Mike38

It was consistent, four groups of 5 rounds per group. My 1 x 1.5 was an average of the 4 groups. One group was slightly smaller, one bigger, but it would be safe to claim less than 2moa across the board. Very surprising, and very pleased. I plan to get the Saiga out again here in a couple weeks to see if I can repeat. I don't shoot rifles very often, mostly a handgun guy. But do get the rifles out a couple times a year.

Steel cased factory ammo such as Tula and Wolf is horribly inaccurate, and very dirty. Tried reloads with some powders I had "laying around" with good results, but far from great. Gave 3031 a try and really like it. Also, as compared to the steel cased stuff, 3031 is very clean. Shot 50 rounds and I could hardly tell the rifle had been shot. Next attempt will be with CFE223.

I finally found a load that works in my Saiga 223. Hornady 55gr FMJBT bullets, LC Brass, Winchester primers, 23.0 gr IMR3031. Shot at 100 yards, 1.5 inch groups. Some would call the group sizes 1.5x1 (1.5 high by 1 inch wide) Used a red dot sight that covered the target. I could probably cut those groups in half using a scope with cross hairs. Saigas can be accurate, but only if you work at it. Beats the heck out of that cheap steel cased stuff that I have been shooting. I might back down to 22.5gr of powder because by looking at the primer, I'm right on the edge of over pressure.

Neither did J.M.Browning, but even great designs can be made better.

I use shock buffers on all my semi autos, especially my M1911s. Many people say they are "snake oil". A few even say as above, they can do more harm than good. Tens of thousands of rounds using shock buffers, and I haven't experienced a problem one. I used to shoot M1911s competitively, that's how I can claim so many rounds. IMO, a shock buffer is a necessity. To each his own I guess? To add one thing. Many guys claim a shock buffer is not needed on a pistolsmith custom built M1911 such as I use because the slide to frame fit is perfectly square and battering / peening can't happen. It is h

Has anyone tried this rear sight rail made by Strike Industries? Opinion? http://www.amazon.com/Strike-Industries-Profile-Optics-Rifles/dp/B007KD3V88 Thanks.

The second to the closest WalMart near me just started selling guns again. It has been years that a WalMart near me has sold guns. (Illinois) Also, their ammo shelves where full. Amazing. The closest WalMart to me, hasn't sold guns for years and the ammo shelves are near empty most of the time.

So I have been told, that’s exactly how the Afghan Army did it until US troops trained them otherwise.

My 16 inch Saiga hates 55 grain bullets. The best I’ve found to date is 62 grain M855 NATO. Then 62 grain Silver Bear. Then 62 grain Wolf black box. Then 62 grain Tulammo. I tried some of my reloads using 55 grain bullets, and it was acceptable, but still not as good as the M855.

I have a 2002 EAA Saiga .223 using Surefire / SGM Tactical mags. 2000 rounds of Wolf, 300 rounds of Silver Bear, and 200 rounds of Lake City 5.56 NATO and not one failure of any kind. Not one! It eats all ammo I’ve fed it, and asks for more. I have found that it is much more accurate with 62 grain bullets. It doesn’t care for 55 grain. It eats the 55 just fine, but accuracy is poor.

Not much of a test, but I ran 100 rounds of Lake City SS109, 5.56 ammo threw my Saiga. No problems, and I‘m very pleased with the accuracy. I put the remaining 900 rounds away for a “rainy day”.

I’m no gunsmith, machinist, scientist or physicist, but I have been around the block a time or two in the past 52 years. I wouldn’t lighten the bolt carrier on a AK/Saiga. Correct me if I’m wrong here. Lightening the bolt is done to decrease cycle time, the time between the hammer falling and the next cartridge being inserted into the chamber. This is a bad idea. Let’s say the gasses that operate the bolt are 20K PSI. I don’t know that to be a fact, let’s just say they are. The weight of the bolt group, and the recoil spring dampen this pressure. Ideally, the bolt group starts rearward extract

