Got some expert coaching today.

Tom

Well-Known Member
I took my oldest daughter's 7.62x39 upper to the range today after modding it for her. Free float handgaurd, truing the upper receiver face, and mounting a 2x7 scope on it. Unknown heavy barrel and unknown forged upper receiver.
Getting .6 groups with federal fusion ammo, but a few uncalled fliers opening them up to 1.8 or so.
A gentleman seated next to me suggests I am resting it too far forward on the bags and using uneven cheeking pressure on the buttstock.
Anyhoo, now I'm thinking I can actually get my bartlein grendel to shoot in the .1s.
I know, I'm a dreamer, but I'm excited to practice a better technique. I've been frustrated by fliers with an ar15 that I didnt have with a bolt action.
 

Ian

Notorious member
ARs are a whole 'nuther thing off the bags. For one thing you're holding on to the actual machinery and not insulated from it by a full stock. For another, they're flexible and every input your body gives it yields output you may or may not want.

I tend to use Fiver's method of packing the rifle down tight in the bags, putting the front rest close to the receiver, and holding the pistol grip with both hands like you would a pistol. Grip firmly but not too tight and focus on pulling the rifle straight back into your shoulder with no down or sideways pressure.
 

Tom

Well-Known Member
Yep, Ian, that's what I learned today. It didn't occur to me that the flexibility of the ar15 would have such a big difference. I'm kinda slow on the uptake, lol.
Offhand shooting would be a bit different, I think, until one adds the sling tension into the mix.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Back in the day the old M16-A1 would throw a round 4 or 5" out at 600 with a perfect sight picture just from too tight a squeeze between your hands. They were preaching consistent hold 40 years ago on Parris Island.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
The biggest revelation in ar accuracy for me was when triggers started becoming available around 2lb...changed the game for me.

Proper trigger control is something I see folks struggle with. Hold the trigger press until the rifle recovers from recoil completely. Seems more important for autoloaders. Really seems to help regain sight picture quickly to.
 

Ian

Notorious member
^^^^ YES. If you feather the trigger on an M14 it is very likely to bump-fire, not cool from the bench when you aren't expecting it. Pull to the rear and hold it there firmly, then when things are calm again, do a deliberate reset of the trigger and train yourself to observe the sound it makes. Sometimes a faulty reset is the only clue you'll have that something didn't work right on the self-load and you should safe it and inspect.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
The biggest revelation in ar accuracy for me was when triggers started becoming available around 2lb...changed the game for me.

Proper trigger control is something I see folks struggle with. Hold the trigger press until the rifle recovers from recoil completely. Seems more important for autoloaders. Really seems to help regain sight picture quickly to.

I struggled with "follow through" until I reread Ed McGivern's book. He said control of the trigger after hammer fall was as important as the first half. Having shot 100,000 round M-16's for familiarization and 10,000 round M16A1's for training, follow through is so important for me with all those mechanical things bouncing around inside the rifle. When I was issued a new M16A1, I was always careful when cleaning it and putting it back together. I fired it semi-auto 95% of the time. Guys that only shot spray and pray and at least 10 round per trigger pull, always had a hard time requalifying every three months. Some of it was the rifle I'm sure.
 

Tom

Well-Known Member
I guess I accidentally got follow through right. Nobody taught me, but I've always been slow to let a trigger come back, even with bolt actions. (Except for those rare occasions when I get silly and empty a magazine as fast as I can.)
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I found that if I keep the trigger under control, it also keeps hand and shoulder pressure the same. Even my cheek stays on the stock until rifle movement stops.
 
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Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Ric, you got a new one issued to you? Amazing. Ours were beat all to heck. I know some got cleaned by guya running an aluminum rod up and down the barrel while it was being turned by a 1/4" drill. I'm sure that did lots of good for the muzzles!
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
My Combat Engineer unit, with the Arty guys, were the second groups to get the new M16A1's after the Infantry had theirs replaced. We got about five replacement GI's every day on average I guess. When you turned in your TO&E gear before going CONUS, their rifles (M16's) went into a crate after inspection from the battalion armorer. Then back to Ordinance who would send up an equal number of new A1's. If there was not a new one, the armorer would pick out an M16 that had been issued to a clerk or cook and was kept in his hooch. Some had only been fired 40 rounds every three months since coming by ship in 1966 when the unit got in-country.

Also at this time the RF/PF Viet Namese were having their M1's, BAR's and Carbines replaced with M16's. I am reasonable sure that is where they came from. By the time I left, there was little or no 30/06 or carbine ammo to trade for by the guys that had "picked up" a Garand or Carbine.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
Thank you guys for the tips on proper trigger control and specially follow-through "after" it goes bang ;)