Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

S

Subxero

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 2, 2012
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#1
Just curious how peoples "mostly stock" guns perform

by mostly stock i mean, stock barrel, upper and lower

I have a bushmaster i picked up in i wanna say 2008, i put a free float quad rail on it but that is about it.

I have never been anything but impressed with the way it shoots, <1.0 MOA all day long with most ammo. Not sure how common this is? did i get lucky?

a friend of mine had a remm pred series but it never quite shot that well, hence he does not have it anymore.

So just wondering what kind of accuracy you guys are getting out of your different makes with minor upgrades.
 
#2
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I have a few different loads I use. I get about 2 MOA from my MIXED brass and cheap 55 gr bullets. 1.25 MOA from good brass and cheap bullets. And .75 MOA with match 75gr bullets and matching LC brass. This out of all my guns without any issues. It's really more to do with the ammo than the guns.

My 3 Gun rifle which has a heavy 18" barrel and rifle gas system will shoot .25 MOA with match 75gr bullets and matching LC brass.
 
#3
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I have a Rock River Varmint A4 in .223 and it shoots amazing. It has a stainless 1:8 heavy Wilson barrel, 20". It is completely bone stock, came from factory with that setup and magpul precision stock and grip in FDE. You can order it like that off of the website for short money, and it probably shows up in about 2 weeks. The rifle consistently shoots 1/2 MOA or 1/4 MOA when I do things correctly. I have shot it at 300 yards in wind and it did ~1.5 MOA, but I blame the shooter... It LOVES 75gr BlackHills. I have a Remington LTR in .223, and I would say that the Rock River outshoots it, especially since the AR has factory 1:8 barrel while the LTR has the factory 1:9. The LTR cannot shoot the 75gr, but does well with 69s, but even then, I think the AR has the advantage. I will definitely be buying a .308 Rock River Varmint A4 in the future, my buddy has one and I have seen him consistently get 1/4 MOA groups with handloads.
 
#4
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

^ yeah i have heard good things about the stock RRA's, definitely worth looking into when there is a budget
 
#5
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

i think most AR's will shoot MOA at 100y with good ammo and a decent shooter

but, i doubt a "stock" AR using 55gr fmj's will shoot 1 moa at 300y. Those 55's suck.
 
#6
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MALLARD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i think most AR's will shoot MOA at 100y with good ammo and a decent shooter

but, i doubt a "stock" AR using 55gr fmj's will shoot 1 moa at 300y. Those 55's suck. </div></div>

my rifle does well with my handloads in 55gr vmax but i have never shot for groups at 300yrds mostly shooting at fruit, soda cans ect... so i would not be able to say for certain. Not to mention i only have a 4x scope on it so once the target gets so small it becomes a little bit of a guessing game.
 
#7
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

My 16 inch Bushy 1:9 shoots MOA with many different factory loads, even TAP T2, FPD, Wolf and other 75 grain ammo.
My RRA 10.5 1:7 shoots bugholes with DRT 79 grain ammo.
 
#8
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I built my own M4gery a number of years ago. With a free float rail and EOTech I got 1 MOA at 100 yards. I've since stripped it down to a 16" pencil barrel and A1 upper. It'll do 1 " at 50 yards all day long which is all I am asking of it. I have yet to see how it groups at 100. Pretty much anything its fed will shoot well and my biggest satisfaction is no malfuctions after about the 250 round count. Up over 1000 now.
 
#9
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

Even the standard A2 configuration from Rock River Arms is guaranteed to shoot within 1 MOA. I've got one of these uppers for sale.
 
#11
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

(barrel) stock Bushy AR 15 (AK style brake) shoots ~1.5 MOA out to 400 (did it today on 6 inch steel) with a scope. Iron sights I can usually hold ~3 MOA out to 3-400. (Front post is 5 MOA wide with my set up and sight radius.)
 
#12
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

SubXerO, glad you asked because I was about to post the same question.

I just rebuilt my bushmaster and I am use to bolt rifle performance. 1 moa doesn’t inspire much confidence in me and that’s about where I am at. I have been trying different loads (bullet weights and powder charges) and some shoot great and others... not so much.

What is odd, I will have a nice 3/4 group (5 shots) and the next time with the same load it be 1.25". I am not above thinking I may be influencing some of this, I just haven’t figured out how or why yet. But maybe that’s why I see AR-15 shooters shooting 10 shot groups... Fun but irritating!
 
#13
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

Niles Coyote - are you sure your scope is working properly? The reason I ask is because I've had a heck of a time with scopes not holding zero this past year. - Todd
 
#14
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I've been shooting a Rock River NM A2 for a while now. The original 1/8 barrel shot everything very well. I shot that out and replaced it with a Douglas 1/7. By way of comparison, the 1/7 performs a little better at the long line but that may be a function of the load. I wonder what it would do with some good glass? No cleans yet, but some real high X counts at 300, and 600. I don't know if that helps the original post, but RRA stands behind their products and has blowout sales at Camp Perry for every style of shooter. Douglas barrel........with a name like that, you just know something's wrong with it! HA Ha.. Good luck and good shooting!

