Ready to give up

N

newguy2k3v2

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Minuteman
    • Sep 16, 2009
    1,539
    735
    Bellville, Tx
    #1
    I've got an Armalite SASS and for the life of me I can't make this thing shoot.

    FGMM 168 i can put into 1 hole at 50 but at 100 and beyond I get ~2moa at best. Tried a couple variations of the standard m118lr load with about the same results.

    Ran 2 ladder tests the other day, both with Varget, LC cases, and #34 primers, 155 scenars in one batch 43.7grs and up and 110 vmax in the other 47.2 grains and up(not ideal powder for the weight but I just wanted to try them out.) Two rounds with each charge weight in .3gr increments. Targets at 275yds, wind ~5-8 from the left, took my best guess on the dope. Fired off the first two of each, checked and marked target, adjusted. Started firing off the rest.

    The 110s were going into roughly 6" for 14 rnds. I don't even know where some of the 155s went, out of the 8 fired I know 7 are in about a 2' horizontal spread and 6" vertical.

    Meanwhile I was double checking a previous ladder in my 308 SPS-V with using 175 smks, BR2s, FC, and r15 from 43-45grs, .2 increments. All of those were in ~3.5".

    Idk what the hell to think about this one. Even my 16" pencil barrel AR-10 outshoots this gun. I jacked the buffer weight up to about 12oz and that seemed to help a bit but idk. The brass out of this gun measures .004 longer than out of my SPS with the Hornady gauge.

    Ideas? Someone in my area that is very good with AR-10s wanna run a few boxes of ammo through it? It's been back to Armalite before, they had some accuracy trouble with it as well and put a new barrel on it and sent it back.
     
    #2
    Re: Ready to give up

    Headspacing may be your primary issue, I would assume Armalite would have checked this while installing a new barrel, but you cant be certain these days. I would stick to factory ammo until you find/resolve the issue, your chassing a ghost right now with your accuracy issues and attempting to develope a load that shoots, in a gun that doesnt shoot.

    Thats a spendy 2 MOA rifle. I hope you find a solution, I'd offer to help if I was closer......BTW, what type of optics are you running ? Have you tried swapping for a known good scope ?

    Kirk R

     
    #4
    Re: Ready to give up

    It's running a Bushnell Legend 5-15 at present, it did have my 5.5-22NXS on it but after getting frustrated with the accuracy issues I switched Bushnell from the SPS and put the NXS on it. The SPS shot excellent with either optic so I'm pretty sure the scope is good.

    Robert I have pulled the flashider on the 1st barrel but I can't recall if I have on this one. I'll try next time out with it.

    ETA: This thought has been rolling around in my head. Could the better accuracy with the lighter bullets(lighter recoiling) and better luck with the heavier buffer be pointing to an issue with my technique? Follow through? I'm subscribed to the Online Training and have been working on everything I've learned and it has helped me. I'm pretty sure I'm good on the trigger, straight back etc. I was shooting prone from the back of my truck with bipod and rear bag. Dry fire at least 10-15 times before fireing live rounds.
     
    #5
    Re: Ready to give up

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newguy2k3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was shooting prone from the back of my truck with bipod and rear bag. </div></div>

    Shooting out of the back of your truck could definitely be part of your problem especially if wind is involved. You should get out of the back of your truck and down on the ground and see how it shoots from there.
     
    #7
    Re: Ready to give up

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DBohn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newguy2k3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was shooting prone from the back of my truck with bipod and rear bag. </div></div>

    Shooting out of the back of your truck could definitely be part of your problem especially if wind is involved. You should get out of the back of your truck and down on the ground and see how it shoots from there. </div></div>

    There have been days that the wind did rock the truck too much but it was blowing 15+. It's a 1 ton and takes quite a bit to budge. And as for getting on a the ground, yes that would be ideal but the grass is about 2 ft tall and even if it was shredded it' unlevel enough that it's almost impossible to find a spot where I can see the target.

    And as for being me, yea maybe, but It just seems like I've put way too many rounds through this thing to be the case anymore. And I've been trying to nail everything that I've learned with the online training. And as previously stated the 16" lightweight AR-10 I have outshoots this one.
     
    #8
    Re: Ready to give up

    I prefer 4895 in the self loaders with a mid-range load equivalent to Fed GMM. The CCI 34 are not highly regarded for consistent ignition, and that could account for some of the vertical spread.

    Or...your rifle and ammo could be fine...as mentioned, shooting an AR-10 is a little different than a bolt.

    I would add that parallax could be an issue, as it is not as easy to get a good cheek weld on the AR-10.

    TC
     
    #9
    Re: Ready to give up

    Not sure of your barrel lenghth but I have a DPMS SASS with an 18" barrel and its extremely picky about ammo. Federal 168 & 175 Gold medal both shoot sub-moa. Everything else and I mean <span style="text-decoration: underline">everything</span> shoots 1.0-2.0 (haven't tried handloads). Fiocchi match (complete waste of money) shoots 2-4 at best. AR10's are very hard to tune for accuracy and my guess is they're all picky depending on barrel length.

    I've also found that follow through is important, meaning that holding the weapon too lightly in an effort to remove the human element is counterproductive. Even off a bipod or rest, hold firmly without death-gripping as the weapon will hop under recoil which can effect accuracy.
     
    #10
    Re: Ready to give up

    I feel your pain, I have a LWRC M6A3 1:7 and am going through the same problems.

    I am just simply asking around for what others find works well, and trying different sorts of ammo. I hope to hit the magic combination.
    But the best I am able to coax out of this is 2 moa so far.

    Am considering sending it to a gunsmith for a match grade re-barreling.

    Good luck- keep posting updates with this adventure.
     
    #13
    Re: Ready to give up

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DBohn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newguy2k3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was shooting prone from the back of my truck with bipod and rear bag. </div></div>

    Shooting out of the back of your truck could definitely be part of your problem especially if wind is involved. You should get out of the back of your truck and down on the ground and see how it shoots from there. </div></div>

    Not if the other rifle giving good results is also being shot from the same truck bed on the same days.
     
    #14
    Re: Ready to give up

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ArcticLight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">RotorTuner had those issues wiht an AR-10 and had to send it back to the factory - known issue.

    You might inquire.. </div></div>

    I have read about some others having issues with the SASS rifles. I might PM RotorTuner and email Armalite as well and see what they have to say about the issue.
     
    #15
    Re: Ready to give up

    I got the PM. Those two guns i had issues with were POF-308's. Completely different manufacturer etc. They eventually gave me new uppers and that fixed it.

    For AR10 stuff you could try and PM HOPPS, he has a couple ar10's he has built up and they shoot really well. I think he knows those inside and out. worth a try.

    CJG
     
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