Practical Carbine Accuracy: Off the Bench and In the Field

img_0233

The Practical Combat Carbine- Simple, Light, Effective.

There’s a lot of confusion even among longtime shooters between what a rifle is capable of doing off the bench on a nice controlled square range and what’s actually practical for a serviceable combat weapon. The two really aren’t the same. While tight groups are definitely a plus and a goal to be attained, having a precision weapon in the general purpose role is not always completely necessary to make one combat effective. There’s a happy medium to be found, and getting there is not always hard or expensive. Above all else, it’s the fundamentals of the shooter that make a weapon deadly, no matter what.

One of the really neat things about the past couple decades, firearms-wise, is the real renaissance we’ve seen in weapons development and maximization of potential. Most visibly is this phenomena with the proliferation of the AR-15 platform, but really among all classes of weapons. One can pick up even a lower-tier carbine and have a decent action capable of making solid hits at further distances than many shoot on average. That is, if the shooter is capable. Some of this has to do with the plethora of modern ammo choices out there, some with the advent and precision of CNC machines, and some with the proliferation of free-floated handguards. While the Colt M4A1 series has a mil-spec tolerance of 4 MOA, or a ~4 inch group at 100 meters, and usually easily exceeding this your common off the shelf AR-15 can expect much better than that on average. It begins, however, with the skill of the man behind the trigger.

The same can be said for the huge boom in the Long Range hobby. Lots of people are getting into it and it can be a ton of fun putting steel on target from 500m or more. The ability to squeeze every last fraction of capability is definitely nice. And usually the underlying goal, whether plinking, running 3 gun or Long Range type stuff, is ultimately protection of hearth and home. But the question that comes to my mind is do you really need all of that to make an effective rifleman? The answer is largely determined by the rifleman’s purpose. For a combat weapon, even a designated marksman’s role, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a .5 MOA rifle or even one that really impresses at the range. Gasping for air, I know. Practical accuracy is a different animal from mechanical accuracy. But let’s look at some reasons why.

1. What is the median distance you plan to engage?

For my operating environment, I live in mostly dense forest with rolling hills. The long distance stretches are either pastures, power lines, or highways. From a light fighter’s standpoint, these three amount to the cardinal rule of never walking in the open or crossing a linear danger area with no overwatch. Overwatch, by the way, is not some fancy buzzword to sell you junk but actually is someone on your team hidden watching for muzzle flashes in case you get shot…while you’re crossing in the open or across linear danger areas. They watch over you. That said, my average engagement distance here is under 100m. Are you accurate enough to be lethal within 100m? How about 200m? How about 300m? Do you really need to shoot further than that? Maybe, maybe not. What are the intermediate barriers, i.e. potential cover (rocks, deadfall, etc) between you and where an adversary may fire from? Are you capable of shooting over those same open areas that they may cross?

0904161645a

Average backwoods of NC.

A good way to put this into context is to think of the average shot a deer hunter will make in a given area. Around here, between thick Carolina conifer and hardwood stands, shotguns do just fine for 99% of putting meat in the freezer. Rifles are nice for shooting across cutovers or fire breaks- those open areas requiring a little more range I just warned you about. And how accurate is that Remington 770 or 742 with meat ammo versus a heavyweight barreled Remington 700 5R and precision handloads? Mechanically it wouldn’t make much difference in the woods over relatively short distances. But the weight sure as heck will, regardless of whether you’re a twenty something stud out shootin’ n’ lootin’ or a mid 50s patriarch looking to protect his home. Doesn’t mean that any of these are my personal choice for anything other than hunting game, but the concept is basically the same. Which bring my next point.

2. What is your Weight Threshold?

I knew a guy a while back who had a uber-high end semi-auto AR-10, decked out to the nines, with every cool guy gimmick you can imagine and a giant NightForce 56mm celestial telescope on top. Beautiful rifle, crisp glass. Weighed 18lbs empty and carried like a 4×4 post in the hands. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if you want a high end benchrest-type gun. But that’s a ridiculous and unnecessary amount of weight for a general purpose weapon. For him, making tiny groups at a given distance was a lot of fun. But when it came time to carry it, you’d see him ditch that for his handy WASR-10 that weighs half as much loaded and accomplishes the same task within 100m.

