[jkv45]

Updated photo -

Not sure where it went...

New AK Master Mount scope bracket and US Optics scope installed.

Hoping it cures my inconsistent accuracy issues. Not going to be able to test it out for a while, unfortunately.

EDIT: This scope has a larger objective lens, and I had to remove the rear sight adjusting bar to allow the sight to drop down and miss the scope. Just requires a screwdriver, or small punch, and a hammer to drive the sight blade rearward. I do like the simplicity of the AK platform. Nothing seems to be any more complicated than is absolutely necessary.

 

[twobyfour]

Work up a handload for it. 308 is very forgiving with twist rates and bullet weights from my own experiences. You just gotta dial in the recipe because each barrel is different. Ironically enough, my 26” 1:12 hart on my M70HBV prefers the heavies, and my shorter 16”-18” 1:10’s (in various rifles) prefer the lighter 155 palmas and sometimes 130 match fb’s. The new 169gr smk (not 168gr, big difference in ogiv) is a very capable projectile and is sensitive to seating depth, not twist rate. It does have a higher bc than the 175gr smk…

Food for thought

 

[jkv45]

Work up a handload for it. 308 is very forgiving with twist rates and bullet weights from my own experiences. You just gotta dial in the recipe because each barrel is different. Ironically enough, my 26” 1:12 hart on my M70HBV prefers the heavies, and my shorter 16”-18” 1:10’s (in various rifles) prefer the lighter 155 palmas and sometimes 130 match fb’s. The new 169gr smk (not 168gr, big difference in ogiv) is a very capable projectile and is sensitive to seating depth, not twist rate. It does have a higher bc than the 175gr smk…

Food for thought

As just a Bullseye pistol shooter, up until purchasing my M1A in 2018, my reloading experience is limited to .45 match loads. I'm not currently reloading for rifle, and the way components are going - I may not be for a while. I have stocked-up on a bunch of different .308/7.62x51 ammo, as well as quite a bit of 168gr GMM, when prices were reasonable.

I'd like to find a M80 equivalent ammo that does OK in the M77, something just under 2 MOA would be good enough. I usually try to find the potential of my .308 rifles using the 168gr GMM, and most have come in at just over 1 MOA, but I don't shoot the GMM consistently.

Best the M77 has done so far is 2.4" at 100 yards with Igman 147gr, but I think there were some issues with the optics and mount that contributed to inconsistent accuracy.

We'll see what happens when the snow melts.

 

[jkv45]

Had some decent weather this weekend, so I headed out to the range with the M77 and a bunch of different ammo. Igman, GGG, Norma, Barnaul, 168 GMM, and some 175 Bergers.

New scope bracket and new scope. Shot with and without the flash hider. Results were pretty much the same - crap.

Didn't get a decent 100 yard group the entire time, even with 168gr GMM, with all over 4 MOA. Prone off of front and rear bags. Conditions were good and I called the shots good. Trigger is a decent 4.5 pounds. Much better than most of my other battle rifles.

Not sure what is going on, but not acceptable. I can't even get close to my previous best (2.5 MOA) with the same ammo (Igman).

I'm taking the rifle down, and am going to look closely at the handguard area. It seems the first shots were usually closer than the following. Maybe there's some issue with the handguard and the barrel. I wasn't't firing fast enough to heat the barrel significantly.

 

[jkv45]

Took the M77 down for a good cleaning and lubing, and looked for any obvious signs of something wrong that would have an effect on accuracy.

Didn't find anything obvious.

While I was cleaning the barrel, I thought I might as well determine the barrel twist, seeing as we have had conflicting info from Zastava USA.

I removed some wood from the handguard, but I'm not if it would cause the issues.

Unlike what I was told by Zastava in an email a while ago, I concluded the barrel has a 1:12 twist - not a 1:10 as they said. Didn't really change anything, but I just wanted to know for sure.

 

[jkv45]

Latest update -

Did a few modifications that I though might correct my accuracy issues - loosened the over-tight gas tube, shimmed the lower handguard, removed any wood contacting the barrel, and cleaned/lubed everything.

Took it out this past weekend, and no significant improvements were seen. I shot about 6 or 7 types of M80 and 4 or 5 types of 168gr match ammo with similar results - 5 to 6 MOA. I did get 3 MOA from one group with Hornady Lite 125gr SSTs, but I couldn't back it up.

Decided it was time to send it in...

 

[jkv45]

I'm switching my focus to my Riley RAK308, which I will be setting up the same way as the Zastava. I'm looking for 2 MOA at 100 as a minimum. Hopefully one of them will do it.

The RAK after fitting some polymer furniture that I refinished to replace the beat-up (parts kit) original wood furniture. Next is the optics mount and scope, then some testing.

 

[brianns]

I'm switching my focus to my Riley RAK308, which I will be setting up the same way as the Zastava. I'm looking for 2 MOA at 100 as a minimum. Hopefully one of them will do it.

