My first rifle... how did I do?

umdiddly

umdiddly

Regular
EE Expired
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Guelph
Spent a good long time making and debating the decision while I was waiting for my PAL (43 day wait), CGN was chalked full of info that was extremely helpful!... Went with a Remington SPS Tactical in .223 with the 16.5" heavy barrel. Pretty exciting day for me... and coming from a long family history of zero guns, I can say that theyre certainly missing out on some awesome.... but wait, there's more! I didn't stop at just the rifle, have been saving and hoarding $$$ for goodies over several months now... so the day I got the rifle, I was also able to twink it out exactly as I wanted it. The end result is below.

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Final build I ended up with was:
The SPS Tactical .223 with 16.5" barrel
MDT Tac 21 chassis with magpul PRS stock
AGW Linear muzzle brake
KRG tactical bolt lift
Leupold FX-ii 6x36mm Scope
Leupold Mark 4 super high rings

This build will be used primarily for hunting paper, and eventually small game (coyotes, ground hogs), maybe deer too, since it is legal to do so with .223 here.

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Have not got the chance to take it out shooting. Am currently not a member of any range, but am definitely checking out some local ones, soon as work quiets down a little. I will be happy to post any more info and range reports... but I'm pretty sure the rifle will shoot straighter than I can in even my wildest dreams... my only experience with shooting can be tallied at just under a dozen rounds or so. Am pumped to start learning some new skills and tracking my progress.

Things that I still plan on doing with this rifle include:
  • slap on a harris bipod
  • a 3-point sling, maybe use some side rails for a sling adapter
  • get a forward grip
  • get the chassis finished with something like duracoat

Wouldn't mind hearing some feedback from you guys, lemme know what you think!
 
Looks great. It's always a good feeling to get that first rifle just the way you want it.
One question though is why did you go with such high scope mounts and muzzle break a .223?
 
Nice set up. The only thing I would be concerned about it is getting a good cheek weld. Also, I think you're going to want more magnification than that scope has to offer. The 4-16 zoom range, or similar is a decent happy medium that will allow a fairly wide field of view for those closer shots, while the upper end gives lots of magnification to extend your ranges.
 
One question though is why did you go with such high scope mounts and muzzle break a .223?
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The super high rings raise the centerline to just about 1.4" above the rail, which from some research seemed to be the recommended height you need to get a good cheek weld (because the chassis is similar to an AR platform). I went with the muzzle brake because I figured since I'm a new shooter (and I don't want a .22LR) I should try and reduce the felt recoil as much as possible... apparently I may develop bad habits, i.e. twitching?

Plus it was pretty damn cool looking and sounding in this video I saw... so I HAD to get it.

Also, I think you're going to want more magnification than that scope has to offer. The 4-16 zoom range
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I was worried about something like that. I went with a fixed power because I hear the quality of the glass is better for about less $$$ then compared to variable powers... and I am also not very comfortable with fiddling with knobs. Went 6x power because it may be suitable for hunting... albeit not at closer ranges. Am going to play this one out, and see how I like it after shooting for a while. I could always just pick up another scope in the future, and put the 6x leupold aside for another future rifle (or plop it on the EE?).
 
Super high rings are often needed to get a proper cheek weld with a AR-15 style buttstock (more specifically any stock that has very little to no drop between the top of the reciever and where one postions their cheek.)

Muzzle breaks can be useful on a .223 because they completly eliminate recoil, which allows you to spot hits easily with your scope.

Better check your regs about deer with .223. I do not believe you can in Ontario, I could very well be wrong. I though BC was the only province that allows cals smaller than .24 on big game.
 
That is one sweet looking stock. Good start, but you'll notice that even the small gun safes have room for at least eight........
 
umdiddly said:
The super high rings raise the centerline to just about 1.4" above the rail, which from some research seemed to be the recommended height you need to get a good cheek weld (because the chassis is similar to an AR platform). I went with the muzzle brake because I figured since I'm a new shooter (and I don't want a .22LR) I should try and reduce the felt recoil as much as possible... apparently I may develop bad habits, i.e. twitching?

Plus it was pretty damn cool looking and sounding in this video I saw... so I HAD to get it.



