Carbine Accuracy?

Wow, I went out the range today (ended up going to Cherry Creek) after buying a new bushmaster H-bar carbine upper.

This damn thing surprised.

First surprise:
I had it on an Eagle Arm CAR-15 lower. I took it to th erange and borrowed a Rock River lower with the two stage match trigger and Vltor stock. Simple. Off with the old lower and on with the new. Nope, it would close with the RR lower. Muct check this out why at home. So anyways, I was shooting with a standrad mil trigger on a CAR15 lower.

I had the scope bored sighted in at home. Took it out and got the thing zero'ed pretty well shooting Winchester 223 USA 55gr ammo.

Surprise 2:
As I was firing at the 10 yard range (and there ws decent wind) I shot some groups just to see how well the darned thing worked. This damn thing (with a scope) was shooting right around inch groups (plus or minus a little). I was really surpised. This wasn't simply off a sandbag. No free float handgaurd. No match trigger. Basically a this is just an Hbar carbine. And I shot many good groups.

Without careful aim, I put a magazine through my prairie dog targets. I basically would get the target lined up and fire. I was trying to hit a "prairie dog", not hold the tightest groups. I wanted to get a shot off and there is also no "bullseye" on a PD. Firing a half box (10 rounds) at 100 yards with a decent amount of wind produced a 2.4 inch max group. Taking the two furtherest outliers out, I managed 1.7 inch group. Considering these were fairly rapid, and conditions, I can't complain.

Now I have to ask. Are H-bar carbines usually this accurate or do I have a "keeper"?

-Dana

When I had My original 16" H-Bar carbine, with iron sights, it seemed as if I could hit anything I pointed it at under 75 yrds. Anything past 75yrds, My hit rates went down. :roll: Could have been the combination of old eyes and short sight radius. At least thats My story, and I'm sticking to it. :wink:

I haven't really sighted in My new one yet, so, I'm not sure how it really does yet. Hopefully Sat. :D

It's the nature of the beast. These little 5.56/.223 rifles inherently are quite accurate.

I believe all of the hype about "free-float" handguards is primarily a campaign to sell us something. They make sense if you're trying to extract the last little bit of accuracy out of the AR design, but they're really not necessary for what 99% of us use them for.

1 inch groups at ten yards? :lol:

Damn man, low standards.

IMHO virtually every quality production gun is going to be MUCH more accurate than the average shooter. I have just barely gotten to the point where there are guns that can "hold me back" in terms of accuracy, and those are only the very short barrelled pistols like a G-26. I am guessing most of that is due to the sight radius, ie with a sight the gun would still be MUCH better than I am. When you get to the point where you can feel and know that it is the gun itself that is keeping you from hitting your target, join the olymics or at least some other shooting team. :wink:

The Bushy and RR lower will close. You need to brake them in first though. Bushy has a square rear takedown pin post and RRA machines their lowers for a round one or one with beveled edges. So just slam them together and break them apart over your knee if you have too a few times and then just take it out and shoot a few thousand rounds through it and it will work like a charm. I have had 3 AR's I have had to do that with now. You cant hurt 'em.

this is a pic of my out of the box carbon-15, m4 with a 14.5" barrel. if I remember correct this was the 50 yard target using the eotech.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/315186.jpg

I've read that a free-float handguard can make a huge difference. More so than just upgrading the barrel anyway.

My little SDI SR-15 shot a 2" 100yd 5-shot group and 5" 300yd 5-shot group the first time I took it out.

I suspect once I get used to the trigger, those will improve.

Mike

It's great to see folks who have never owned one realize what a great rifle the AR series actually is.

The spiffy free float forends are all great and grand, there is some science to rail mounted gear causing some accuracy issues (depending on the mounting and its weight) but considering most civilians won't mount as much on their forend it isn't as much an issue. Now if you're looking at Bench Rest or long range support/sniping then the traditional forend is more than fine and you won't notice effects under 200m at all.

I recently assembled a 7.5" upper and took it out to shoot. That's right, seven and one half inch barrel. I sited it in at 50 yards and 1" groups were easy off hand, no bags, standing. So I installed a red dot on it and started shooting at 100 yards. Soda cans at 100 yards are easy. Well one miss in a 30 round magazine. All these shots are off hand knealing.

My point is I am no bad *ss, but these rifles are accurate. The .223 is accurate.

+1 on any 16" getting 1MOA at 100 yards. Any barrel, Hbar, Disspipator, M4 or pencil. If it doesn't sell it, it's junk. Now if we are talking 1" at 200 yards with a 16" barrel, the only barrel to get is an Olympic Arms broach cut SUM barrel.

1" groups at 10 yards...that's pretty bad. That's 10" at 100 yards. I have 2" barrel pistols that shoot better.

I took the "10 yards" to be a typo. That's bayonet range. :wink:

give me an 8mm round any day ;)

or 7.5x55

now those are accurate ;)

Yes, 10 yards was a typo. 1 inch at 10 yards is barely acceptable for a pistol.

I am not new to the AR world as someone assumes. However almost everything I have shot Ar wise is heavy barrel/match trigger/free flot/etc. I decided I wanted to try a carbine for varmit hunting and was surprised how well they do.

-Dana