Been wringing the Saint out pretty heavy the last couple of weeks. I have been shooting this as you see above. A2 Iron sights, with a free floated hand guard. The only ammo used is the PMC X-Tac 62 gr. green tipped steel core ammo. Rounds fired so far are 200 with no issues of any kind. Mags used are the 30 rd Cproduct SS mags and 3rd Gen Pmags. The range is 100 yds. shooting at a 50ft. slow fire pistol target, yes it is small at 100 yds. This is not my better days, but discounting the three alibi shots circled in red, the rest cluster into 2-3/4". I can shoot this rifle and ammo combo into 2" - 2-1/2" MOA on my better days. Again, this is with A2 iron sights and PMC 62 gr. green tipped ammo. This will be a continuous thread as I progress with this rifle in it's stock configuration. No further mods, target triggers, or optics will be used on this AR. It will be tested as a basic combat rifle.
Nice, I need optics personally for 100 yd shots, I can no longer focus on both the front and rear sights together.
Very refreshing to see realistic groups (larger than a single ragged hole) in a review. Thanks for the review and I look forward to updates.
Hm. That target tells me I'm a better shot than I thought, looking at published target pix. I assume the red marks were called?
@RouteClearance I cannot tell you how close I came to purchasing a SAINT just like yours with the floating barrel, a sweet rifle. I really wanted it, still do. I even tried the old ploy on the wife of "Sweetheart, HAPPY DAYS! I'm going to buy you a rifle, it's a..." and cut off short, "Oh no you're not! Don't even try it! You get one new rifle. One!" I swear she's a mind reader at times, people say her mother's witch back in the old country and I am wondering if... anyway, I already have a very good DI rifle (Colt LE6920) and really wanted a piston rifle so...I purchased a more expensive piston rifle that I love but I still got my eye on the SAINT. We'll be watching your post as you get use to the gun and put it through its trials. I have no room in my gun safe but I would definitely make room for that gun.
Any good range report should also include meassured velocities from the rounds you are using. Every rifleman needs to know the velocities for any given ammo you shoot through your rifle. If you don't know your muzzle velocities, then how are you going to hit the bad guy at extreme ranges. Yes, the 5.56 round is not a cartridge to engage the bad guys out past 600 yds. Yet to hit them past 300 yds will be a hit or miss without knowing what that particular cartridge's ballistics are. To go by the published data for the bullet used, you need to know the muzzle velocities of your own rifle. Not what is published by the ammo maker. To measure the muzzle velocities of any firearm, you will need a chronograph. They are a great value with a high degree of accuracy. My particular model is the Chrony F1. A simple unit that has no bells and whistles. You just need a good tripod to mount on. Set up about three to four paces in front of you muzzle. So, I had the time to clock two types of 5.56 factory ammo. The 55gr. and 62 gr. made by Federal and PMC. The data for the Federal 55 gr. fmj round replicates the older military M193 ball round. 1st-2966 fps 2nd-3003 fps 3rd-3022 fps 4th-2948 fps 5th-3005 fps Average velocities of 2985 fps. PMC 62 gr. fmj steel core green tipped that replicates the current NATO M885 round. 1st-2985 fps 2nd-2979 fps 3rd-2988 fps 4th-2973 fps 5th-3012 fps. Average velocities of 2992 fps. This is some fast factory ammo. The extra umph can well help you out in penetration of hard targets/cover.
