Rangerrich99
New member
First things first. I'm not an expert rifleman. And I am certainly no expert with an AR (I'm a shotgun guy mostly). But I've spent some time in the last two years trying to improve my meager skills. I think I've made some headway, but it occurred to me that instead of going through the process completely by trial and error, I might ask the experts here for some feedback.
So I've decided to turn my Ruger 556E into a dedicated varmint rifle, mostly for prairie dogs, coyotes and possibly feral hogs. To that end I recently picked up a Vortex Diamondback 4x12 scope. Other than a bipod the rifle is stock. In this condition, I went to the range and after getting the scope/rifle zeroed, I shot 7 strings/ten rds each at 100 yds.
IMO, the results were satisfactory.
Best group measured .75 inches, dead center, 1.75 inches high of POA (from center of group). Largest group was 3.25 inches, 0.5 inch left of center, 1.5 inches high. Average group turned out to be about 1.8xx inches, 0.25xx inches left of center, about 1.5xx inches high.
Note: the trigger pull on this rifle is pretty heavy (according to Ruger about 8-9 lbs.). Time between shots averaged about 5-10 seconds.
Ammunition used: American Eagle .223 Varmint Tipped 50 gr.
All strings were shot from the bipod with a sandbag rest for the buttstock, from a bench.
When I increased the range to 200 yds, the groups opened up considerably. I won't bore everyone with all the numbers, but my best group turned out to be a 3 inch group about 0.5 inch right of center, 0.5 inches high of POA. The average of the strings was around 4 inches across.
Now to my questions:
Would a heavier bullet make a significant difference in my groups? I was considering something in the 62 grain range, though I've read on the Ruger forum that some are shooting 69 gr. with good results.
Would installing an aftermarket adjustable trigger be a better way to go towards improving accuracy? I found two companies that seem to have good reviews, the Elftmann Tactical Service Adjustable trigger, and the Geissele SSA-E Trigger Sys. Both systems offer 4 lb. pulls (not sure I want to go lighter than that at this time). The Elftmann also offers a 'sword' style trigger, but I'm not sure that this system would be appropriate for hunting.
I believe I can shrink my groups at 200 yds down to around 2-3 inches with a lot more practice and a better trigger or maybe a trigger/ammo combination, but maybe I'm just dreaming? Total round count through the rifle is around 3500 rds; the rifle is 5 years old.
I have a few other questions percolating in the back of my mind, but I figure we can start here.
Thanks in advance for all the replies.
So I've decided to turn my Ruger 556E into a dedicated varmint rifle, mostly for prairie dogs, coyotes and possibly feral hogs. To that end I recently picked up a Vortex Diamondback 4x12 scope. Other than a bipod the rifle is stock. In this condition, I went to the range and after getting the scope/rifle zeroed, I shot 7 strings/ten rds each at 100 yds.
IMO, the results were satisfactory.
Best group measured .75 inches, dead center, 1.75 inches high of POA (from center of group). Largest group was 3.25 inches, 0.5 inch left of center, 1.5 inches high. Average group turned out to be about 1.8xx inches, 0.25xx inches left of center, about 1.5xx inches high.
Note: the trigger pull on this rifle is pretty heavy (according to Ruger about 8-9 lbs.). Time between shots averaged about 5-10 seconds.
Ammunition used: American Eagle .223 Varmint Tipped 50 gr.
All strings were shot from the bipod with a sandbag rest for the buttstock, from a bench.
When I increased the range to 200 yds, the groups opened up considerably. I won't bore everyone with all the numbers, but my best group turned out to be a 3 inch group about 0.5 inch right of center, 0.5 inches high of POA. The average of the strings was around 4 inches across.
Now to my questions:
Would a heavier bullet make a significant difference in my groups? I was considering something in the 62 grain range, though I've read on the Ruger forum that some are shooting 69 gr. with good results.
Would installing an aftermarket adjustable trigger be a better way to go towards improving accuracy? I found two companies that seem to have good reviews, the Elftmann Tactical Service Adjustable trigger, and the Geissele SSA-E Trigger Sys. Both systems offer 4 lb. pulls (not sure I want to go lighter than that at this time). The Elftmann also offers a 'sword' style trigger, but I'm not sure that this system would be appropriate for hunting.
I believe I can shrink my groups at 200 yds down to around 2-3 inches with a lot more practice and a better trigger or maybe a trigger/ammo combination, but maybe I'm just dreaming? Total round count through the rifle is around 3500 rds; the rifle is 5 years old.
I have a few other questions percolating in the back of my mind, but I figure we can start here.
Thanks in advance for all the replies.