Tavor shooters..... Talk to me (recoil & accuracy)

[kenndapp]

Tavor shooters..... Talk to me (recoil & accuracy)
So I have attempted to ignore my impulses to run out and jump on the tavor band wagon over the past year or so but with the introduction of recent aftermarket support (giessele & others) I am afraid I I can't ignore my curiosity any longer. Lately I have been digging through all the threads I could find as well as watching you tube reviews, range reports, and tutorials.

The tavor seems accurate enough for its intended purpose ..... Basically a 2 moa rifle. Some report much worse, some much better. Just wanted to hear a few reports on what YOUR experience has been when trying to gain a base line on the accurate capabilities of the tavor.

The second aspect I am a bit confused about is the recoil and muzzle movment of the tavor. Most users seem to claim that the tavor has a very soft recoil impulse even compared to an ar15. When I watch videos of most shooters, the weapon seems to be beating them. Iam seeing Muzzle movment all over the place and shoulders, hair and faces seem to be whipped about with every round sent down range. Of coarse this is just a bunch of you tube videos I was watching and attempting to gauge the behavior of the weapon through. Maybe they were just videos done by new shooters, not sure. Okay, that was a little dramatic. i have seen a few videos of professional shooters along wit the usual you tube gun community personalities shooting the tavor just dandy but the weapon does seem to "buck" a bit more than most 556 rifles. Again, this is just me in front of the computer speculating on something i have no experience on. please feel free to share yours. How would YOU describe the recoil characteristics of the tavor? How about muzzle movement and general shootability?

I am about to sell one of my favorite/better ar builds to fund the tavor .... So ANY info on the performance and your genreral satisfaction of the tavor is GREATLY apreitiated! Thanks in advance.

[MorphCross]

I can tell you that it is a very well designed firearm in the respect of reliability and handiness. The accuracy is most affected by the long and heavy trigger pull as well as the ammunition selected with the chrome lining possibly playing a role as well. Recoil isn't bad (never really is with .223 vs. 5.56) but that would be a function of both the starting weight of a loaded Tavor and the thick 1 1/2" appx. butt pad.

In my own case, wearing a sling, using the stubby vfg to pull the bottom half into my upper chest the muzzle doesn't wander. Even when I'm just holding it by the pistol grip it is much more stable than trying to single hand a 16" barrel M4gery.

On the reliability, I've put some pretty sucky cheap reloads through mine and it happily shot them. I've yet to dive in a stream or the mud with mine, i'll let the less sane internet reviewers take their Tavors for a dip.

As for selling a favorite AR to buy the Tavor, I really wouldn't. Just for the simple fact that you can configure an AR to be whatever you need it to be (within the limitations of the cartridge).

[ptmccain]

I owned a TAVOR and shot it a good bit. The recoil impulse is very flat, due to the largest percentage of the weight being toward the rear of the rifle. I liked everything about it *except* locking the bolt open quickly. Reloads can be done as quickly as an AR reload once you know how to do it right. Accuracy is just fine. I'm sure the new triggers would really help overcome the "heavy" stock trigger, though I never thought the stock trigger was so horrible as everyone said. It's a great rifle. The reason I got rid of mine was simply because I wanted to stick with the AR platform, which I know best and for which there are so many options and easily available parts, etc.

The TAVOR shoulders amazingly quickly.

It's a great rifle and I think you would enjoy it a lot.

[BTL BRN]

I have sold my Tavor as well; however I was able to get a few thousand rounds through it before doing so -

The trigger is the largest factor in accuracy issues, that said I was able to get some fairly decent groups when I actually shot for them (zeroing/etc); in the 2 MOA range with Federal Fusion.

The recoil does seem like the rifle is over-gassed; though I really am only basing that on feel.

The rifle balances well, it is very much "ass heavy" but that makes it incredibly easy to shoulder and shoot one-handed even; something that might be a consideration depending on your intentions for the gun.

It seems well made enough, though I am not fond of the plastic side rail as mine was loose - I wouldn't trust it with anything beyond a light.

[kenndapp]

This is all good stuff thanks guys! Keep the info flowing.
I guess the tavor with its light front end might be a bit more dependent on a decent muzzle device than more traditional rifles.

Just to be clear, I am not "getting out" of ar15 platform in any way. Just selling one to raise funds for a tavor. The one up for sale is just a really nice one hence will generate the most revenue. But if what I am hearing is correct, the tavor will not disappoint.

Lastly, would you consider the tavor to be "over gassed" ? The way it functions with an extremely broad spec of 556/223 ammo says it is defiantly not as "tuned" as some of our ar's can be. I was watching one video of a tavor with a can and it did look pretty violent.

[Trifecta]

I played with one briefly and I can echo what some others have said about it in this thread. The trigger is a bit heavy and on the gritty side but not totally unmanageable, recoil impulse was flat and I do get that slightly "overgassed" sensation but that could be for reliability reasons but I wouldn't call it jumpy or brutal by any means. Shoulders very quickly, hammer drills were very easy and efficient - if I didn't have other projects going on I would probably buy one... maybe once the hype settles and the prices drop I will look into getting one to play with on a long term basis. I still prefer my AR's though, especially my A2/A4's due to familiarity.

