Most Accurate AR -15

[B-RAD]

BRad,

Not really. The barrel length does not have that much to do with shooting heavier bullets. Regarding the 20" and 24" It is the barrel twist that dictates what you need to stabilize the heavier bullets. The 1:8 is just fine for most all grain bullets. The 24" barrel is OK for shooting stationary positions. But front heavy for carrying around if you do much moving. The 20 Bull Barrel Varmint is about all you want to handle if moving and then it can be a chore as the day goes on. And shots up to 600 yards.
Foe example the 1:12 Twist will not handle much over 55 grain bullets without loosing stability and giving some key holes. The 1:8 will handle up to 80 grain if you single load them in the chamber. So 60s and 70s bullets are fine.

03

lol, Trust me I understand the twist/grain ratios... but those extra 4" of barrel will help with heavier bullets, I've seen it before and it was just shown to me again.

As his shoots .25moa with 69gr in 1-9 twist 24" barrel... and I shoot about .25moa with 60gr in 1-9 twist 20" barrel and I'm still thinking of going lighter for a better group.. anyways I'll refresh your memory AR Groups Link

 

[Drortho]

I just moved to Texas. I shoot Shilouette for 25 years and fortunate to win several Stare Championisps. Would love to get a really accurate M 15 type rifle. Don Grim Austin

 

[joseph]

I better put a plug in for white oak armament. I've got one that shoots exceptionally well.

I hope so because I just ordered an 18" 1 in 7" twist varmint Upper with the barrel fluted to save some weight from WOA. I'm putting it on my Colt LE6920 M4 that has a Geissele SSA-E trigger that I put in it. I will also put my Bushnell AR/223 scope with a 4.5-18x40mm zoom. I do reload so hopefully it will shoot under 1/2" at 100 yds.

joseph

 

[alaska]

Mk12 mod O is my rifle

 

[alaska]

Mk12 mod O is my rifle

With 77 grain Sierra MK
And 24.0 of TAC
CCI 41 primers in LC brass

Compass lake in FL makes some very nice uppers with Douglas Barrels along with Precision Reflex Inc (PRI)

 

[buldg76]

One vote here for Wilson combat, have one in 223 and 6.8...
the 223 is 14.5 inch light barrel and shoots .5 with the right ammo.
They are very light, and very well made.

 

[86alaskan]

Don't totally discount the lower priced brands. I have been load tuning my dpms tpr with 20" ss 1-9" twist and have gotten .75" 5 shot groups with 63gr sierra's and 25gr varget. Those are the pointed soft point bullets made for hunting. I have also had good groups with the 69smk's, but they are impossible to acquire here in ak. Maybe i just got a good one, but i am very happy with the dpms

 

[joseph]

I have also had good groups with the 69smk's, but they are impossible to acquire here in ak. Maybe i just got a good one, but i am very happy with the dpms

You can get them here if you hurry:

Sierra MatchKing Bullets 22 Cal (224 Diameter) 69 Grain Hollow Point

joseph

 

[alaska]

For tactical purpose the MK 12 SPR..............with 77gr Sierra MK

 

[GBA1776]

For "building" a rifle by putting together a lower and buying a complete upper you really cant go wrong with any of the big names if you get NM or even just match grade barrels they will give you acceptable AR-15 Accuracy meaning Sub 2 moa, and you will most likely get better especially with handloads.

Ive got a Rock River 18" heavy profile match barrel on a bushmaster patrolmans carbine lower that shoots Mk262 mod 1 ammo and "equivalents" at .75" @100 yds on the best day to 1.25" @100yds on my bad days. so its about a 1moa rifle with most match grade ammo. my best ever group was .64" with Black hills "red box" 5.56 77gr OTM. But its absolutely an averaged 1moa gun it does that with the 69gr SMK as well and seems to be only capable of just over 1moa with the hornady 75gr match ammo and I cant get it to group better than 1.5" with that "Superformance" stuff. Standard Ball ammo in either 62 grain of 55gr produces standard AR 2.25-2.5" groups Never tried any handloads or any light Varmiter match grade ammo for it so I dont know what it could group doing that.

I would be very hesistant to buy a stripped upper and putting a barrel and bolt on it myself, unless you're buy them together as a paired set, you could easily end up with rifle that shoots no better than a standard mass produced rack gun. because it has tolerances like a mass produced gun.

If I were to buy an AR/variant rifle off the rack looking for absolute accuracy in either 5.56 or .308 it would be the Larue OBR, I know there are plenty of other companies (Noveske, LMT ect) that make great accurate AR rifles but Larue is where I would put my two cents. And from what ive seen the Larue may even save you a few cents over some of the others.

 

[joseph]

My new WOA upper ( 18" Varmint 1 in 7" twist which is Fluted under hand guard & front of barrel. 5.56 ) was delivered to my home yesterday. Here it is put together with my Colt M4. I am very surprised that with all the extras you see ( scope, bipod & sling ) less the magazine it is perfectly balanced just in front of the magazine well.

