Is the weight worth it

[boss_hawg]

7lb 2oz with rds, aimpoint magnifier twist mount, bcm vert grip, scout & pressure pad, BUS, 2 sling mounts.

I would trade the added weight for accuracy. My shooting skill offhand needs work (range time has been hard to come by lately) and I wouldn’t want to stack that on top of a lack in mechanical accuracy.

Personally if I found the weight to be too much I would start taking off accessories or look for other areas of weight savings (optics, lights, rail, etc.).

[Stickman]

I think people shoot too much off the bench...

On one hand, I completely agree with you. On the other, I totally disagree.

I'm not sure that everyone here has enough property to be in the woods or out on their land patrolling with a rifle. Everyone doesn't have a range in their backyard, side yard and front yard. Some people actually have to pack up their vehicles and drive to get to a range, play the range rules, and only have the option of sitting or standing with a shooting table/ bench in front of them.

I think the eternal drive for accuracy is skewed by a lot of the BS reports of accuracy that we see on the internet. Guys talking about M193 shooting 1/2" groups with irons or RDO at 200 yards are worth as much as the guys complaining that their Wolf ammo is only grouping at 3" off a bench and using a 10X scope.

Todays "group" stories are yesterdays fishing stories. The worst part is that some people read these lies and think they should be able to get close to the same results.

[Stickman]

I have one of the early ELW BCM 11.5 uppers (pre cold hammer forge) . The OG barrel has 10k+ rounds through it. The best accuracy I every got out of that ELW barrel was 2 moa but on average it was 3 moa rifle and I have tried at least 15 types of ammo from 55 to 77gr including black hills 50gr tsx and 77gr mod-1.

I was able to pick up a DD 11.5 barrel for under $150 and decide to do the swap for testing purposes. The BCM barrel weighs in at 16 oz and the DD weighs in at 20 oz. and is a government profile.

The DD after a 30 round mag for testing is max 1.7 moa and min 1 moa with a solid average around 1.5 moa. The gun feels significantly different with those 4 oz up front due to the profile. Not a big deal but having run that gun for thousands of rounds its noticeable. I am a firm believer that most gas guns need to settle in and at around 300 rounds you will get your accuracy potential. I'm not there yet with only about a 100 rounds through the barrel but I would guess based on experience with other DD barrels that it will settle in at 1.25 moa on average with decent ammo and 1 moa if you worked hard and found the right ammo.

The question of the day is the 4 oz worth cutting the accuracy in half? Or would you rather have that handy ELW feel?

Is this on a pistol or a carbine? What sort of optic are you using, and what sort of ammo?

[themonk]

Is this on a pistol or a carbine? What sort of optic are you using, and what sort of ammo?

NFA lower. Optic is generally a 4-12x sometimes a 2-10x. As I mentioned black hills 50gr tsx & 77gr red box along with remanu 75gr. match, GMM, Fusion, TAP, V-Max & super pro, PMC x-tac match & green tip, Razor Core 77gr, Magtech 77gr. HPBT & CBC 62gr and some others I dont keep on hand because none of my guns like them.

[Coal Dragger]

Well you’re using a magnified optic for most of your shooting, which indicates you are after some level of repeatable precision. So given that the DD barrel meets that goal of making bullets go closer to your aiming point I’d say 4oz is a very minor price to pay.

[B Cart]

Optic is generally a 4-12x sometimes a 2-10x.

I think this is the key to your answer right here ^^. If you were running a red dot and this was a CQB minded setup, i don't think the accuracy different would matter as much. But if you're running magnified optics, especially in the 4-12x range, it sounds like you're looking for accuracy, and maybe at a bit of distance. In that case, i'd keep the DD and the better accuracy for sure.

Personally, i wouldn't run more than a 1-6 or 1-8 on an 11" or smaller SBR, and keep the bigger magnified optics for a longer gun that can give me better accuracy at distance, but it sounds like you know what you want out of the gun.

[themonk]

I think this is the key to your answer right here ^^. If you were running a red dot and this was a CQB minded setup, i don't think the accuracy different would matter as much. But if you're running magnified optics, especially in the 4-12x range, it sounds like you're looking for accuracy, and maybe at a bit of distance. In that case, i'd keep the DD and the better accuracy for sure.

Personally, i wouldn't run more than a 1-6 or 1-8 on an 11" or smaller SBR, and keep the bigger magnified optics for a longer gun that can give me better accuracy at distance, but it sounds like you know what you want out of the gun.

If you read the OP the gun generally wears an RDS. But I use a magnifying optic to determine the accuracy.

[Coal Dragger]

Then who cares? It’s a shorty, if you want longer distance precision potential or a general purpose carbine run a 14.5” or 16”. This notion that a short barrel bullet hose should do double duty whacking stuff at 300 on out is misguided at best. Frankly for those who’s job doesn’t involve kicking doors down, and SBR to me seems more of a toy than anything.

[MistWolf]

Then who cares? It’s a shorty, if you want longer distance precision potential or a general purpose carbine run a 14.5” or 16”. This notion that a short barrel bullet hose should do double duty whacking stuff at 300 on out is misguided at best. Frankly for those who’s job doesn’t involve kicking doors down, and SBR to me seems more of a toy than anything.

Says who? I have no problem running a suppressed 11.5 AR out to three hundred yards or more. Often with a red dot sight. Most limitations placed on firearms in their particular configurations, are far more versatile than most shooters realize.

[boss_hawg]

Says who? I have no problem running a suppressed 11.5 AR out to three hundred yards or more. Often with a red dot sight. Most limitations placed on firearms in their particular configurations, are far more versatile than most shooters realize.

I don’t doubt that you can score hits on target out to that distance but I wonder if the bullet still has enough velocity from the short barrel to expand or fragment at those distances.

It’s been a while since I checked the ballistic calculator on my given ammo but I seem to recall that it slows below the speed necessary to fragment somewhere around the 200-225 yard mark when fired from a 12.5” barrel. I could be mistaken though.