Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

[benjaminzero]

Current Set-Up:
Rifle: Remington SPS Tactical .308(No internal modifications, Factory Houge stock)
Scope: Falcon Menace 4-14FFP ML16 (Metric Knobs)
Mounts: Tactical Precision Systems 20MOA Base / 30mm Low Rings
Bipod: Harris BRM-S 6-9"
Sling: Tactical Invervention Specialists M24 Quick-Cuff
Rear Bag: Triad

18 Rounds for each brand (Six Groups of three Rounds) Groups fired from the prone off the bipod and rear bag. Rifle was cleaned and cooled in-between each brand. No spoiler rounds were fired. "Cold Bore" shot was included in the first group of each brand. I understand its a small sample size (1 box each), but I'm not rolling in cash and I just want to provide a baseline estimate for future purchases and for current or future SPS owners. Rifle has under 200 total rounds fired and is still breaking in. Unfortunately I could not get my hands on any Black Hills before this test but it will be included ASAP.


<span style="text-decoration: underline">Remington Premier Match 168grn (MatchKing)</span>
Smallest Group: .817
Largest Group: 1.192
Average: .942

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Lake City Match M118 173grn</span>
Smallest: .661
Largest: 1.00
Average: .868

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Federal GMM 168grn</span>
Smallest: .567
Largest: .817
Average: .650

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Hornady TAP 168grn (AMAX)</span>
Smallest: .567
Largest: .692
Average: .609

Note: I can only measure to the nearest 1/16 of an inch so the group sizes noted above occasionally repeat.

 

[flyboy]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

I'd venture to say that all those loads will not only shoot better than that, but better than you. Thats the problem I've run into.

 

[Dan8385]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

very interesting have a SPS myself. Great Post!

 

[RANGER_MAC]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

nice, I will try some hornady's.

Thanks for the inputs. Keep up some more test.

 

[DustyJacket]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

Mine does best with the Hornady 168gr A-Max match ammo.

Going to try an burn up the last of my FGMM today.

 

[CSAR]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

http://www.ontargetshooting.com/

This is a neat program for tracking groups/ammo....etc.

 

[tacticalrifleman]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

I have had similar results with my SPS tactical. I did try hornady 110 TAP just for giggles and it shot significantly tighter groups in mine. Give it a try, less recoil to if you care.

 

[Kemosabe]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">I just ordered a "Tactical" so this thread should be very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to share your work!!</span>

 

[sgtbutt]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

I just had my two weeks of leave from the "sandbox" so I got to start putting rounds down range in my SPS-T. I break all my guns in with 10 rounds with a cleaning between each round and then 5 sets of three with a cleaning in between. Between snow, moving into the new house, my wife, my 1 year old son, seeing family, I only got out one day and only had my first 10 rounds down the tube.
Now with that being said, all of my 4 shots (my brother shot a couple and so did the wife) were 3/4 MOA. Thats just with a Harris 9-13 bipod and different cheek weld, sight picture, so on so forth.
The ammo I used was Prvi Partizan 168 grain HPBT. I picked up 500 for a pretty decent price. Its not american name brand but I think I've found my gun's choice. In another 5 months I'll be able to measure up groups of 5 so I'll have a more accurate group size but my initial impression is awesome.
The SPS-T is a definite shooter for under $600.

 

[MrClean]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

Thanks for taking the time to do that. I am looking at another 308 bolt gun now. Finally settled on the scope and the SPS 20" is one of the rifles I have been eyeballing. Are these groups at 100 meters?? I didn't see distance in there anywhere.... kinda assumed that.
Thanks again

 

[benjaminzero]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

yes, all groups measured at 100M

 

[GearboxRacquetball]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

I've heard great things about the Federal GMM ammo as well ~ for shooting factory loads anyway.. Hopefully, a ballistic calculator will help with establishing some baseline dope for this bbl length and chosen bullet weight.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Zeroed1983</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Rifle was cleaned and cooled in-between each brand. No spoiler rounds were fired.</div></div>

Therein lies your problem.

I have noticed that factory Remington barrels like to be fouled out. Hence the reason I only clean mine when needed.

Thanks for posting, but I don't believe any of it is statistically significant.

168gr Gold Metal Match usually shoots very well. You also may want to try some 175gr loads. In addition to better long range performance I am finding that the 175gr Match King shoot very well at close range.

 

[sgtbutt]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

Sorry about my last post. My target was set up at 100 yards. Its close enough to metric with meters but its just easier for me to use yards.
Go with the SPS-T, get a Leupold Mk4 1 piece picatinny base and good rings for whatever glass you go with. I'm really impressed with how close I was to POA/POI at 100 yards. I was a 1/2 inch high and 1/2 inch left.
My combination of the SPS-T, Mk4 1 piece base, low PRW rings, and Leupold Mk2 3-9x40 w/MilDot was the ticket. Then the Prvi Partizan ammo I feed it I'm liking. I can't wait to tear everything down and DuraCoat it though. I'll have to finally learn how to post pics on here for when I'm done. I'll have my SPS-T, M1A, my wife's M1A, and an 870 18 incher to DuraCoat, I'll have lost of pics to post.

 

[benjaminzero]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

I agree that the factory barrel does tend to tighten up after some fouling. The reason I cleaned and cooled in between each brand was to eliminate a known variable. Not cleaning would result in a possible unfair advantage to the ammo fired later in the test. This test was not to evaluate total accuracy of each brand, but a baseline comparison between brands. Not cleaning would have caused the results to be statistically insignificant.

 

[benjaminzero]

Re: Remington SPS Tactical : Factory Ammo Test

Future tests will hopefully include: Black Hills 168, Hornady TAP 110 grn, HSM 168 A-MAX, HSM 155 Palma, and M118LR or HSM equivalent