How well does your FN SPR shoot?

[CavCop]

Made a mistake and went to the local gun shop today, left with an FN SPR A1 20" fluted.

I have mostly all Remington and Savage bolt guns in .308. The Winchester action and FN name have always stood a little to me. I read about the hammer forged chrome lined barrel and thought it would take away accuracy with the chrome liner. The sales guy goes in the back and brings out the box with a factory target showing a 3 shot group at 100 yards that is .38".

I buy the rifle.

I was saving to buy 2-3 folding stocks, but I guess now I am back to another build... I dont know when I will get the SPR set up and to the range, but wonder if others had tight shot groups with there rifle and if it did as well in real shooting vs the factory. All my Weatherbys shot better with me than the factory targets. My Remingtons never came with a target, niether did the Savages IIRC. I wanted the A5, but knew I would never pick one up vs other plans.

The data book is neat. It shows 13 rounds fired by the factory (maybe they picked the best 3 shot group for the test target?), and that it was bedded by the factory prior to shooting. Trigger is listed at 3.5lbs. So far I am impressed by FN.

 

[308Gunner]

I had an SPR in 308 and a buddy of mine has one whith 24" barrel it will shot under a half inch @ 100 all day long, with reloads it will hold .5 moa out to 600. They are good rifles have fun with yours.

 

[RyanScott]

I'm a horrible group shooter. The best I could do is 10 rounds in about .75". I suspect in good hands it would do five in a quarter.

 

[diderr]

I'm building one off an FN Patrol action right now. When I had it in its stock configuration I shot several sub-.25" groups with it.

 

[Bear24]

Mine shoots as well as I do and on one of my good days it will shoot 1/4 MOA

 

[CavCop]

Sounds good so far. I was questioning FN's "All models have cold hammer-forged MIL-SPEC barrels with chrome-lined bores and are held to a +/- .001” headspace to produce and maintain one minute-of-angle (1 MOA) accuracy, making them natural choices for long-range target shooting and competition."

I saw the size of the 20" barrel and thought should be zero barrel whip, should be a tack driver at close range vs my Remingtons. The 1 MOA from FN made me question why they dont say sub MOA like many others, or even sub 3/4 MOA. If the barrel was any thicker I would think F Class.

 

[xXlojackXx]

I can't speak for the A1, but I have the A3G and the A5M and both are .25 to .5 MOA rifles. Really likes 44.5gr Varget behind a 175gr SMK.

 

[diderr]

I put a Bartlein 5r HV on mine. It's defiantly not going to be a light gun by any means. that and an A5 with sniper fill. still got to decide on length. either going 25" or 22". I plan on at least shooting a few f class matches with it.

 

[muggs13]

Well it depends. I have been around several FN SPR's Mine shoots about .80. Others I have seen shoot .25 to 1.25. These are experienced trained shooters behind the trigger. I really think that when barrels are made sometimes you get an excellent one that shoots .25 other times you can get one that shoots somewhere between .25 and 1.00. I can't really say why.

All in all FN has an excellent rifle line for sure. Also check out how to do a trigger job on the Winchester Rifle Model 70. They are step by step instructions in how to safely lighten your trigger. Very easy to do.

Good Shooting!!!

 

[6brshooter]

A3g's have a 1/2 moa promise. Mine came with a .2x" target. With 155 ncc and 46.8 varget i get 2889 fps and punched out a 20 shot group that was .717", 19 rds was in .430". Same day, 10 shots went .813", 9 in a .490" group. Down to about 100 rds worth of varget so i worked up a load with h4895. 2 5rd groups averaged .38" and chronoed 2938 with sd of 9.xx. I only shoot varget in this rifle and h4895 in 3 others , i believe i will quit looking for varget. This load is 1.1 moa more drop at 650 then my 260 load. Only complaint with the rifle is the cheekpiece screws loosen up quickly under recoil. Partially solved the problem by making a delrin block that fits under the tab of the cheekpiece. If the screws loosen, it stays in place.

