Post your M14 accuracy

[Onagoth]

I keep reading about how the US forces are using M14s as a precision rifle setup. Not sure to what extent, but I know I've read about it.

Now for them, they probably need accuracy even beyond 1000 yards, however, a lot of times when I see people's posts on CGN about their M14s, their shooting 2 and 3 minute groups (nothing special at 1000 yards). I know the setups are probably very different, but there must be some member's here that have quite a bit of $$$ into their rifles.

So, post pics or details about the accuracy of your M14....I'm not really considering getting one, just want to know for interest sake.

 

[Grizzlypeg]

I have a pre 2007 smith mount scoped Norinco with a GI FG stock, and an upgraded recoil spring guide and spring. Also I unitized the gas system by welding. It shoots 1.5" 5 shot groups at 100 yards using Federal 150 gr blue box hunting ammo. I do have a problem with wandering zero though. It seems to drift left and right between range sessions. I need to get back at it, but I've run out of time lately to pursue the fix.

 

[Oldsmobiler]

Precision rifle in the armed forces is something that can put a guy down effectively. Hes not going to use the rifle for a benchrest shoot. However these sticks once tuned can really be accurate. I'll post a pic of my preliminary 5 shot group I got with my LRB build

 

[mt84]

This is from 200m range, not bad....

I think I could do better in time...

 

[cancer]

80 yards at dusk with a POS Bushnell Sportsman 3-9x Scope. One shot. Was a somewhat modified pre 2007 norc.

Unfortunately, I sold this rifle. However, I know who has it and I ask him once every couple months if he's still using it. Wouldn't mind getting it back...

 

[10mmauto]

80 yards at dusk with a POS Bushnell Sportsman 3-9x Scope. One shot. Was a somewhat modified pre 2007 norc.

Unfortunately, I sold this rifle. However, I know who has it and I ask him once every couple months if he's still using it. Wouldn't mind getting it back...

....what out the royal canadian mint might come after you! ( kidding).

 

[Tomochan]

Here are a couple of mine out of my SA M1A 'Loaded'. First group was shot at PoCo when I was reviewing three M14 type rifles for a post to this forum and the second group was shot a week later at Mission with a bit more breeze. Both groups are a hair outside of an inch as 100 meters so, calculating it in yards, that makes the groups pretty much in the 1 MOA area. These results appear to be representative of what this particular rifle is capable of so far. My best Norc/USGI combo - which I have owned longer and have more experience with - is more of a 1.5 - 2.0 MOA rifle.

Best results with the M1A have been with 168 g FGMM with handloads of 168g SMK over 43 Varget coming close. Am currently experimenting with some 155g SMK's.

 

[kinggeorge168]

Very nice.

 

[Kc.338Lp]

Havnt been out recently with my rifle however last 50 yrd shot , with 5 shots they were under an inch then at 100" the group was about 5" inchs low however was in a group roughly 1.5" inches primarily vertically strung.

 

[wildphil24]

I'm not an expert of the US military or medium-long range shooting. What I saw (pics) and read is that the various branch use various setup. Some still use USGI stock and others iron sights. Even the EBR (sage stock) uses various setup.

My understanding is that it's mostly a DMR (designated marksman rifle), expected to shoot beyond the brother's M4. Like 3-800 meters. I don't know in which proportion it's used by sniper teams but it seems like a minority.

I don't remember the accuracy requirement of the EBR but it's more than 1 MOA (with many doing better). Would have to check on M14tfl to make sure. Many of these service M14 use standard barrel profile.

 

[Rugerman]

M-14 Groups

155 gr. VMax @100 yds. This group was shot with an M-305 Polytech shortened and accurized by the good M14 Doctor, iron sights.
My first shot was the one on the left, the rest were centered. I suppose I should have counted my first shot in the group as it wasn't a called flyer but I am confident I could do it again and have all five there. I am putting on an Ultimak forend and an Eotech XPS 2-2 next week. Will try again.

 

[Tomochan]

Great shooting - especially with irons ! The Norcs really are amazing value.

 

[Oldsmobiler]

Decided to tweak the load a bit for the LRB by seating depth and man what a difference! Standard 2.80" was the magic number and 41gr of IMR4895 is the load (Win brass, 168gr SMK, #34 primer) - BTW that flyer was my fault

Last thing I need to do now is bed the sucker to really tighten things up

When I got to 2.835" this is what I got - DOH! It actually caused so much pressure the primer got forced out!

