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How do I improve performance of my Ruger AR556?

alvinjohn62

Hello All and a Happy cold morning!

I have a Ruger AR556 and I'm thinking I might be able to shoot precision long range with it and not have to buy another rifle.
I was thinking that I will need the barrel to be floating at the very least and maybe have a fixed stock.
I thought about just getting a complete upper with 18" barrel and rifle length gas system, floating handguard and then get parts to change to a fixed stock.
I was thinking Palmetto State Armory, as that is my experience with affordable stuff.
I would like to be enlightened more about this subject, what I should totally avoid and what stuff I can get away with at a cheap budget range.
I'm kind of in the situation of "shoot cheaply or not at all"
I believe that shooting cheaply can still be enjoyable.
I also don't want to be too cheap that it will become a waste of money.

Thank You,

P.S. I can do my own gunsmithing but I don't have the specialized tools. I would be willing to buy some basic tool.
 
You cannot expect good accuracy from an inexpensive AR, most people that want a very accurate AR build from scratch, it's less expensive than buying one and changing major components, but answer your question, a match grade barrel and a good trigger would be a good start
 
If that Ruger is a piston gun, they're not known for accuracy. A good gas gun like the Rock River Coyote is surprisingly accurate. I could group a friend's Coyote Carbine as well as my bolt guns, with tuned handloads of course. Doesn't make sense to swap out everything when you could easily sell the Ruger as is (many crave their reliability) and start over on the front foot.
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I asked a friend of mine that builds ar's how I can get my ar tuned to shoot tight groups. His answer was less than satisfying.
 
Put a 4-6 power scope on it and shoot it! AR’s are just plain fun! I’ve got a Little Rock River that shoots an 1 1/2” groups at 100. I’m happy with it! I have a Stag with a long heavy barrel on it that will occasionally shoot a 1/2” group with my handloads.
 
I tried to make a .224 Valkyrie about 3 years ago. My thought was to do 600 yds with it.

This was a scratch build and bought a decient barrel 24", hand loaded all my ammo and did my ladder testing to fine out what it shot the best.

This gun was a tack driver at 100 - 200 yds. After that 12" x 12" steel plates out to 600 yds.

My 600 yds was at best 5 shots on a steel plate but no grouping accuracy at all.

Not trying to rain on your parade but it's a AR have fun as the others have said.

If you want a 600 to 1000 yd shooter and are on a budget, Savage, 6.5 CM, heavy barrel (under $500), a good scope (the Vortex diamonback Tactical, 6-24X50, $400).

This is what I started with 3 years ago. I have since then changed out a few things on the savage and am very happy with my 1000 yd accuracy. I also liked it so much i took a old beat up Savage 308 and re barreled in 6mm CM.

Have fun.
 

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Define distance and desired accuracy first.

Cheap (PSA, BCA, DPMS) AR can get to 1.25, maybe 1 moa consistently in 5 shots. To get much better than that, it's orders of magnitude more expensive. Like, good bolt gun expensive.

No point in getting a match barrel if the extension doesn't meet square and true with the upper receiver, and not much use in both of those without a bolt set for your barrel and a good BCG. That right there is easily $1000 if done right (including all the other upper parts).

Lowers can be done cheaper, but you'll want a $150+ trigger.

This should give you 0.5 MOA in 5 to ten shots, but no guarantees.

Quality costs money, and cheap AR15s are not. I have a few, and they shoot well enough to enjoy them, but I have different accuracy expectations than with a bolt gun.
 
@lb-ft has an 18" Palmetto upper that shoots well above it's pay grade.

First place I would start is some match grade ammo or bullets if you reload. Not a lot of people realize how poor a 55 FMJ bullet is for accuracy. Try something with a 69 or 77 grain match bullet if you are going to shoot further out. 52/53 grain match bullets are good inside 300, further if you don't have a lot of wind to deal with.

What are your expectations/distances?
 
Correct not to expect any reasonable effort to give meaningful results as a precision long range rifle. Not to say you can't improve what you have.

That said start by asking your library to get all of Glen Zediker's books and all of Patrick Sweeney's AR books from Gun Digest. Buy any that particularly impress you. After you have read them all several times start over.
 
SecondsCount said:
@lb-ft has an 18" Palmetto upper that shoots well above it's pay grade.

First place I would start is some match grade ammo or bullets if you reload. Not a lot of people realize how poor a 55 FMJ bullet is for accuracy. Try something with a 69 or 77 grain match bullet if you are going to shoot further out. 52/53 grain match bullets are good inside 300, further if you don't have a lot of wind to deal with.

What are your expectations/distances?
Click to expand...
Boy that’s the truth about ammo! I have the same Ruger as the OP and enjoy it but don’t shoot it much. I have some Australian Outback ammo with 69SMK that shoots great and even some Fiochhi 55fmj shoots decent, but the federal 556 X— 193 is the most horrible ammo. I can’t keep it on paper at 150 yards.
 
Brians356 said:
Library? Where do they still have those?
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Click to expand...
i visited our county library about 5 years ago and that was it.
But when the pandemic struck they closed and after a while they sent out emails informing how to use the “Libby” app to borrow e books and audio books too. I have borrowed some by way of the app.
I will visit then Monday to request them books.
 
Here is a link to some articles written by Joe Carlos, who was the head of the Army Reserve Rifle team for a few years. He states that he had 135 rifles that he was trying to get the most from, and he developed ways to accomplish that, within his budget and situation (they shot factory ammo at 200-300 yard lines). Good reading whether it applies or not, I thought.

Articles by author: Carlos, Joe - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Articles by Carlos, Joe
www.thefreelibrary.com

Edit to add: Rules for Service Rifles shooting across the course require a 4 1/2 lb trigger pull!
 
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