In Search of Accuracy - the AR Platform

[Pat]

I have gone through about ten AR's now over the years, looking for one fun feature or another, but always in search of a very accurate rifle. I have been underwhelmed. What have I missed out there, or is it the platform itself?

[hunterfreakhd]

It's certainly not the platform IMO. My guess would be reloading for a specific rifle would help immensely.

[Hmac]

The concept behind the entire AR platform doesn't put accuracy at the top. If you can put a magazine into an 8inch circle from 50 yards, that's a good AR. If you want bench rest accuracy from an AR, you can get it, but at the cost of weight and price, and you may have to build it yourself if you can't find an SPR variant you like.

Having said that, I note that Huldra promises 1 MOA from their line of AR rifles.

[FJ540]

Get a decent barrel - problem solved.

[Rip Van Winkle]

What do you consider accurate?

It's fairly easy to achieve sub moa accuracy with the AR platform.

[Pat]

What do you consider accurate?

It's fairly easy to achieve sub moa accuracy with the AR platform.

Honestly? That is what I have been looking for. Outside of JP and a whole bunch of money, what will get me there?

[Rip Van Winkle]

A full float tube and a decent barrel combined with quality ammunition will make most AR's sub minute rifles.

[cs tunes]

Well it's certainly possible. Friends run DPMS ARs as their F-Class rifles and both are capable of first shot hits at 600 yds. Both run Leupold and Nightforce glass with Geiselle triggers. From prone.
They hand load and obviously spend a lot of time shooting. Practice alone should get MOA out o an AR.
As mentioned it comes with a weight penalty. 24" bull barrels are heavy but accurate. My Colt CAR also with a 24" is capable of 3/4 MOA with factory loads and me shooting. I don't doubt someone good with hand loads could knock out .5 pretty consistently.
Its possible. I wouldn't start with a 16" sporty expecting to get serious though.

[jshuberg]

Daniel Defense M4 V1
Geiselle SSA-E Trigger
Trijicon ACOG TA31RCO-M4CP
Prvi Partizan .223 75gr BTHP Match
100M Sandbag Rest and Rear Bag

New rifle, 1st 3 shots after barrel break-in and zeroing

[crbutler]

What kind of accuracy do you want and what are you using the rifle for? A hunting gun is accurate if its over 1 MOA in the usual sense, a Varmint rifle is accurate if its sub MOA to .5 MOA and the benchrest guys want them anally small.

I have a Baer .308 that with the right nut behind the trigger (not me usually) it will shoot 0.2" groups- (the factory targets from Baer are less than that...) and between me and a friend, we have 5 of them that are all roughly 1/4 MOA or better guns. The down side is these rifles are quite heavy and we have rather spendy glass on them. (and they are expensive...)

I have had Colt HBAR's that will consistently shoot well under sub MOA (.5 to .6) with ammo they like. One likes heavy bullets, one likes light bullets- no rhyme or reason.

I have a JP with two uppers, one upper will shoot .5MOA with anything, the other is lucky to shoot MOA with Federal GMM or Black Hills match.

Strangely I also have a Barrett 6.8 that is a sub MOA gun as well with pretty much anything I throw in it.

In general, a light barrel seems to be worse than a heavy contour (although I think that is mostly not letting them cool properly between each shot)

A lined barrel will usually not shoot as tight as a unlined barrel.

Piston guns are not as accurate as direct impingement guns of similar quality. (yes I have both.)

A free float tube generally helps accuracy.

If you want to get as accurate as you can, you need to tune the load to the rifle (ie choose a bullet the barrel likes and put it at a velocity it likes with a case that is as close to chamber dimension that will reliably function.) and minimize the variables with the ammo (same lot brass, same lot of powder with minimal charge variance, bullet same length, neck tension, weight, etc.)

Make sure if it has a muzzle brake that the brake is fitted correctly.

If that does not do it, you can put a new match barrel on the thing, but you would probably be better off trading that rifle for a different one. Generally, AR's are not too hard to get below 1 MOA if you do everything else.

Oh, and a biggie... make sure your shooting technique is capable of delivering consistent results- if you have another guy who is a better shot than you shoot a group and its a lot smaller than yours, get some lessons. Even bench shooting requires proper technique to get it to work right (why with that .308 Baer I shoot .25ish and Les Baer shot in the .1's...)

[mc762x54R]

It's certainly not the platform IMO. My guess would be reloading for a specific rifle would help immensely.

+1 I just shot some handloads out of my 16" DPMS and got four 1" 3 shot groups in a row. With factory ammo its 3 to 4 inches at best.
I have a JP trigger, float tube, and no brake of any kind

[jshuberg]

With factory ammo its 3 to 4 inches at best.

I call BS. See my post above. I believe that's under 3" with factory ammo.

[crbutler]

To add on to my previous...

The way you are sighting the rifle makes a lot of difference as well.

The M4 collapsible stock is not conductive to real accuracy.... A good consistent cheek weld is important here.

The reticle and magnification of the scope will really aid you in your ability to shoot it well. If all you are after is best 100 yard accuracy, I would suggest a minimum of 10X magnification top end (the higher the better for this limited application...) and you need thin "target" type crosshairs (or other type reticle that works for you.) If you can't see the bullet hole with your scope, it lacks resolution and or magnification for this goal (at 100 yards).

Getting a target that you can repeatably place your crosshairs on will help as well.

Do not skimp on the scope or the scope mount.

[mc762x54R]

With factory ammo its 3 to 4 inches at best.

I call BS. See my post above. I believe that's under 3" with factory ammo.

I mean my AR with cheap ammo is 3-4 inches, you're shooting good stuff...I havent tried any ammo like that myself. I didnt mean less than 3" wasnt possible with any factory ammo, just the junk I shoot.

[walstien]

DPMS MK12 Barrel, PSA everything else. Sub-MOA all day. I prefer the magpul MOE fixed rifle stock. Great cheekweld. Get some good bags, reasonable 10-16 power glass and hit em hard. I prefer 68-77 grain bullets loaded with Tac or RL-15.

CMC triggers are wonderful. JP is GTG as well. Heck, I've got an ALG ACT in my Seekins and thats been great.

Here's my MK12 barrel before I went to the Magpul Fixed rifle stock. Glass is Burris E1 3-9 illuminated.