Arctic Warfare project
- Thread starter ghostie
- Start date
Looks pretty AND expensive!
Looks like I made it to the range before Ghostie did
Did some more load testing and I now have two loads that shoot .5" in this rifle.
168 AMAX 41.5gr IMR 4895 Win case OAL 2.836
155 SMK Palma 43gr IMR 4895 Win case OAL 2.823
I almost had a .243 5 shot group with the 155's!! I have never shot 1/4moa in my life. Of course I got over excited and pulled the last shot. At least now I know just how good the 155 load is, there's always next time
It amazes me just how easy this rifle is to shoot! I am just a service rifle shooter that decided to buy himself a precision rifle and have at it. I can't wait until I get more practice in.
So damn close!!!
I had loaded a few at 43.5 grains but they did not print as tight as the ones with 43 grains. So I burned them up on a 10 shot group.
Ghostie be sure to post up when you get out shooting, very curious to see what your heavy barrel can do before you change it out.
Did some more load testing and I now have two loads that shoot .5" in this rifle.
168 AMAX 41.5gr IMR 4895 Win case OAL 2.836
155 SMK Palma 43gr IMR 4895 Win case OAL 2.823
I almost had a .243 5 shot group with the 155's!! I have never shot 1/4moa in my life. Of course I got over excited and pulled the last shot. At least now I know just how good the 155 load is, there's always next time
It amazes me just how easy this rifle is to shoot! I am just a service rifle shooter that decided to buy himself a precision rifle and have at it. I can't wait until I get more practice in.
So damn close!!!
I had loaded a few at 43.5 grains but they did not print as tight as the ones with 43 grains. So I burned them up on a 10 shot group.
Ghostie be sure to post up when you get out shooting, very curious to see what your heavy barrel can do before you change it out.
Last edited:
Great shooting! Where do you shoot by the way? Which city? I think you will be able to get the 1/3" or 1/4" group before too long. That is my view anyway: the rifles will do it. It just requires us to totally relax as that trigger breaks. The rifle is heavy enough, solid enough, accurate enough, to just sit down, and let the bullet find its way to where the last one landed! You are probably all over this but, with the PH bi-pod, I think the best is to build a little "wall" of sandbags and push it against that. That seems to work the best, for me anyway. Works even better than just sitting it on a bag with no bi-pod.
I gave in to temptation and took my AW to the gunsmith last week to have the barrel changed out and the muzzle break installed (well, top dead centered and tightened and loctited). So I never did get - or give myself - a chance to shoot it with the 20" barrel, minus the IMUNS rail, and with the trigger adjusted down. When I was at the gunsmith's I asked him to tell me what he thought of the way I had the trigger adjusted, and he said it feels good. It's breaking right at about 2lbs. Why I didn't do that earlier, I'm not sure.
I am going to put the IMUNS rail up for sale, and the 20" barrel - see if anyone wants those. The 20" barrel is a bit scuffed up, both on the length of it and on the crown, but it still shoots well. I'll post photos. The 26" barrel, threaded on both ends is $880 by the way (and a 6 month wait). The 20", I think I'm going to try and move it at around $500. It's great quality barrel. Has the AI roll marks on it. It is around 2,200 rounds I think - I have it marked in a book at home. Even if the person wanted to re-crown it, that is still about the price of a good quality blank.
So, I hope to have that AW back at the range soon, maybe for this coming long weekend (hopefully, but doubtful). Hard to say. Gunsmith said to give him two weeks, and he'll probably use it. I had my Steyr Scout out at the range for .308 on Saturday - going from one extreme to the other (super heavy .308 to super light one).
This is about best I ever did with the old configuration of my AW (in about 10 months of trying). I'm planning on being able to do better with the new configuration.
At 100m: It seems to be exceedingly hard to shrink 5-shot groups at 100m down from this, no matter what you do. At least for me. Like you, I don't claim to be anything more than a guy who has the means to try one of these rifles and see where it goes. The rifles are very easy to shoot. As I was showing in one of the other threads, the difference between my shooting and my girlfriend's (who doesn't like shooting .308 because it "hurts" her shoulder, is very minimal).
One hit shy of a 3/8" 5-shot group within a month of starting to shoot this rifle:
At 200m:
A few shots of the rifle as it looked when it shot all of these:
Last edited:
Ghostie that is damn good shooting with factory ammo, well done.
I figured you must have given her to the smith for work haha. Two weeks without your toy sounds harsh, since all he has to do is spin the barrel on and torque it to 100 foot pounds. I had the chance to buy the barrel change kit while I was over in Germany, should have bought it (sigh) I would have lent it out. I also like the PH bipod, loaded against a 2X4 works great. I am still waiting for my new rear shooting bag to arrive, old one is a pain to keep steady. The rifle has 200 rounds down the pipe now and groups keep shrinking
Love this thing!!
Last edited:
I wish we could get access to barrels from the US for the AI's. I would love to get a 260 or 6.5CM for my AE, but the Canadian smiths I emailed quoted $1200, which is outrageous.
