Barrel / Ammo issue

[ZadFnark]

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to get my 6.5 to shoot tightly. I'm having problems doing it, and I'm not sure if I have issues with the powder/barrel combination, or if my barrel is just borked.

The barrel I have is from AR Stoner, and was part of a complete upper I bought from Midway. The only time I ever bought a complete upper. Barrel is 20" with a 1:8 twist. To quote:

I'm using Hornady's 123 gr SST bullet. I do like this bullet with it's nice .51 BC value.

This is the latest group I got with my Grendel, at 200 yds.



To compare, my good old 6.8 SPC with a 16" barrel did this at the same distance:



I'm looking for any suggestions to tighten these up. I'm using 28 grains of IMR 8208. Would another powder help?

Thanks

Ed

[LR1955]

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to get my 6.5 to shoot tightly. I'm having problems doing it, and I'm not sure if I have issues with the powder/barrel combination, or if my barrel is just borked.

The barrel I have is from AR Stoner, and was part of a complete upper I bought from Midway. The only time I ever bought a complete upper. Barrel is 20" with a 1:8 twist. To quote:

I'm using Hornady's 123 gr SST bullet. I do like this bullet with it's nice .51 BC value.

This is the latest group I got with my Grendel, at 200 yds.



To compare, my good old 6.8 SPC with a 16" barrel did this at the same distance:



I'm looking for any suggestions to tighten these up. I'm using 28 grains of IMR 8208. Would another powder help?

Thanks

Ed

Ed:

I really doubt that 28 grains of 8208 is the problem. And your results with your 6.8 show that you are not the problem.

Check to make sure your sighting system is secure and functional.

If your sights are fine, try another bullet. Let me suggest a 120 grain Sierra Match King. Very forgiving in terms of loading. If those don't shoot well, your AR Stoner barrel is lousy. Would not be the first AR Stoner barrel that didn't shoot.

LR55

[ZadFnark]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

The sight is set up good. I have a Vortex Crossfire II scope with a Vortex mount, so it's on pretty secured. The 6.8 had a cheap $50 scope with a fairly coarse crosshair on it. I was more worried about that one wobbly.

I've a box of Hornady Black, in 123 gr with ELD match bullets, so I'll try those out and see if the results are any different. If I do better, I'll try your suggestion with swapping bullets.

Ed

[Bigs28]

The hornady american gunner seems to shoot well in every gun me and my buddies have shot. Like lr55 said, i would look into the optic and mounting. Doesn't hurt to take it off and start over. Also check to make sure the barrel nut is securely torqued on.

[ZadFnark]

Scope is solid.

My brother (an AR-15 pro) helped me completely shim the barrel into the receiver, so that is very tight. We've done this with every AR I built this year.

Even my .450 Bushmaster with the cheap Bear Creek barrel shoots tight.

[Msalm]

[LRRPF52]

I wouldn't expect much more from the AR Stoner barrels.

If you want a more accurate barrel, I'd get one.

You might go through the trouble of doing all the accuracy-enhancing techniques, spending lots of range time and money, just to get what it has been giving you already.

That said, you might also try another bullet.

Look at the 120gr Scenar-L, 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip, or 123gr ELD-M.

123gr SST BC is actually .462, not that it matters that much at 200yds. I've shot mixed groups of 123gr SST, 123gr AMAX, and 120gr Scenar-L at 200yds through my lightweight Lilja barrel that were barely over 2".

What are the distances between rings on those targets?

[ZadFnark]

1" rings on the target.

[Sticks]

SST is the bulk of your problem, though that is horrible even then. As suggested, try a different bullet or factory ammo - not SST.

[1Shot]

No doubt that the "AR Stoner barrel" is most likely made by Bear Creek Arsenal. THERE IS YOUR PROBLEM. Your target is a duplicate of a number of my targets from my 20" BCA upper with the same barrel as you described that I had to send back to them to have the barrel replaced. Every shot was a flier. When the barrel was replaced after around 60 rounds down the tube it started to group consistently but does not like Hornady 123 SST bullets. It will shoot 120 Speer Gold Dots and Sierra Pro hunters sub moa with IMR 8208. Do a search here on BCA barrels and you will see many problems with them just like yours. I would be sending that upper back for a refund or just get a better barrel and put it on. Check out the group buy barrels on this forum.

[bj139]

What brand is your good old 6.8SPC?

[ZadFnark]

Assembled from scratch. A Yankee Hill barrel.

Probably an Anderson upper, and Midwest Industries foregrips. Mix of AR Stoner and DPMS parts for the rest.

At 50 yds, I can get the holes to touch.

I built three ARs this year, which is a record. Don't know how the wife let me get away with that. I usually average a gun every 6 years. Built the 6.8, then the Grendel and then went big with a .450 Bushmaster. My brothers look down on my Bush, since their .458 SOCOMs shoot "rifle" bullets while mine shoots "pistol" bullets.

[ZadFnark]

An update.

I replaced the AR Stoner barrel with a 24" one from Bear Creek. I Paid $159 for it, This one turned out rather well.

I did this at 200 yards.

[biodsl]

I'm old enough to remember when you'd have to spend hundreds to get that result. Congrats and nice shooting!.