You still don’t have it right. Minute of Angle does not change when the distance from the muzzle to the target changes. MOA is a fixed angle which is 1/60 of a degree. As the distance from the muzzle to the target gets farther, the angle opens. Look at this symbol here ….. < ….. Imagine the left side is the muzzle and the right side is the target. If you increase the distance from the muzzle to the target, the angle does not change. One hundred yards or one hundred miles, the angle is the same. But, the group size of the bullets will get larger the farther away the target is. Agai

I think you may be getting your terminology mixed up here. 0.5 minute of angle would be 0.26 inch groups at 50 yards, 0.52 inch groups at 100 yards. If you have a Saiga .223 that shoots 0.5 MOA, I will buy it from you for $1000.00 … seriously. There isn’t an AK pattern rifle in the world that shoots that accurately. Google "minute of angle explained". You will figure it out. A one minute of angle rifle will print groups on paper of 1.047 inches at 100 yards. On a dead calm day, no wind at all, that same rifle will print groups on paper of 5.235 inches at 500 yards. Again, there isn

I have found the 62 grain bullets perform much better then the 55 grain. I think Silver Bear or Golden Bear makes a 62 grain soft point. If they feed good in your rifle, they should work fine for coyote hunting.

I have asked about the .223 / 5.56 here, and many other forums, just to get many opinions. The majority of people say the Saiga is indeed a 5.56. So I bought a case (1000 rounds) of SS109 NATO Lake City ammo, 62 grain bullet. I ran 120 rounds of it threw my Saiga last Monday Oct 3. Performance was outstanding. Very accurate ammo. Not one hic-up. The only thing I did notice was signs of slight pressure. The primer was just starting to mushroom around the fire pin dent. Not bad, but if I was reloading and saw this, I would back off the powder charge 0.1 grains, or so. I’m not going to make a ste

My Saiga 16” .223 likes 62 grain bullets much better then 55 grain. With 62gr I get 4 inch groups at 100 yards. With the 55gr it opens up to 6 inch groups. This is with iron sights. I’m sure it would be less scoped. NATO 5.56 green tip 62gr and Silver Bear .223 - 62gr FMJ work well for me.

I have finally had an enjoyable day at the range with my Saiga 223. Set up some targets at 50 yards. The target I was using is an AQT silhouette that at 50 yards replicates a 200 yard shot. Using NATO 62 grain green tip penetrator ammo, I was able to keep ten shots in the five ring, which is the smallest. So I set up a target at 100 yards, this would replicate a 400 yard shot. First time shooting the Saiga at 100 yards. I was able to keep all ten shots in the 3 ring. I’m very happy with these results, considering I was using iron sights, and my eye sight isn't what is was a few years ago.

I have been told, but never tried it to confirm this. A .223 zeroed at 33 yards is also zero at 100 yards. For "battle use" you would be good out to around 200-250 yards. Myself, I set it up to be 3 inches high at 100 yards, and "battle use" would bring me out to 300+ yards.

I really don’t think my Saiga has excessive muzzle jump or recoil, but mine is the 16 inch version with a shock buffer installed. I’ve used 55 and 62 grain with no noticeable difference. Would this by chance be your first center fire rifle and the recoil is new to you?

The opening on the bottom of the receiver where the magazine is inserted, right? The front measures 0.914. Then it steps wider to 1.024. My .223 Saiga was made in 2002 and imported by EAA, if that matters any.

Many people claim the Saiga is chambered in 5.56 but marked .223 for importing. I can't seem to get anyone to back this up with facts. Hear-say is the best that can be offered. If I had to guess, it's a 5.56, but that's a guess only. Wish I could find out. I have a case of SS109 that I'm having second thoughts about using.

I have seen many posts on this forum where people claim a Saiga rifle stamped .223 is actually 5.56. Other then hear-say, does anyone know for a fact, and can provide a contact, that proves a Saiga stamped .223 is actually chambered for 5.56? If it matters, my Saiga is stamped date of manufacture of 2006. It was imported by EAA and not RAA. I tried 5 rounds of 5.56 in my Saiga. Round three failed to fire. Could have been a bad primer, a one in a million failure, but I stopped shooting it. The primers of the fired rounds showed a tiny bit of over pressure, but not enough to be overly conce