[MorphCross]

Lastly, would you consider the tavor to be "over gassed" ? The way it functions with an extremely broad spec of 556/223 ammo says it is defiantly not as "tuned" as some of our ar's can be. I was watching one video of a tavor with a can and it did look pretty violent.

Suppression of auto-loading rifles will almost always result in gas being blown back down the barrel and/or gas system into the action. Nature of the beast, and it only gets worse when you are shooting supersonic 5.56 rounds with high pressure powder loads through a can. The recoil won't be terrible, but unless you have an enhanced ejection port cover you will be sucking on the gas from the rifle.

However not all hope is lost for suppressing the Tavor, OSS is looking at developing a dedicated can for it.

[thehun]

I love my Tavor

1. It handles faster than an AR or SCAR (transitioning from target to target)...its overall length is smaller than my Krink and on par with an MP5
2. It is a little more "jumpy" than an AR with the flash hider....I put a Lantac Dragon on mine and it shots just as flat as an AR or SCAR with a brake
3. Trigger was a bit weird at first. I took the group out...cleaned it with plastic safe cleaner..blew out all the crap, took the little spring out, lubed it up with TW25...and it has a very good AR feel trigger now...the trigger does have a slight take up (I actually do like that once I got used to it)
4. I can literally hold this rifle with one hand forever...the ergos are about perfect and it does not seem out of place...
5. The bolt carrier is built like a tank...the extractor is huge

My only complaint is the safety...to me it does not click as much as an AR selector...however...it is super easy to engaged and disengage

[Ron3]

Recoil is no big deal. Maybe a tad more "jumpy" like someone else said. I just have a flash suppressor on mine.

-Accuracy seems similar to a run-of-the-mill AR with xm193 or PMC 5.56 ammo.
-The gun is butt-heavy. A light on the front helps a little.
-You can hold it one-handed all day.
-Reloads are just as fast as a standard AR with a little practice.
-Very reliable, very robust weapon.
-Cleaning is easy.

-It is a bit heavy. Add a light and a light weight optic (say 20 oz combined optic and mount) and you have a rifle that weighs over 10 pounds unloaded.
-If you'd like to change the grip or the butt stock...too bad you can't.
-The trigger is okay. It's not a target trigger. Imagine a Glock trigger at 11lbs. Remove the "adverse conditions" recoil spring in the Tavor (easy and replaceable)
and it feels more like a 7 pound glock trigger. Pretty predictable and good reset. If your one of the people who just "hates" Glock triggers you won't like this one. Otherwise you'll be fine with it.
-The selector works just fine, but when in the fire position it annoys me. It's right against my thumb and rubs. There is an aftermarket one already available though and it should fix this.
-Need parts? IWI is working on that but past due.

What I think: The rifle is best suited to a red dot optic and applicable ranges. It is not a "rifleman's rifle". Oh, you can scope it and shoot at longer ranges just like you can an 11.5 in AR but it won't be ideal.

IMO it beats pistol caliber sub-guns and SBR AR's at the game they play best at. That is it's strong suit.

[halmbarte]

My buddy has been shooting a Tavor at our local rifle match the past few months. He's one of the better shots I know and seems to do a good job controlling his stock Tavor.

When I shot his Tavor the recoil impulse wasn't bad at all and the ergonomics seemed to be well designed as well as easy to transition from a M16/M4 to the Tavor.

He also films our rifle matches and posts the videos on youtube. You can seem him running the Tavor frequently here: https://www.youtube.com/user/romeotangofoxtrot/videos

H

[3PantherSmoke]

Hi Ken, I've been running my Tavor for about a year or so now and love it. It is rear-heavy, but that's perfect for keeping it up on target for long periods i.e. long range sessions, real world, etc; it doesn't tire your arms nearly as much as a standard AR. I shoot mine with an AAC suppressor quite a bit, and you will taste a whole bunch of gas, but that's kind of the price you pay for having the port right by your face with a can; without the can, I don't fret too much, as it never really bothers me. I've shot mine out to 500m with a 4x optic and was consistently nailing a torso silhouette, though I've never grouped it other than to zero. You can also go through a doorway just about sideways with it owing to its length, which is pretty awesome for a 16 1/2" barrel. One last little thing I've noticed; I have a TA33 on top of it, and for me it sits a tad low for a quick CQB weld, though is fine if I have a second longer to adjust; that said, the Tavor is the ONLY platform I've run that works well for me with a mini red dot on top of the ACOG; I hate that setup on an M4, but it works fantastically for me on the Tavor. I have by far more training on the M4, but I'm really focusing primarily on the Tavor nowadays simply because it is just that handy and is still quicker on target for me than I typically am after almost 15 years with the M4/ AR. Either way you go, I doubt you'll be disappointed; also, if you happen to want a Trijicon anything, check out seller name "ingus" on GB and shoot him an email on what you want; his prices and service are out of this world. Good luck, and have fun!