The RAK after fitting some polymer furniture that I refinished to replace the beat-up (parts kit) original wood furniture. Next is the optics mount and scope, then some testing.
View attachment 570816

Did you get a baseline of pre-upgrade accuracy on the Riley? I can’t recall.

 

[WaM14gunner]

Seeing this again prompted me to remember that I have a beast PSL in the safe. Rhineland Arms butt stock wood, 3-9x Sightmark scope on an over the bore mount, no offset. Good shooting package.

 

[yoshmyster]

Like a PSL but I wouldn't have to get into a separate caliber.

 

[jkv45]

Like a PSL but I wouldn't have to get into a separate caliber.

That's why I'm always looking for DMR options in .308.

The PSL (7.62x54R) is the only other rifle caliber I have, (EDIT: and .30-06...) and ammo is getting harder to get and more expensive. It's a fun rifle, but nowhere near as practical as a rifle in .308.

 

[jkv45]

Did you get a baseline of pre-upgrade accuracy on the Riley? I can’t recall.

I did some basic testing with the iron sights at 25 yards just to confirm it was ok to move on.

Trying to get any type of good group at 100 yards, with the open sights, isn't going to tell me anything as they are too difficult for me to aim accurately.

I can't really tell what I'm dealing with until I put optics on it.

 

[jkv45]

I produced this pile of .308 brass on Sunday, in a last-ditch attempt to find something, anything, my Zastava M77 likes.

You may notice a few pieces with some "flute" marks from my new-to-me HK91, but only a few.

The best I could do with the M77 was 3 MOA with Hornady Lite 125gr SSTs, which were a real soft shooting round. I tried later to duplicate the group, but couldn't do it.

I just filled out the RMA form to send it to Zastava for inspection/repair/replacement. A member on another forum had similar issues, and they apparently replaced the rifle.

We'll see what they say, but for my purposes it isn't going to cut it as is.

 

[jkv45]

The M77 is otw back to Zastava as of this morning.

We'll see what they can do with it. Members on an AK forum, and other places, have said the M77 isn't ever going to be 2 MOA accurate.

Rob Ski's results with both the Zastava and Riley M77s have proved otherwise.

Plenty of people say PTR91s only shoot 3 to 4 MOA at best, but mine has done 1.3 to 1.5 MOA consistently.

 

[jkv45]

I will be starting from scratch with the Zastava M77.

I sent it to Zastava - and they s***canned it and sent me a new one.

We'll see how this one does. Hopefully they have corrected whatever issues they were having, or at least checked this one before sending it out. I burned up way too much ammo trying to find something that it would shoot.

 

[Para Pete]

Ok, then- you've finished a bumpy test ride, are fully warmed up, and learned a good bit about her family's character.

Now it's time to buckle up and take her sister out to see what she's really capable of...

 

[jkv45]

Ok, then- you've finished a bumpy test ride, are fully warmed up, and learned a good bit about her family's character.

Now it's time to buckle up and take her sister out to see what she's really capable of...

I hope her sister can deliver!

 

[jkv45]

Update on the replaced Zastava M77 -

The new Zastava had repeated failures to chamber a round, usually the first, and even with a different mag (that had been good) it still had an occasional failure. I shot some Saltech and GGG M80, and some 168gr PMC X-Tac and 168gr GMM - and none of it was any better than maybe 3 or 4 MOA with the GMM being one of the worst. All shooting was at 100 yards off of the bench with a front and rear bag. Temp was about 40 and sunny with almost no wind.

Overall, not what I was hoping for.

I've been in conversation with Rob Ski, and he suggested running a couple hundred inexpensive rounds through it before doing another cleaning and accuracy assessment.

One interesting note - neither of the Zastava M77s I've had liked 168gr target ammo at all. I shot some PMC X-Tac and GMM 168s, and both grouped worse than the Saltech or GGG M80.

I also had my new Riley RAK308 out at the same time, and posted an update here -

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/my-other-m77-dmr-project-riley-rak308.546101/?post_id=5002064#post-5002064

 

[yoshmyster]

Try one or two less rounds in the magazine. As for the rounds? I'd go cheap. I'd think it'll be okay with mil. surplus. Try lighter boolits, too.

 

[jkv45]

Try one or two less rounds in the magazine. As for the rounds? I'd go cheap. I'd think it'll be okay with mil. surplus. Try lighter boolits, too.

I almost always only load 5 rounds, and used the new 20 round mag that came with the gun and a 10 round I had. It has misfeeds with both mags.

I'm looking for some really inexpensive M80 to just run through it, as suggested by Rob. Best I can find is Igman M80 at $0.63 per round + shipping, unless I buy a bunch. Igman has been OK for me, but not sure I want to jump into 400/600 rounds of it just to burn through.