 

[The Kurgan]

You guys have given me some serious inspiration with my M305. My last trip to the range saw consistent 5 inch groups at 100 metres using the iron sights. I was using American Eagle and Prvi commercial loads.

 

[rhs]

Nice shooting with irons, Rugerman !!

My 2007 M305 likes 168g Amax with 41g of H4895. 5-shot groups run either side of 1.25" depending on how good my eyes are that day.

I've shimmed the gasblock, installed a TRW bolt, replaced the handguard with an Ultimak rail, and dropped it into a USGI fibreglas stock. Optics are a Leupold 2.5X scout scope in QRW rings.

 

[Onagoth]

Anybody shot their's at longer distances? My thought was that for this to be a sniper platform, it would have to be accurate at much longer distances. Some of the groups above are pretty decent, but some I don't think would hold out at say 800 yards

 

[Hungry]

Anybody shot their's at longer distances? My thought was that for this to be a sniper platform, it would have to be accurate at much longer distances. Some of the groups above are pretty decent, but some I don't think would hold out at say 800 yards

Speaking of 800 yards, up in the sticky (ies) will be my attempts at shooting a re-barreled (Douglas NM Hvy) Norc M14 up to 800 yards. I used my loads from my Remington M700 Varmint (or was it Police?... that was back in 2004ish)

Go and have a read. I had lots of fun, but I sold that platform and now I have a Model 70 Winnie Stealth 2010 production with 26" super heavy barrel just for this kind of shooting (800 yards - ORA Precision Rifle match).



Barney

 

[Rugerman]

Anybody shot their's at longer distances? My thought was that for this to be a sniper platform, it would have to be accurate at much longer distances. Some of the groups above are pretty decent, but some I don't think would hold out at say 800 yards

That is a valid point. I just got my chopped M305 back from Thomas not too long ago. It's hunting season right now and that's a priority but when the dust has settled from the hunting season I would like to try at much further distances. I also have another M-305 that, except for the receiver is all USGI and has been tweaked by Thomas as well. It is a shooter too. I plan on putting a 10x 3200 on that one and try it out at 500m. Will post the results.
This summer I met some Canadian soldiers who were returning to Afghanistan for a third time. They were at KTSA range and were shooting at 500 m with an M305 one of them had modified. The fellow was quite good with it (he was motivated!) and was consistently hitting targets at that range. They were much smaller targets than the "charging man". They weren't going for groups, just making sure they could reach out and touch someone. At one point he said he was putting all shots within a 10 inch circle at 500 m with military surplus. Nothing wrong with that.
They were really nice guys and answered a lot of questions I had about their weapons and tactics. Really impressive and good representatives of our soldiers. They worked really well together, real professionals.

 

[landcruiserguy]

Can I play?

A friend gave me 5 rounds of winchester 150g white box which I had heard mentioned on here as a good brand of ammo. This is the only group I shot with it which I thought wasn't so bad for factory ammo and softpoints.

This was sighting it in at the range. Top left group (I havn't measured but it's around 1/2 inch) was the first group. Then I adjusted right and down and shot the group in the middle with four shots.

165g Sierra HPBT Gameking, lapua brass, 43g ADI 2206H (H4895)

This was the best group of the load development I did when working up a load for winchester brass. 168g Sierra Matchking, 42g ADI 2006H (H4895).

All this is with:
Old model M305
Mastar Op Rod guide
USGI stock
Leupold FXII 4 power
Scarly generious headspacing

My best advice for someone wanting accuracy would be to:
Use sierra match or gamekings. Ballistic tips will probably also work but in my experiance you can't get decent accuracy out of soft points as a general rule.
Start at the lowest powder charge in the book and then work up.
Use hard primers (i.e. cci)
Be very aware of your headspacing - case headspace comparitor and bent paperclip to check for case seperation.
Get a primer pocket uniformer so that you can eliminate the risk of high primers.
Use decent brass.
Don't worry too early on as mine took a couple of hundred rounds to run the barrel in and get any decent groups out of.

 

[beltfed]

...a lot of times when I see people's posts on CGN about their M14s, their shooting 2 and 3 minute groups (nothing special at 1000 yards).

2-3 moa at 1000 yards with an M-14 is very good shooting and is done with likely very consistant and accurate loads.

Most really exceptional groups people post at 100m/yds give a good indication of what the mechanical accuracy of the rifle is capable of, but the further you go out, the greater influence the shooter, variance of ammunition and environmental conditions have on the size and consistancy of the group.