This is so true. Buy a noveske or proof research barrel and run the cheapest ####tiest 55gr fmj ammo through that barrel and I can almost guarantee you will get the same results as with your factory barrel.
Look at optics. Are you running a quality scope with solid mounts. Do you have good solid shooting fundamentals? Are you shooting the sock trigger. Honestly that's what I would replace before the barrel. Get some 69gr match ammo and a solid good magnification scope and see what your rifle can do before replacing parts and remember.... generic run of the mill ammo will give you run of the mill
This is true to a point. I've run $1000 barrels in my AR's and I've run $150 barrels. The expensive barrel will shoot all ammo more consistently than the crappy barrel but until you run quality ammo you'll never see what the barrel is really capable of. The biggest advantage gained from a high quality barrel is the stress relieving and heat treating that help it be more consistent as it gets hot.
Quality optics and a solid mount are also very important but what is often overlooked is shooter ability. It's not as easy to shoot a semi auto consistently as it is to shoot a bolt action. A semi will magnify all your errors as a shooter so just because a rifle manufacturer claims sub moa doesn't mean the consumer will ever see it.
OP, notice how often I use the word consistent or consistently? Accuracy is what a rifle/ammo/shooter can do over and over group after group and making an AR capable of sub 2 moa is easy if you're willing to spend the money on a quality barrel and do the work needed to find the ammo it likes. Even a Proof Research barrel for $1000 probably won't shoot cheap ammo very well. If you want consistent accuracy you need a consistent rifle, consistent ammo, and a consistent shooter behind the trigger.
Your factory barrel is probably capable of sub 2 moa if you shoot slowly so it doesn't get hot and if you find the right ammo but the chances of that ammo being cheap are slim.
Also, forget about the tight twist NEEDS a heavy projectile. This is wrong, a tight twist and heavy (long) projectiles are needed for shooting long range but if you're shooting at under 300 yards a slower twist or lighter projectiles will work just fine. It's about stabilization and even a 12 twist can stabilize a light bullet out to 300 yards and provide fantastic accuracy. A lot of guys don't get this and think that a 7 twist barrel needs 77gr projecties to shoot accurately. At 100 yards it doesn't matter and it's the consistency of the heavy match grade ammo that's giving the better groups not the heavy projectile being better suited to the twist rate.
And just to make it more difficult, just because the box says MATCH on it doesn't mean your barrel will like it. You'll probably have to try a few different brands and weights to find what your barrel shoots well.
Good luck
