AA Rms accuracy

[Agshooter]

Sorry for double post, meant to post in this forum.

I was putting together a price list to build an 18" upper and was just under the AA Arms price for a complete upper.

My only concern is the barrel, what kind of accuracy are y'all getting with the 18" Alexander barrels?

Purpose of this rifle is long range hunting so accuracy is important.

[ricsmall]

everything ive seen on AA barrels has been excellent. Dont underestimate a good button pipe.

[LRRPF52]

When you say, "long range hunting", what kinds of distances are we talking about, and what type of game?

With an 18" cut-rifled barrel that will hold 5-round groups around 1/2 MOA, in the hands of a skilled shooter/spotter-guide team, you could ethically make hits in a medium game vital zone out to 400yds in a 10mph full-value wind from a solid shooting position with accurate environmental data plugged-in, assuming a solid zero on the system with accurate zero conditions recorded. If you were really married to the system and a good training schedule, and have someone with you that has a lot of experience reading winds, you could extend your ethical hunting reach to 500yds plus, preferably with at least one registered shot on a target in the area.

We do have one forum member that shot an Antelope at 752yds with a cut-rifled 22" barrel that he registered at 727yds before the herd came along, but that was a very risky shot that fortunately worked for him.

The are varying sources of barrels that AA has used over the years. A nice hand-lapped select match or cut-rifled barrel will usually shoot no worse than .75 MOA with consistent premium ammunition or hand-loads, and some rifles will shoot much better than that. The economy button-rifled barrels will shoot around 1 MOA usually, often better.

[Agshooter]

I shoot Highpower with my AR and am learning reading the wind for shooting 600 yds.

For deer, I think 400 would be my max as least in the near future. I would take longer shots on yotes and smaller game.

I am a little addicted to accuracy so that may be my problem, haha. I am trying to determine the best route to go since I will be humping the rifle up and down hills and all over. My idea is this will be my go to gun when I go in the woods.

I think 18" would be a good weight and size, but want to make sure I don't need a 20 or 24 for the longer ranges.

[stokesrj]

Hi Agshooter,
See you finally made it on the site. You guys treat him right, he's one of our High Power rifle competitors. The AA button rifle barrels are prety much equivalent to one of the Wilson barrels John Holliger sells or a Douglas Frank White sells. While I have had excellent results with button rifle barrels the live span is typically only half what a cut rifle barrel provides. Also for button rifle barrels there is little or no attention to aligning the gas port to the groove. This results in the gas port potentially being placed in a land or partially on a land most often. The reult is a barrel that shaves copper and wears the trailing side of the gas port down. I have noticed this contributes to more copper fouling and in extreeme cases a partially clogged gas port.
My current Wilson barrel on my 6mm Hagar does this, not a big deal but I find it annoying. So I have a new Kreiger just waiting for it to start opening up groups at 600.
Of course the 6.5 Grendel is gentle on barrels so it is not as much of a problem and many many AA uppers turn in groups around .5 MOA but I have had one that was a bit of a dog and would just barely hold 1 MOA.
My advice would be to hold out for a cut rifle Satern barreled upper if you can.
Bob

[Grendelseeker]

Hi Agshooter,
Also for button rifle barrels there is little or no attention to aligning the gas port to the groove....
My advice would be to hold out for a cut rifle Satern barreled upper if you can.
Bob

Very interesting...Stokesrj, are you then saying that cut barrels don't have this issue of the gas port transecting a land & groove? If so, is that because they're more attentive in manufacturing and charge more, or is there another technical manufacturing process reason that keeps it from happening?

Yeah, hanging chads are a drag. ;-)

[bwaites]

Cut barrels tend to get more attention because they cost more. (stokers just hasn't been around in a while.)