Not a Good Shot (AR-15)

[JGalt]

These are all good suggestions. But, I've not seen anyone suggest that you let a friend try out your rifle. This would be a quick and very easy way to see if it might be your technique, or if it is strictly hardware. Most of my ARs will shoot minute of angle or less from a bench at 100 yards if I do my part.

FWIW,

JGalt

 

[NyleRN]

American Defense Recon Scope Mount

American Defense Recon Scope Mount - 30mm - ADRECON30

Good mount, that shouldn't be your problem then.

 

[BE Mike]

If misery likes company, you'll really like me. I took out my M-4 to the range yesterday. It has a new 1:7 barrel. I have a Leupold 1.5-4 AR scope and Leupold mount. I can't get a group at all at 100 yards. I am shooting LC factory 62 gr. ammo. I think now that I have a defective scope. I mounted the scope to a RR NM and will take it out when I get a chance. If it is the scope, I'll send it back to Leupold. If it is the new barrel, well, I'll probably have to buy another and start over again.

 

[gmcttr]

...I am shooting LC factory 62 gr. ammo...

Right there is likely a big chunk of your problem. Try some better ammo.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2012/9/4/green-tip-accuracy-test/

 

[BE Mike]

Right there is likely a big chunk of your problem. Try some better ammo.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2012/9/4/green-tip-accuracy-test/

Thanks for your suggestion. I would have been happy with their worst groups in their 100 yard tests. My gun and ammo wasn't grouping at all.

 

[Will317]

I would try different ammo. I got a 1:9 twist with standard 55gr groups about half that at 50 yards with a red dot from a rest. . I don't consider myself an excellent shot either.

 

[BE Mike]

Right there is likely a big chunk of your problem. Try some better ammo.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2012/9/4/green-tip-accuracy-test/

I'm reviving this for a little bit. I couldn't believe that the factory ammo I had been shooting would be the problem. Comes with being a square-headed Dutchman. I figured that the problem was my scope. I went to the range today and shot my match AR-15 with the Leupold scope from my carbine. I shot it with my loads. My loads and this rifle have proven to be an accurate combination. After sighting the scope in, I got a three shot 1" group at 100 yards. I then put the Leupold scope on my carbine with the new 1:7 barrel and shot a few shots. The wind was picking up some, but I managed to get a 3 shot group at 100 yards with the carbine and new barrel (with my reloads) just over 1". Having eliminated all possibilities, it looks like the factory ammo was the problem all along. It is still hard for me to believe that factory ammo could be so inaccurate. The factory ammo is LC with a 62 grain bullet. My load has a 75 gr. bthp. BTW, the factory ammo wouldn't group well with the old barrel I had in the carbine was had a 1:9 twist.

 

[NyleRN]

I'm confused. One gun 2 barrels or 2 different guns?

 

[BE Mike]

I'm confused. One gun 2 barrels or 2 different guns?

Two different guns, one a carbine (M-4 type) and the other a Rock River LR-15 NM A4, match rifle. The object was to check the scope. Once it was determined that the scope wasn't defective, I put it on the M-4gery carbine to see if the new barrel on the carbine was a problem. All these checks were done with my match reloads. That only left the factory ammo as being the culprit. I measured the group fired with the match rifle this evening and it is 3/4" at 100 yards. I think I'll pull one of the bullets from the inaccurate LC factory ammo and inspect the bullet, weigh it and check it with a magnet.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I've shot pmc 55 gr without issue in both 1:9 and 1:7 twist. In the 1:7 I managed a 1.5" group prone, slung up at 300 yards. I've shot wolf without issue as well. if I do my part, the rifle & ammo do theirs. Mayhap it is the ammo? Haven't tried it (your brand) before to know for sure. This is all in a bare bones mil grade DSA arms ar/barrel 1:7, and PSA 'crap' barrel 1:9.

 

[gmcttr]

...it looks like the factory ammo was the problem all along. It is still hard for me to believe that factory ammo could be so inaccurate. The factory ammo is LC with a 62 grain bullet....

I assumed this ammo was M855 or a clone and the bullet would have a steel penetrator in the core. To my knowledge, these are not a particularly accurate bullet, although your barrel must really hate them.

Good to hear you were able to determine you and the rifle/optics were not the problem.

 

[Paul30]

Accurate shooting comes down the the gun (including optics), the ammo, and the shooter. It can't happen without all 3. An expert shooter can't shoot well with bad ammo. An expert shooter with good ammo can't shoot well with an inaccurate gun. I shoot well, it sounds like the OP does as well. The ammo has to shoot well in that gun. The gun needs an accurate barrel, and good optics. I use a scope because no iron sights can compete with a good scope. I have an AR I shot decades ago that would hold a 1/2 moa. I used off the shelf ammo and it would not do near that well. I would also get a stray bullet every now and then. If you shoot well, you know if you pulled off when the round fires. I loaded my own ammo when I got tired of having mass produced ammo not give me the results I wanted. I weigh each bullet, each powder charge, and even kept track of any shot that was not dead on and threw that piece of brass in a bulk pile instead of my target ammo. I have had less expensive scopes drift, then went to a quality scope like a Leupold. Once I got my rifle to shoot 1 hole groups I could easily see the difference in ammo accuracy because I knew it would shoot a single hole at shorter ranges.

 

[KittySlayer]

Tagged for future reference.

 

[BE Mike]

I assumed this ammo was M855 or a clone and the bullet would have a steel penetrator in the core. To my knowledge, these are not a particularly accurate bullet, although your barrel must really hate them.

Good to hear you were able to determine you and the rifle/optics were not the problem.

I bought this ammo years ago in bulk (1,000 rounds). I didn't pay a lot for it. I just looked at a few case heads. It is all stamped LC and years vary. Some is 00, other is 01 and still other is 02. There is also a very small circle on the case head and a pattern of small dots which varies with the year. It is advertised as having a 62 grain composite bullet. The bullets do attract a magnet. I haven't had any failures to function, it is just not accurate at all out of my rifle.