Tune a fish, tune a piano but tune a rifle???

[CaptainMal]

My target AR was "custom built" by a local gunsmith. With typical 55 gr. magazine-length ammo it shoots little better than my short defense AR I had built for the wife. I changed that and now use the target one for 600 yard competition on steel plates.

Bullet and seating depth made the change. Using 77 gr. Sierra target bullets and an overall ammo length way past magazine length (around 2 1/2" I think) I am barely off the lands of my 8 twist barrel. Also using a RAS tuner/brake on the barrel. It is still only barely an MOA rifle but way better than it was.

 

[Thor357]

My target AR was "custom built" by a local gunsmith. With typical 55 gr. magazine-length ammo it shoots little better than my short defense AR I had built for the wife. I changed that and now use the target one for 600 yard competition on steel plates.

Bullet and seating depth made the change. Using 77 gr. Sierra target bullets and an overall ammo length way past magazine length (around 2 1/2" I think) I am barely off the lands of my 8 twist barrel. Also using a RAS tuner/brake on the barrel. It is still only barely an MOA rifle but way better than it was.

Yeah, I've played around with powders and seating depth. I've gotten great groups with one set up and then with the exact same round gotten crappy groups. Everything was the same yet one 5 shot group was stellar and the next was horrible. Defies explanation, at least for me.

 

[Thor357]

I haven't tried putting my right pinky into my left ear and blinking rapidly yet but I'm soon approaching such desperation. Gonna hafta ta figger out how ta squeeze the trigger first though!!!

 

[ridgeway]

In detail, explain you loading technique/process. I'd keep looking.

As for tuner, they do work, but aren't magic. They will refine a good load/barrel. They won't make a bad barrel/load shoot good. They tweak and keep a barrel in tune.

 

[rebeltex]

some of you guys, i swear...
There is a difference between a mass produced AR made for the masses to be a personal defense weapon mag dump blaster and a properly set up precision AR. Which do you have?
An AR set up properly can be amazingly accurate.

 

[Tim Singleton]

What is your scope ?
eralier you said it shot well then wouldn’t

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Try some 80 gr in your 1=7 twist. also is the barrel extension BLUE loctited into the upper? What kind of handguard do you have on the rifle? Is barrel properly torqued into upper receiver?

 

[Drop Port]

Was your upper and lower fitted, if not also try a $3.00 wedge, I've seen them cut groups in half on sloppy AR's.

 

[CharlieNC]

A tuner is not going to correct something that is wrong with your rifle. It might make a small improvement to position you more precisely within a node and provide a buffer to stay in tune, but don't expect it to be a miracle worker.

 

[Thor357]

What is your scope ?
eralier you said it shot well then wouldn’t

And then it would.
It's not the scope, scope rings, or mount.
They are of very high quality.

 

[jepp2]

Sooo....am I expecting too much from my AR if 2 MOA is good?

I think that all depends. If you follow most/all of the recommendations by Whitley your chance for success is much greater:

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/05/what-makes-an-ar-accurate-whitley-offers-answers/

I believe the contribution of a quality barrel with the correct twist for the bullet you intend to use is paramount. I've got an AR 15 with a Krieger barrel and this is what it is capable of.

 

[ridgeway]

And then it would.
It's not the scope, scope rings, or mount.
They are of very high quality.

Very naive thinking. People are trying to make valid thinks to check. I have seen with my own eyes high end 2k+ scopes move on a checker. Highly possible. But in end, we are talking about a mil spec AR.

 

[Thor357]

In detail, explain you loading technique/process. I'd keep looking.

As for tuner, they do work, but aren't magic. They will refine a good load/barrel. They won't make a bad barrel/load shoot good. They tweak and keep a barrel in tune.

I'd rather not answer your question directly.
I don't want this thread to devolve into "you're doing it wrong; that's not how I do it; there's your problem..."
thing. Just assume I'm doing things "mostly" right.
All I was asking from the get go was do tuners work etc,
As you said and others agree, tuners do work...to a point.
Good enough for me, that's all I wanted to know.

 

[Thor357]

Very naive thinking. People are trying to make valid thinks to check. I have seen with my own eyes high end 2k+ scopes move on a checker. Highly possible. But in end, we are talking about a mil spec AR.

Naive? How presumptuous.
The scope is not the issue, trust me.
A quality mil-spec AR with some note worthy up grades.

 

[Thor357]

I think that all depends. If you follow most/all of the recommendations by Whitley your chance for success is much greater:

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/05/what-makes-an-ar-accurate-whitley-offers-answers/

I believe the contribution of a quality barrel with the correct twist for the bullet you intend to use is paramount. I've got an AR 15 with a Krieger barrel and this is what it is capable of.

View attachment 1373854

NICE!!!
My AR has done this well on occasion. Just not consistently.
It has an Aero Precision barrel. Many give AP high praises.

 

[Thor357]

A tuner is not going to correct something that is wrong with your rifle. It might make a small improvement to position you more precisely within a node and provide a buffer to stay in tune, but don't expect it to be a miracle worker.

I understand. A tuner is not a cure all, I get it.

 

[Thor357]

Was your upper and lower fitted, if not also try a $3.00 wedge, I've seen them cut groups in half on sloppy AR's.

That is on the list of things to potentially try, just not yet.

 

[Thor357]

Try some 80 gr in your 1=7 twist. also is the barrel extension BLUE loctited into the upper? What kind of handguard do you have on the rifle? Is barrel properly torqued into upper receiver?

I have and yes to all your questions except for using Loctite. The barrel is quite snug in the extension and upper. It is torqued correctly.
I have Magpul, A2 and A1 handguard.

 

[Thor357]

some of you guys, i swear...
There is a difference between a mass produced AR made for the masses to be a personal defense weapon mag dump blaster and a properly set up precision AR. Which do you have?
An AR set up properly can be amazingly accurate.

Read through this post, I answer that question.

 

[jghoghunter]

Here's what my AR does in competition. It's a WOA upper with a Wilson bbl on a custom billet lower high end trigger. I usually shoot without a spotter. So poor wind calls on my part are usually the ones that our out of the group and 500 yds it's sometimes hard to see bullet holes. That 200 yd 48 pt target is what happens when you get excited and shoot too fast. Shots 1&2 10x shots 3&4 9's stop take a breather and 5th shot 10. My stupid fault. It's very consistent rifle, no tuner.