The Essentials of a Precision AR-15

[Molon]

The Essentials of a Precision AR-15





Without making this overly complicated, you need three basic components for a semi-automatic AR-15 to produce its best mechanical accuracy (technically, precision): a match-grade barrel, a quality free-float handguard and match-grade ammunition, preferably hand-loads tuned for your barrel. (The free-float handguard doesn’t improve the accuracy of the barrel per se, it simply prevents any outside influence from detracting from the accuracy of the barrel.) Anything after that will not immensely improve the mechanical accuracy of the semi-automatic AR-15, but several things can help you, the shooter, shoot to the level of the intrinsic accuracy of your semi-automatic precision AR-15.







While there are certainly gifted individuals among us that can do amazing things with iron sights, most of us will benefit from using a quality, high-power scope to achieve the highest level of accuracy from a precision AR-15. In order to hit the exact same spot on the target every time, you have to be able to see that you are holding on the exact same spot every time. It’s also important for the scope to be mounted at the proper height and at the correct eye-relief for the particular scope. One of the most common errors I see with scopes mounted on AR-15s is the scope not being mounted far enough forward for its eye-relief. Also, in order to maintain that exact hold throughout the trigger pull, it helps not to be fighting a heavy, gritty, stock trigger. There are a variety of aftermarket triggers now on the market for both standard size trigger pins and the larger Colt trigger pins. Personal preference will definitely play a role in trigger selection. Among the two-stage triggers, I’ve found the Geissele triggers to be the smoothest, lightest, most consistent and most reliable. For single-stage triggers, it’s hard to beat the JP Enterprise Fire Control System. Keep in mind that the JP trigger does require fitting.

Following the scope and trigger selection, some shooters will find that items like aftermarket grips and stocks will help them achieve a better “fit” with their AR-15. (Shooters don’t all come in the exact same size and shape.) Once you’ve put your precision rig together, you have to find a match-grade factory load that your barrel “likes” or better yet, develop a match-grade handload for it.

A semi-automatic AR-15 is not going to shoot as accurately as a precision bolt-gun, but today’s precision AR-15s are capable of a level of accuracy that is truly outstanding for a semi-automatic rifle. The 10-shot group pictured below was fired from one of my Krieger barreled semi-automatic AR-15s from a bench-rest at a distance of 100 yards. The barrel has a 1:7.7” twist. I used Sierra 55 grain BlitzKings that were hand-loaded on a Dillon XL-650 progressive press. The load was developed using the Accuracy Node Detection Technique. The group has an extreme spread of 0.452”.