Issues with Noveske recon and m855

[Airborne33]

Went to the range yesterday to zero in my rifle and I was noticing some issues with the rifle firing m855. Actually I noticed the problem last time I went to the range, indoors and I shrugged it off for poor lighting and bad sight picture. My groups with M855 are poor, very poor, talking silver dollar at 50 yards, or worse. I would usually blame it on shooter error except I had purchased some mk 262 mod 1 ammunition and I was having no issue making quarter to dime size groups with it same range, same day.

The barrel is the 16 inch 1/7 med contour recon barrel by Noveske, I'm also using an ACOG ta 31 (not exactly a precision optic). Only shooting 50 yards, light to no wind at the outdoor range.

I've read that you can't over stabilize a bullet, but I am beginning to have my own doubts. I'm not exactly a precision marksman by any means, but I have qualified expert many times in the Army, so if I do have some shooter errors I don't think it should be this large and dependent on the ammo.

Does anyone else have issues with M855 through a 1/7 16 inch (or similar length) barrel? I hate to think that I'll have to shoot match ammo through this guy for the rest of its life.

Before you ask, the ACOG is clamped down tight, not moving, the barrel is .223 Wylde (Read that is should handle all 5.56 fine), I was using bipod to stabilize for zeroing, it was hardly windy at all, and the M855 and Mk262 are both not re-manufactured, both are new and in good shape. Barrel was warmed up BEFORE I stated zeroing so it wasn't cold and moving around on me.

Thanks for any help or insight you guys can give me.

 

[KokomoDave]

Brother,
We all know certain rifles like specific loads and others don't group so hot. I'm guessing that this is the case with the 855. Have you tried any other factory loads? I have two Noveskes and both like different loads all being 62gr or heavier...

 

[Mr. Habib]

The M855 is the problem. It is crap in terms of accuracy. Read and learn. http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2011smallarms/Thursday12901Marsh.pdf

 

[Airborne33]

Never had any issues with 855 with my stag arms, it's just strange to me that a faster twist rate barrel would possibly shoot a round worse than a slower twist.

 

[Mr. Habib]

A 1:7 twist "should" stabilize both 69gr and 72gr bullets just fine. The ideal twist rate for the Mk 262 round is about 1:8.25. That's why the SOPMOD SPR has a 1:8 twist instead of the standard 1:7. I've shot everything from 55gr through 77gr from 1:7 barrels without any problems. The standard twist for the M4 and M16 is 1:7 and the standard Army round is M855. I don't think twist rate is the problem.

 

[thoroughbred]

So you are complaining about going from quarter size groups of .955 inches using match ammo to silver dollar size groups of 1.5 inches using military ball ammo? then on top of that using an acog...I would say it isnt anything out of the ordinary and its definitely not the gun, blame the ammo it was meant to be super accurate. Whoops meant it WASN'T meant to be super accurate.

 

[Airborne33]

The issue is that at 50 yards, there really shouldn't be trouble making quarter sized groups with either round. We aren't talking long range shooting, however if I can do it with the match ammo, than surely it isn't me. Match ammo doesn't make you a better shot, it just makes your rifle more consistent. I'm however surprised by how inaccurate this rifle is with M855. Previously with a 1/9 twist m4 profile 16 in upper, I was making tighter shot groups.

To say it again. I am asking if a faster twist rate can actually make a light round less consistent. I can't see how it would, but I would sure like to hear from someone with experience with similar setups. What I am getting so far is that the M855 isn't supposed to be accurate, but I've been able to hit 300 M targets easily in the past with this round. I don't think I could shoot M855 with my current rifle and hit one unless I was lucky. Basically shooting 1 moa of less with the mk 262, and 3 moa with the m855, which to me sounds strange.

 

[Mr. Habib]

3 MOA with M855 is pretty good, considering that it is only required to be about 5 MOA or better.

 

[jjacobs]

With a 1:7 twist that noveske supplies with their rifles, you should really try heavier grain bullets. That fast of a twist rate is designed for heavier ammo. I would personally try and use some black hills ammo, somewhere between 69-72grains.

 

[grunt soldier]

I have 3 noveskes and they all shoot everything from cheap 55 gr to heavier 75 gr no problem. m855 is not a precision round. it's decent but it's made for minute of man type shooting not punching little holes in the x ring of paper targets.