I shoot with a support under the forend as close as possible to the magwell. I don't agree with shooting off the magazine since it creates forces against the mag catch during recoil. I think this may eventually wear out the retailing lip on the mag or eventually damage the magazine catch. I know lots of people do this and have no problems but that's my opinion about it and I'm not going to start doing it. I have tried it once since getting the rifle just to see if it improved the groups and POI shift but the groups were the same as supporting it just in front of the magwell.
Question for the Swiss Arms Classic owners ...
- Thread starter Tikka223
- Start date
I shoot with a support under the forend as close as possible to the magwell. I don't agree with shooting off the magazine since it creates forces against the mag catch during recoil. I think this may eventually wear out the retailing lip on the mag or eventually damage the magazine catch. I know lots of people do this and have no problems but that's my opinion about it and I'm not going to start doing it. I have tried it once since getting the rifle just to see if it improved the groups and POI shift but the groups were the same as supporting it just in front of the magwell.
AR15s may shoot better but remember most ARs now a days are DI, free floating barrel and have heavy barrels. For a long stroke piston, the Swiss shoots fantasic! by far the best AK47 based rifle out there
The AR I am comparing it to is a PWS piston operated 12.5" AR with a button rifled 1:8 twist and was shooting off the same rest as I was using for the Swiss but closer to the muzzle end of the forend (non floated).
I suspect the 1:8 twist had more to do with the improvement with the lighter ammo.
I have 4 more types of ammo to try plus I'll be building some handloads for it as well so I'm sure the groups are going to shrink. Having over 4000 rounds of 55gr AE is the only reason I was hoping it would shoot it better.
I can live with the accuracy I'm getting from it with the 55gr for general play time and will just have to find an ammo it likes for accuracy and long range playing.
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cr5,
don't get your expectations too high. If you want a swiss that shoots sub moa, you need to buy the CQB 8" barrel, you can get it under 1/2 moa regularly, in fact it will outshoot the sniper version for accuracy. There is a lot of physics that you cannot overcome with with way piston is attached to the barrel, and the length of the barrel. There is a lot going on while that bullet is still in the barrel and it all affects where the muzzle is pointing once the bullet exits regardless of how well you hold it or where you hold it. The swiss have learned to shoot off the bipods and do so accurately but then they are using the ammo that was tuned to the rifle, so they are squeezing every bit of accuracy out of it they can mind you they are shooting the 1/10's.. If you can get it down to an inch at 100 you will have hit the sweet spot. For giggles try hornady tap, 5.56 75 gr, if you can find some.
don't get your expectations too high. If you want a swiss that shoots sub moa, you need to buy the CQB 8" barrel, you can get it under 1/2 moa regularly, in fact it will outshoot the sniper version for accuracy. There is a lot of physics that you cannot overcome with with way piston is attached to the barrel, and the length of the barrel. There is a lot going on while that bullet is still in the barrel and it all affects where the muzzle is pointing once the bullet exits regardless of how well you hold it or where you hold it. The swiss have learned to shoot off the bipods and do so accurately but then they are using the ammo that was tuned to the rifle, so they are squeezing every bit of accuracy out of it they can mind you they are shooting the 1/10's.. If you can get it down to an inch at 100 you will have hit the sweet spot. For giggles try hornady tap, 5.56 75 gr, if you can find some.
As I stated earlier I didn't buy this expecting a sniper rifle so I am in no way disappointed in it's performance. I was only hoping it would shoot the 55gr a little tighter since I have so much of it.
The rifle is so smooth and tight I am really impressed with the quality and can't see any weak points on it where I would expect to see something fail.
As for the piston stuff. The bullet should have left the barrel by the time the piston starts moving but I do understand that due to the design of a gas operated rifle there are very few things that can be done to make it shoot as well as a free floated barrel on a bolt action. I suspect that once I find the ammo this rifle likes the groups will be close to what I was getting from my HK SL8-4. That rifle was easily capable of moa with 77gr match ammo and pretty much shot everything over 62gr really well.
I'll be loading my own for this one after I pick up some more heavy projectiles. Just use them once in a while when I want to take it out to 200+ yds.
Improvements that I would like to see made for the rifle are few. I would like to see an option to somehow install a free float forend, I don't care about a bunch of stupid rails to hang garbage off of but I would like to be able to use a bipod without a 5 inch shift in poi. I would also like a trigger with less take up. It breaks very nicely buy it's like a supersoaker trigger till you get to the spot where it breaks, once you find the spot just before it breaks the actual trigger break is wonderful. It's actually one of the best semi auto triggers I've felt once you get through all the travel to the break point.
What have guys been putting on them for optics? I know the factory irons are good but I bought the flat top and I currently have a 2.5-16x42 Bushnell Elite 6500 on it but I also have a 1-4 with .223 reticle in it that I was thinking of stealing off my AR to try on it. Something a little lighter might be nice when not at the range.
Lots of love for the swiss! I am very jealous of some of the shooting done with irons in these posts. I've come to really really like irons and it would be fun to push them out to this distance with a .223. I bought an M305 for that exact reason, only in 7.62, which is more expensive to shoot.
