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Posted: 9/5/2007 12:00:08 PM EDT
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Been a lurker on and off for a couple weeks, but could not find a specific answer to my question. So I registered to ask and join the community. I am a beginner when it comes to AR-15s though so I will have more questions then answers. So those of you that have used the AR-15 and it's variants for accuracy purposes, how accurate would you rate the design? I have heard 1 MOA is doable, but what about 0.5 MOA? Can it reach 0.25 MOA? I see the new US sniper rifle is based on the AR-10 (i believe it was the 10) as well. This is why I ask the question. I assume it probably wont be as accurate as a 600 yard benchrest bolt action rifle, but I could be wrong. Thanks for any info you can provide. |
Welcome. It really depends on the optic, ammunition, trigger, and barrel, and of course the shooter. I have seen a few with consistent 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I've only seen one that would shoot .5 inch groups at 100 yards. It had a lot of money put into it. All were 10 shot groups. none were cold bore shots. My AR15's hit man sized targets at 500 yards. That's all I care about in my line of work. 
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| sub MOA is very possible but, and I dont know how much you know about shooting yet, shooting for accuracy depends on several factors. You can have a sub MOA rifle but if you shoot sub standard ammo you will get poor results, vise versa. You also have to figure in your shooting ability as well. I have a 20" AR that is very capable of shooting 1/4 MOA as long as I as the shooter and the ammo does its part. Also, you could be shooting a great rifle and great ammo and be a great shot but if your ammo is not matched up to your barrel you could get poor performance. |
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If you were to get a Krieger barrel & matched bolt, Jewell trigger, FF tube/rails, and a high quality optic, you'd be well on the way to a rifle that shoots that good. It then falls on you & your abilities to be consistent shot-to-shot. You could Cryo the barrel, hand load, get formal training, and live on the range too, but it will be up to you. How far do you want to go with accuracy? Cryo link Krieger upper Link FF Rails/Tubes Link Burris XTR Scope Link How good is an AR? |
| There are some very good triggers on the market that are as good as any rifle trigger I think, and the AR platform is about as accurate as you can get. As for the rest of it, I have just seen too many people buy a rifle and some kind of ammo and go out and try to shoot and then blame a perfectly good rifle for their problems. |
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Well saying that, I don't think you'd see a difference with a .223 bolt gun vs AR until you get past 400 yards. Then the bolt gun MIGHT pull better results. It would be close. The trade-off between a bolt gun and an AR is the ammo capacity. If you are looking to get a super accurate .223, and only need a couple of rounds, then get the bolt gun. If your looking for a very accurate semi auto with high capacity go with the AR. Personally, I'd get the AR15. The accuracy difference is not a huge factor since the round loses it's effectiveness at a shorter distance than the bigger calibers. If we were talking AR10's, then a bolt bun would be my choice. |
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As for how far I want to take the Accuracy thing. I would like something that would keep pace with a benchrest bolt action rifle for accuracy, but enable me to use a semi-auto with a large clip. I like shooting varmints from 200-600 yards and sometimes farther. I like shooting at the range as well. From what you guys are saying with the right components it sounds like an AR-15 (or variant) will shoot just as well as any bolt action rifle. |
| Is there any accuracy difference for the variants? I was thinking about getting a .243 or .308 variant. Do those maintain the same accuracy as the .223? I was looking at the DPMS website. In particular the Panther LR guns. They are available in .243, .260, .308, and .300 SAUM. |
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