Are SBRs really inaccurate?

[fatelvis]

I just went to the range with my Son-in-law yesterday and we were zeroing in his high dollar, Russian made Krinkov pistol at 100 yds, wearing a T1 Aimpoint red dot (2MOA dot). Normally he shoots outstandingly well with his young eyes and great form with his other five AK pattern rifles, actually rivaling AR groups with his 5.45 ammo, but this one was making a shotgun pattern with its 8.5” Barrel. I have no experience with ARs or AKs with such short barrels, and I was wondering if ARs suffered from this phenomenon as well. If so, I’m wondering what all the fuss is about lately where everyone HAS to have one! Lol
Thanks guys.

 

[Ranger188]

SBR's were not made for 100 yd. + shooting. Some will, depending on load.
Use it as it was intended for, close range
That's why they make longer barrels...

 

[joshb]

They might be a fair “close quarters” gun but I wouldn’t expect great accuracy out of any short barreled AK at 100.

 

[0.1 Aggregate]

Not enough information. What is the twist rate of his barrel? What bullet weight was he firing? Does that ammo shoot well in his rifles? It is possible that the lower velocity of the short barrel is causing bullet instability. Or the barrel may just be poor.

AR pistols are hardly “inaccurate”, certainly not shotgun patterns. With the right twist rate and ammo they can be accurate out past 200 yards. The bullet doesn’t care what the barrel length is, just the velocity and how fast it’s spinning. Regardless of someone’s expectations, handgun silhouette shooters proved 40 years ago that short barrels in rifle chamberings can be outstandingly accurate at long range.




.

 

[Onebad06VTX]

Not a caliber known for real good accuracy!
Not a rifle/pistol known for real good accuracy!
I have seen sbr rifles shoot under a inch,but they where in calibers known for accuracy like 6br,6ppc,308.
Specility pistols shoot really well,off a rest.
I have a few and have killed deer at 450 yds.
But there is alot of people shooting out past 1000 yds with short barrel speciltiy pistols.
You would be hard pressed to get a ak 47 to shoot under 2 1/2'' at 100 yds.
There designed to run in any condition,but not to be a match gun.

 

[dellet]

Probably did this one all wrong.
AR 15, 300 BLK, 8” 1/5, 150 grain Gold Dot, 1900 FPS. Atlas bipod and rear squeeze bag, 1X6 Accupoint.

Two sighters and one for score at 100 meters.


Same basic set up as above, field bipod and squeeze bag, this was a 12” 1/10, same bullet 2100fps+ About a 12mph crosswind. 200 yards. Calculating drop from 50 yard zero.

 

[Tommie]

I just went to the range with my Son-in-law yesterday and we were zeroing in his high dollar, Russian made Krinkov pistol at 100 yds, wearing a T1 Aimpoint red dot (2MOA dot). Normally he shoots outstandingly well with his young eyes and great form with his other five AK pattern rifles, actually rivaling AR groups with his 5.45 ammo, but this one was making a shotgun pattern with its 8.5” Barrel. I have no experience with ARs or AKs with such short barrels, and I was wondering if ARs suffered from this phenomenon as well. If so, I’m wondering what all the fuss is about lately where everyone HAS to have one! Lol
Thanks guys.

Something’s wrong

 

[rebel]

@dellet just did a mic drop

 

[fatelvis]

Yes, those are respectable groups Dellet. I guess its just a case by case situation.

 

[Ranger188]

@fatelvis if this is just a plinker, then just go with it.
Or try a different load.
For home protection, it will do what it's suppose to.

 

[Bill Score]

 

[archerforkids]

I absolutely love my SBR. 300 blackout. 10-in barrel. Silencerco suppressor.
Running 125 grain TNTs I have dropped hogs out to 300 yd on several occasions. I have rung steel plates out to 500 yards. Just pull the trigger, lay the gun down and wait. You can get a sip of coffee waiting on it to hit at 500 yards. Hilarious to watch when people realize you're shooting a 10-in barrel.

 

[Bojo]

All these rifle caliber pistols can be pretty accurate for what they are.
they do however need to be loaded with the appropriate charge in order to be accurate. Just think of that 8.5” group as the pistol being out of tune. At the super short room clearing ranges in which they were conceived for MOA has zero business in even being spoken in.

 

[300_whisper]

AKs are tough to build accurately. They aren’t like ARs where you can slap them together and get decent reliability and accuracy. For a gun that was designed to be massed produced it takes a lot of special machinery and skill sets to get them shooting correctly. I wouldn’t expect much out of a 8.5 inch AK, though. If you’re shooting 3-5” at 100 yards consider that a win. Pistol ARs and SBRs anything under 2” I would consider a win. Here’s very cool videos on AK accuracy.

 

[shoobe01]

First, SBRs have a stock. That helps. Make sure it's not you, the sights, the position, the rest.

Then sure, some guns no matter the length are horribly inaccurate.

I have a 12.5 5.56 upper... among others, but this one I tested out this summer with a pile of ammo I had laying around.

		100 yd Group	300 yd group
1	Armscor .223 62gr Ball (no penetrator)	4.06	9.15
2	Federal Powershok 64 gr Soft Point #223L	1.33	4.21
3	Geco DTX 55 gr	1.78	7.55
4	R-P .223 55 gr (older, no box)	4.93	5.3
5	Armscor LC06 NATO 55 gr	2.74	7.25
6	American Eagle XM855 LC17	2.61	5.81
7	Hornady Black #81263 62 gr 5.56	1.74	6.25
8	Speer Gold Dot .223 62 gr GDSP #244455R	0.92	4.89
9	TAP FPD (Unknown bullet weight!)	1.85	5.84

SBRs are for indeed for close combat, but that is zero to at least 300 yds.

I know people who have nothing but good things to say about their work SCAR-H with a 13" barrel at 800 yds.

 

[Bill Score]

Try some different ammo, tough these days. I have a Bulgarian AK-74, accuracy was minute of man. I threw Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Tiger something or other, Hornady and 7n6 surplus at it. The 7n6 shot the best for me. Every once in a while it’ll surprise you with its group, but it mostly shoots fist sized groups at 100. You can play around some with the front hand guard. There can be too much tension there, filed it down, helped my groups.

 

[dk17hmr]

I have an 11.3" 6.8spc Wilson combat barrel that is probably one of the more accurate ARs I own....sub MOA out to 400 yards and kills the heck out of deer.

 

[GotRDid]

I absolutely love my SBR. 300 blackout. 10-in barrel. Silencerco suppressor.
Running 125 grain TNTs I have dropped hogs out to 300 yd on several occasions. I have rung steel plates out to 500 yards. Just pull the trigger, lay the gun down and wait. You can get a sip of coffee waiting on it to hit at 500 yards. Hilarious to watch when people realize you're shooting a 10-in barrel.

Sounds like my first Bow, only at 10-40 yds.

 

[Herzo]

20 rounds 5.56 offhand @ 10" gong @ 100 yards. Trying to maintain my muscle memory.