BCM barrel accuracy.

[sidewaysil80]

I dug up my old thread. Photobucket messed with the images but it gives a good enough idea...

18" BCM SS410 complete upper receiver to compete in the DMR matches held within my region. I tested the following types of ammo:

Freedom Munitions .223 69gr HPBT
Freedom Munitions 5.56 77gr HPBT
Federal Gold Medal Match .223 69gr (Sierra Match King bullets)
Fiocchi .223 69gr (Sierra Match King bullets)
Fiocchi .223 77gr (Sierra Match King bullets)
IMI 5.56 69gr (Sierra Match King bullets)
IMI 5.56 77gr (Sierra Match King bullets)

I shot two 5 round groups back to back (minus time to prep/reload magazine) on the Larue .5" Grid Targets you see below @ 100yds. The one with three different variants was shot back to back but with the different types of ammo. It was an indoor range, well lit, and using a Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x32.















I guess I expected more out of this setup and am curious if this is normal? If it is, then so be it. However I was wondering if these groups look sporadic or perhaps indicative of an underlying issue? If so I'll reach out to BCM to take a look at it and give me their verdict.

Below is what I was able to get out of a Rainier Arms Match Barrel with 69gr and 77gr Federal Gold Medal Match as well as PPU 75gr and what my expectations were based on.

[alx01]

Below is what I was able to get out of a Rainier Arms Match Barrel with 69gr and 77gr Federal Gold Medal Match as well as PPU 75gr and what my expectations were based on.

Rainier Arms definitely produced tighter groups all around. Interesting data point. Thank you. What's interesting is that point of shift also seems less with the Rainier Arms barrel.

Just shows that some barrels are inherently a lot more accurate with various ammo.

[WS6]

I know that a borescope means zero, but a BCM barrel was one of the nicest CHF barrels I've sent my Teslong down. No marks of any kind to speak of. The throat was reamed a tiny bit off center, but with a RDS it still shot <1" at 50 yards with Gold Dot. It is gassed amazingly, too. Can or no can. It's a 16" "BFH" with A2 FSB. Friend owns it. Wants to swap it out for something without a FSB. I have him convinced to leave it the hell alone. It's pretty, it shoots like a house afire, and it's gassed perfectly.

Then I see other posts about BCM.

They seem variable.

[kirkland]

Well, I took my BCM out to the range today, it's a standard lightweight 16" midlength upper, non free floated, with fsb. For optics, I was using an old Leopold 4X hunting scope. Here's what I managed to do at 100 yds.

IMG_20200226_164457.jpg

Pay no attention to the lower group which was a rushed, impatient string of fire on my part. I'm not the greatest target shooter from the bench, usually preferring more of a quick target acquisition, shooting offhand at multiple steel targets style of moving and shooting, but I was able to settle down and shoot the 2nd (upper) group which ended up being the best group of the day at slightly under 1.5" . This was witth CBC 77gr OTM

IMG_20200226_164426.jpg
On this 2nd target the group on the upper right was with CBC 77gr OTM and the group on the lower left was with AE XM193.

I think the rifle is capable of more accuracy than what I was able to do with it today, I tend to rush my shots from the bench and have a hard time really settling down. But still I think it's not too bad for a rifle that's supposedly only capable of 4 MOA

[rvanno]

I have a BCM16 in mid length, light barrel. Zeiss 1-6 scope. Count me in the 3-4 MOA group with just about any ammo... Very disappointed.

[Corse]

I have one of the 16” 410ss from around 2017. I’ve gotten a few groups less than .5 moa. But the average is just over 1 moa with a variety of ammo. I have an 11.5” hammer forged that is ok, but no real accuracy testing was done.

[ssc]

I think I will again try to shoot a few of my BCM's for Groups. It has been awhile. However, I will use a sled and a 10 power scope. I will use my reloads and M193. Perhaps a re-test is in order as I was using either a 4 or 6 power prior. I will also have a shooting buddy who has more experience shooting for accuracy give it a go. I will report back with my average.

Cheers, Steve

[dukemason]

Has anyone else noticed the cold hammer forged BCM barrels are more accurate than the standard barrels? I have an 11.5" BFH gov't profile and a 16" BFH mid length upper and they grouped considerably better than the standard ELW 11.5 and 14.5 uppers I got rid of. I also have a standard BCM 14.5 SOCOM that shoots as good as my Colt 14.5 SOCOM at 50 and 200 yards with a red dot. I haven't compared them with a scope.

[dmd08]

I’ve followed this thread with interest. My experiences with BCM products have been positive, including the accuracy of their barrels. My two factory uppers have been more accurate than I expected them to be although they’re from 2012. Maybe this is an issue with more recent barrels?

In an effort to contribute some relevant data I went to the range this morning to shoot my two BCM factory uppers for groups. Of course the weather was terrible and not conducive to me giving my best effort but I’ll post targets up anyway.

Upper #1 is a factory built 16” standard mid length govt profile. I did chop the fsb and add a free float rail but didn’t touch the barrel nut so that’s still as it was from the factory. I used a Bushnell 1-6.5x LPVO and the lower has a SSA-E in it. Groups were fired with a Silencerco Specwar 556 mounted. An atlas bipod and rear bag was used with this rifle.

Upper #2 is also a factory built 16” standard mid length govt profile. Also chopped and free floated with factory barrel nut install. After shooting upper #1 I swapped the same optic over and got a rough zero. Lower has a GI trigger and muzzle device is an A2 flash hider. This rifle was fired using front and rear bags.

Ammo was two different hand loads. 5 shot groups. The top two groups on each target are a 77gr. Nosler CC load and the bottom two groups are a 62gr. Hornady HPBT load. I shot two groups of each load though each upper at both 100 and 200 yards. 16 groups total.

Weather was poor. It was clear and not too cold but winds were 20mph sustained with gusts to 37 making wind chill in the 20’s. I had a pretty constant ~1/2 moa wiggle in the reticle due the wind shaking my bench and me. I’m confident I could tighten groups a bit in nicer weather, especially considering I was hurrying so I could go home and get out of the wind and warm up my fingers.

There were 3 shots that landed just off my targets. I made note of where they were and placed the shots appropriately in the app I used to calculate MOA. I’m sure this will get some riled up but I went by the honor system. You’ll just have to trust me.

Upper #1
100 yards
100yards.jpg
200 yards
200yards.jpg

Looks like I'm hitting a limit on attachments. Continued in next post.

[dmd08]

Upper #2
100 yards
100yards.jpg

200 yards

200yards.jpg



Average of the 8 groups from upper #1 is 1.28 MOA. Average of the 8 groups from upper #2 is 1.43 MOA. I’ve never shot upper #2 for groups before. My experience shooting upper #1 in the past is that it will hold the ADI 69gr SMK load and IMI 77gr Razor Core.....dare I say it??...sub MOA. Just barely. I've posted groups from this upper before in this thread. Post #12. My groups today were inconsistent and I think the upper trends more toward the 1 MOA side with quality ammo vs the 2 MOA side like some of the groups today.