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Thread: Accuracy AR-15

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    Accuracy AR-15

    How accurate can an AR-15 be at zero out to 300 yards with a 16 inch barrel scoped would love to see some of your best targets I just want to know what my expectations should be also if you were going to build a strictly Target upper what barrel and components would you pick
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  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Well under MOA w/ the right barrel and trigger. I won't get into what to pick. The options are vast and everyone has their favorites.

  3. #3
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    If you plan to shoot to 300 yards and farther, I'd consider a 20" barrel in order to maximise velocity to reduce trajectory and wind deflection. Most good ARs will, as stated above, do pretty well accuracy wise if well built with a quality barrel. I have shot the ARs as match rifles to 600 yards in NM competition with good results.

    Accuracy enhancements you'll want to consider are:

    A quality barrel that will handle heavy bullets for your projected range of 300 yards. At 300 yards you really won't need a super heavy 80 or 90 grain bullet and you'll probably want to load your rounds to magazine length so the ever popular Sierra 69 MK is a good choice and will stabilize in a 1 in 9" barrel. Rifles start to get wind sensitive at 300 yards so you might even consider a 1 in 8" twist for the 75 grain bullets or if you want to shoot very long ranges, a 1 in 7" twist for the 80 grain designs.

    A steel or aluminum float tube is a good idea in order to have a free floating barrel that is not stressed due to sling pressure if you are shooting from the various positions.

    If position shooting or for the utmost is rigidity, you'll want to equip your rifle with a solid stock that provides good integrity without the play that can be encountered with a collapsible stock.

    I prefer a double stage trigger. These can be had or tuned to different weights of pull. As I shoot NM and CMP matches, mine have to meet the minimum pull weight of 4 1/2 pounds, just like the M1 and M14/M1A triggers. Other forms of competition have differing rules and of course if not shooting formally, then whatever you want that is safe. A good double stage trigger with a lightened hammer will reduce your lock time a bit and that's a help when shooting off hand.

    Almost all ARs sold now have the flat top profile which is a good thing if you want to scope your rifle. Consider a hand guard that extends the Picitiny rail forward as that will give you more flexibility in mounting your scope.

    Other than the barrel, my suggestions address the shooter to rifle meld for field shooting or match shooting.

    My solution? For the new NRA and CMP rules for the NM course of fire, all of the above with a 1 in 8" twist barrel that will handle either of the Hornady 75 grain match bullet designs as well as the lighter SMK 69 grain bullet. The new rules allow for a scope up to 4.5 power so my NM rifle for this summer has the Leuopold variable of 1.5 to 4.0 power on it.

    Here is my rifle, but with the action shooting upper installed. The NM upper for longer range shooting is below. Both barrels have the Wilde chamber and 1 in 8" twist so they shoot the same reloads without having to load specifically for each.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails AR Bushmaster 15 04.jpg  
    Last edited by Scharfschuetze; 05-19-2017 at 10:21 AM.
    Keep your powder dry,

    Scharf

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Great post Scarf
    Don Verna


  5. #5
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    You two are already crushing the opinions of those who think AR's aren't sub-moa rifles. In my experience, they definitely are.

    Shot my first couple of F-T/R 500 yard matches with my 16" 1:9 DPMS upper. Stock trigger, and shot the matches with a 3x9 Nikon, using the bullet drop reticle. It managed to shoot in the mid-500s.

    This was back in my early reloading days, but that upper would shoot .75 MOA at 100 yards with 68gr Hornadys and TAC, BL-C(2), or Varget.

    I don't have nearly the experience that Scharf has, but his advice for a 20" 1:8 is rock solid, in my opinion, and exactly what I'd choose for my next upper.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks A lot for all the information and yes great post This is helping me a lot
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    a well built AR will easily do under 3/4"@100 if fed decent ammo, and 1/2" guns arent uncommon. there are lots of AR's out there that arent very accurate, but its alot of how they are built, the quality of parts put in them, and ammo they are fed.

  8. #8
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    I never owned one until I shot a cousin's 5 years ago. A stock DPMS and factory ammo grouped in 1-1/4". I became a convert and assemble my own now. With hand loads my 16" .223 1-8" and my 16" 1-7" .300 Blk will both cut an inch at a hundred yards more often than not.
    Best, Thomas.

  9. #9
    In Remembrance

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    Back in the 90's when I shot a lot more and was a little more steady, I picked up a new Colt MT-HBAR, 20" barrel in 1-7 twist. With a 6x scope I could keep five shots inside a 1/2 inch group. I still have that rifle but couldn't tell you the last time it was shot.
    It really liked the 60 grain Sierra Varminters but the 50 grain Hornady SX bullet would come apart.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    300 is too far for me to walk to hang targets, but here are a couple 200 yard examples. Plenty more, but these are the only 2 I have scanned. The secret is finding a quality bullet that your gun likes. You aren't going to get 1/2 MOA with bulk FMJ.

    ”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

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  11. #11
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    That answers that Imashooter. Great shooting! What's your rifle?

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    Yes that's some good shooting what rifle are you using
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The upper is a DPMS unit with the factory truck axle stainless barrel and free float tube. I put it on a DPMS A2 lower with the solid stock as recommended above. The cavity in the stock was filled with lead shot. Trigger is a JP old style, not the drop in. It wears a Burris Fullfield II 6.5-20x50 fine plex scope in a Rock River high riser mount.

    Thanks for the compliments guys... The rifle is heavy for an AR. It rests on the bags pretty steady.
    ”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

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  14. #14
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    The FN15 I had would shoot like that after an accuwedge and a Rock River NM trigger were installed. With handloads of course.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by imashooter2 View Post
    The upper is a DPMS unit with the factory truck axle stainless barrel and free float tube. I put it on a DPMS A2 lower with the solid stock as recommended above. The cavity in the stock was filled with lead shot. Trigger is a JP old style, not the drop in. It wears a Burris Fullfield II 6.5-20x50 fine plex scope in a Rock River high riser mount.

    Thanks for the compliments guys... The rifle is heavy for an AR. It rests on the bags pretty steady.
    Sounds A LOT like my LR-308. I have bunch of plated 9mm bullets in the cavity of the stock, 2 stage Rock River trigger, and a 6.5-20X Vortex Viper on a Rock River mount.

    Small world! LOL

  16. #16
    Boolit Master

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    do you like the RRA 2 stage trigger
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  17. #17
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    Yeah they're pretty nice. Have one in my Rock River AR-15 as well.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    Well I see that there on sale I may just have to pick one up I also loaded up some of the 69 gr
    SMK with some Varget I'll see if this helps with my accuracy
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  19. #19
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    Should be a big improvement over any Mil-Spec trigger.

    FWIW, 68gr Hornady's shoot better out of mine than 69gr SMKs.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 308Jeff View Post
    Should be a big improvement over any Mil-Spec trigger.

    FWIW, 68gr Hornady's shoot better out of mine than 69gr SMKs.
    What powder are you using for the most part my load has been Hornady 55 gr cheap as i can find bulk bullets over 26.5 gr of CFE 223
    I have just switched scopes from a fixed 4x Leupold to a 2x7 Redfield will see if this helps too
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

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