PO 3.5x21P on VEPR K .223 at the Target Range  

I made a quick trip to the range in between rain storms today.

Ammo = Winchester Q3131A Lot UH40

Accuracy was better with the VEPR K than with the Arsenal M-5S, probably in part to it being a heavier rifle with a slightly larger stock. But I did have a few problems at 300 yards. After a couple of targets the rounds suddenly and without explanation started dropping like the earths gravity had increased.


50 yard sighting-in target (after scope was adjusted):



50 yard target after I had readjusted scope for 100 yards:



100 yard target (the right flyer was my fault):



200 yard target #1:



200 yard target #2:


So if I do my part I can get reliable kills at 200 yards.



300 yard target #1. One nice hit and 6 shots to the right. Three shots off the target. Four of the shots would have ruined the bad guys day:



300 yard target #2. Nine shots on target, all would have ruined his day:




300 yard target #3. Nine shots on target, but all went right. As I watched this progress through the spotting scope I was at a loss to explain it. The temp had dropped a few degrees and it was darker, that's all:



300 yard target #4.  Eight shots on target with a stomach ache group! The pattern would have been the same as #3, except I held some shots to the left to help compensate. I still don't know why this was happening:



Every two targets I bagged the rifle, put it in my trunk, and drove up to change the 200 and 300 yard targets. I'm not sure if that action threw off the scope or not. I'm not sure if the drop in temp or the wind was a factor either. There was a strong wind moving toward the right of 300 yard targets number 1 and 2. The wind had died down when I shot numbers 3 and 4. I can't explain it.

Overall I got much better groups at 300 yards today with the VEPR K than I did with the Arsenal M-5S last week. It would have been unsafe to be the bad guy. Still, I want better groups. The quest continues.

Quoted: Well, I do not see a pattern of them running left/right like a loose mount flopping. So I do not think that the accruracy variation is in the side rail adj. Some days I just grab the trigger too hard and jerk the gun around. Instead of a nice smooth pull straight back using the tip of the index finger at the bottom of the trigger. I make other errors too... Can you try another gun along with the AKs, so you can compare 'shooting quality days' with gun rigs? Nice guns and reporting, thanks.

Well here I used an AR with a 4x scope and got much better results: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=202089

Of course these were my best targets of the day.  During the same session I shot one decent group with the VEPR at 100 yards and three mediocre groups, so I didn't try at 300 yards when I shot the AR.  I am wondering if there is an issue with cheek weld.  I know the ammo is good after shooting the AR.

The sad fact is I can't get the PO 3 scope adjusted dead on at 100 yards. Even when I get a nice group it is not centered.    

I'll try another scope at long range for a scope vs scope test next.

I tried my cheap 6-24x BSA scope set to 12x today and did no better than 3-4" groups at 100 yards. Got it centered better than the PO 3, but I often got weird flyers leading to 6" groups when I thought the shot was dead center. At 12x it is easier to tell I was dead center when I fired. The PO 3 was doing 4"+ groups.  I decided it would be a waste of time and ammo to do any 300 yard testing today.

I think the VEPR K is just not up to AR standards. It does not matter so much at 100 yards where I get a 3-4" group, but when that translates to 300 yards I get 12-16" groups.  With my AR I seem to be getting 6-12" depending on a number of  factors, but if I do my part it will be nearer 6".  I don't think the VEPR K can do better than 12" at 300 yards.  Perhaps with match grade ammo things would change, but  that's expensive fodder.

So for now I declare my VEPR K good for no more than 200 yard combat accuracy. Past that it is too unpredictable and groups open up too much. I would not even try it on a coyote at 200 yards. Even 100 yards would be a risk.

I have no idea why the PO 3 scopes main reticle is set to 400 meters. A hit at that range would be abnormal.

For my next test I will put the PO 3 on a SEAK I.  

Great info Robert2011

Doug