The point is that what feels heavy but tolerable in your hands at the gunstore becomes a boat anchor after carrying it over distances with supporting equipment. Common knowledge usually dictates weight equates superior accuracy, but too much becomes self-defeating. That lightweight AR-15 with a pencil barrel can get heavy too. After a four day cave clearing mission in Afghanistan my M4 felt like a cinderblock. And aside from a PEQ-15, it wasn’t too far removed from the AR-type carbine pictured above. Granted, I was carrying a lot of other equipment including a SMAW-D and several days worth of 5590 batteries (which is like toting around bricks), but the point is that a carbine I intend to fight with needs to remain lightweight to keep me unencumbered. Because you have to keep in mind its purpose- it’s a carbine, after all. On that note, there’s a reason the broad shouldered bubbas get picked to hump the M-240B; it’s big and heavy, and the small guys can’t handle and effectively employ it over long distances. Even the meat eaters get tired though, and shaving a few ounces here and there makes a world of difference when you’re gassed.

3. Remaining Combat Effective- Remember BRAS

The reality of fighting in armed groups is that it is nothing like sitting at a range plinking targets. That’s nice for basic rifle marksmanship, and it’s really important to work on fundamentals. It’s purpose is to confirm zero & dope (Data Of Previous Engagement- a record of ballistic data for that weapon and specific ammo load) and make sure you can hit a target at a given specific distance, hence why most square ranges are referred to as Known-Distance or KD ranges. Square range time is critical, and should be at least a monthly training event for you and your group. But understand it is not the end-all-be-all; its just a foundation for Basic Rifle Marksmanship consisting of BRAS- Breathe, Relax, Aim, Squeeze. For creating and maintaining proficiency this is the proper cadence for trigger control. It’s easy to get right when relaxed and very easy to get wrong any other time. Only training on a 100m square range is a dangerously false sense of security. Only shooting from a bench and calling it good is preparing you for nothing except shooting off a bench. Getting out and humping that safe queen through the woods for a bit is critically more important than making tiny groups from the bench or even shooting fast at stationary targets in the 3-gun stall. You learn the ins and outs of that weapon on a patrol and get to make it better.

You may very well learn that what you can do with a 12lb rifle you can also do with an 8lb rifle, and that 4lb weight saving could make a big difference. If I’m running a .5MOA rifle but it’s a beast to carry with that 20in bull barrel, I may end up being so exhausted after a movement or a quick react to contact that I can’t hit anything with it because I can’t settle down behind the gun. Under duress this will happen to you. If you’re out of shape this will be you. And at that point the rifle’s accuracy is irrelevant. Shooting a half inch at 100m now becomes not even being able to acquire a target in that 14x zoom lens, because you’re spent and can’t think through your situation. Believe me, it will happen to you.

4. “If you can’t do it with irons, don’t bother with optics”

I was talking recently with an old-hand Sniper Instructor who made this comment. It may come as a shock to some of you but I agree wholeheartedly for making new riflemen. The optics themselves make life easy, especially today in the world of precision machining and glass manufacturing that makes even lesser-expensive options fairly high quality. And it can produce decent marksmen in a shorter amount of time because the process of sight-aquire-fire now becomes streamlined. But- and this is a big objection- without the fundamentals of proper marksmanship, an optic of any type does you little good and in some cases might make you worse. If I’m running way more glass than necessary, such as putting a 16×50 on an M4 because it helps me shoot tiny groups off a bench or in the prone, I’m not effective anywhere but in that one scenario. I may very well lose my target on the glass if something throws me off kilter as usually happens in a dynamic environment and I may also have trouble returning to target with any amount of speed. If I back the zoom off but have a second focal plane scope, now my reticle is worthless for any sort of bullet drop or ranging measurements.

His logic is that if I can do it with iron sights, then I have zero problem with optics. The fundamentals are there, along with my confidence. The foundation is laid. Optics of any type are a tool to enhance one’s capability, not a shortcut in training. If Joe knows he can ring steel with irons on his weapon at an average engagement distance, then an optic of any type enhances his capability. He now has confidence in himself and his weapon. And confidence is the difference maker above any piece of kit. So with that said, anyone getting started in rifle marksmanship should begin with iron sights and graduate to implementing optics down the road. Simplicity equals success. Keep in mind this is for basic training purposes; a standard for those new or inexperienced. Additionally, for those simply thinking optics always equate accuracy, buying airsoft-grade trash or even decent glass but a skimpy or improper mounting solution is a recipe for problems in the long run. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. If you genuinely don’t know, swallow that pride and get some instruction- I promise, it will be worth it.

