.3 - .6 MOA accuracy at 1000 yds in a 5.56? A bit hard to swallow.

[pmclaine]

How does this bring anything that your standard monolithic upper doesnt already provide?

Id rather have the LMT style monolithic because this one looks like it maintains the problem of "bridging" your optic between the upper and forend.

From watching a few times how good shooters at Sig classes using .223 in bolt or SA can shine from 100 to 300 yards but than struggle at the 750 steels a lot of other factors come in to play that gear isnt going to compensate for.

Its neat as far as new designs go but the accuracy claims from the title im suspect of.

I see the builder is commenting and thats appreciated. Im not shitting on your project but the claims in the title certainly cause some suspicion. Ill read further looks like the title quoted bad info.

This is the problem with commenting on a thread when you are only on page 1 and havent read page 2.

 

[Drake Associates]

What this does is remove the forces applied through the loading of the forend that transverse through the platform as noted in the earlier posts. Our engineer at Drake was an engineer that designed large-caliber systems and to his credit studied forces that translate through the gun platform itself, both through the physics involved externally and internally. We have a study graphic that will be posted shortly explaining these variables and the results as applied to the Athena rifle. As we mentioned earlier, in the interests of the NASGW Buyers show in Orlando our web presence was limited to basic information at the time.

This rifle is an alternative to the platforms that are in place. If you like your LMT that's absolutely great and they do make nice firearms. I understand your thoughts on the continuous top rail.

I also agree with you regarding an independent qualified shooter posting his or her results. We have this in the works as well.

We did find that by studying this over the past 24 months has allowed us to develop New methods and found a way to do this differently while gaining accuracy and notable performance increases by limiting those forces through the rifle.

If you have any questions in the meantime please reach out to us. We would be pleased to discuss this further and give you direct information - never a problem at all.
Thanks for your interest.
CD

 

[Drake Associates]

What this does is remove the forces applied through the loading of the common commercial-free float forend that transverse through the platform as noted in the earlier posts. Our engineer at Drake was an engineer that designed large-caliber systems and to his credit studied forces that translate through the gun platform itself, both through the physics involved externally and internally. We have a study graphic that will be posted shortly explaining these variables and the results as applied to the Athena rifle. As we mentioned earlier, in the interests of the NASGW Buyers show in Orlando our web presence was limited to basic information at the time.

This rifle is an alternative to the platforms that are in place. If you like your LMT with its monolithic top that's absolutely great and they do make nice firearms. I understand your thoughts on the continuous top rail.

I also agree with you regarding an independent qualified shooter posting his or her results. We have this in the works as well.

We did find that by studying this over the past 24 months has allowed us to develop New methods and found a way to do this differently other than what is on the current market while gaining accuracy and notable performance increases by limiting those forces through the rifle.

If you have any questions in the meantime please reach out to us. We would be pleased to discuss this further and give you direct real-time information - never a problem at all.
Thanks for your interest.
CD

 

[pmclaine]

What this does is remove the forces applied through the loading of the forend that transverse through the platform as noted in the earlier posts. Our engineer at Drake was an engineer that designed large-caliber systems and to his credit studied forces that translate through the gun platform itself, both through the physics involved externally and internally. We have a study graphic that will be posted shortly explaining these variables and the results as applied to the Athena rifle. As we mentioned earlier, in the interests of the NASGW Buyers show in Orlando our web presence was limited to basic information at the time.

This rifle is an alternative to the platforms that are in place. If you like your LMT that's absolutely great and they do make nice firearms. I understand your thoughts on the continuous top rail.

I also agree with you regarding an independent qualified shooter posting his or her results. We have this in the works as well.

We did find that by studying this over the past 24 months has allowed us to develop New methods and found a way to do this differently while gaining accuracy and notable performance increases by limiting those forces through the rifle.

If you have any questions in the meantime please reach out to us. We would be pleased to discuss this further and give you direct information - never a problem at all.
Thanks for your interest.
CD

I could see where it would eliminate any sort of side to side or up and down that may be imparted through the "Slop" between upper and lower receiver via the front rail.

Im guessing that your upper receiver has some play to fit the formerly pivot pins in or is there some sort of rail or tab system to lock the upper to the lower laterally?

The pins should prevent up and down.

 

[Centuriator]

No offense intended, but anyone who is spending money to put a 5.56 round on a target a 1000 yards is kind of a moron. But hey, it's 'Merica and ... whatever.