 

[jeffersonv]

I think you are asking about stock rigs. The A3G is bedded by GAP and has the 1/2" guarantee as 6brshooter said. From what I have read it is this accuracy standard and the proven ability to cycle 10000+ rounds without a hiccup that qualified this rifle for use in the FBI.

Mine has a Rock Creek barrel so I can't help you much if your question is for the stock barrels. It shoots well.

muggs13 said: "Also check out how to do a trigger job on the Winchester Rifle Model 70. They are step by step instructions in how to safely lighten your trigger. Very easy to do."

Question: Who or what is the "they" you mention there?

 

[Niles Coyote]

I had two, 1-308 & 1-300wsm both shot great. The 308 would hold .6-.7 moa and the 300 would often shoot in the .3's with 190 grain bergers. My 308 had the DBM and I wanted a hinged floor plate so when I found a winchester stealth I sold them and made my own SPR'ish. Now I have what I wanted... and it shoots well, has a 26" barrel nearly the same contour and will push 175's to 2740 if I want at Hodgdon's list max charge but I keep it down around 2675.

FWIW, I believe my SPR also liked varget around 44.5-44.7 with the 175 smk in Lapua brass.

 

[6brshooter]

He probably meant " there are". My trigger was ave. I used the step my step instructions, also put a little bit of dry lube on sear engagement surfaces. It ended up being a 1.75-2.5lb pull that varied that much on a trigger scale. It also had some creep part of the time and glass rod snapping the rest of the time. It exhibited this pre and post pull weight adjustment. I ended up replacing it with a rifle basix trigger fully adjustable for sear engagement, pull weight , and overtravel. It is set at 30oz and is within +/-1 oz in 15 trigger pulls in a row, has not changed in 250+ rds.

 

[jeffersonv]

Thanks 6brshooter but now both you and muggs13 have referred to these "step by step" instructions for the FN trigger. It sounds like you both have possibly used the same set of instructions.

What or where are these "step by step" instructions?

I'll be checking youtube.

Sorry if I sidetracked your thread OP. Maybe I'm thinking this is related?

Thanks

 

[6brshooter]

Google/bing win 70 trigger adjustment, it went to an archived ar15.com or 6mmbr.com thread. Loosen single jamnut and screw in the screw towards the receiver to decrease overtravel. Lock jamnut. The 2 jamnuts that are together sets pull weight. Loosen them and screw them towards trigger. U need to keep the spring slightly compressed so that the trigger always has tension pushing it forward. Once the pull weight is set lock the bottom nut against the nut that contacts the spring . It takes 2 thin 1/4" open end wrenches and a small/jeweler's flat blade screwdriver. I believe that is the jist of the instructions. Just be sure to do a full safety function and solid bump test with bolt cocked and safety off. Empty chamber of course. I have slept a couple times since i did mine so might want to google it as opposed to trustingmy memory.

 

[lobhob]

Additionally if you trigger has a crisp break and all it needs is lightening, you can change out the spring with something significantly less stiff.

 

[Quarter Horse]

My SPR is one of the original run with a 26" barrel (measured to the bolt face). If I have been shooting regularly, the average will be under 1/2 MOA with 168gr. FGMM. With 175gr. SMK in Lapua cases from SW Ammo you can add .1 to .2. Please note that I said "average." That means some over and some under. That being said, I shoot off a bi-pod on a rickety patio table. The rifle does not limit my performance. I limit the rifle's performance.

I've done more than a few Mod.70 triggers and everyone should note 6br's caution. The travel and rate on the SPR's spring was shorter and stiffer which limited the low end to just over 3lbs. with proper reset.

Edit: lobhob was faster on the keyboard and is correct.

 

[CavCop]

Yes, I was looking at the factory accuracy and if the shooter could match the test target. So far I am impressed with my first FN. I if this rifle shoots well, then in the future I think I will be "that guy" who asks the dealer to show me the shot groups of what they have in stock before I buy.

Nice know its easy to make the trigger lighter, I like 3-2.5 lbs and have 3.5 now. Bolt disassembly is easy too.

I think you are asking about stock rigs. The A3G is bedded by GAP and has the 1/2" guarantee as 6brshooter said. From what I have read it is this accuracy standard and the proven ability to cycle 10000+ rounds without a hiccup that qualified this rifle for use in the FBI.

Mine has a Rock Creek barrel so I can't help you much if your question is for the stock barrels. It shoots well.

muggs13 said: "Also check out how to do a trigger job on the Winchester Rifle Model 70. They are step by step instructions in how to safely lighten your trigger. Very easy to do."

Question: Who or what is the "they" you mention there?

 

[Joezone]

I've got about 4500 rounds through and A3G and recently had a couple 5 shot groups close to .25. I love that barrel. Did not like the stock trigger, had that adjusted. Mine did not feed all that well and I've had some work done on that too. I'm guessing the ones with a magazine probably feed better out of the box on average. They used a 300WSM action for the 308 SPR and this probably didn't help with feeding. Also ditched the cheek piece, one of the thread sockets stripped and it never did hold all that well, just using a stockpack with mouse pad under it to raise up the cheek.

 

[Hakshot]

I hit prairie dogs all day long at 600yards

 

[phm14]

My SPR A5M shot Fed GGM just like the test target in the box said it would,~3/8". I'm sure there's more there with handloads. You'd be hard pressed to find a better value.

 

[Shooter45]

I have the SPR A1 in 300 WSM that shoots amazing with hand loads. The load I found for mine is 178gr Amax with 64gr IMR 4350; I don't remember what the OAL was but it was measured using the Hornady tool to be just shy of touching the lands. Will place 5 shots in 1/2" at 100yds.

 

[orrodr]

I have a PBR and had not had a chance to develop a good load.

orrodr

 

[Pappasniper]

I think the gun is amazing, and more rifle builders should offer CL .5 moa barrels. I pin tested the barrel and it tested to be consistent. It is not real tight bore. It shoots .75 without customizing a load. I used my rem700 Varget load. I stacked 3 rounds in a fist sized group at 1,000YARDS last week. Last two ROUNDS I shit the rifle and opened it up via wind to MOA.

This gun is impressive for its price. I had my trigger tuned down 3 lbs but it still isn't a Timney. I know it's fine but this gun will get a Timney eventually. It just feels different. Not bad as much as different.

I just dig the idea of a tactical precision gun that is CL. Manufacturing has gotten so good, you can buy a Daniel defense 14.5 CL AR barrel and shoot a 1 inch group. I plan to shoot 10,000 rounds in my FN in the many years to come.

 

[Aries64]

Reply to "How well does your FN SPR shoot?"

Made a mistake and went to the local gun shop today, left with an FN SPR A1 20" fluted.

Unless the money you spent on your new FN SPR was money that you couldn't really afford to spend on it, no mistake was made on your part (yeah, I know you were being facetious). The Model 70 CRF/FN SPR action is one of the finest actions ever produced. Not only can very accurate rifles can be built off of it, but is it exceptionally reliable. It’s also cool how the Model 70's firing pin also threads-out for inspection and cleaning easily, unlike the firing pin on a Remington.

Also, while it goes without saying that there is no substitute for safe gun handling, there is no denying that the Model 70's three position safety is superior to the Remington 700's system (just because you don't use it doesn't negate the design's mechanical advantage). Being able to lock the firing pin and operate the bolt (“Intermediate” Position), or lock the firing pin and lock the bolt closed (“Safe” Position) is an inherently better design than that of the Remington 700’s.

I have mostly all Remington and Savage bolt guns in .308. The Winchester action and FN name have always stood a little to me. I read about the hammer forged chrome lined barrel and thought it would take away accuracy with the chrome liner. The sales guy goes in the back and brings out the box with a factory target showing a 3 shot group at 100 yards that is .38".

I buy the rifle.

There are people who think that all chrome-lined barrels are inaccurate. That statement is dependent upon what the standard of accuracy is (is the standard 1 MOA. .5 MOA, or .25 MOA)? Several years ago FN moved Model 70/SPR closed their facility in New Haven, Connecticut. In the process a lot of people lost their jobs, and I suspect that some of them didn't put their best efforts into their work at that time. There was a "batch" of defective chrome-lined barrels which seemed to be part of the problem at the time. I used to have an A3 G that was produced at the New Haven plant, and with the Black Hills 175s’ and FGMM (Federal Gold Medal Match) 168s’ I shot out of it’s 24” barrel it easily shot .5 MOA or better when shot correctly. With BH 175s’ I could punch the center of the 8” round plates at Pala with boringly consistency at 885 yards. The last time I was there with my A3 G I was holding 3.5 MILs' of wind.

I was saving to buy 2-3 folding stocks, but I guess now I am back to another build... I dont know when I will get the SPR set up and to the range, but wonder if others had tight shot groups with there rifle and if it did as well in real shooting vs the factory. All my Weatherbys shot better with me than the factory targets. My Remingtons never came with a target, niether did the Savages IIRC. I wanted the A5, but knew I would never pick one up vs other plans.

The factory test target that came in the box with my A3 G was .400”, and as I said above it was boringly-consistent with factory ammo (BH 175s’ and FGMM 168s’). The only other ammo I ever shot through my A3 G was some old Federal 150gr. Soft Point hunting ammo I had laying around, and it shot very well out to the limits of the steel at ASR, which is now and has been 600 yards for many years now (about 20 years ago it was 700 yards).

The data book is neat. It shows 13 rounds fired by the factory (maybe they picked the best 3 shot group for the test target?), and that it was bedded by the factory prior to shooting. Trigger is listed at 3.5lbs. So far I am impressed by FN.

That data book is cool. As I recall 13 rounds was about what was recorded in my Data Book too. I don’t remember who did the bedding at GAP or who did the work at FN, but I do remember that Jim Owens was the shooter for the included factory test target.


Keith

 

[masonh]

Made a mistake and went to the local gun shop today, left with an FN SPR A1 20" fluted.

I made the same mistake about 2 months ago,but came home with an A5 and a nice scope on it. I drove out to Barrets new gun store and they had a very lightly used A5 for sale with a USO 3.2-17 with an ERK turret knob and illumination. I was paralyzed when i saw it and asked if they would take $3500 for it. They had a price of $3999 on it which I probably would have paid anyway. He came back from talking to the boss and said he would take $3600 and i bough it. The gun belonged to one of the guys that used to work there and has under 100 rounds on it.

I haven't even shot it yet,but the test target reads .41" and when i actually put the calipers to it, it's more like .31" easy. I saw one at another gun store that had a .22" test target, and it was a 20" barrel model.The 20" model looks a little funny cause the barrel hardly comes out past the forearm at all. I wanted that one bad, but I won't buy anything from that store because they are way high on price and act like they get offended if you want to ask questions or haggle price, and they wanted $2500 for it with no scope and no options and no TBM.

I hear the A3 is the most accurate because it is fully hand bedded, but honestly I doubt there is much difference in accuracy between the models. I fell like for the money these are one of the best buys out there. If you shop around you get them in the low 2's or $2000 flat. Or you can get one slightly used for under $2000 and they will hold accuracy to 10,000 rounds,which given the amounts I shoot it will never have to be re-barreled.

I looked at the Sako 22 and the Sig SSG and even the Steyr -08 model and none of those can be had for low 2's and while they may look a little cooler (especially that hammered barrel on the Steyr) I don't see any of them out shooting the SPR or outlasting it either.

So I don't think you made a mistake either, everyone needs at least one stock factory rifle that shoots under 1/2MOA

 

[SATangoDown]

A1 24"/ with 175 sierra match bt 3/8" at 100, 168 sierra match 7/16" at 100. the 12 twist likes the heavier more for me. Spent just as much on a custom m1500 set up and this outa boxer does better than all my fancy gizmo smithy mods on a custom. Needles to say advertises 1moa shooter but delivers sub no matter what i feed it.