HELP!!!!

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

I just got back from the range and did horrible, using my ar-15 with black hills 55 grain fmj. Nothing special about the bullets. I can usually do ok at 200 yards and pretty decent at 100 yards, but lately ive just been getting worse and worse I cant tell what the problem is. Im pretty sure its me and no the gun, when I first got it a guy at the range helped me zero it and its done fine with the exception of the last 3 times ive gone its just getting worse. at 100 yards if I aim dead center on the target I hit the ply wood about 1ft to the right almost every time. Im pretty new to rifles so if anybody has any ideas please please help.

 

[CSA 357]

maybe you need to clean the barrel, or change ammo,

 

[Red State]

If you hit the same point every time, the problem isn't you. You just need to adjust your sights.

 

[geekWithA.45]

It's tough to diagnose an issue you're not there to see.

If it's shooting about the same group size, and that group is consistently offset in a certain direction, then possibly your scope's or iron sights have been knocked a few clicks in that direction. Scopes are notorious for wandering.....

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

I clean the gun after every time I use it I use hopps #9 to clean and hopps gun oil for lube on the gun and barrel. I watched the guys at the range using bor-tex for there barrel Im thinking about switching to it.

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Sorry for not saying earlier, Im shooting Iron sights.

 

[ilbob]

I had a rifle once that made me nuts. I would dial it in and it would shoot fine for a while than start to drift. I was absolutely convinced it was me. When the rear sight fell off, I figured maybe it wasn't me.

If you are constantly moving the sight around, it may well be loose.

It could also be ammo. Some guns are a little finicky about what ammo it will shoot well.

A guy I used to shoot with had an HBAr colt AR15 that sometimes a single round would be 4-6 inches off the point of aim. The other holes were inside an inch (100 yards). But every ten to 15 rounds a flyer would happen. It took a while but eventually he figured out that the new brand of bullets he had started using occasionally would leave a little copper in the bore. The next round would be a flyer. He changed to a different brand of bullets.

 

[jlmurphy]

Red State is right, if the group size is consistent, the sights, iron or scoped, are off. Make adjustments and see what happens, shoot at 50 yds first, then move out. Hang in there you'll get it.

 

[sacp81170a]

Three questions:

Have you checked the front sight to make sure it's not bent? If it's bent or crooked you'll be way off, but a foot seems a bit much for that.

Are you using the long range peep or the short range peep? The short range peep is the rearmost one. It may be marked 0-200 or not. It's the one you should be using at 100 yards.

Are you indexing the sights, i.e. getting exactly the same site picture every time? If you changed the way you index, it would throw your zero off, but again, a foot is a lot. Inconsistent indexing also will cause an inconsistent point of impact, so if your groups are good but still off, have someone else shoot it and check your zero.

Last thing to check and maybe the worst, is the barrel bent slightly?

 

[Baba Louie]

You shooting bench, off-hand, prone, sitting?

Check sights and barrel, bolt group, ammo, magazines, muzzle crown, etc. relative to clean, tight, aligned, lubed, no burrs or imperfections.

Start out once again, at 25 yds. Prone or bench w/ sandbagged rifle (fore and aft).

Fire a 5 shot group into target. Check sights to assure they're still tight.

Adjust windage as required till centered.

Repeat 5 shot group. (I like my grouping to be a little high but centered).

Move target out to 50 yds. Repeat 2 groups, adjust (small hopefully) as req'd.

Do it again at 75-80 and then 100 yds, 2 - 5 shot groups ea.

You should now have sent 40 rds downrange and should know where rifle's POI is relative to POA.

Should all else fail, fix bayonet

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Baba Louie I will definitley be fixing bayonet if I keep shooting this way, I shoot sitting at a bench and Past fifty yards I cant hit anything standing, there is alot of Marines that shoot were I shoot from what I have been told I have been hoping to catch one and maybe get a lesson but no such luck so far my budy back home can hit out to 500 yards standing, but he's back home.

Thank you for all you help I will keep trying.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Are you shooting from sandbags or a good solid rest which does not allow any movement?

Have you dropped your rifle or has anything fallen on it?

Are you shooting the same ammo you normally shoot? Different ammo will sometimes have different points of impact.

Do you have a detachable carry handle or detachable front sight? Are they affixed tightly?

Check the sights for looseness. They should appear to be centered. Some AR’s have a line scribed behind the rear sight. Does this line appear to be centered in those small windage hash marks?
Try using the smaller sight aperture and see if it changes your point of impact.

Are you sure your bore is free from copper deposits? Are your patches coming out clean when you use solvent? Are you using a good tight fitting jag when you run patches through the bore? Cooper or lead buildup will make guns do crazy things.

Hoppe’s #9 is good stuff but I found that the new Hoppe’s Elite does a far better job of removing copper in far less time. It’s more costly but it works far better than the old #9.

Good luck!!!!

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Bottom Gun

Thanks. I do have the detachable carry handle but it is sucured tightly I do have sand bags and the front sight is non detachable I will look at the others and and make sure everything is in order.

 

[mc223]

Trigger Control, Trigger Control, Trigger Control, Trigger Control, and did I mention, Trigger Control. Even off sand bags you must resist the urge to jerk the trigger. and if you are using a muzzle brake or a flash suppressor, remove it. Sounds like flinching to me.

 

[Bottom Gun]

If you can, it may help to start at 25 yd so you can get a better idea of what is going on with it. Gradually move the target out until you reach your preferred distance. Make soem adjustments alon gthe way and by the time you are out to 100 or 200 yd, you should be pretty close to where you want to be.

Let us know if you are able to solve the problem.

 

[rockstar.esq]

The only thing that hasn't been mentioned is that using some types of slings can actually pull your shots. I've known a few folks with "Tactical slings" that were little more that straps with slip knots! Just a thought.