In this video, we conduct a full accuracy test of five popular budget AR-15 rifles: the Ruger AR-556, PSA Blem, Radical Firearms, Anderson Utility Pro (RIP) , and Smith & Wesson M&P Sport III. Each rifle is tested at 100 yards using five different types of ammunition, including options from Hornady, Winchester, and AAC.
We break down the group sizes for each ammo pairing, discuss how barrel specs and twist rates affect performance, and highlight which rifles deliver sub-MOA accuracy on a budget. All rifles were tested with a consistent setup using a Sig Sauer 3–18×44 optic and Magpul bipod to ensure fair comparisons.
The results reveal some surprising winners and prove that even budget rifles can deliver solid performance with the right ammo. This video is a must-watch if you’re considering an entry-level AR-15 or looking to get the most accuracy for your dollar.
I am also not sure if it was mentioned or not, but this test was done independently of any of the companies that were featured. None of them were aware that this was happening.
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Timestamps:
00:00-01:18: Accuracy Testing Budget AR15s
01:19-02:30: Experiment Controls
02:31-03:21: Sponsors
03:22-05:50: Ruger AR 5.56
05:51-08:12: Smith & Wesson Sport III
08:13-10:33: Anderson AR15
10:34-12:36: Radical RF-15
12:37-14:12: PSA Blem AR15
14:13-15:46: Overall Results
15:47-17:55: Are Budget Rifles Accurate?
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I'd rather have someone with a lesser expensive weapons that can afford it and use it and become efficient handling and using it, than dreaming of the 4x priced ones that they can't really afford let alone shoot with.
100 yards 2MOA is good enough, and you don't get there without practice anyway.
Buy the $500 one, and shoot 1000 rounds, you'll be better off than buying a $1500 and never shooting it. And you'll have $ left over.
I confirm the S&W is excellent for what you pay for it. 15 years and no problems.
I appreciate all your uploads
I’ve never heard anyone, military or civilian, complain about being shot by a rifle that cost less than $2,000. The only ones mocking so-called "cheap rifles" or using terms like “poverty pony or budget rifle” are the ones on a payroll from gun manufacturers.
Let’s be real: the U.S. military has been putting people down with what some would call a “poverty pony” for over a century. Effectiveness doesn’t come with a price tag, it comes with reliability.
Forgot the ati omni
Hey guys could you do a bca upper. I have several of them and my average grouping is under moa. My standard is a 16 inch .223 wylde and a 1/8 twist. Personally a 2 inch group out of bca would be crazy to me after i have several and know people with several.
LMT, since you asked.
What's "RIP Anderson LOL"? I must have missed some gun world news…
Idk why you guys didn’t test 77 gr… fyi hand lapped and crowned RF15 with 77 grain shoots around a minute
Anderson arms is not more, they where bought out by ruger all tooling and equipment
Would've liked to see a BCA with a HF barrel as well.
No BCA? Typically now aways a say a wash against radical but has the options on barrel style
Ive had good luck with psa
Giessele Super Duty plz..
My Anderson AR-15 shoots a 4'shot sub 3/4 inch group at 100 yards. 75 grain BTHP match bullets. 2 to 7 power scope.
I am a cash snob. Spend as little as possible to attain the results that work for me. My most expensive ar in 308 w/scope is $1100. with Russian I shoot 1.4 moa. Works for me. My Wylde 18 I built for $610 with scope shoots 1.35 with plinking ammo, too cheap to buy good stuff.
Will start reloading my own precision and should bring the numbers down. I just have fun.
Great video. It shows how much ammo impacts on a firearm, when we all tend to blame the gun or ourselves for bad groups.
I particularly noted how much the point of impact moved with each different ammo.
I also think relatively loose QC impacts those variances, so the guns are probably capable of shooting much tighter groups if one hand-loaded. You might have some 1/2 MOA guns for a cheap price.
I KNOW run of the mill ammo QC sucks and poor groups are at least partly the fault of ammo .
I have an Anderson that I have not shot much. Guess I should work with it some.
My psa blem loves 68gn and above. This test should be redone with heavier projectiles. Most of these have a 1/7 twist rate.
I'm a novice but 2.5 -4 MOA seems to be acceptable amongst most battle rifles 😊
I live in New York, I can’t have any of them
FN and Springfeild
The reality is that you never know exactly what you're getting with entry level rifles…there can be a noticeable shift from one rifle to the next even with the exact same make/model and ammo. I have an entry level ($500 Olympic Arms) that is a sub-MOA rifle with the right ammo…it's consistently more accurate than friend's rifles that cost 2-5X as much (and they are not pleased). I can't say why exactly…there are just too many variables to narrow it down…manufacturing standards and tolerances are certainly part of it as could be the quality of the materials used in the manufacturing of the components. Often times you do in fact "get what you pay for"…but with a well established/tested rifle design like the AR-15 I think it's bit of a crap shoot in how all those components ultimately work together to provide the most consistent performance and the most reliable accuracy as a result.
Do the veracity vr15. Absolute gem
Great Video: BCA offers a huge line of super affordable ARs
Bought a PSA last winter. I've shot 1000 RDS since the spring. Never had an issue. Runs smooth. My shot group is good. For shooting 100 and 200 targets it does the job. I have a Sig red dot and magnifier. Nothing else on it.
Where’s the diamondback AR?
Need a Bear Creek as well in these tests
Remember if you aren’t in the Military like Tim Kennedy you don’t need or deserve your 2nd Amendment Rights.
I have been up in the air lately between buying a mid range ar or just getting a blem and souping it up. Was planning on getting the cmmg cabela exclusive but thanks to this video I will be getting the PSA and spending the additional money i save on rounds and upgrades
Appreciate this comparison! Been looking at just about all of these brands just to have an AR in the safe. More of a bolt gun guy but am interested in adding an AR, just don't want to spend a bunch for no more than I'll use it. Kinda disappointed in the Smith though
Should do another one of these videos on more of the budget rifles. Lots of brands to test. Del-Ton, Bear Creek, etc. As for the mid tier yeah: CMMG, Geissele, Bravo Company, Daniel Defense, IWI, FN
Please do the 15- 2grand test!
i bet that these cheap AR trials are funded by those companies selling overpriced AR's with the promise of a lifetime warrantee .if u build your own you can provide all needed services for your weapon for EVER
Add the mossberg mmr 556 it has a full floating barrel and as far as accuracy its real good.
What makes you guys opinions matter to anyone?
Well don’t. Real world testing. Now I don’t want a radical!! Gonna wait n get something better
I think you need to look at the rifling twist rate when picking ammo. Stick to the same ammo, same range, same everything but different rifle.
You also have to understand, these are battle rifles, so 2-3 MOA is perfectly exceptable.
You want precision, buy a heavy barrel bolt gun….
If you buy anything from PSA that's not their brand you're SOL. They hung me with a Revolution Army AR 12 shotgun that's totally unusable. The barrel came loose and will not tighten up. It looks like it has a suppressor on it and that's what holds the barrel tight but it's like the threads are stripped so it won't tighten down and stay. I travel between states a LOT so it was over 30 days before I could fire it so they pretty much just said tuff. My son-in-law, as well as myself, was looking at getting an AR-15 pistol and a Dagger but I'll never buy anything else from a company that doesn't stand behind what they sell.
It sucks Anderson went and got bought out by Ruger. Now those base stock ar’s are going to skyrocket in price 😢
Five round groups are a lame measure of accuracy
Lost me with accuracy testing with 55gr FMJ LMFAO let's use the least accurate round to test accuracy, we need MORE variables, smdh