AR's aren't accurate

[miningshawn]

A friend sent me this a couple years ago and I laid one of my 5 shot targets it on it at the correct size. This is at 100 yards. Below is onbe of my 10 shot AR targets.
View attachment 1109187
My AR is a basic Palmetto 16" stainless barrel with 1/8 twist, a 5.56 chamber, and a muzzle brake. The barrel is not free floated. My most accurate rounds are 69 grain Sierra Match Kings with 25.3 grains of Varget in Federal cases and the C.O.L. set to 1.300" (using magazines that will take that length). Still there is about .150" jump to the lands. This is at 100 yards. Why the shot off to the right? I somehow always seem to get a flier and this is a bad one. Normal group size for this rifle is about 1-1/4" -1-1/2" rarely shooting 1 MOA. Some 55 grain ammo I used in testing shot as much as 4-1/2" at 100 yards. That's a pattern, not a group.
View attachment 1109188

That is some nice shooting! I had to knuckle down extra hard to avoid fliers. I try to post a 3×5 card with the recipe, the conditions, and a complete target next to every rifle so I don't have to memorize. It all came together on this one.
Something neat is that the upper group uses 24.6gr Varget. Varget is normally my go-to powder but this rifle would not get under .6MOA with it. CFE223 is listed as a very cloae burn rate and this helps confirm it a little more, I am develiping a .223 Wylde chambering with LC fully prepped and 69gr Sierra TMK's and it's starting to show similar results.
The next recipe is H335 and 40gr blitzkings. I would like to see what kind of velocity this wouls achieve, but I suspect the jump will be atrocious. I chose the expensive Bergers to get my jump to less than .060 but it ended up liking .075 after neck turning, go figure.

 

[T-shooter]

That is some nice shooting! I had to knuckle down extra hard to avoid fliers. I try to post a 3×5 card with the recipe, the conditions, and a complete target next to every rifle so I don't have to memorize. It all came together on this one.
Something neat is that the upper group uses 24.6gr Varget. Varget is normally my go-to powder but this rifle would not get under .6MOA with it. CFE223 is listed as a very cloae burn rate and this helps confirm it a little more, I am develiping a .223 Wylde chambering with LC fully prepped and 69gr Sierra TMK's and it's starting to show similar results.
The next recipe is H335 and 40gr blitzkings. I would like to see what kind of velocity this wouls achieve, but I suspect the jump will be atrocious. I chose the expensive Bergers to get my jump to less than .060 but it ended up liking .075 after neck turning, go figure.

Here are some measurements with .223/5.56 bullets. A good cheap bullet is the Hornady 62 grain boat tail. I used those in a Wylde chamber with 25.6g of Varget with good results. The 69g Sierra with 25.3g Varget averaged 2,725 fps The CFE223 is a very fine powder and won't work in some tricklers.


These are .02 grains of Varget and CFE223 for comparison. For my self defense ammo I loaded the LeHigh C/C 55 grains bullets with 28.4g of Varget with a standard COL of 2.260" and I got a velocity of 3,050 fps.

 

[40X Guy]

Oh yeah, I love my accurate long range AR-15's, they wont stay in the hunt with my BR rifles but fun not having to lift head, rack bolt, insert cartridge, close bolt etc... I can shoot some 10 shot groups in under 60 seconds at 500 yards that most hunting rifles can't touch. Lots of fun!

Frank

 

[rebs]

I have a S&W sport and a Colt match target competition that both shoot under 1" at 100 yards.

 

[Termite I]

Here are some groups from a couple of AR's I have. One is a 6.5 Grendel, 20" BHW barrel. The other is a 300 BO, 16" SAA barrel. All were fired from a bench using front rest with a squeeze bag at the rear. The flyer in the middle picture was my last shot and I knew I blew it as soon as I pulled the trigger.
Velocity of the 123 SST with 28.5 grains of IMR 8208 XBR was a touch over 2600 fps. Velocity of the 110 grain Varmagedons with 19.8 grains of Alliant 300 MP was a little over 2400 fps.
As with any load data, use at your own risk. Start low and work up. What works in my rifles may not work in yours.

 

[Mark W]

I don’t have any target pics handy, but my ER Shaw built AR easily shoots around an inch with hand loads and closer 1/2” with its favorite 69 Grain SMKs.

The thing is for me that I just don’t really enjoy shooting an AR that much. Mine has only been out of the safe once in the past year.

I have a friend who loves them so much that I had to twist his arm to buy a couple of real varmint rifles for an upcoming prairie dog trip.

Ultimately I’m glad that we all have different tastes. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone liked the same stuff. I always try not to hate on anyone for their individual likes and dislikes. Well, except for 6.5 Creedmoor.....lol

 

[T-shooter]

I ran into a problem when I first built my AR and was working up loads. The last shot would go wild, usually high, for whatever reason. (at 100 yards in picture) I started using a dummy cartridge as the last round in the magazines and it seem to cure the problem. It seemed to do this with a couple different magazines. I found someone else online that had the same thing happen. I was shooting from a bench and have a 4 lb trigger. I also use a blast deflector but when shooting for accuracy, take it off leaving the muzzle brake. It has noticeably less muzzle bounce with the brake, almost zero.

