FN SPR - a second winner

[lifebreath]

I've followed the other SPR thread with interest and thought I'd post my glad tidings ...

Yesterday was the first time I've tried to get good groups with my new FN SPR. While the results are not quite as impressive as quietshooter's, I'm pretty darned happy!

Just under 1/2" for a 3-round group shot at 100 yards, prone with bipod and rear sack. Shot another 5-round group at 3/4" including one flyer that I called. The other four rounds were grouped less than 1/2". (The whole group was a vertical string about 1/4" wide, which I'm sure was due to my breathing.) This was using factory 168gr Federal GMM.

(The other marked group was a quickie shot while zeroing my Noveske 16" Recce upper and 75gr Hornady match.)

[gimpy]

Nice shooting! Is that one of the A2's?

[P2000]

I wonder what 10 shot groups look like with these SPR's.

[lifebreath]

Nice shooting! Is that one of the A2's?

It's an A2 pillar bedded in a McMillan A4 stock, CDI AICS bottom metal, all work by Mark Gordan at Short Action Customs.

I wonder what 10 shot groups look like with these SPR's.

I'll admit, I did not want to tempt fate when I knew I shot a good 3-round group. I'm a novice precision shooter and this was the first time trying to shoot tight groups with this rifle. This is my first high-powered precision rifle and I had only shot it once before. I will try some 5 and 10 round groups next time, especially if I can shoot at my buddy's place, where he has a nice bench rest setup to reduce shooter technique impact. There, with that setup, I can shoot some 300 yard groups as well. I was shooting prone with a bipod.

Here's a 5-round group I shot where I called the high flyer. The whole group displays some vertical stringing, which I attribute most likely to my breathing. Even so, the other four shots are sub-1/2 MOA. I am pretty certain this rifle will shoot 5 and 10-round groups sub-1/2 MOA. I know it looks like 4 rounds, but it's five.

[P2000]

That 5 shot group looks promising. Some 10 shot 300 yard groups would be excellent!

Seeing 3 shot groups in these FN SPR threads of late makes my eyelid twitch. I am really interested to see how these things actually shoot, and I think 10 shot groups are the only way to go. https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=82297

[Pappabear]

I think 5 shots will tell you how the gun shoots. 10 shot groups tell you how you shoot the gun. They always open up. There is no question your gun is a shooter. Your shooting factory ammo 1/2 groups. That gun shoots. Very nice gun Buddy.

[orkan]

and I think 10 shot groups are the only way to go.

If you really want to show something, produce 5 separate 20-shot dot-drills. If you can learn something with 10 shots, just think what you could learn from 100!!

Anyone want to go for a thousand?

Seriously though... to be of any value, groups size needs to be combined with other factors. There's several tests that should be performed while proving a rifle and load. All involve varying quantities of shots, under varying situations. A single group on paper doesn't tell me much about the facts. In order to make any kind of call I'd need to see:

environmental conditions
support method
all rifle spec's
distance
all ammo spec's

Only then could anything of value be determined. Yet it's ok because lots of shooters with new rifles want to post a group from it to validate their buying decision with the collective. That's perfectly alright, but posts like that shouldn't be confused with posts with a long train of data. Those posts are the ones made by people truly trying to educate and give people a solid look at a new weapon system.

Not taking anything away from you lifebreath. It's a fine rifle. ... but this should be a call to action. If you don't run a databook, now is a good time to start. If you don't know what a dot drill is, find out. If you haven't read Litz's book, (second edition) you should. Proper data collection is everything. You can't expect to fire a couple groups at a piece of paper and form an intelligent conclusion. If you don't know this now, and continue your pursuit of the discipline, you will eventually.

[QuietShootr]

I think 5 shots will tell you how the gun shoots. 10 shot groups tell you how you shoot the gun. They always open up. There is no question your gun is a shooter. Your shooting factory ammo 1/2 groups. That gun shoots. Very nice gun Buddy.

I look at it like this: 3 shots=load 5 shots=gun 10 shots=load, gun, shooter ability.

This. That, and I can tell in 3 shots if a load is going to suck or not. One day soon when I have my load finalized I'll shoot a 10 round group or two at 400 on a target of my own design...I think I'll call it the "STFU" target, and I'll make it a downloadable PDF, so anyone who wants to shit-talk can download and shoot it themselves and post it.

Great news, OP!

[Pappabear]

I took my FN SPR out today and it shot remarkable. 168SMK WITH 43.8 grains of Varget. I shot a five shot group that was tighter than a clover leaf per say. At tops it was .25.

I was going to test the zero with 3 then 2 more on steel. Since I barely opened up my hole, I threw the last two, just knowing I was going OPEN it up. So I kept shooting, on the 6 th shot, it shot right beside the hole- almost touching.

Everything , all day was sub- moa. Nice rifles

[QuietShootr]

I'm on my way to work up a 1k load for a match tomorrow. I can't quite get the velocity I need safely with Varget, so I picked up some RL15. Where I am right now is 45gr Varget, Lapua case, CCI BR2 primer, 178gr AMAX, COAL of 2.820" gives me 2700 fps, which is plenty, and no pressure signs, but the accuracy isn't there - and it's going to be hotter than hell tomorrow, so I'm sure what was safe at 80 degrees isn't going to be at 95.