Gun game competitions have very little to do with real-world ballistic scenarios.

 

[Tx_Aggie]

No offense intended, but anyone who is spending money to put a 5.56 round on a target a 1000 yards is kind of a moron. But hey, it's 'Merica and ... whatever.

Gun game competitions have very little to do with real-world ballistic scenarios.

No offense intended......uh huh.

 

[308220]

If it was a 6.5 Creedmoor Id believe it!

 

[Near miss]

No offense intended, but anyone who is spending money to put a 5.56 round on a target a 1000 yards is kind of a moron. But hey, it's 'Merica and ... whatever.

Gun game competitions have very little to do with real-world ballistic scenarios.

I am not saying that 1000 yards for 556 was not too much - I am not even saying the manufacturer intends it for that purpose.
But people spend thousands over here at this forum to get 22LR fly to 300-500yds. And beyond.

Flinging 556 to 1000 is quite similar?
Requiring maybe 13-16mil elevation where 22LR takes already 18mil before 300yds.

It is freaking fun and teaches a lot when you learn to read wind and start watching what is causing the misses / hits.

Being 9lb the athena is not the lightest but I expect it to have heavier than standard barrel profile, so maybe that is given?

I do not critize anyones gun hobby if it is safe. I have not found a form of shooting yet that is dull.. But these are just laid out thoughts of mine, and remember I am just a moron

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Flinging 556 to 1000 is quite similar?
Requiring maybe 13-16mil elevation where 22LR takes already 18mil before 300yds.

Not quite, between 9 and 11 mils for all my rifles but a 13" that takes 13 mils.

 

[j-huskey]

Historical fact. AMU service rifle shooters were putting rounds on target at 800-900-1000 yards for years, at Camp Perry.
Sierra created the 80 smk for such things. Berger and JLK provided 80 grainers and Black Hills Ammo loaded them for AMU.
1000 with these projectiles is no problem....

AMU results with 223 were definitely not as good as with any other caliber they have used.

NOW, real world data. When the first M855 ammo was produced it had to penetrate a US GI steel helmet at 800 meters. The ammunition produced by FN did.
It would be very hard to find any M855 today capable of that performance. Closer to absolutely impossible.
M855 works best in a belt fed at combat ranges... ymmv

Black Hills MK262 was produced to fix the failings of M855 in a M4 that surfaced in combat. Some members (pre-scout) here remember a very experienced 75th ranger group getting reliable 700 meter hits with m4's and mk262...

There are probably 95-98% of AAR's that report dismal failures of any 556 ammo past 500 meters on live targets.

At least 75% of the AAR's report failure past 300 meters with line units with all issued 556 ammo.

So.... for lethality in real world, the 223/556 in any magazine fed length ammunition has major problems past 300 meters.
In target world, match grade mag length 223/556 rarely performs well past 600 meters.

Recorded data over 20 years reiterate this over and over. Been dead horse beat to death on this board many times. Ahh well....

May there be many horses survive so future generations will have some more to beat to death.

Drake Rifle looks like a nice rifle for somebody who wants one.

 

[Drake Associates]

So a few have asked why the 5.56?
We released the light version (5.56) on the front end as there is a larger population of shooters in the semi-automatic community that we can address firsthand and provide an accurate platform as an alternative. We thought that this is a good place to start with a new set up and design. You have all seen the AR or 556 population with regards to "3 gun" and other competitive events. We thought that no one has really addressed that community with something truly new in design function over what has been common between all AR manufacturers and that is why Drake worked the semiautomatic AR15/10 chassis platforms up - The ATHENA is something different and new.
On the light Version as a longer-range alternative or option, we have a .224 Valkyrie to address an alternative to the 5.56.

Also, to be more in sync with the Sniperhside and long-range communities is ATHENA heavy version that is scheduled to be released in 2020. These rifles will feature calibers such as .308W., .260R., 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor.

Also scheduled for 2020 is light and heavy PRS versions. Thanks again for your interest and the emails.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

You have all seen the AR or 556 population with regards to "3 gun" and other competitive events. We thought that no one has really addressed that community with something truly new in design function over what has been common between all AR manufacturers and that is why Drake worked the semiautomatic AR15/10 chassis platforms up

Alright I'll bite. Why do 3 gunners want this?