What Accuracy Can be Expected from an AR-15?

I bevlieve is is something loke 1.5 or 2 MOA.

IMO a more accurate upper would be better, but 2MOA at 250 is 5in, good enough for coyotes

By the way, can 40-50 gr hollowpoints or softpoints be fired from 1:7 barrels?

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If sent at a high enough velocity, they may explode before hitting the intended target.

The bullet makers tell you to limit the velocity of your loads when using the lighter varmint bullets in a fast twist barrel, as the light jackets can let go in flight. You should check with them. It's not the bullet weight, so much as the bullet design, and the RPM at exit. Certainly, if you want to use the light "varmint grenade" type bullets at full speed, you'll want a slower twist than 7". Conversely, if you want a 7" twist, you'll want to go with tougher bullets.

For a coyote at 250 yards, any decent AR should be fine. That's not asking a whole lot. If you want to pick a particular 2" spot on the coyote, you might want one of the varmint or "target" models (what you'd be shooting other than a target I don't know).

What accuracy can be expected from the shooter??

Most AR15's OOB will do 2MOA or better. Take out the stock (crappy) triggger and replace with a quality 2 stage trigger and it'll shrink the groups.

Chrome lined may or may not shoot better than non-lined, depending on the quality of the plating. Specks of hard chrome splattered in the bore don't wear out at all and any on the muzzle will throw your shot off badly.

A 1:7 will shoot lighter bullets just fine as long as you don't drive them any faster than about 3400 fps. Sometimes lighter skinned jackets at go-fast velocities may blow up.

$1800 for a upper?!? dang... her is a link to bushmasters uppers, their predator and V-match uppers can do all most shooters can.

http://www.bushmaster.com/products.asp?cat=6

if that isn't good enough, build a upper with a lot of match grade parts, it should still cost way less than $1800

A friend of mine has a nice stainless steel barreled AR with a free-floated handguard, and a match trigger. with those modifications, it should easily do better than 1MOA

I've been shooting Remington 50gr. hollowpoints through my new 20" AR. I'm fairly sure it's a 1/7 twist rifle.

Shoots them like a champ. Fairly new to this rifle, however it's accuracy is unquestionable!

Using cheap ball ammo and lower buck commercial softpoints(and the Remington Hollowpoints), all in the 50-55gr bullet weight, accuracy has been a pleasant surprise. I would speculate that this rifle might deliver sub-moa accuracy with good ammo and a steady shooter.

For a "bottom of the barrel" AR rifle, my Century C15 Sporter(third world military surplus Colt M16A2 refurbed into a Century version of a Colt H-bar SP2) has been a reliable and accurate piece. My only issue being that the Leupold handle scope mount I bought is only so-so in the remove and reattach point of aim repeatability department.

1.5/2moa all day long at 100 yard with 62gr or more and any twist, and about 2.5 with any 55gr or less with any twist rate.

I bought a Stag model 6 'precision varminter' for ~ $1000 for the complete rifle.
Comes with a 0.5 MOA factory guarantee and a 2 stage trigger. Heavy (they're not kidding!) barrel and free float handguard.

I topped it with a Nikon Monarch 5-20 scope and a nice harris bipod and I have a gun that shoots every bit as well as Stag says it will.

No FTF or FTE, great gun!

Rock River Predator Pursuit is a awesome coyote rifle. I have never heard a bad word about them.

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=229

Try AR15SALES.COM for the lowest prices. Pete has the best prices out there.

I've shot 50 grain Winchester FMJ out of my 1:7 twist 16" barrel. No problems with bullet seperation out to around 70 yards.


-- John

Check out White Oak for some good long barreled Uppers for about 600.00. However, for Yotes, a Model 1 Varmint Upper for under 500.00 would do just fine.

MSTN is definitely top of the line. I have one of their precision 16" uppers and it is nice; but it is probably way overkill for what you are needing.

In my experience, you'd be hard pressed to find a stainless steel match barrel from any company that won't give you excellent (<2MOA) accuracy with premium ammo. For what it is worth, I have a friend with a chrome-lined 16" Armalite barrel and it shoots right with my much more expensive barrel.

I guess to sum up; if you want to be able to dump 5 magazines back to back on full auto, while using margarine for lube in a dust-bowl environment and then immediately make a 500yd suppressed precision shot where it absolutely, positively must be reliable 100%, then the MSTN upper is the way to go.

If you want to hunt coyotes with amazing accuracy for a semi-auto, any of the Varminter or Match variants out there can do that job well.

Kestrel
What kind of accuracy can be expected from a Colt CAR-16/M4-type/6920 and also from a Colt 20" gvmt. profile barrel AR (A2/A3/A4)?

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Out of the box without modifications: 3–4 MOA.

I'd be disappointed with an AR that would not hang in the 2MOA range. 16" vs 20" only changes velocity, not accuracy. BSW

Out of the box without modifications: 3–4 MOA.

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Maybe if you feed it military surplus FMJ, which is 3-4MOA ammo on its own. If you feed it decent quality ammunition, they can do much better.

The entire 14-page thread above is on of the few AR15.com threads where it is worth it to read every page; but that shooter conclusively demonstrates that an average Colt 20" or LE6920 is capable of impressive accuracy without any additional mods.

Last 5 of the day on a 26" White Oak barrel with crappy 45gr UMC ammo. ARs will outshoot most shooters.

Quote:
Out of the box without modifications: 3–4 MOA.

Bartholomew Roberts

Maybe if you feed it military surplus FMJ, which is 3-4MOA ammo on its own.
If you feed it decent quality ammunition, they can do much better.

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Yeah, that holds true for several different rifles.

M4...

should be able to get head shots at 100 yards.

should be able to hit a torso at 200 yards.

The Bushmaster Varminter has a very good reputation for accuracy. They're not that expensive, either. The Predator is the same, but with a 20" tube.

http://www.gunblast.com/Bushmaster_Varminter.htm

If it doesn't shoot, you can always change and free float the barrel. My 20" Bushmaster never did any better than 2" 10 shot groups with the factory barrel (I would imagine Colts are as good or better), swtiched to a Pacnor barrel and a freefloated handguard and now it'll shoot 1/2" groups.

A round tube or a 4 rail one?

The ultimate round is the PRI gen III carbon fiber FF tube.
Houge makes a pretty darn good one too.

There are many good railed forend makers, larue tactical, Samson, and surefire spring to the top of my mind. How much do you want to spend on one?
Also, what barrel do you have in mind? If you haven't allready decided, Hart barrels makes drop in ar barrels. they are insanely good.