PSA-10 Accuracy Expectations

Tim

Tim

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I picked up a PSA-10 about a year ago to be my deer/hog rifle. I was very happy with the ~1.5 MOA accuracy and its reliability both suppressed and unsupresssed. Paid a fair price for it and no complaints.

Until I got more seriously into shooting precision bolt guns.

Now, I get irritated when this gun can't make the hits at 300+ that I'd like to make. Trigger is too heavy, stock doesn't adjust just so, yada yada yada.....I wanna sell it.

Talk some sense into me. I KNOW I don't need a sub-MOA gun for deer and hogs. My personal ethic says I'm not taking shots past 200 yards anyway.

Short of dropping big bucks on components, it just is what it is. I think I need to just accept this for the tool it is. I just walked away from the range this weekend irritated at not getting results I was looking for.
 
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Tim said:
I picked up a PSA-10 about a year ago to be my deer/hog rifle. I was very happy with the ~1.5 MOA accuracy and its reliability both suppressed and unsupresssed. Paid a fair price for it and no complaints.

Until I got more seriously into shooting precision bolt guns.

Now, I get irritated when this gun can't make the hits at 300+ that I'd like to make. Trigger is too heavy, stock doesn't adjust just so, yada yada yada.....I wanna sell it.

Talk some sense into me. I KNOW I don't need a sub-MOA gun for deer and hogs. My personal ethic says I'm not taking shots past 200 yards anyway.

Short of dropping big bucks on components, it just is what it is. I think I need to just accept this for the tool it is. I just walked away from the range this weekend irritated at not getting results I was looking for.
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Take a 10” dinner plate and set it 200 yards out. If you miss sell it it.

If you hit it keep it. You know as that is the area on a deer you need to hit.

Beyond that, yer spoiled on precision so there isn’t much coming back from that lol
 
it deserves a good trigger and, if the stock does not give you the cheek weld you need, I would replace it with one that does. Other that that I do not think you need anything else.

I did the math and adjusted my scope for 100 yard zero at 35 yards (back yard) I then verified at 100... crappy trigger and fairly awkward rest (due to where the target was at 100) I drilled a 3" group, dead center. Felt so good about it that I slapped in a good trigger, made a bench that I could rest on and shot a 3/4" at 100. I was pleased to say the least.
 
I think I have a CMC 3.5# trigger on the shelf. I'll drop that in and give it a go. I usually (used to?) think that a heavier trigger is a good thing on a hunting rig, but maybe that's just old school habit.
 
Lol we go through this every time at my range too. Folks will crack off some handgun shots at the 8" shoot-n-c from 40 feet and get pissed that only one or two will touch the center quarter-size dot.
Never mind that they got all 15 on that sticker, they didn't drill all of them dead center. :D
Whereupon I'm quick to point out that was excellent shooting..,and do not forget the intended use of the tool you're using. They usually feel a little better then.

Definitely try the CMC trigger before you sell. The stock trigger on my PSA '10 I considered absolutely horrendous. It had this gritty 2 stage feel to it and you couldn't smooth squeeze the thing for the life of you. I put the CMC flat in mine and it's another world. Mine does the same thing as yours...I can ping the 4" steel from 100 yds using a front rest no problem, and hit the 8" and 10" offhanded no problem. And that's just with a cheap Nikon 3x9.
I'm actually very impressed with the performance of such an inexpensive AR10 with a cheap scope and ball ammo. I didn't think it would do that well.
 
Shoot 10 rounds at a paper plate at 200 yards.

Then swap out the trigger for a Geissele.
Personally, I recommend their SD-E trigger.

Shoot 10 more at a new paper plate at the same distance.

If that doesn’t cut the groups in half, and fix your issue, either the gun is bad or your shooting fundamentals need work.
 
You have one of the most customable guns available. Swap the trigger and get a stock that you're comfortable with. Heavy triggers are a good for when under stress or causing misses :) I've got a Geissele SSA trigger and M110 adjustable stock in my AR10 platform I'm building.

CD
 
Man you shouldn't have to put up with that non-sense!! PM me a price...:D
 
When I first started getting serious about shooting, I ended up becoming friends with a lot of benchrest and precision shooters. It rubbed off on me, and I started chasing ever smaller group sizes. I kept at it for a few years, and eventually realized that I'd lost some of the enjoyment I got from shooting in the process. Since then, I've sold my 22lr and 17hmr benchrest guns, and took the 32x scope off my 308, and replaced it with a 10x. My sandbags and rest usually only come out to zero a rifle or test a new load, then its back to bipods and slings.

