m1key 7 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I am not very satisfied with the accuracy of my new 20 inch Saiga 5.45. Went out today and my 16 inch barreled carbine was shooting groups that were HALF of what the 20 inch will do, everything being equal. I am thinking maybe cutting the barrel down to 16 inches to stiffen it, hopefully improving accuracy. Anyone? M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) i believe the 5.45 was designed around a 16" barrel. that may be the result your seeing. i would have thought that with the bullet being spun an extra 4" it would make it even more accurate, but if any calibers are shot from too long a barrel, it can have negative effects. i think id leave it as is, if it were me. itd be nice to have for comparisons down the road. especially if new loads become available. but it is YOUR rifle, so do as you wish. Edited September 1, 2012 by Captain Hero Quote Link to post Share on other sites
supertex 242 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 what ammo are you using? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
m1key 7 Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) WPA 60gr fmj Silver Bear 60gr fmj Russian 7N6 Hornady 60gr Vmax. The WPA and Silver Bear shoot the best out of the 16 inch. Right about 1.6 to 1.9 inches for five shots at 100yds (with breezy winds) and 4X scope. The twenty incher is just under 4.0 inches.. I wonder if the 70gr load would shoot any better, but I haven't found any of it for sale lately... M Edited September 1, 2012 by m1key Quote Link to post Share on other sites
supertex 242 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 how does the barrel crown look ? maybe a re-crown would help Quote Link to post Share on other sites
timy 1,185 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I don't think there's any way that much discrepancy in accuracy could be attributed to barrel length alone. I suspect a re-crown would do worlds of good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
m1key 7 Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks, I look into it. M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 are either of these rifles converted? any muzzle devices? if not then it sounds as if the harmonics in the barrel of the 16 are more consistant. how do they shoot at 25m? just trying to get an idea of what all has been done to them (if anything) that may play a role in the vast differences in group size. did you run the scope on both guns? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
m1key 7 Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) both are converted with no muzzle attachments. BTW, the crown looked okay to me. I may try again over the weekend with the irons and another newer scope.. I'll keep ya posted. Maybe I'll post some pix M Edited September 1, 2012 by m1key Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dasu 1 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Ive got some 70 grain wolf as well as the 69 grain ukrainian ammo that was supposed to be non corrosive. I really wanted a 20 inch saiga with its heavy barrel. I am suprised about the accuracy as when you posted the velocity numbers the SD went way down. How is the crown on your rifle? Is it any better if you just shoot the irons? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
m1key 7 Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) Sorry, the pictures are too big to load. It's the BAGS. More specifically the front bag. The one I was using was a little too rigid. I switched to a softer one and voila. Rifle is shooting fine now and grouping like it should ~1.5 inches at 100 yds with Silver Bear. From another thread: " Two things I've learned about group shooting AK/AKM variants. Shoot them off your hand while your hand is resting on the front rest. Hard benching the forearm on the front bag will double the size of your groups. Second, load from the magazine rather than loading rounds singly. Letting the rifle cycle rounds automatically from the magazine delivers more consistent results."... from.... http://findarticles....4/ai_n27963829/ Conversely my Saiga 20 inch in 308 much prefers the harder rest. Someone once told me, "Shooting for accuracy is a combination of voodoo, alchemy, and the black arts." The more I shoot, the more I tend to agree. M Edited September 1, 2012 by m1key Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dasu 1 Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the update. When i started working on things mechanical and attepting to solve some issue I was advised to determine that the most common and simple bugs first. Its good to know how to shoot the ak for accuracy. Edited September 2, 2012 by dasu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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