A friendly accuracy challenge. Beat the match conditioned M14's/M1A's! (Piston-driven rifles)

TonyBen

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Oct 19, 2010
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The M14 is an old dog but it has the benefit of having decades of accuracy enhancements implemented by military match armorers and sniper/DMR programs that were dedicated to turning a 5 MOA battle rifle into a sniper, DMR and competition rifle. The average match M14 built with premium components and built by a reputable builder should shoot 1 MOA give or take .25 MOA. This could be a traditional M14 with a heavy or medium barrel bedded into a heavy fiberglass or wood stock, or a rifle dropped into one of the modern chassis systems, like the JAE or the SAGE.

There's no argument that bolt action and traditional AR rifles using a DI gas system can be made to shoot more accurately and more consistently. This challenge is not aimed at those rifles.

The challenge:
Shoot a minimum of five 5-shot groups at a minimum distance of 100 yards with a non-DI rifle system. If you choose to do 10-shot groups or shoot farther (which I encourage), please do so. Groups may be shot off a bench or prone, off a bipod, or sandbags. I encourage shooting off a sturdy bench (preferably made of cinder blocks with a cement top) and with a large sand bag, like the Caldwell Tack Driver bag. You may use factory ammo or tailored handloads. Any power scope of choice is allowed. You may shoot with iron sights as well, if you dare!

What to include:

-Pictures of the rifle, range, bench, groups with date. Specify distance (100 yards, 600 yards, etc...)
-Rifle specs to include any special enhancements, like upgraded barrel, trigger, modified gas system, chassis system etc... (brag about your rifle!)
-Specify method of measuring. I personally use digital calipers and open them up to the bullet diameter (0.308") and then hit ZERO. I then measure the extreme spread and that gives me the center to center spread. If you choose to use a digital measuring device, please do so and let us know what app it is so we can use it too!
-Electronic scoring or marking systems that display the distance and group size is allowed as well.

The challenge is open to the following rifles: Any semi-auto military style rifle that is driven by a piston of some sort and chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, 308, 260 Remington, or even 30-06 (just to allow the Garand guys to play, if they so desire). HK91's are included in this challenge even though they are roller-delayed blowback rifles. Any barrel length is allowed.

Examples include, but are not limited to:
M14 variants
FN SCAR-17/20s
FAL
M110A1
LMT MARS
B&T APC308
Sig MCX SPEAR
Any piston driven AR-10 variant
HK91 variants/CETME

Targets:
Any target that allows you to get the best consistency using your scope or iron sights
. Here are som sample targets that I use for scopes:
N59PWERl.jpg


E8NLiCzl.jpg


Here are some sample targets I used for iron sights. These were my zeroing targets for my double-lugged M14.
mjiLmghl.jpg


CvaUkTbl.jpg


So, let the game begin!
 
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Since nobody has replied with any targets I’ll show you what I shot with my Springfield Armory M1A National Match with it’s factory peep sights.

Here in Canada the M14 pattern rifles are now prohibited so I can’t exactly bring them out to shoot them anymore.

We were at a precision rifle service conditions match out of town and at the end of the first day we had about a half hour of range time left so I brought out the M1A to see what it would do.
I had it for about a month and never shot her past 100M.

This was shot at 600M
I took the first shot and missed the target on the right. My spotter called for a 2MOA windage correction with good elevation.
The markers are not placed in the targets till after the shooting is completed so the spotter is only calling hits based on the swirl.

First shot on target was high to the left.
Second and third shots were slightly left at water line.
Fourth shot was V-Bull and the fifth shot was slightly high.
Next weekend will be 11 years since I shot that target and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
600m M1A National Match.jpeg
 
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Great group and placement. Hun targets are tough as there's really no distinct aiming point to reference.

The iron sight AR-10 and SR-25 left the long range M14 behind them almost 20 years ago.
The bottom edge of the white of the wrist is my aiming point when using a scoped rifle on a figure 11 target.
The bottom of the jaw on the figure 12 head.
 
Although not necessarily within the challenge of shooting 25 rounds, here are 20 rounds at 600 yards I shot yesterday at a vintage sniper match with my M14 using a Lothar Walther ICR barrel. The receiver is a LRB and the scope is a 3-9x40 Trijicon Huron scope.
The rifle...
y9kQnDT.jpg


The cheek riser was removed for the match, as per CMP rules. Shot prone over a Creedmoor sports sandbag, no rear support allowed, only my elbows and my hand over the comb of the stock for a cheek rest.

The groups...
1.89 MOA at distance for 10 rounds
D1X4Ldg.png


2.25 MOA at distance...
atWCPnH.png


Tony.
 
While not totally what you asked for it's all I have available at the moment.

What to include:
-distance 100 yards, from a wood bench using sand bags
-Rifle specs: out of the box cmp garand dated 1942, barrel is SA replacement stamped 56 (I think), I couldn't keep the factory sights from shooting loose so I found an adaptor and mounted a 3x primary arms prism scope. Was using tapped foam as a check riser, now I'm using a Amazon special that needs a few mods to keep it from moving around.
- I'll try to find the targets when I get home but it's not pretty.
-the load is 44grs of AA2495 starline or HXP brass WLR primers and 186gr SMK.


First target with group circled in black was a 4 shot group and was my best to date. The second picture has two sets of 5 shot groups. (Better picture of the group to follow)
 

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