It took some adjusting, but eventually I learned to accept that a group doesn't have to be all holes touching to be a good group, and I've started to enjoy shooting a lot more. Chasing precision can be a lot like chasing the dragon. You can always tweak something, replace something, improve something. It becomes a game of diminishing returns. How much money and time are you willing to spend to get that group 1/10 of an inch smaller? Have you actually gained anything?

I've got one of those PA10 308 AR's. I put a CMC 3.5lb flat trigger in it, and a fixed 10x scope on top. It shoots 1.5" groups at 100 yards, and groups smaller than the palm of my hand at 200. More than accurate enough for anything I'd ever use it for, and I'm honestly satisfied with that.

Worrying less about group size and concentrating more on hitting what I'm aiming at has improved my shooting, and given me a lot more enjoyment.
 
I had a PA-10 and when I realized it wouldn’t do anything my AR-15 couldn’t do* except weight more and cost more to shoot, down the road it went.

*at 300m
 
Catfish said:
I had a PA-10 and when I realized it wouldn’t do anything my AR-15 couldn’t do* except weight more and cost more to shoot, down the road it went.

*at 300m
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True. They are a lot heavier. People shoot 223 out to 1000, but IMO, if I’m hitting anything past 300, I’m probably going to stay away from any caliber in a 15, except maybe a grendel.
 
Mine has always been super accurate with just about anything I run through it. Fed Gold Medal Match 168 0r 175 is sub moa all day long. Hand loads will do 3 holes touching at 100yds. I have dinged steel at 800 and 1000yds no problem. Stock trigger sucks. I put a Geissele 2 stage in it. Reliability has been a problem with stock fixed gas block and carbine buffer and stock. Just switched out to 308 rifle buffer, tube and stock. Shot it very little since then and getting into competition benchrest rifle. I've had correspondence with PSA about sending it back for a lookie lou since it never ran reliably but it was so damn accurate that I knew they would doink it up somehow if I sent it back. I changed out all that buffer stuff on the advice off another inmate here. What it really needs is an adjustable gas block. Would not buy a PA10 again unless AGB. Have about 6 PA15's with absolutely no problems other than they are not the last word in accuracy. Wish they would make a National Match accurate upper.
 
AF2BE121-5480-477A-911F-5AFEFACB42A3.jpeg My pa10 is extremely accurate add these goodies and trigger of your choice and hopefully yours will be to. Believe it or not it will group Tula out to 500 yards just fine on a 12 x 12 steel plate and shoot a 3 hole group with gold medal match at 100 yards.
 
11B CIB said:
What kind of BCG does it have?

What length barrel?

Also, I’d consider at LEAST a Ballistic Advantage upgrade:

https://ballisticadvantage.com/18-inch-308-fluted-rifle-ss-premium-barrel.html#product-tabs

I’d add a matching Nitrided BCG, but that’s just me


Trigger, barrel, and ammo are the top 3 solutions to accuracy problems (generally).
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I understand, and that's not news to me. But, that would turn the $500 rifle that I'm trying real hard to accept "as is" into a $1,200 project gun. I've got the 6.5CM Tikka TAC A1 to scratch my accuracy itch and sink $$ into.

My point in thread - if I really have one - is that I need to be OK with accepting each tool in its role.
 
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Tim said:
I understand, and that's not news to me. But, that would turn the $500 rifle that I'm trying real hard to accept "as is" into a $1,200 project gun. I've got the 6.5CM Tikka TAC A1 to scratch my accuracy itch and sink $$ into.

My point in thread - if I really have one - is that I need to be OK with accepting each tool in its role.
Click to expand...

I think if you’re going to keep it around, you should make it worth having ;)

If you are debating this hard about it, you clearly aren’t happy with it. I’d sell it
 
PSA-s can be accurate. I bought the first model of the DPMS LR-308 T. I just wanted a bigger platform and thought it would be cool.

It sat in the safe, and now and then I would take it hunting in the Shenandoah just in case I needed a quick follow up shot.

Shooting a lot of DMM matches with my .223 and buddy of mine says why don't you bring your LR-308 one day? I thought about it... so I ran some Hornady 168 BTHP on the range one day and shot .4" groups at 100 yards. I shot the hell out of that thing under extreme hot conditions for several years and that sucker will still shoot under .75" if I do my job.

When the barrel finally goes.. it is going up to Apache Machine to get a new barrel and "tightened" up. And it still be .308. Best rifle I own.
 
Not sure what a PSA10 is, but if it's a PA10, then my Gen 2 will put 168gr GMM in a 2 inch circle easily at 200 yards. Forget the paper plate, get me a paper cup and turn it on the end.

Of course I have a RA 3.5lb drop in trigger and a great stock and decent enough glass.

PA10gen2_1.jpg

Go shoot a HK91 clone after paying 1/3-1/2 more for a basic rifle than a .308 AR, then you'll really be irritated.
 
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