AR-15 at 100 today, I need to do this more often!

[Joe L]

My token AR-15 is a Stag Arms 2T.  I don't shoot it more than a few times per year, and then, only to get some relief from the pistols.  Today was very windy and I didn't want to shoot an 1100 fps 9mm pistol at 100 yards in the wind, much less set up any video gear, so I grabbed two boxes (60 rounds total) of IMI 55gr FMJ box ammo and my AR-15 and went to the range.  Sure enough, no one else was there at 10:30am and the temperature was already above 90F. 

I have a lot of 55 gr ball ammo for this rifle, and I remember last zeroing the rifle with this ammo at this range maybe three years ago.  Today, I shot all 60 rounds and only dropped the bolt on my chamber flag 3 times.  I also fidgeted around with the safety and mag release, and never could get comfortable behind the Vortex Diamondback sight.

So, 10 rounds in the large center diamond to see that nothing major was wrong, then five rounds on each of two sighter diamonds on the top, marked 1 and 2 in the photo below, then 20 more rounds as rapidly as I could shoot semi-accurately on target 3 for a total 40 rounds, all of which looked petty good considering how strange it felt to shoot a rifle on the rifle range! 

   



Next, I tried to tighten up the groups by slowing down and keeping the parallax errors to a minimum by trying to duplicate my head position relative to the scope for each shot.  See target 4, ten rounds.  Then I borrowed a wrench and moved the sight on the rail one notch towards me to see if I could get my position more consistent through the scope.  Seemed to work, see target 5, ten shots, but the one shot to the right was an unintentional double tap due to me not following through with the trigger during recoil. 

   



So, what did I learn?  Eyesight and vision and sight adjustments are critical to shooting a rifle well, just like they are to shooting a pistol well is one thing.  The next thing I learned is that I should make it a practice to shoot the AR and probably the .308 maybe once per month instead of a couple of times per year, even if it is only for 20-40 rounds, just so I don't forget how to operate the firearm and so that I don't forget what the triggers are like.  In other words, I needed this "off" day range visit.  I'm glad I did it. 

This is fun.  And, at least for today, fairly painless, LOL. 

Joe L

[newageroman]

awesome. sounds like a fun day. The fast fire group is pretty good.

[M1A4ME]

Consistent eye position behind the rear sight, or scope, on a rifle is important.  Even the iron sights require consistency in that.

I see scopes all over the place on AR15's and wonder how in the world people shoot them accurately.

The Army (a long time ago) taught me to put my nose on the charging handle of the M16A1 to shoot it accurately.  That was 1975.  Today, when I set up and AR15 I set the back up rear sight on the rail so that the eye relief is right for my nose to be on the charging handle.  Then the optic (scope or red dot) goes on the rail it can set farther forward and still give me the nose on the charging handle consistency. 

I've noticed sitting at a bench results in a different "position" than standing, sitting or prone.  Something that needs to be practiced till the consistency is there.

Hey, I use 55 grain bullets all the time, too.  I bought some boxes of the "heavy" match bullets 7 or 8 years ago and have not, yet, loaded a single one.  I usually never shoot more than 25 yds. down here.  The range I belong to has a 7 or 8 bench 100 yds. range and it's usually dominated by a group of people who (by accident or on purpose) make shooting on it less than fun.  So I function test, sight in and test loads at 25 yds.  If it won't shoot a nice group at 25 yds. I can't see it shooting a nice group farther out.

Don't know what type of stock you have on your rifle. I have zero used for the A2 fixed stocks.  I've got plenty of arm reach for them but I've never liked them.  I've been buying surplus/old A1 fixed stocks and putting them on my AR15's for several years.  The slightly shorter stock allows me to be more comfortable shooting the rifle.  I've always felt being more comfortable made it easier for me to shoot a good group.

I usually use a 30 round magazine in an AR15, even at the bench.  I just sit back a little and let the stock stick down behind the bench.  Sometimes I push the magazine up against the back of the bench to make it a little more steady.  I expected malfunctions/feeding issues doing that but so far it's worked out.  A 20 round or 10 round mag. could be better for the bench but I just don't buy those for the .223 ARs.  Bought some for the .300 BO when I was trying to make mine shoot good groups and gave them to my son when I gave him my .300 BO stuff.

A good AR can be amazing with the right ammo and shooter.  The wind does complicate the .223 vs. the .308.  One day, in early 1976 we had a day at the range where we first shot M16A1s and then shot our M14's.  Wind from the right at varying speeds.  We spent the M16 session trying to figure out how far to the right off the target to aim at the longer ranges in order to hit the target.  With the M14's we just put the front sight on the targets and knocked them down.  The wind was there, it just didn't matter at 300 yds. or less.

And, it's good to have a fun stress free day at the range.

[Joe L]

Thanks for that reply, M1. 

I need to go back to basics with the AR, that's for sure.  It sure was different using a 14x sight at 100 rather than a red dot!  But I am very happy with what I can shoot at 100 with a pistol.  I always hope for 1/2" groups with the rifle but that is going to take some additional work and probably money on my part.  I will try the .308 next week some time, maybe.  But just 20 rounds, I think. 

Joe L

[M1A4ME]

Joe,

I'm not you, but I always preferred less magnification than I usually had.

I used to do some groundhog hunting (M700 VS in .223).  The scope was a 4X12.  Old Bushnell from when those were made by Bausch and Lomb.  I never had it on 12X unless I was trying to figure out if something I saw out there was a groundhog or something else.  I did most of my 100 to 200 yd. shooting on 8X.  That seemed to me, at the time, to be the best balance of clearly seeing what I needed to see and not being bothered by the cross hairs bouncing around as my heart pumped blood around.  I only did head shots and sometimes all I could see was a part of the head (seems some of the older groundhogs realized they didn't have to stick their whole head up out of the hole to look around - guess that's how they got old.)

I eventually went to a straight 10X Bushnell of the same vintage and was happy with that (the 4X12 went on my M1A for deer hunting and lives on that rifle to this day.)

[mrcabinet]

I don't shoot my rifles anywhere near as much as I should. When I do, I find myself grabbing five or six to take to the range, which really doesn't allow me enough time to spend with each rifle. What I really need to do is just take one or two, more often.

[Joe L]

I got out my 0.308 Savage in an XLR chassis and shot it today for the first time in many months.  But I did put some oil on the bolt before I went!  Groups were not bad at 100 yards using 175 gr Norma match rounds.  First time i've shot the Norma ammo.  I bought 40 rounds last week just to try them out.  They seem fine.  At least now I know the base conditions for the current 100 yard zero.  The pistol grip on the chassis was loose and I didn't have a long enough Allen wrench with me at the range to tighten it.  I needed a refresher on parallax/magnification/position/cheek weld/trigger pull/breathing/soft brim hats with a big scope but that's about all, LOL.

Joe L