VEKTOR H5 accuracy?

[Ds J]

Hallo Folks,

Which accuracy can one expect from a Vektor H5?

A young man in the vicinity owns one with a Lynx 4x32 telescope mounted to it.

He is slightly disgruntled because he gets 2MOA (50mm) groupings at 50m with milsurp ammunition.

(Note: I have not checked anything on the rifle, except that the scope does not feel loose to the touch.)

[SSP]

What military surplus?

Is is actually surplus or has it been pulled and reloaded?

It's essentially an LM without the gas system. The bolt locks up the same.

It feeds from two positions in the mag and the rounds hit the side of the chamber when feeding, just like an LM.

It's never going to be an MOA gun.

[TStone]

Below is an extract from Man/Magnum magazine from October 1993. This is from a test report on the H5 by Gregor Woods.

Using PMP military hardball (Berdan) ammo, our test rifle shot 1.4" groups at 100m. That would be good in any language, but considering that both our shooting, sessions took place in winds officially recorded at 25 knots, it is remarkable. There is no doubt these groups would have improved in better circumstances; the wind was buffeting us so that it was impossible to hold steady (before you ask, we can only use our Durban range after 4pm, and in August every afternoon blows Eke this). Interestingly, PMP's sporting ammo did not do as well; the best group we could get was 2.4" (average 2.5"). These factory loads clocked 3129fps in the H5's 540mm barrel.


I assembled some handloads, but again, weather and other conditions did not make it a fair test. Reloaders take note: the H5 is chambered to close tolerances and has very little free-bore. I broke one of my own rules and failed to chamber the handloads before going to the range; the different ogive configuration of some bullets prevented the ammo from chambering - they should have been seated deeper. Some chambered if I really slammed the action home, but then the bullets were rudely forced deeper into the necks by the lands, which does them no good. Moreover, the hassle and exasperation of having to stand up and muscle it closed for every shot was not conducive to precise grouping.


However, a 50gr Hornady Spire Point with 26gr of S-321/92 (3205fps) shot a LW group with four of the shots in 0.9", so the potential is there. The 55gr Hornady Spire Point with 25gr S321/92 (3067fps) shot a 2.1" group, but four of them went into 1.2" of which three were in 4.7" so it's hard to say how much of the problem was wind, etc. I loaded PMP's 55gr soft point ahead of 26gr S-321/92 but could only get two rounds to chamber - they printed 1.3" apart. I also tried Sierra's 69gr HPBT with 24gr S-321192, but at 2932fps it would not stabilize in the H5's 1-in-12" twist; the group measured 7.7". That was all that publishing deadlines would allow for, but I am fully confident that further handloading and better weather would coax MOA accuracy from this rifle

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[wernswa]

My dad bought a Vektor H5 in the early ‘90s, so I grew up with one in my hand. I always found the accuracy to be quite good for the type of weapon. I’m talking 1.5MOA for my father’s example. I read complaints about accuracy of the H5, but never experienced it myself.

To be clear, 50mm groupings at 50m is about 4MOA. I will first try a different kind of ammo.

[Shigawagga]

I have the shorter barrel H5 (they were made in two barrel lengths - not sure of exact measurements). I regularly hunt with mine up to a distance of 80m. No more. The bullet drop and drift becomes unpredictable after that. I take head shots with confidence at 40m but I am sure to measure the range with my rangefinder before taking the shot. Its amazing what 5-10 m difference does to the bullet drop. I load my own ammo to suit the short barrel and use 55g Barnes TSX bullets. So in short, its very accurate up to 40-50m, thereafter OK up to to 80 + Meters. After that, pot-luck. I'm sure the longer barrel version will perform a bit better.

[shooty]

I owned one in late 90's or early 2000's. I recall it was just the time Old Mutual gave all their clients 300 shares. As I sold mine and bought the H5.

Never got Bolt action results.

The lockup on it is not as good a son Bolt actions. So you have an in accuracy happening at that point I believe.

But I did fit a Silencer on it and used +-5grains s121 in a case to get subsonic. And shot 3 fellow deer with it just under 100m.

Those 3 were the only hunts I did with it. As I sold it and went bolt action.

Luckily those times took 3-5 weeks for an app.

[Ds J]

Thanks for the answers.

What military surplus?

Is is actually surplus or has it been pulled and reloaded?

It looked like 55gr FMJ; probably old RSA milsurp he got with the rifle.

Most definitely not pulled, reloaded, reassembled etc.

It's never going to be an MOA gun.

Agree. I guess he would be happy to get it down to 2MOA @ 100m.

From the other comments I deduce that it should be doable.

[Adoons]

Ds, a friend of mine has one he use as his bakkie rifle on the farm daily. He shoot with PMP Brown Box FMJ and get fair enough accuracy out to 120 m for body shots. Up to 40 m I have seen him taken head shots on Impala. He also complain about longer range accuracy and thus is stays a bakkie rifle and not a high accuracy hunting rifle. It still is a useful tool, but yes, sub MOA seems to be a problem.

[Ds J]

Ds, a friend of mine has one he use as his bakkie rifle on the farm daily. He shoot with PMP Brown Box FMJ and get fair enough accuracy out to 120 m for body shots. Up to 40 m I have seen him taken head shots on Impala. He also complain about longer range accuracy and thus is stays a bakkie rifle and not a high accuracy hunting rifle. It still is a useful tool, but yes, sub MOA seems to be a problem.

Thanks a lot!

[Zuku]

My old military issued (1985 - 2000) R 5 used for 3 gun shoots fitted with a ProPoint red dot needed 2 patches to cover 5 holes at 50 m. My current shooting skills cannot match that anymore. Don't know if the tolerances is different in the H 5