 

[outlawjw]

I have my first ever non magnum rifle a dpms gll it prints 3 shots in about a 1/4" of one load & less than a 1/2" with another. Its about the same weight as my mags but it takes a range finder to hunt past 300 but not till 500 on the mags. Its a 308
I tried to load a couple pics I guess its above my pay grade

 

[outlawjw]

This is two 3 shot groups

 

[outlawjw]

This is gll

 

[AABEN]

That is one good looking gun. What make is it? Tell me about it. I have two that will shoot like that one is a Windham VEX-SS the other is a Arma Lite 15A4B My Bushmaster is my play gun it will shoot 11/2 at a 100 Yd with Mil rounds so I use it to keep use to shooting my AR'S

 

[outlawjw]

It is a dpms gll lr10 . it had .007" upper to lower receivers clearance & I shimmed it down to .0005" & that cut the groups it was getting in half other than that & normal barrel break in I just shoot it mostly at hogs & coyotes . Those big bullets make them DRT. IVE NEVER EVEN LIKED THE looks of them before ,but am becoming a convert.

 

[outlawjw]

Oh the carbon fiber tube is supposed to fit any at but it comes on the gll

 

[mf-dif]

Combination of the round and inline design makes it easy to shoot accurately. That and there are so many barrel makers...that even the budget ones group well.

 

[outlawjw]

I guess there are a lot of folks out there that would call a 1,600.00 rifle budget to me that is about 2 months savings then I had to buy a scope . I guess that's budget.

 

[mavracer]

Doesn't have to be heavy or $3000, my Recce inspired build was ~$1275 including the back up irons, scope and bipod and it's under 8# with the bipod and 20 round mag and will do .5 MOA if I do my part.

 

[Kame B.]

Wow, $3000 bucks, $1600 bucks, 1200 bucks?!? I took a used mini 14 and re-barreled it with a Shilen barrel and it shoots half inch groups, and only cost me $750.00. But then again you can get the same kind of groups out of a cheaper bolt action Ruger American Rifle.