Mechanical vs. Practical

M4A1-accuracy-vs-M16A2.jpgMechanical accuracy definitely plays a large role in practical accuracy, but if your fundamentals are trash nothing is going to make you a good shooter. While you’ve read up until now that pinpoint accuracy is not a central requirement in a primary fighting carbine or rifle, good mechanical accuracy is definitely a desirable asset. If my weapon shoots 2 MOA, or a 2 inch group at 100 yards, that means on an average man-sized target at any given distance I have some margin of error to still make solid hits, all things being equal. Anything up to 4 MOA for a general purpose carbine then becomes perfectly acceptable. Even out to 600m this gives us, in theory at least, 24 inches of spread but still perfectly capable of a solid hit if you do your part. But you have to know how to do your part, and that only comes from solid training. But will you need to shoot that far? Probably not in most cases- and only your own situation can determine this. Most often our expectations should be half that distance at the most, but if everyone in your group can make those kinds of shots, then they’ll have no problems engaging closer than that.

Practical accuracy comes from the individual rifleman; riflemen are only produced and maintained through quality training. The tactics of the Team of Riflemen are the real difference maker. You should be seeking out training outside the square range on a regular basis. My friend JC Dodge has an upcoming class which will go beyond the typical comfort zone of most, pushing both the student and his equipment. In addition, I’m available for those seeking private instruction on both making the shot and proper field techniques, along with other small units skills such as Off-Grid Communications, Recon & Surveillance, Basic Survival and Combat Casualty Care. We’re not the only ones who can teach this stuff; there’s many others. But I highly implore the reader to get that training along with all the other skills to give you the tactical edge in setting up a secure retreat, even if you think you’re the ‘expert’. And with that, I’ll leave you with a quote from the late, great Peter Kokalis:

To train others in the art of war, you must both know war from the trenches and undergo constant training from others, both to keep the sharp edge and be exposed to the ever-evolving tactical concepts of combat at the down and dirty level. Several have asked why an “expert” (God how I loathe that word) like me would need to participate in training at a firearms school. The answer is simple: for the same reason tennis and golf pros constantly train under other tennis and golf pros. You cannot observe yourself while shooting, but the professional firearms instructors under whom I train can constantly detect slight nuances of incorrect movement that need to be reprogrammed.

-From Weapon Tests and Evaluations, The Best of Soldier of Fortune

Spread the love
                

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author: admin

29 Comments

  1. DTG June 14, 2018 at 12:55

    5

  2. Anonymous June 14, 2018 at 14:06

    5

  3. Hawkeye June 14, 2018 at 14:10

    Amen. Preach on my brother.

  4. Anonymous June 14, 2018 at 16:18

    3.5

  5. dangero June 14, 2018 at 17:07

    One thing I see is guys trying to go fast because it looks cool when they aren’t there yet. As it is said, fast is fine but accuracy is final. No one ever won a gun fight by shooting the most but missing every shot. Also most shooters, myself included, fall apart when they have to shoot on the move, not to mention the foot work goes to hell and they are clicking their heels with each side step like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz just waiting to trip and fall over something. Not easy stuff but trainable.

    • Jeff B. June 14, 2018 at 20:51

      What’s the saying?

      Slow is smooth and smooth is fast… (IIRC)

      And as has been said, most of our rifles/carbines are limited by the shooter. Think about how many folks can operate their weapon to include immediate action drills in the dark. Probably less than would admit it. In a lot of cases we HAD the proficiency, but are now in the civilian world and not putting in the time before with our weapons.

      But we all start somewhere and still, practice makes perfect (or at least a lot better).

      ?

      Jeff B.

      • dangero June 18, 2018 at 17:53

        Jeff B., you are so right about most rifles being limited by the shooter. It took me a long time to quit buying more guns and parts and invest some real money in training. I was the guy that said “A 5th AR-15 I won’t shoot for $2,000, yes please! A $300 class to teach me how to shoot every gun I own better, that’s too expensive!”
        You are also right about all the supporting tasks, some folks get away with poor gunfighting skills as long as nothing goes wrong. To your example, clearing a malfunction in the dark gets tough especially when you never learned how or learned the wrong thing like SPORTS. Try the “Observe” part of that in low light…not to mention “Slapping” the magazine is a good way to try to get a double feed if you don’t already have one.

