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Posted: 12/22/2010 4:12:18 AM EDT
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Guys, I need some help corroborating some ballistics data. I've found some data for a standard length Kalashnikov in 7.62x39 caliber, but one website offers conflicting data. Here is the data. The second picture conflicts with the first. The second set of data seems to say that a bullet from a Kalashnikov drops off much faster than the first chart does. Which is correct? I would like to ask for some input on this, and I will also be testing this at the 100-200-300-400 yard rifle range this week. I'll post my evidence later this week.
Also, I would like to know: what range do you prefer to sight in your Kalashnikov at? What is your favorite bell curve? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/4066540765_0b7cb453cb_o.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/projects/ak-drop.jpg |
| In the graph it shows the zero for both 25 and 50 yards, which will be a dramatic difference downrange. The chart shows the drop in inches then in feet. Those are then same figures represented in different units. Those figures do not appear to match the graph. Go to JBMballistics and go to simplified trajectory and enter the values, along with your zero range. If you're shooting standard mil type ammo, use the grain, 123 or what ever, and use .292 for your b.c., as that seems to be the average and the most common for that round. I've seen .252 up to .300, which seems high to me, but so does the .292, It won't make much difference ( .050 = about 3 inches at 400 yards with that round) until you reach further than you're going to be shooting, and you need to confirm the data you get with your actual field testing. |
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Here is what the calculator gave me. I'll see if this data is accurate tomorrow.
For Kalashnikov iron sights (2 inches above barrel), sighted in at 50 yards Ballistic Coefficient: 0.292 Caliber: 7.620 mm Bullet Weight: 124.0 gr Muzzle Velocity:2400.0 ft/s Sight Height:2.00 inSight Offset:0.00 in Zero Height:0.00 inZero Offset:0.00 in Data measured in meters: http://img574.imageshack.us/img574/7460/deletei.png Data measured in yards: http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/2505/deletep.png |
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Data for my Kalashnikov with a scope mounted on the side-mounted scope rail:
Center of scope lens is 3.5" above center of barrel. So, I enter 3.5 in the ballistics calculator for "sight height." Zeroed at 50 yards. http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7460/deletei.png |
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Today's range results with my Romanian WASR-10/63 from Century Arms. Ran out of ammo and daylight, so I had to stop with limited data on iron sights.
I used Wolf Military Classic 124 gr FMJ. Manufacturer's listed velocity is 2400 FPS from a standard Kalashnikov barrel. With 4x scope Sighted in at 50 m 1" high at 100 m dead on at 200 m 1.5 mil-dots low at 330 m, which translates to 20" low at this distance (surprisingly, all shots hit in center mass of silhouette at this distance) Approx. 2 mil-dots low at 400m, which translates to 32" low at this distance. With iron sights sighted in at 50 m 3.5" low at 100 m (needs more data to verify) To test the accuracy of the ammo, I did a 20-shot group at 50 m using sandbags, then used the military's method of mathematically calculating accuracy. Extreme spread = 5.25" Mean radius = 1.05" Shooting prone, I was able to smack the turkey-sized silhouette at 400 m (440 yd) once in five shots. Then ran out of ammo. From my preliminary experiment, the WASR-10 seems to be practically accurate within 300 m. Practically all firefights also occur within 300 m. The Kalashnikov I tested is fulfilling its intended purpose. |
| Good shooting. I can't remember what the crylic letter P at the bsz mark is for the AK anymore, but you sight it in at 100m with the rear set at 100m. and then slide it to the P mark and it will be sighted in at battle sight zero.I think it puts you just a tad low at 300m so it's close to 250m-275m IIRC. But it is basically a point blank zero giving you the best(flattest) trajectory at battlefield ranges. |
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I need to re-do the 100 m with iron sights since I only did 7 shots for that. 3.5" low at 100 m doesn't sound right. It should be more like 0.5" high. I plan to zero the iron sights at 100 m and leave it there. I'd like to have the battlefield zero that you described. I'll have the iron sights set up that way, and I'll leave the scope set up the way it is. It's a quick-detach, so I can remove it and use iron sights as a backup or for CQC if necessary.
My Kalashnikov is holding roughly 4 MOA out to 330 yards. At 400 yards, rounds were scattered at roughly 8 MOA so it was pushing the limit of my skill, the Wolf ammo, my 4x scope, or all three. When I get time, I will do some testing of some high-quality ammo. Maybe Fiocchi or Winchester, or Federal. Any recommendations are welcome. I've never tried Gold Bear/Silver Bear/Brown Bear. Anyone have better results with that, or is it basically the same quality as Wolf? |
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It is Christmas eve day and I was shooting the Kalashnikov all day. I had two failures to feed, both from polymer magazines. one was Tapco and the other ProMag. I think the mags caused the malfunction. I've never had any malfunction in a Kalashnikov before in the five years that I've been shooting them. I'm going to buy only steel mags from now on. I can't confirm this but I've heard that the South Korean steel mags are not welded properly in the feed lips, so I'm going to stick with eastern block European mags exclusively. I know they will never fail me.
I sighted in the rifle with irons at 100 m with the slider set to 100 m, and then moved the slider to 200 m. It was dead on as far as elevation, and extreme spread was 15". Most shots hit the man-sized target. Did not try the 330 m target board because the range was too crowded. I think the rifle's slider is accurate when it is zeroed at 100 m. So if I slid it up to 300 m, the elevation would probably be right on for that range. I could not hit a target at 400 m with the scope attached today...standing, kneeling, or even prone. I tried every mil-dot setting on the scope, and my spotter only saw one round hit near the target. 300-400 m is probably the maximum effective range of the milsurp Kalashnikov. I was using Wolf ammo today though. If I had better ammo I might have hit it. I think at 400 m, the fact that it is Wolf ammo is making the spread of the bullets so wide that it's difficult for a spotter/shooter team to get anything dialed in. Aim Surplus has Yugoslavian brass-cased milsurp ammo on sale for about 15 cents/round. It's supposed to be very accurate ammo. I'm going to get a case of that and try it out. It will probably be much better than Wolf ammo. I did some sustained rapid fire, and noticed that the rifle goes from about 4 MOA to 6 or 7 MOA when the barrel gets very hot, with Wolf ammo. |
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The only time the rifle will be ABSOLUTELY true to the numbers on the sight is whne the atmospheric condition match what the sight was set up for to begin with, which for the AK IIRC the temp. was 32 degrees F. AT that temp. all the graduatuions should be corrct and shot POA/POI.
OP, if you can find it, try some finnish LAPUA ammo. That should tighten your groups up some. Keep in mind that the colder it gets the more dense the air so the drag on the bullet increases and causes it to shoot lower, the reverse is true when the temp. rises. Have fun and good luck. |
| I did more tests today. I put a scope on, and after sighting in at 50 m, I was hitting 6" low at 200 m and about 2.5' low at 300 m (need more shots this weekend to get a better picture of the 300 m). So, it is true to the black curve (50 m zero) on the graph at the top of the page –– the first one I posted. |
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