Velocity Wrote:This is all good stuff guys, unfortunately I have an AR...
All I need is a LEE Loader, the right powder scoop and a rubber hammer.
Not busting any bodies chops, just a small vent before I buy a Bolt Rifle.
That 850 yard target was shot with a off the shelf $400 dollar Sanders Armory upper in 6.5 Grendel.
I load all my ammo the same way, whether it for one of my AR's or a benchrest bolt gun. Best to develop good habits and use them on all your reloading. AR's may not ever be as accurate as bolt guns but they can easily hold 1 MOA. This was my first AR, a home build in .223 with a $100 AR Shaw barrel. 15 rounds, varget, 77 gn SMK's at 300 yards
Thats some nice shooting at 850 yards, I was building my AR for 800 + yards thats why it has a 24 barrel. If you have groups like that at 850 yards with a $400 off the shelf upper, I blew a lot of money on my build, my barrel cost me $400 alone not to mention all the other expensive parts I put into it, just to get groups like yours.
I also built an AR 5.56 with a 20 barrel but I have not shot it either. I had planned on good 600+ yard groups using the 77 gr. SMKs I did purchase 500 of those a couple of years ago when I started this build.
Just get out and shoot, best way to get better is burn powder. Do load development in the calm and practice in the wind. Compete and don't be embarrassed to lose. Today I dropped 3 points out of 150 and was dead last out of 27 shooters. Now I was shooting against some guys who are/had been National Champions but that is how you get better.
I checked out the site you posted, that's a nice upper. But, I'm not going to build any more ARs, I decided to build an AR-15 after I purchased a CMMG 300 Blackout in 2016 for home defense. I started going to forums to learn about the AR platform and caught the bug, I have sense built three more ARs (Grendel, 5.56, .50 Beowulf) and have not shot more than two rounds in each, except the Grendel which was four shots and that was only to test functionality and retrieve the fired cases from each AR.
The only bolt rifles I've had were back in the 70's when I bought a .243 to go ground hog hunting, loved that gun. And when the gun bug hits it hits, I wanted something bigger and after tearing down and cleaning the .243, I decided to build a 25-06. I'll stop here, starting to reach back.