Typical M-305 Short Rifle accuracy???

V

VLT79

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
237   0   0
Location
Athabasca, AB and FSJ, BC
I've always loved the M-14 rifles and bought a Norinco back in 2003 (I think). Anyway in 2008 I sold my Norinco M-14 clone primarily because was not a very accurate gun (4 m.o.a. average). Factory loads or handloads made no difference, it just wouldn't group. The plan was to save up and buy/import an LRB rifle...which is now fairly easy to do...but I came across a NIB M-305 Short rifle yesterday and I walked out of the store with it!

Today I went it to the range to give it a try. The only load I had was the Nosler Custom with the 165gr. AccuBond.

Three shot had the rifle shooting dead on at 18 paces with only elevation adjustment of the rear sight being necessary. No windage required. The rear sight is actually perfectly centered still.

The lower shots in the pictured target are the first 3 shots taken at 100yds. The other three in the center are after a 2 click elevation adjustment, again shot at 100yards. I was shooting off the bench with the rifle's forearm resting on hard gun case (soft pad between gun and case) and my fist balled up under the butt.

So my question is: Is this typical accuracy for these guns or did I just get very lucky??? I'm almost tempted to try scope it now to see what it is truly capable of!

2crnlfq.jpg
[/IMG]

35373pd.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Last edited:
It is pretty much standard. They are great rifles! One of my favorites!

There should be very little to no difference in accuracy between the two rifles.

This is only what I have read on other forums and from something I read in an article from Art Lupino but there seems to be some logic here:

With the shorter barrel, the projectile leaves the barrel quicker, the distance between the actuation of the gas system (which sends your muzzle all over the place) and the projectile leaving the barrel is much shorter in terms of bullet speed and distance traveled. So the bullet leaves the muzzle before gas system has a chance to start cycling making it easier to keep your shots on target.

Again, I don't know how much truth there is to this.

I may actually borrow my buddies stock shorty and put it up against my standard Norc to see if there is any difference.

It's not going to turn a cheap knock off battle rifle into tack driving precision gun but if anything I would say it would be slightly more accurate because of this.
 
I'd scope it, I bet it can do 1.5 consistently if you managed a 2 inch group with irons. Be sure you tighten the gas assembly as well, it's really simple once you get the flash hider off.
 
all rifles have a 'SWEET SPOT"- ie one kind of ammo or one reload that it likes, and the 14 is no exception- i have 4 , and each one has a different "preferred " load- they all have 165-168 grain pills in common, and 43-44 grains of 748, but it's the variances in that last grin that make the difference- i'm using standard barrels, and 4x12x40 scopes, and i get 2nie sized groups at 100, all 20 rounds, and no fliers- on a good day with no wind, i can get loonie or quarter, provided the rifle is properly bedded down on the bench and i'm not BREATHING- and that FIVE shot groups, not 3
 
Thanks guys! As I've been playing around with guns for a very long time, I am aware of everything that has been said so far.

I was just wondering if this kind of accuracy is typical for this model (M-305 short rifle).

Past experience with the Norinco clones, mine & 5 others(all manufactured before 2003), had proven to me that 2.5-3 m.o.a was to be expected with tailored loads. Anything less was extrtemly rare and needed a scope to be acheived.

I've also shot a few M-14 NM rifles (SA, FA, custom clones) and with open sights and non-match ammo many of the high priced guns shot no better than this cheap thing...granted this is only 2 three shot groups (2.127" & 1.196") and with one brand of factory hunting ammo.

I guess I'll play around with it a bit more and see if this is as good as it gets.
 
VLT79 said:
Thanks guys! As I've been playing around with guns for a very long time, I am aware of everything that has been said so far.

I was just wondering if this kind of accuracy is typical for this model (M-305 short rifle).

Past experience with the Norinco clones, mine & 5 others(all manufactured before 2003), had proven to me that 2.5-3 m.o.a was to be expected with tailored loads. Anything less was extrtemly rare and needed a scope to be acheived.

I've also shot a few M-14 NM rifles (SA, FA, custom clones) and with open sights and non-match ammo many of the high priced guns shot no better than this cheap thing...granted this is only 2 three shot groups (2.127" & 1.196") and with one brand of factory hunting ammo.

I guess I'll play around with it a bit more and see if this is as good as it gets.
Click to expand...

I've shot an actual SA M1A as well as a match M1A (not mine I can't justify spending that much on any rifle lol) I have found that they shoot no better than a Norinco M14.

Especially if you switch out the rear sight for a proper M1A set lol ;)
 
t-star said:
all rifles have a 'SWEET SPOT"- ie one kind of ammo or one reload that it likes, and the 14 is no exception- i have 4 , and each one has a different "preferred " load- they all have 165-168 grain pills in common, and 43-44 grains of 748, but it's the variances in that last grin that make the difference- i'm using standard barrels, and 4x12x40 scopes, and i get 2nie sized groups at 100, all 20 rounds, and no fliers- on a good day with no wind, i can get loonie or quarter, provided the rifle is properly bedded down on the bench and i'm not BREATHING- and that FIVE shot groups, not 3
Click to expand...

I don't mean to sound like a douche but I find it's actually the half grain that makes all the difference. I made up about 160 rounds, every 5 round clip was .5 grain difference using 4 different powders. I was using the hornady interlock 165g btsp's with Varget, RL15, IMR4064, and IMR4895. The accuracy fluctuated greatly, but I noticed that the accuracy was 'decent' with the lowest loads (2 inches) then went to #### around the middle (2.5-3 inches) and once you got almost hot, like 1.5 to 1grain under listed max you'd start to see the sub-2 inch groups. Once I hit max load, the accuracy went back to about 2 inches, this was with like every powder I tried for some reason except imr4895 which was #### no matter what, which was surprising

RL15 proved to be the most accurate at 1.5 inches every 5 rounds group with 1965 DA brass and 43.5 grains. The problem was pressure, it would fail to cycle properly about once every 10th round.

I find that no matter what medium'ish powder I use with 150g bullets it cycles fine. I spoke to a couple gunsmiths about bending the op rod and they said maybe you could do some damage to it after 20-30k rounds but the odds are so low. I spoke to a guy who put 8k rounds of 180g ammo down his rifle and there was no excess wear points or bending of the op rod.

Even with this said, my next tests will be H4895, IMR4064, IMR3031, BallC2, and H335 with 150g hornady interlock spire points. I'm expecting 1.75 inch groups once I get around the 2750fps mark and I won't be using DA brass, just 308win winchester stuff from Walmart
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom