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A well fitted out AR15 with a 20 inch medium weight 1-8 twist low-end broach-cut match barrel (Say a Wilson or a Douglas barrel) will group with M262 ammunition ~1 MOA range for ten shots @ 300 M. With a good cut-rifling heavy barrel, say a Schneider or a Krieger, it will do 10 shots around .65~.7 MOA consistently @ 300 M with better lots of M262. Both rifles with some sort of float tube.

The Army SDM rifles based on the M16A4 could keep shots in a head sized target at 550 M all day long with M262.

An average rack grade M16A2 out of the weapons pool with poorer lots of M855 will group 10 shots on the order of 15 inches at 300M. With M855A1, the same rifles will group 7.5 inches at 300 M, worst case. Average lots show 6.5 to 7 inch 10-shot groups at 300 M, though M855A1 is kind of hard on the bolts (much reduced life).

The chap who did the AK test above used the Yugo M70, which has a thicker action body and shoot better than an average AK. Same is true of the Saiga, they are known for superior accuracy using a the RPK receiver stamping, which once again is more rigid than the standard AK action body.

The average spec for an AK/AKM with the standard receiver stamping thickness was 4 shots in 15 cm (5.9 inches ) @ 100 m.

In my time of running a rifle range for competitive matches I have seen any number of skilled riflemen come up with a AK to try their hand at the NMC, and all have gone away with their tails between their legs, even on reduced range courses. Simply stated a standard AK has difficulty keeping 10 rounds in 6.5 MOA @ 100/200 yards and almost all of the rifles that showed up showed a marked tendency for the point of aim to shift as the weapon heated up. They are much poorer then M1 carbines, which really were never very good.

I note these resulted were recorded by NRA rated Experts, Masters and High Masters, folks who rally know how to shoot from position. Oddly enough these many folks have never found AK production rifles that can be depended on to hold point of aim and group 10 shots in under 2.0 MOA.

Meanwhile the Internet if full of Billy-Joe-Jim Bobs who have an accurate 1 MOA WASR AK. right......

Not denying the AK could be accurate, especially in a custom build, just pointing out what is out there in most folks hands is nothing like the armchair shooters posit.

Frederick303, your post is right on. I shot CMP and High Power for about 35 years, 15 of them at Camp Perry too. I’ve watch many try with SKS’s and AK’s, and as you say, they lose their consistency as they warm up, especially 200 out and more. Can’t say I remember any of them winning in their class.

Look at it this way, at the States and the Nationals, the competition is plentiful and usually well funded. The AR platform has dominated it for close to 20 years, after wrestling it from the M1A domination. Many of these competitors have the means and insistence to only compete with the tools they believe will give them the winning edge, you’ll have a very hard time finding any AK’s or SKS’s on those lines. That fact alone speaks volumes.

Thank you again for your knowledgeable post.