M1A Socom II accuracy issue?
I have an M1A Socom II. At 100 yds it shoots 2" groups 70% of the shots, but 30% of the shots are 3-4" off. We tried the factory stock and an Archangel stock; Remington Core-lokt 150gr and GI 145gr; open sights and scope. There was no difference with any combination except a minor improvement with the Archangel stock. What would most likely cause this?
Comments
I have a Loaded M1A, walnut stock and it does just slightly better at 100 with irons. My groups do open up a bit after heating the barrel, but not by a few inches. It's possible that your barrel is more adversely affected by temperature changes, but I suspect a different culprit. Is it possible you're flinching? It's not an insult by any means....that gun puts out a massive muzzle blast. I've sat at the bench next to people firing the SOCOM model and its noise was substantial enough that it made me. Grab some snap caps and have a friend load them in the magazine at random intervals without you knowing, then try to shoot for accuracy. If you don't observe yourself jerking the trigger on the snap caps then you can rule that out and look into barrel heating issues.
Yes, with a change of temperature your groups change. Either you need to cool down your rifle after two shots or just shoot it and when the bore is hot it should be more constant.
What scope/mount do you use? You can have the most expensive rifle with the most expensive scope and still be unprecise as hell if you try to safe money on the scope mount... Also make sure you locktite the mount and scope.
The 16 inch barrel of the Socom II definitely has its weaknesses. You have to deal with a loss of power and accuracy but this shouldnt matter much at 100 yards.
p.S. youre the owner of one of the most badass rifles in the whole world. Congratulations ;-)
How much are you letting the barrel cool down between groups? There can be a notable difference just between 3 shot and 5 shot groups when starting from a cool barrel. If the barrel heats up, the accuracy changes.
What kind of bench rest were you using? Could it be the shooters not pulling the trigger between heartbeats?
Hey man try putting this in the hunting section I'm sure someone there can help.