First Range Visit for Newly "Built" Rifle

[beeker77]

I got this brand-new, never-fired DPMS A15 early in February. Immediately removed and replaced the trigger with a Rock River Arms Two-Stage match trigger. Then I bought and installed the Rock River Arms Varmint Upper with 24-inch heavy barrel with TRO handguard, fast 1:8 twist. No sights, so I scavenged these spare apertures, which were on a shelf in my armory. Out to the range today to send down-range the first ever rounds from this rifle. Total 40 rounds. There were at least ten rounds completely off the target as I adjusted the apertures, front and rear, to finally put a hole in the target board, well below this grid. Further adjustments to walk the POI onto the black of the Shoot-N-See; ...those three right on the outer edge of the seven-ring between one o'clock and two-thirty, and it settled down to this final group, with a flyer at 3:30 and one at 10:30, both in the seven-ring again.

Back to the range tomorrow if the weather holds, for another 40 rounds of break-in fun.

My goal is to shoot this rifle in mid- and long-range events.

[1stmar]

Nice... I love shooting with aperture sights, though I get eye fatigue rather quickly. Looks like largely a 3"x3" group?

[Jay24bal]

I have never used aperture sights like that on AR, looks interesting...

That said, I feel your excitement about shooting a new build. I put together a new AR on a PSA lower over the last couple months, and have not pulled the trigger yet. My outdoor range opened today, but is about 10 degrees out and snowing (which would not have 100% prevented me from going, but I had to go buy a new truck today). I can not wait for the weather to improve a bit and get out and test it out. I have the entire day blocked out on my schedule next Saturday to go to the range. I also have a new bolt action 308 that has not had one down the tube yet. I am getting the itch, bad.

[beeker77]

I have never used aperture sights like that on AR, looks interesting...

I put together a new AR on a PSA lower over the last couple months, and have not pulled the trigger yet. I can not wait for the weather to improve a bit and get out and test it out. I also have a new bolt action 308 that has not had one down the tube yet.

I like to test my marksmanship with apertures before moving to a scope on any rifle. For my personal reference, it helps evaluate a rifle's potential before adding glass. (Apertures also seriously test these 66YO eyes - ...67 next week!)

I used the exact same aperture configuration on the other rifles shown below, shooting in state long-range matches at 800/900/1,000 yards. Both are .308.

DPMS LR308


Custom 'Palma' rifle, Winchester action

[Freakingstang]

Why would you test with aperture sites? The whole reason for a free float barrel is for accuracy, then you go hanging stuff off then end of it? Thats why your group is all over the place. If and when you put glass on it, I'd bet money your accuracy improves and groups tighten up. That 24" barrel should be a 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with moderate glass.

On any bull barrel type hunting rifle they can be very useful. I don't see any point in using one on an AR with a free floated barrel. It is doing more damage to groups than good. If you don't know what barrel whip is, then google it.

I'd also play round with some different grainage weights. I had a bushy 24" varminter 1/8 that didn't like 62gr anything. It loved 55grain vmax's and 65grain sp's.. Of coarse they all like hand loads better than any production ammo

[beeker77]

Why would you test with aperture sites? The whole reason for a free float barrel is for accuracy, then you go hanging stuff off then end of it? Thats why your group is all over the place. If and when you put glass on it, I'd bet money your accuracy improves and groups tighten up. That 24" barrel should be a 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with moderate glass.

On any bull barrel type hunting rifle they can be very useful. I don't see any point in using one on an AR with a free floated barrel. It is doing more damage to groups than good. If you don't know what barrel whip is, then google it.

Whoa, Scout! Easy, big fella.
...Sheesh. Look at the clock - it's time for your chill pill. Lose the 'tude, dude.

I didn't hang anything; the sight mount is securely clamped. Why would you ever say, "hanging stuff off then(sic) end of it" when you can clearly see the sight mount. If you don't know what sight mount clamps are, then google it.
The only reason the apertures are on this rifle right now is so I could conveniently and quickly get to the range to fire some break-in rounds through the new tube. When I am ready to go for accuracy, the front aperture would be mounted on the handguard rail. After that happens, I will welcome constructive criticism and suggestions, but will ignore snarky bloviating.

[SVTCobra306]

I wouldn't worry about it. The point of free floating is to remove the pressure that the rest of the stock is putting onto the barrel.. having a sight on the end should make no noticeable difference unless it's a very, very slight harmonic that you'll probably never notice.

I'm sure you know that better ammo than FMJ will tighten a bit, and 100 yards open sight is always more of a challenge than most of the internet will admit.

I'm curious what you thought of the RRA 2 stage NM trigger? I put on in my wife's AR and haven't been all that impressed with it, however hers has a whopping 100 rounds through it, I hope it lightens up a bit with more break-in, otherwise I'll have to massage it a bit.

[ATPBULLETS]

Nice looking build.... Good job.

how do you like your dpms 308?

[Freakingstang]

Whoa, Scout! Easy, big fella.
...Sheesh. Look at the clock - it's time for your chill pill. Lose the 'tude, dude.

I didn't hang anything; the sight mount is securely clamped. Why would you ever say, "hanging stuff off then(sic) end of it" when you can clearly see the sight mount. If you don't know what sight mount clamps are, then google it.
The only reason the apertures are on this rifle right now is so I could conveniently and quickly get to the range to fire some break-in rounds through the new tube. When I am ready to go for accuracy, the front aperture would be mounted on the handguard rail. After that happens, I will welcome constructive criticism and suggestions, but will ignore snarky bloviating.

There was no "tude" dude.

Maybe you don't understand physics and leverage. The reason I said "hanging stuff off the end" is because you take a long bar and you "hung/bolted/clamped" a heavy sight at the farthest fulcrum point. Leverage from the weight hanging off the end with each shot and barrel whip acts like a 12' Prybar moving a rock.

[beeker77]

I wouldn't worry about it. The point of free floating is to remove the pressure that the rest of the stock is putting onto the barrel.. having a sight on the end should make no noticeable difference unless it's a very, very slight harmonic that you'll probably never notice.

I'm sure you know that better ammo than FMJ will tighten a bit, and 100 yards open sight is always more of a challenge than most of the internet will admit.

I'm curious what you thought of the RRA 2 stage NM trigger? I put on in my wife's AR and haven't been all that impressed with it, however hers has a whopping 100 rounds through it, I hope it lightens up a bit with more break-in, otherwise I'll have to massage it a bit.

Thanks, SVTCobra306,

The FMJ seems fine for just establishing a initial round-count for the barrel. Would not want to waste HPBTs at this point, of which I have plenty of 62 and 69 grainers.

Yep, I agree with your common-sense observation on the aperture/free-float thing. Kinda funny, ...the many hundreds of very experienced mid- and long-range competitive shooters with free-floated barrels that do quite nicely, e.g., top scores, out to 500 or 1,000 yards with barrel-mounted apertures! That would appear to be a good example to emulate, no?


RRA two-stage? I like it because nearly 100% of my rifles have two-stage triggers (notable exception: my 1975 Colt SP1, a near-exact replica of what I carried on the ground in Vietnam), so it's a familiar technique. Having said that, the interval from stage 1 to stage 2 seems a bit abrupt in comparison to most others. Still... it's an improvement in operation, for my taste.

[beeker77]

Nice looking build.... Good job.
how do you like your dpms 308?

Thanks, ATP.
My dpms 308 kicks butt all the way out to 1,000 yards, with either apertures or glass.
I like it!