Will try to do a ladder test with 69 gr. Sierra Match Kings to see what it likes best.

WOA UPPER on left.

joseph

PS: Scope is a Bushnell AR/223 (4.5-18x40mm).

 

[notajeep]

+1 for WOA... I can shoot 1" groups with mine at 300 yards. 20" 1:8 varmint chamber, fluted bull barrel. I loaded up some 69gr bullets @ 2930 FPS. I was shoiting along side my buddy with his savage bolt gun also at 300 and he couldn't believe my AR-15 could keep up with him at that distance. Now granted a lot of time goes into my reloads and in my AR-15 build. I cant give all the credit to the barrel, I spent a lot on other parts as well.

 

[joseph]

I just got finished giving a good description about my ladder test when my computer locked up and I lost it all.

The first 5 shots printed a less than 1/2" group and then while shooting the next 3 shots I shifted my weight and one of the plastic legs of the chair broke. The rest of the test went in the pooper.

I loaded using Varget with CCI BR4 primers from 24 grains to 26 grains with 1/10th grain increase each. I shot Sierra 69 gr. Match Kings.

joseph

PS: I didn't see the 5th hole in the first group until I wrote on the target. Also I was so up set I didn't write the numbers correctly.

 

[GBA1776]

86Alaskan, you are 100% correct, getting almost any well known brand of match grade upper from Rock River, DPMS,CMMG, and other high quality but lower end manufacturers (meaning not mil spec, not 100% Magnetic particle tested) will get you a very accurate very reliable upper or complete gun that will last a lifetime.

Alot of people are so dead set on getting MIL-Spec everything because the military uses it so it has to be better I just take one look at the MIL-Spec plastic crap handguards and the horrible MIL-Spec triggers and know thats not true, yes, In an ideal world you would get a MP tested barrel and a shot peened bolt, that way you know that the barrel and bolt carrier is structurally sound.

Also the MIL-Spec bolts use Grade 8 bolts for the gas key and are staked properly. To me this isnt something to worry about unless you are shooting full auto and are trying to get 20,000 rounds out of a barrel/bolt combination and 60,000 rounds out of a gun. A properly staked key is important, a grade 8 one, meh

Ive got a Bushmaster Patrolmans Carbine (MIL-Spec'ed XME2S) and its got a chrome lined gas key and bolt, a chrome lined barrel and a parkerized finish under the F marked front sight block. Its chambered in 5.56 and has the MP testing marks and certificates stating that the barrel and bolt are both tested and the metal they used is true to spec. It doesnt give me any more performance percieved or not, i get no better accuracy, no better reliability and I alwasys have people come up and drool over how its 100% mil spec.

For the Average Joe who shoots his AR-15 even at high volumes and very fast, or even a soldier that in on the front lines would be served well with Either a 100% true to mil Spec gun or a Mostly MIL-Spec gun from alot of quality manufacturers. The biggest thing you are getting with MIL Spec is the MP testing to prove your barrel is stress crack free . and the chrome lining but if you use stainless steel barrels and bolts you dont need the chrome lining.


there are plenty of videos on youtube showing torture tests of AR's some mil spec some not, the one that comes to mind is a non mil Spec AR that is shot until the magpul furniture catches on fire, then thrown into a muddy creek, and thats repeated 3 times and the gun is fine after a non stop string of 750rds and two trips to a nasty muddy puddle. and according to the owner a respected writer for LuckyGunnerLabs that gun now has 15,000+ rounds on it and is just fine, he says it doesnt quite group like it did but its very much a 3 moa gun at 100yds. instead of the 2-2.5 moa gun it was out of box with mil surp ball ammo, shooting 30 magazines in a row out of any gun will not do its accuracy any favors

with material like steel especially high performance steel every time they make them they assign a number to the Ingot the #HEAT and then they will break it up in to #LOT and then do individual testing on those sections for alloy content and structural integrity. While working at an Aerospace company I never saw a part fail the MP testing or the other dye tests i cant remember the name of for non magnetic parts, I have seen 8 million parts rejected due to some dimensional spec being just too thick or too thin. or a heat treated part fail to become a certain rockwell, and since its a work hardened part it has to be at XX rockewell hardness at this step because blah blah.

My point is, if it were free Id take the MP testing and all of the other mil spec stuff, its not so I dont worry about it. Especially if you are going for a precision AR. 20,000 rounds is a pretty expensive target to hit even with handloads when talking about match grade projectiles.


It Seems like people are really happy with White Oak Armory Uppers, I looked at them and the only thing I dont like is the 18" heavy match uppers with Free float HG's dont have threaded muzzles, other than that another fine example of a good quality low cost match upper that should get you Sub MOA