  6. Ray June 14, 2018 at 18:03

    The US Army required all M1903 rifles leaving the Springfield Armory in 1920 to hit a 2inch wideX 2.25inch tall target ten out of ten shots offhand with iron sights and issue ball ammunition at 200 yards. Any rifle that could not meet that basic standard were sent back to the factory twice to be fixed. Then if they could not meet that basic standard for issue infantry rifles ,they were scrapped. Read: “Rules for the management of the rifle CAL. 30 M1903” or Lt. Col. William S. Brophy’s book “The Springfield 1903 rifles” To see how much was lost when our military was castrated with the 5.56 carbine. At 800 yards the 3006 is a one shot kill. At 400 yards the 5.56 may or may not kill regardless of shot placement. At 800 yards with a 5.56. Why bother?

    • NC Scout June 14, 2018 at 20:17

      How many people have you shot? With any caliber?

      5.56 works. I didn’t rely on books for that opinion either. You left out 7.62×51, btw, which I also used to great effect.

      Take the caliber nonsense elsewhere.

  7. Henry A Sutter June 14, 2018 at 20:19

    Getting your marksmanship and safety fundamentals down with a solid but basic AR is the first step, Revere’s Riders and Project Appleseed are a great start. 3 position marksmanship, safety, NPOA and the 6 Step’s of Shooting are the keys. Then go to a basic carbine course by someone who knows his craft, not “that guy” who is hot stuff at the local 3-gun shoots.

    • NC Scout June 14, 2018 at 20:31

      Very well said.

    • James June 14, 2018 at 20:49

      Henry,that tis a problem in many areas,finding someone who runs a good carbine course,the Appleseed program is great(suppose should have asked about carbine course there!).

      • NC Scout June 14, 2018 at 20:58

        The northeast is tough for training. PA and NH are a lot better than the surrounding states.

    • Another Secret Squirrel June 15, 2018 at 15:32

      Scored Rifleman 2nd day, best $60 for two days shooting I ever spent.

      • NC Scout June 15, 2018 at 18:50

        Nice work!

  8. James June 14, 2018 at 20:45

    I will be happy when I can hit my targets/have the confidence with a rifle I do now with my bow.I have with my bow actually gotten pretty good shooting it on the move,just something I tried and picked up on me own because was told by someone could not do it and just went for it.I have enough of a challenge hitting on a regular basis with a rifle while still,on the move,eh,for the future.The paint on rifle in article would blend pretty nicely in the New England woods short of a blizzard snow cover,is that a rattle can job?

    • NC Scout June 14, 2018 at 20:53

      Yeah, it’s just krylon. Nothing fancy. It’s the same pattern we painted on our weapons in Afghanistan. Tan base coat and brown shadow.

      I’ll do a post on painting gear in the near future.

      • James June 14, 2018 at 21:26

        That would be great,between pics of yours and JC’s rifle and knowing done with Krylon gives me a bit of confidence perhaps I could also do something of that nature.I will say correct in N.H. being a good place/open minded to training(live there)but Me./Vt. also good once you clear capitol cities as far as open lands and open minded people.I will say though,unfortunately,Vt. which was/is constitutional carry carry/open minded when majority of states not just changed for the worse some firearm laws,upside side is Me. and N.H. went constitutional carry.

        • NC Scout June 14, 2018 at 21:40

          Krylon or Bowflage finish is easy. What I do is spray a light coat of tan, let it stand for a few hours. Get a mesh net laundry bag from the dollar store and cut it up to drape it over the weapon. Spray brown from varying heights- it gives it a random snakeskin-like pattern. Effective camouflage does two things; goes from light background to dark foreground and introduces shadow. This reduces shape, shine and silhouette.

          There’s a lot of ways to do it and mine’s not the only one. But it’s cheap, works, and my guns ain’t for show.

          • James June 14, 2018 at 21:49

            Thanks for article and advice.

          • NC Scout June 15, 2018 at 06:10

            You got it man. Never hesitate to ask.

