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Posted: 10/7/2006 6:53:16 PM EDT
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I got my Del-Ton 16" Wilson, chrome lined, lightweight kit put together and now have about 200 rounds through it. Feeds, fires, ejections 100%, even with all the beat to hell used mags I picked up. It's what I would have expected out of the AK I sold off to finance this AR build. What I was not expecting was AK-like accuracy. I followed the M16/AR15 zero procedures pretty closely...25 meters, trying to get 5 out of 6 shots in the 4cm circle. Using front sight elevation adjustments and rear sight windage adjustments, I moved my groups closer to the circle until I was hitting it. I'd get 2 or 3 or 4 shots in the circle, but have 2, 3, or 4 flyers. It's frustrating because in a 3 shot group, I'd have 2 shots touching or nearly touching, and another an inch away. It's especially frustrating when I get a great 3 shot group, make adjustments to get it on the bullseye, then have my next 6 shot group open up again. This is all from prone position, with a (not particularly solid plastic bucket on its side) rest. Also, I'm shooting Wolf 55gr...I know, not the most accurate ammo of all time, but I don't think it's going to be THAT bad that it's going to be the cause of such crappy groups. So I guess my question is...is it me or the rifle? Are there some inherent accuracy issues with chrome lined, lightweight barrels? Can I just not shoot worth a damn? Obviously, it's impossible to diagnose bad shooting form just from reading this post, but perhaps someone can help me narrow it down a bit if they've had issues with this barrel configuration or something. It seems obvious that I'm not going to be getting 2" @ 100 yards, but if I knew that there's nothing wrong with the type of barrel, at least I could know to focus on my technique, instead of getting frustrated thinking the accuracy is something I'll never be able to do anything about. Thanks for any tips or suggestions. |
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OK, a quick crash course, CLP in the bore is very, very bad for accuracy. CLP contains Teflon, and when it gets into the bore, it causes fliers. When shooting for groups, you need to very lightly lube the upper so that the CLP will not migrate to the chamber, and down the bore. FYI: it take about 20 shots before you will burn out the trace amounts of the Teflon in the bore to allow it to settle. Until then, or if New CLP is introduced into the bore, it's flyer city. Now Wolf ammo, In order to run coated ammo in the tighter type civilian barrels/chambers, you have to run the upper bearing surfaces wetter with CLP, or a stuck spent chamber case is imamate. Further more, Wolf ammo burns dirty, and using the ammo for any type of accuracy bench mark is like throwing pennies into a wading pond for the miracle of a super model not being able to go through life without blowing you daily. So, if you want to shoot tight groups, you will need to pony up for match type ammo, be it Black hills match or Fed Gold match. Now on the other hand, if you just want to spend some time down at the rock quarry just having a hoot basting away, the wolf ammo is more than doable for this task. As for the middle ground between being serviced by the Super model or your ugly buck toothed sister (hovering around MOA, or just spraying the country side), there are a many different brands that you may find acceptable for your tastes in the rifle. M-193 tends to group around 1 to 2 MOA in most rifles, and in some rigs, lots of the IMI (Winchester white box) have been known to put down some groups just over MOA. The barrel, For starters, when the barrel was installed, you did confirm that the barrel nut was correctly tightened past the 35 lb mark, and a loose barrel is not the problem for the increased group size. Next would be that FS, and when it was installed, the FS was not over tightened and stretched the end of bore. After that, you have allowed and checked the upper receiver to confirm that the bullet is cleanly being feed, and the bolt lock up is consistent from shot to shot. Furthermore, when you do clean the barrel, you are cleaning from the breach only, and haven't dinged the muzzle crown via shoving a cleaning rod down the bore. As for the bore itself being chrome lined, at only 200 rounds, you haven't even begin to fire form the rifling through live fire, and it may take thousands of rounds before the barrel even begins to settle in. To conclude, Before writing off the barrel, you need to spend some time with different ammo's to see what performs best in the rifle. Now had you said that you were getting one-hole 10 shoots with the Wolf ammo, then we would be really worried about your sanity. Given that that this is a pencil thin barrel that will heat quickly, and chrome lined to boot, it's far from a bench match type barrel, and if you are getting 3 moa or better groups from the barrel, it is well in the range of what should be expected from such a production offering. P.S. If anyone was wondering, I have been assigned to Boston for the last few weeks, and am starting to lose it. My golf clubs have been collecting dust in the corner, and since my carry permits are worthless in this city, going for late evening walks to clear my head is a little beyond pushing (just feeling naked). To complicate things even father, I’m housed/working downtown, and instead of picking up a rental car since parking is just beyond a joke in this town, it’s the subway and I (read short leashed at it’s finest). |
Thank you very much for your detailed post. It's been 10 years since I last shotthe M16/AR15 system, so this was a great refresher for me. AK's are a lot easier, lol.
I'm using Outers oil, which claims to be up to mil-spec. I lubed it pretty good when I cleaned it, but didn't need to while I was shooting. Good information to have, but I don't think this was my problem.
Yeah, it would be a good idea to try with some quality ammo. I'll pick up some Winchester white box or something at Wally World and see if this helps. BTW, most of what we do is down at the rock quarry, having a hoot blasting away.
I can only assume that the rifle was put together competently. I installed the lower parts kit, but the upper was assembled and test fired by Del-Ton. They seem to have a good reputation, though, so I don't think there are any mechanical issues like this. I clean from the chamber end, pushing a patch through with a rod, then dropping off the patch after it leaves the muzzle, and pulling the empty rod back through.
Ah, the infamous Ar Barrel Break In? Does this mean that a chrome lined barrel will see improved accuracy as I shoot it more?
I figured that by going with certain options, I would be limiting the potential accuracy I could get out of this rifle, so I have no problem with this. My buddies opted for chrome-moly or stainless steel barrels, with heavier contours and greater lengths, so I know I won't be able to match their accuracy. As I said, I just want to try and determine how much of it is the rifle, how much is the ammo, and how much of it is me. The information you gave me here has been very helpful in that regard and I'll try to apply it for my next trip to the range.
I wasn't really wondering, but I can sympathize with you for being stuck in Boston 
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