 

[CT10ring]

Stock YHM upper, 5.56 NATO chamber 1:9, couldn't see the target, dot covered it, so I aimed at the middle of paper...55g Norma 5.56. fliers are me
built the lower.

 

[rogn]

I bought an AR 10 when our former MD Commissar decreed ARs as tools of eveil. I decided Id have one just because. This one has a SS Criterion barrel and shoots very well. Very well in fact.Its quite happy with a solid load of 1980s AA2520 which I think is not the same today, and a 175 BTHP labelled as Graf's bulk specials. The last 3 shots fired at 300M clustered in 0.68" It seems to be able to maintain those clusters. Now i dont want to shoot it in fear of wearing it out, and using up that lot of 2520.. Strange predicament.

 

[Bc'z]

Pof15, 3x15 swfa
25 gr benchmark, nosler 55gr bt, cci200
Loaded on Dillon 550.
15 rounds @ 100 yards

6x45, hodgepodge build, BHW barrel
4x16 diamond back
25.9 gr benchmark, 68gr barts original fb
Cci450.
Ocw test

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

I built my own AR 15 from scratch, including milling the receiver. Put a $170.00 no name 24 in bull barrel on it. Will it shoot straight. You be the judge. Top right is a one hole three shot and bottom left is also a one hole three shot group. The other two groups are my normal expectations from the gun. All at 100 yards. I doubt that I have more that $400.00 in this thing but it shoots like a million bucks. Scope is a cheap Bushnell.

Further, I use Hornady 55 gr, FMJ bullets about $90.00 a thousand from Midway.

The only rifle I own that can out shoot it is my $4500.00 6 PPC which gives consistent one hole groups at 100 yards.

 

[BronzeArcher]

I tend to think about the probability of getting a 0.5 MOA rifle with minimal load work up at a given price point. For say, $1200, a bolt gun (say R700 or Savage) gives you a great chance of getting a 0.5 MOA rifle with the first match bullet and powder you try. Just load a range of charge weights and stick with the one that is most accurate.

I haven't built enough ARs to be sure, but 0.5 MOA does not seem to be as easy to get in my experience.

Most of my match observations are on the F-Class firing line, where there are also a few ARs shooting the new NRA AR Tactical discipline. Sure, there are some ARs cleaning up, but their 10 ring is twice the size.

 

[Richard Coody]

Ar's can't hang with a bolt gun. Sure you will occasionally get those wallet groups but they just aren't as consistent.

Believe me i have built a lot of precision ar's. Still have the addiction. The worse is taking lapua brass and carefully preparing it and then having bent necks and mangled rims. Ticks me off.

That said they can be very accurate. This is a group that is pretty typical with my 6mm ar turbo 40.

 

[tomswede]

Ar's can't hang with a bolt gun. Sure you will occasionally get those wallet groups but they just aren't as consistent.

Believe me i have built a lot of precision ar's. Still have the addiction. The worse is taking lapua brass and carefully preparing it and then having bent necks and mangled rims. Ticks me off.

That said they can be very accurate. This is a group that is pretty typical with my 6mm ar turbo 40.

Never really could understand Lapua brass in an AR. LC and NT are excellent mil spec brass that is very uniform and has hardness compatible with the platform. Lapua brass is great, shoot it in my bolt guns but would never consider it in my AR’s.

 

[Downhill]

AR's get a bad rap by the guys trying to replicate what they seen in any of the John Wick movies or a plethora of other films. The AR is just like any other rifle- load development, tuning the system and the skill of a dedicated rifleman. Personally I have found AR's to be capable of fantastic accuracy. Is it as accurate as a bench gun- nope. Would I get rid of any of mine for that reason- nope.

 

[mousegunner]

My ARs will hold 1/2 MOA without a lot effort on the loads, 69s, 75s, and 77s. IMR 4895 and Varget, for across the course , the only bad variable is myself. Jewel and Rock River triggers, Wilson barrels, nothing special.

 

[mousegunner]

I remember reading that someone tried to blueprint an AR by working on the receiver, extension, bolt and it didn't shoot much better than the sub 1/4 inch groups he was already getting. I guess he had reached the limit of gun and ammo.

 

[69mach]

I’ve had 2 compass lake ARs and they were both tack drivers. The accurate and reliable built 6 Fat Rat I’ve got on the classifieds would be a tack driver too with some good load development. A forum member is building me a bartlien barreled 6br. We have a competitive gas gun match
Locally and whoever says ar rifles can’t shoot and is a spray and pray gun probably watches to much cnn.