Doug
 
#15
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

one of mine is a stag 6 24" ss cryo 8 twist upper, home made lower, magpul stock, hodge free float fore, chrome bolt phosphate carrier h2 buffer spring. dime size groups at 500m on a rest dime size at 300m prone no support it works well 75gr and 85gr roll your owns LC brass,CCI primers,Ramshot powder. now working on 762X40WT carbine and 20" RRA
 
#17
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: macvrlamm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">dime size groups at 500m on a rest dime size at 300m prone no support</div></div>

that's 0.14 MOA @ 500m (supported) and 0.235 MOA (unsupported).

my spidey sense is tingling.
 
#18
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: macvrlamm</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> ... dime size groups at 500m on a rest dime size at 300m prone no support ... </div></div>

Sounds like you should be telling these stats at gun shops...

Unless you're talking 1 shot groups. I shoot 1-shot "dime" groups all the time too.
 
#19
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

Stag lowers , Model 1 Uppers, 20 inch with 3-9 Mark AR my Kid shoots those ground squirrel Shoot & see targets at 200 and they are in about a 2-3" group. 16 inch w/ Eotech 552 very satisfied with performance.
 
#20
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

Rifle-Les Bear .223 Super Varmint
Scope-Leupold Mark 4 IV LR/T
Ammo-Federal Gold Medal Match, 69 Grain Sierra Boat Tail

I have not been able to shoot the guaranteed 1/2" M.O.A.

But, it will shoot under 1 M.O.A with me shooting....

and I qualified at Tac Pro last year at 1000 yds!
 
#21
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: macvrlamm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">one of mine is a stag 6 24" ss cryo 8 twist upper, home made lower, magpul stock, hodge free float fore, chrome bolt phosphate carrier h2 buffer spring. dime size groups at 500m on a rest dime size at 300m prone no support it works well 75gr and 85gr roll your owns LC brass,CCI primers,Ramshot powder. now working on 762X40WT carbine and 20" RRA </div></div>


i reckon i killed em bofe, umm hummm
 
#23
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

When I purchased my RRA Entry Tactical a few years back, I wanted to see if they lived up to their 1 moa accuracy claim. So, I mounted a cheap scope on it and loaded it with AE 55 gr FMJs. From the bench, it shot just a hair over 1 moa at 100yds. To say the least, I was impressed that a stock rifle gave that kind of performance with cheap ammo. I have no doubt that with better ammo and a better shooter than myself behind the rifle, it would be capable of sub moa accuracy.
 
#24
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I know groups at 100yds are no big deal and especially 3 shot groups don't mean shit. But this is from a stock BCM MK12 mod 1 at 100yds, and i fucked up the fourth shot. And i can't shoot semi's very well. Downrange at 300-600 it does well too. Not that well as i'm not that good of a shooter.

BCM MK12 Mod 1
LMT defender Lower fixed A2
Geissele SSA-E
Leupold MK4 2.5-8x36mm
SWA 77gr SMK run N gun @ 2700fps.

jjwvpg.jpg
 
#25
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

OP you stated mostly stock AR rifles. I'm sure there are some heavy varmit barrel AR's with match chambers with right ammo that can shoot sub-moa, and National Match rifles that can. However the average rack grade NATO chambered M16 with USGI ammo is about 3 MOA, some better and some worse. This is using mechanical rests.

It is interesting though to me how many 1 MOA and sub-MOA AR's there are out there by owner's personal testimonies, when I know how the rack GI rifles shoot.
 
#27
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

I have a RRA Coyote upper that I put on a RRA lower I built with a RRA lower with NM 2 stage trigger.

I get 1/2 to 3/4 MOA out of this rifle. It is a solid shooter.
 
#28
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

My AR is a DPMS 16" light barrel, stock receiver and lower (started life as the DPMS Oracle). It's a better shooter than I am. I plan to load more of these and see if I can avoid the flier.

Here is the 5-shot group from this weekend at 200 yards:
OTG70VLDRE150395.jpg


Here is the rifle as it sits today:
DPMS16.jpg
 
#34
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: medcpt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

It is interesting though to me how many 1 MOA and sub-MOA AR's there are out there by owner's personal testimonies, when I know how the rack GI rifles shoot. </div></div>

I think a good portion of that has to do with the ammo. My Colt 6920 is sub-MOA with quality match ammo.
 
#35
Re: Your accuracy from mostly stock AR-15's

My Barnes Precision 18” shoots 1 moa or better at 100y. I have shot 1/2 moa at 100 with hand loads of 75HPBT. I have the opportunity to try it at 300y next week. We’ll see if the accuracy holds.
 
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