Quoted:
I'm really glad I saw this thread, as I was seriously considering swapping my 20"HBAR for a 24".
And for kcr121, are they doing this through iron sights or optics? Just curious...but I would think at that range the limitation would not be the rifle, but rather the shooter's eyes and the size of the sight post.
What I'm getting at is that I can put 'em on paper in a pretty dense group through iron sights at 100m with my 22LR Norinco all day long, but anything beyond that and it all goes to pot because even the minuscule little brass dot on the front sight of that thing is covering up the entire target. What kind of groupings are they typically getting at 500m?
Marines do initial and annual qualification with standard M16A2s with iron sights. Those in combat MOSs go on later to do training with ACOGs and the like.
Marines are also not necessarily shooting for groups, however. In the Marine Corps known distance course of fire, you're shooting at a man-sized target at 200, 300, and 500 for hits and misses, not to shoot the smallest groups; but I've seen good shooters with 9"-10" groups at 500, which is pretty damned good for irons with a 62-grain bullet if you ask me.