I was worried about something like that. I went with a fixed power because I hear the quality of the glass is better for about less $$$ then compared to variable powers... and I am also not very comfortable with fiddling with knobs. Went 6x power because it may be suitable for hunting... albeit not at closer ranges. Am going to play this one out, and see how I like it after shooting for a while. I could always just pick up another scope in the future, and put the 6x leupold aside for another future rifle (or plop it on the EE?).
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Don't worry about recoil, it will not cause a flinch on anyone in .223. However the brake is still useful to be able to spot hits.

The 6x scope is a great hunting scope. It is fine at close ranges, although certainly a little slower to aquire the target than a lower power scope, and does fine at long ranges. I've shot competitivly to 500m with a 4x scope and shoot further than I would ever want to take game with my 6x. As a matter of fact I have the exact scope as you on a Ruger No. 1 in .300 H&H.
 
Just got my hunting license in April, still have the hunting regs from the OHEP course. Looks like I'm good for deer in Ontario with .223 during the appropriate rifle seasons. Regs say any centerfire cartridge is allowed.
 
cam1936 said:
Super high rings are often needed to get a proper cheek weld with a AR-15 style buttstock (more specifically any stock that has very little to no drop between the top of the reciever and where one postions their cheek.)

Muzzle breaks can be useful on a .223 because they completly eliminate recoil, which allows you to spot hits easily with your scope.
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I learned something today. Cool.
 
umdiddly said:
Just got my hunting license in April, still have the hunting regs from the OHEP course. Looks like I'm good for deer in Ontario with .223 during the appropriate rifle seasons. Regs say any centerfire cartridge is allowed.
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Fair enough. Just make sure you use a proper bullet. One meant for varmints will not work with deer. I believe Federal loads a 60 grain partition their premium line, Winchester also makes a 64 grain SP that would be suitable. Don't use cheap plinking ammo when it comes time to hunt deer!
 
My first rifle... how did I do? Well if you like it and it fits you and it shoots nicley then you did Good!!! enjoy your new toy:)
 
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umdiddly said:
That's the plan. Am hoping the 1 in 9 twist will be good enough to stabilize ~70 grain bullets?
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You can measure the actual twist of your barrel by using a tight-fitting cleaning rod that will follow the grooves, so you can figure out your exact twist. Some barrels are a little off from the manufacturers claim. The weight of the bullet is not the limiting factor when it comes to being stabilized by a given twist rate, it is actually the length. This is oftentimes confused because in most cases, the heavier bullet will be longer. However, with the introduction of lead-free bullets, such as the Barnes TSX, they are longer than a conventional bullet (Copper over lead core) for the same weight due to density of the materials. Bullets need a certain amount of RPM in order to be stable. From calculating your actual twist, and muzzle velocity you can determine the RPM that your barrel will produce and then check and see if it will be sufficient to stabilize the bullet you want to use. The 16.5" barrel may have a slight negative impact due to the lower velocity compared to longer barrels, but the 223 still gets decent velocity out of shorter barrels so it shouldn't be too bad. I have a Savage 223 with a 26" barrel and I have shot Hornady 75 grain BTHP match ammo out to 500 yards with great accuracy.
 
That is one nice looking rifle! A fellow's first rifle is always pretty exciting. When I got my first rifle back when I was 15, I kept it right beside my bed so I could admire it all night long. Matter of fact, even at the age of 58 there are still some rifles that get fondled on a regular basis.
 
cam1936 said:
Fair enough. Just make sure you use a proper bullet. One meant for varmints will not work with deer. I believe Federal loads a 60 grain partition their premium line, Winchester also makes a 64 grain SP that would be suitable. Don't use cheap plinking ammo when it comes time to hunt deer!
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Hornady also makes a superformance load with a gmx bullet.

cam1936 said:
In my experience a 1in9 would stabalize match type 70 grain bullets, but nothing higher. I used 68 grain Hornady HPBT Match with great results. Others have reported them being able to stabalize 75 grainers.
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I shoot berger 77gr out of mine and they are fine. I have shot bullets form 36 up to 77gr and none had stability problems.
 
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