AR-15 accuracy

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bartkowski

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Messages
1,616
Location
Pennsylvania
Search feature is not working for me at the moment so I will just ask. What kind of accuracy should be expected from a standard ar-15 with a 16" barrel? Bushmaster vs. RRA vs. Stag?

RRA says that their "entry tactical" will shoot MOA at 100yards which is plenty accurate for me. But then I hear stories of a standard bushmaster shooting 4-5 MOA at 100yards. All insight is welcome.
 
First, in measuring accuracy by MOA, you need to know:

Distance
Number of rounds in the group (5 minimum, 10 preferable)
Type of ammunition (most cheap FMJ ammo is only 3-4MOA from a top notch barrel)
Shooting position
What the shooter can do at their best

Pretty much any of the rifles you mention has more inherent mechanical accuracy than most shooters are capable of appreciating. I suspect all of them are capable of 1-1.5MOA five round groups at 100yds with match-grade ammo that they like (you may have to try a few to find what it likes best).
 
There's a poster on another board that I visit that was complaining about only getting 4 moa out of his Bushmaster M4gery. He admitted that he's only shot Wolf ammo through it and didn't want to spring for some premium match ammo to get a better idea of what his rifle was capable of.

My analogy about buying a high end sports car then being too cheap to put anything but the lowest grade gasoline in the tank comes into play...
 
My M4gery (Smith and Wesson) doesn't have sights that tend to give great bench rest groups.

It's setup for getting fast hits on moving targets.

With the EOTECH, from the bench, It's done just under an inch at 50 yards with Remington 55gr soft points.

Call that 2MOA and get on with it.

Good enough for a combat rifle.
 
From my Smith & Wesson M&P 15...

10 shots at 100 yards...iron sights...with a scope this group would shrink. These were handloads using 55 grain FMJ-BT bullets

121_2174.jpg

10 shots at 200 yards...

121_2176.jpg

10 shots at 600 yards, iron sights...4 missed the paper, the wind was blowing pretty hard that day...the quarter is roughly the center of the group. The paper was taped to a Cadillac hood...which was my POA...I cant see a sheet of paper at 600 yards. I fired 1 shot, then my son placed the paper over the bullet hole, then I shot the group using the same sight picture...

121_2173.jpg
 
Last edited:
that's pretty damn accurate for using just iron sights, nice job. I'm picking up my stag tomorrow so hopefully it's close to that accuracy. unfortunately I won't be able to go to the range for maybe a week.
 
wow if i could shoot like that at 100 yards i wouldn't need optics... very impressive.
 
You can...it just takes a few years of practice. I grew up shooting iron sights (couldn't afford a scope)...by necessity I learned to use them. Its all about sight picture and being familiar with your ammo's trajectory. (not really that simple...but to put it in a nutshell)
 
Wow....I have 20/15 vision and cannot even see that at 100 yards.

That group, made with a S&W MP (non-match grade barrel) rivals the performance of match-grade barrels, but was also shot iron sights?

I'd have to be there to believe it.
 
Wow....I have 20/15 vision and cannot even see that at 100 yards.

That group, made with a S&W MP (non-match grade barrel) rivals the performance of match-grade barrels, but was also shot iron sights?

I'd have to be there to believe it.
Click to expand...

You mean that you don't take everything you read on the internetz at face value either.
 
I have the RRA Entry Tactical. You won't be dissapointed if using quality ammo.
 
I have a Bushmaster M4. I've only shot my own loads, which are slightly lighter than max with a 55g soft point. With a cheap Leapers 6x scope I can shoot an average 1.25" groups at 100yds. I was originally hoping for 2.5" or better, so I'm plenty happy with this upper.

Mine is not chrome lined, does not have M4 ramps and the ramps are not polished, I only use PMags, and it's absolutely reliable.
 
Not to make this thread take a fork in the road, however, ridgerunner is to be congratulated for a job well done. I have seen and I have done with iron sights groups that others can't do with scopes. So don't kid yourselves into thinking that just because you can't shoot iron sights that everyone else is likewise unable. As stated it's all about sight picture, knowing your set-up and repeatability. Having a trained eye to focus at the correct spot at the correct time is somewhat the trick. It takes practice. Picking an arbitrary spot that allows visual cues can help also.
This is a pic of a group I shot at 100 yrds. off the bench with my national match Swede, CG63, and iron sights, 6 rds. Also some iron sights are better than others. These iron sights are like optics without the optics.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3098/img2456qa4.jpg
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/4954/cg63nationalmatchswedebs2.jpg
Is ridgerunner's pictured group his best? Perhaps. I know I don't take the time to photograph crappy groups.
 
I checked a friend's DPMS 16" upper with 2 types of ammo he's interested in on Monday. Target was at 50 yards, 2 groups on left were 62gr PPU, 2 groups on right were 75gr OTM from PPU. Point of aim was the center bottom edge of the 3" post-it, grid is 1". Rifle had YHM iron sights and I wasn't real happy with the light, but if you shoot in OR in the winter you take what you can get. BSW

edited to add: Carbine was sandbagged and has a 1/7 barrel. Perma-mounted FH and the crown looks like 7 miles of bad road. BSW

16inchcarbineat50yards.jpg
 
Last edited:
As brainsmithwins stated it is a 1 in 7 inch twist. That is also what my AR is. I have literally tens of thousands of rds. through it and can confidently say the heavier the bullet the better it shoots. 75 gr. Hornady and especially Sierra 80 gr match kings work the best. It will shoot 55 and 62 gr. ok but nothing to write on THR about.
Where about you at in Or brainsmithwins? I shoot at the JCSA range by Merlin. It is the best range ever!
 
I would believe Ridgerunners groups. At 200 yards with iron sights and Wolf Ammo I was able to shoot 6 inch groups on a windless day. My groups tightened up to 4 inches with 75 gr. Hornady. With a 1 in 8 twist those Hornadys may have been a little too heavy for my rifle. The only other round I have put through that gun was a box of 45 gr Winchesters and I had a pretty nice pattern going!
 
No reason to not believe Ridgerunner, that is good shooting. Good quality practice done often can do that. I only have one gun that is scoped, my DPMS LowPro 16" Bull. It will leave them touching if I load the 52 SMKs right. I have yet to find a load that will get my Bushmaster to do the same. It has A1 sights and will shoot 1-2" with the same 52 SMK handloads. Most surplus and FMJ handloads will do on the better side of 2" and 3-4" with Wolf. Find a load they like and either buy a truck load of it or warm up the press.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
AR Piston vs. DI accuracy. What's the real skinny?
Replies
6
Views
1K
Cougfan2
C
O
  • Locked
16" 1-7" AR-15 barrel
Replies
7
Views
2K
g56
G
T
  • Locked
AR-15 purchase Question - Need Help
Replies
23
Views
1K
RockyMtnTactical
R
M
  • Locked
Bushy or RRA
Replies
15
Views
717
trickyasafox
T
M
  • Locked
Just finished my AR-15...sort of
Replies
12
Views
807
TechBrute
T
Back
Top