  9. Jimbo June 15, 2018 at 00:21

    Good info sir. Couple things, my 556 is good out to about 250 maybe dead on. Good enough for me. I’m just figuring if it comes to it any shooting will be within that range, whether out here in the country or in town. If the target is 800 or 900 yards away either I’ll put the Indian sneak on em and get closer, or more than likely just sneak away and wait for a better opportunity. Or if needs be and long shots are necessary, one of my boys with his .06 will suffice. On another note, I’ve camoed a couple of rifles, mags and scopes included. I just take a can of green and one of tan krylon, spray on one of the wife’s kitchen sponges and start dabbing. I ain’t going to a car show, just breaking up the outline, as you said. Always enjoy your posts. Down to earth and practical. Good on ya

    • Atlas Shrug June 15, 2018 at 22:00

      I’ve done similar painting, found that a sea sponge torn into pieces does a much better job than a kitchen sponge. YMMV

  10. Badger June 15, 2018 at 06:27

    That was a good piece, thanks. Timely, as a variety of factors (mostly age-related & Army wear & tear) have me smack in the middle of that. I’ll not deny that I like carrying 5.56 rather than the similar load of 7.62. Have always pretty much (and still enjoy) irons but, for other than the deciduous jungle areas that abound here, an ACOG is fast becoming my friend. The other is a lightweight, un-tricked-out, basic carbine as a woods companion where 50yds is a long shot. With other stuff, including being the “commo” guy, weight is a factor to be considered. Sub-MOA? Hardly – but MILSPEC (ammo acceptance spec) w/MILSURP stacked deep? You bet. When buddies & I get together all natural rests are allowed. In prone, use anything you’d hump on your back but a shooting mat or sandbags won’t be seen. Quickly kneeling against a tree can be a very quick & steady thing, especially because you’re moving in the woods using shadow, from cover to cover, right?

    Painting by the way is not a complicated process. It is fueled by observation of the surrounding (your) AO, knowledge of it through the seasons, with the objective of simply breaking up the recognizable outline. (Around here, a tan basecoat & some misted streaks of dark brown, with portions of the rifle making up the dark gray, will get it done.) Krylon. Don’t get the head wrapped around being an interior decorator.

    So the 2 AR’s have been as mechanically tuned as I wish, and the square range is now pretty much off-limits unless evaluating a new lot of ammo. Bottom line, in my view, in these types of discussions comes the old saw “If you will, the gun will.”
    Thanks again.

  11. SWRichmond June 15, 2018 at 12:16

    I will distill this down to the essentials: at 300 yards, a full-value wind blows your preferred ammunition (77gr cannelured SMK @ 2750fps) 9.5 inches to one side. If you move the center of that black circle of “hits” to one side by 9.5 inches, on a 20″ wide silhouette target, fully half of your shots are misses at a paltry 300 yards. That is, if you are not an experienced shooter. If you are both inexperienced and using M855 then move the center of the circle to one side by about 13″.

    Shooting is an essential skill. I know of nowhere other than the oft-demeaned “square ranges” where you can gain the years of experience required for mastering the rifle and making good wind calls. Inability to read the wind is one of the main reasons most people avoid even discussing mid- and long-range shots. Quickly making accurate wind calls are a huge part of “all other things being equal” and being an effective rifleman. Yet I don’t see this vital subject discussed anywhere, with the exception of competitive shooting forums where it is treated as a secret black art. It is not. But it cannot be taught on internet forums. You have to go do it, a lot. And those god-awful square ranges where the target goes down and comes back up with a shot marker after each shot is the best place to do it. After years and years, we see wind in minutes. Trees, grass, weeds, debris, and especially mirage (which you can’t see without a scope).

    Perhaps I am mistaken about all of this.

    • NC Scout June 15, 2018 at 12:28

      You’ve got a few things twisted, including who you’re talking to. Tone down the snark or you go away.

      Most square ranges have berms preventing or mitigating wind to one degree or another. Now if you’re talking an open KD range, that’s a different story. We confirm DOPE and establish fundamentals there. And that’s it.

      In addition, no, wind is not some black art, it does however take experience. But with no practical application, none of it useful. What good is training at all if it does not replicate reality? So if all you’re doing is hanging out on the KD range, not ever evolving in a real scenario, then you’re not effectively training for anything other than confirming DOPE.

      And “can’t see mirage without a scope”? Seriously?

      The scope of this article is understanding what’s practical.

  12. Anonymous June 16, 2018 at 16:03

    4.5

  13. Anonymous April 27, 2019 at 05:57

    4

Comments are closed.

GUNS N GEAR

Categories

Archives

Spread the love