Is there something wrong with my M&P15-22?

[Glocks&Ducs]

This past winter, I bought an M&P15-22. I had shot it one time at an indoor range for function, not really paying attention to where it was hitting. Just basically banging them through at short distance.

The second time I shot it, I had installed a Primary Arms red dot and some MBUS. I thought it was odd that it took about 24 cranks on the PA to bring the rounds up to POA. It still didn't dawn on me that the rifle might be off. Then I started zeroing the MBUS and noticed I had to crank the front sight almost all the way down to bring point of aim up to where it should be. I left the range a bit miffed, and thought that maybe the PA sight had a weird bow in the lens or something, at it was making the front sight appear where it really wasn't.

So this third time, I took the aftermarket stuff off the rifle and put the stock sights back on and went shooting again. At 15 yards, this is what I got. The first group on the bottom right is with the rear sight centered for windage and set at 6/3, and with the front sight flush.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b260/shmauricio/15-22zero.jpg

It took eight clicks down on the front sight tip and three clicks of windage to get on the black. But as you can see, I still need a bit more. Probably two more clicks of windage and one or two more clicks of the front sight tip.

To me, the front sight is requiring way too many clicks and it doesn't have any more clicks.

I am wondering if I simply need to try zeroing at a different distance, or if you guys think there is something wrong with that rifle. I am not that familiar with 22LR in a rifle, but I still think it odd because I took that same Primary Arms optic and mounted it on my SIG 522, and I had to take 16 clicks out of it, in order to bring my rounds to point of aim.

So where are you guys zeroing your 15-22s, and has anyone else experienced this?

[tinman517]

The only suggestion, which I can offer at the moment is . . . Check make sure the barrel nut is screwed down all the way and tight.

[Glocks&Ducs]

I can't really do that. It appears the barrel nut is also holding the handuard/rail on and it looks like you need a special tool to reach down in there and loosen or tighten it. Besides that, I would think that disassembling the firearm past the field strip position would probably void the warranty.

I tried calling S&W today, but the lines were too busy. I decided to send them an e-mail instead. We will see how long it takes them to respond, if they do.

[vafish]

15 yards is awfully close to be sighting in.

If you really want to sight it in a 15 yards it should be pretty easy to shorten the front sight, a few strokes with a file should do it.

[Glocks&Ducs]

15 yards is awfully close to be sighting in.

If you really want to sight it in a 15 yards it should be pretty easy to shorten the front sight, a few strokes with a file should do it.

Well, that is the thing. I was only starting at 15 yards because I was also trying a new handgun and the range will only allow you set up one target at a time, and of course you have to wait for the cease fires and all that stuff. So I just plastered 4 targets up there so I could do some quick work with different firearms and make sure I was going to be on paper at 50 yards with the rifles. I didn't make it to the 50 yard line though, as the shooting I did do took longer than expected.

And that is the main reason I asked the question. I was wondering if someone with 22 experience can confirm that was too low for the rifle to be shooting, or if the round would still be climbing, and therefore look more reasonable on paper at 50, and even 25 yards. But the more I think about it, the more I am sure the rifle is just off. Otherwise, the SIG would have done the same thing. It didn't. At the exact same distance, I had to take 16 clicks out of the optic I was using on the 15-22 in order to bring the POI on the 522 back down into the black. That tells me the 15-22 requires excessive compensation because it is shooting low.