[smschulz]

Which FMJ ammo gives you the best accuracy in your XCR?

I am beginning a new round of evaluation since the Bill Springfield trigger job.

So far for me:

S&B 55gn FMJ ~ very accurate but leaves brass residue on breech and will occasionally wrap piece of brass around very tip of FP and lodge in FP hole. It may be to a harder primer although I have not had any failures. I have had this also happen on my SKS. Now that I think of if my SKS had a Kiviiri trigger job and is too light to shoot Wolf ~ so maybe that isn't it. I was impressed with the accuracy.

Barsunal 62gn SP ~ Not accurate at all. So I nabbed a case for around $200 ~ what do you expect? It shoots fine. I have had couple rounds deform the lead soft point on feeding and FTF. The steel case ~ not fond of them but otherwise no issues.

I will be re-evaluating the rest of my ammo:

Fiocchi 55 FMJ
Rem UMC 55
Black Hills Red Box 55 FMJ
Igman 62gn FMJ
Aguilar 55gn FMJ
Unknown 62gn Green Tip
Priv Parizian 55gn FMJ

Anyone esle with a pref on 55 or 62?

I'll update as I shoot some more

 

[Bravo]

The vast majority of what I run through my XCR is either Winchester 55 grain FMJ bulk packs and handloads.

Both will shoot high into the expert range on a military qualification course, so I question just how much more is needed. From a good prone, I can make reliable hits on targets smaller than people, far enough away that the 5.56 isn't as effective - even using my preferred TAP ammo, much less FMJ ammo.

One of the things that really peeves me (and this isn't directed at you, just an aside) is when people put a rifle in sandbags on a concrete bench and try to punch tiny little holes at 400 or so - when the rifle isn't designed to do that!

I say that my sniper rifle is accurate at 1/3 MOA at 300, but that's a combo of the rifle, optics, ammo, and ME. As in my belly in the grass, no benches needed / allowed.

So someone takes a battle carbine or battle rifle, and benchrests it - then complains that they can't get 1/2 MOA groups with FMJ ammo. WTF-over? If the rifle will shoot better than the operator - IN THE GRASS ON HIS BELLY - then what is the big deal? The XCR falls into that category for me. With the 2 MOA Aimpoint and cheap FMJ ammo, I'm still the limiting factor I believe - but still high into the expert scores. Is more accuracy really needed? If I had more (like for instance I started running my 69 SMK load) could I make use of that from the prone? Maybe a TINY bit, but nothing noticable I'm sure.

Last time I checked, there weren't any nice concrete benches out in the field. Nor are there any on MY range.

FWIW......

 

[ny32182]

I was shooting Win Q3131 (55gr M193) into around 4-5" using the Troy sights and the large aperature. That is all I've been able to do with the rifle so far. Even the small aperature on that sight is big, and I haven't tried it yet, but doubt there would be any marked improvement.

Eventually I will scope it and try some handloads and/or factory match grade stuff, and will report back if I shoot any nice tight groups.

 

[aziator]

I end up shooting mostly 55 gr as I can buy the bullets bulk pak and reload.

Someone way smarter than me once said that as long as you can hit an 8" paper plate you are good. You will hardly ever see me shooting at a target anymore (walmart paper plates are cheaper). Hold one up to your chest and see how it fits over the vital area.

I say that mostly refering to pistol and personal defense. I still like to shoot small groups with rifle every now and then but prefer to consentrate most of my shooting on the tactical/defensive type.

As another side note, I need to get out of the army and find a place to live where I can shoot in my back yard. I want a few of those LaRue targets that I can just put out and forget about them.

 

[smschulz]

Bravo, I think you're taking this thread to the extreme. I didn't or was looking for a comparison of sinper-like distances at super-low-moa-groups. I didn't mention asny distances or group sizes. I was only looking for any impressions/experiences (if known or determined) with reg FMJ ammo at the normal XCR distances (under 200yds for me).

 

[Bravo]

Aziator - I do the same thing too, paper plates are cheap ;-) I used to pick up the least used IDPA targets after the matches, but that got tedious after a while.

FWIW, an 8" paper plate at 400 is 2 MOA. Anyone that can keep 2 MOA from a field position with a battle carbine and ball ammo is 'good to go' in my book. Besides, 400 is a TOUCH farther than what I can get a TAP round to work well ;-)

Smschulz, from a decent prone, that 8" paper plate ought to be a 'no miss' situation at 200 yds. As I said, my reply wasn't aimed at you. Just a pet peeve of mine.....

FWIW, I've decided to have some fun this weekend. This weekend is a qualification course, and I'm opting to run it side-by-side with my XCR. I haven't done a formal qual with it yet as such, but running 5 cases of ammo down the tube has given me enough confidence in the stick I have little doubt it'll get me to expert with plenty of room to spare.

At Gunsite, the lack of recoil was apparent to everyone there. When I was doing a run at the scrambler, one of my classmates was tailing me (observing, some folks call it 'gaming' - checking out what the guy in front of you does so that you can learn from his mistakes instead of making the same ones) and noted that the muzzle didn't rise at all when I was hitting. Actually it was, but nothing like the AR platform ;D

 

[aziator]

Can't beat $2.00 for 500 something targets. Besides, the guy that let me in on the secret has 3 tabs on his left shoulder and shoots more in a week than I do in a month.

 

[gunner69]

I am no Benchrest shooter. However, when working up a potential load I do shoot "sandbagged" at 100 meters. Most of my shooting (90% or more) is informal. As Brovo remarked, there are few prepared firing positions in the woods. I practice shooting from a wide gamet of positioms. And yes, those pie plates are wonderful targets. You can even mix colors to make "good guy/badguy/hostage" targets. ;D

My rifle seems to like the 62gr (60gr Nosler too) bullet. If I run across a good deal on 55gr I may buy some for plinking. I reload a lot so try to get deals on components to save even more. If you only shoot off the bag you are cheating yourself. You will never identify, much less correct, weak shooting habits. Enjoy each range experience. :2cents:

 

[Deltaview]

Paper plates make great targets, especially outdoors at distance.

When I need something resembling a "real" target, I print one on my laser printer. I found several .PDF files of targets that are useful (trigger control training and optics/sight zeroing) and my son prefers them to paper plates on indoor ranges. 24# paper works well, but 8.5x11 card stock (from Sams Club) works well indoors and out.

 

[awxcr]

Deltaview would you please post the PDF files or advise where we can find them?

 

[aziator]

Here are a few, I have a large file of targets that I downloaded

On edit, I will start a new thread with targets in it

 

[smschulz]

Which FMJ ammo gives you the best accuracy in your XCR?
55 or 62

 

[aziator]

I can honestly say that I haven't shot much in the way of 62 gr out of my XCR. At my old range out in AZ they had steel out to 600m and I could hit the 400 plate no problems with my EOtech and 55 gr.

I really think that it is more the shooter than the gun when you are talking about 55 or 62. If we get into a heavier bullet 70+ then you may see something.

I for one look forward to seeing what factory ammo shoots best for you (mostly because I don't buy much factory so I never get the chance to test them.

 

[Deltaview]

Deltaview would you please post the PDF files or advise where we can find them?

aziator post quite a few under a new "Targets" topic. I'll compare his to what I have and fill in any that he didn't post.

aziator's library is much better than mine...