Guess I will stick to the 24" factory .308 for now.
Great shooting by the way...I only have 106 rounds through it...so I'm just getting the feel off it.
Guess I will stick to the 24" factory .308 for now.
Great shooting by the way...I only have 106 rounds through it...so I'm just getting the feel off it.
Hey beefman, check out GA Precison in the states they are the go to guys for custom AI barrels. You could have one made and then import it with Prophet river. It's worth at try at least.
The AE rifles are every bit as accurate as the AW's so you should get some very nice performance from your .308
Do you have any pics of your AE?
I think I can pick up my rifle from the gunsmith tomorrow, so in anticipation I've been scouring the Internet for cool AW pictures. Here is some of what I found.
This L96A1 is amazing looking in these pics. Note that it is marked "PM" (Precision Marksman) not "AW", and "90" which is obviously 1990. My own rifle is marked "03 AW" and then the serial number.
And here is another one of those exploded photos I love. Where is the rear sight though?
L96A1 on the firing line with an... M16 of some type?
A line-up of Swedish PSG 90's:
Australian SR-98 photos:
This photo is so "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare". Rifle is an L115A1 (AWM in .338 Lap Mag) in British service. The badge on his helmet identifies him as a member of The Royal Irish Regiment. The flash on his arm means (I think) "The Rangers"/2nd Battalion. This is almost assuradly a photo from Iraq circa 2003-onward.
This L96A1 is amazing looking in these pics. Note that it is marked "PM" (Precision Marksman) not "AW", and "90" which is obviously 1990. My own rifle is marked "03 AW" and then the serial number.
And here is another one of those exploded photos I love. Where is the rear sight though?
L96A1 on the firing line with an... M16 of some type?
A line-up of Swedish PSG 90's:
Australian SR-98 photos:
This photo is so "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare". Rifle is an L115A1 (AWM in .338 Lap Mag) in British service. The badge on his helmet identifies him as a member of The Royal Irish Regiment. The flash on his arm means (I think) "The Rangers"/2nd Battalion. This is almost assuradly a photo from Iraq circa 2003-onward.
Last edited:
I got my rifle back from the gunsmith. Looks really good. Here's the latest incarnation of the "box" photo. I still have a few things I want to do, like the forerails, but this is substantially the way I want it now. I also found out, from AI in England, and that yes, I was right. The folding rear sight is only for dovetail recievers. Picatinny recievers can only do the diopter sight.
Two very nice military-type rifles. One was "cutting edge" in the 1970s. The other in the 1990s. Both designs remain awesome to shoot to this day!
This is what I have changed on the rifle so far: removed NV rail; reinstalled bi-pod mounting block; reinstalled lower sling loop (little round thing that sticks out on the bottom of the rifle just behind the bi-pod); removed 20" barrel; installed 26" barrel with muzzlebreak; installed handstop with sling-loop.
Shown in this photo: 03 AW; S&B 4-16x50mm PMII on 18 MOA AI one-piece base; Parker-Hale-style bi-pod. I like this look.
British solider with L115A3 (AWM in .338 LAP MAG)
Swedish soldier with PSG 90 (Prickskyttegevär 90) (AW in 7.62x51)
British soldiers with L96A1 ("PM" in 7.62x51):
German soldiers kitted out fancy with G22 rifles (AWM in .300 WIN MAG) and MP7 submachineguns!
German G22 team. See how the Germans have the bolt handle bent all the way back 90 degrees.
German police sniper at the Brandenburg Gate with a 7.62x51 AW, without the bolt handle bent back like like the military, but with the military night vision bracket and the military issue Hensoldt SSG scope.
Weird staged photo where the guy has, his finger on the trigger with the bolt open, and he seems to have done a better job concealing himself than the rifle:
Two very nice military-type rifles. One was "cutting edge" in the 1970s. The other in the 1990s. Both designs remain awesome to shoot to this day!
This is what I have changed on the rifle so far: removed NV rail; reinstalled bi-pod mounting block; reinstalled lower sling loop (little round thing that sticks out on the bottom of the rifle just behind the bi-pod); removed 20" barrel; installed 26" barrel with muzzlebreak; installed handstop with sling-loop.
Shown in this photo: 03 AW; S&B 4-16x50mm PMII on 18 MOA AI one-piece base; Parker-Hale-style bi-pod. I like this look.
British solider with L115A3 (AWM in .338 LAP MAG)
Swedish soldier with PSG 90 (Prickskyttegevär 90) (AW in 7.62x51)
British soldiers with L96A1 ("PM" in 7.62x51):
German soldiers kitted out fancy with G22 rifles (AWM in .300 WIN MAG) and MP7 submachineguns!
German G22 team. See how the Germans have the bolt handle bent all the way back 90 degrees.
German police sniper at the Brandenburg Gate with a 7.62x51 AW, without the bolt handle bent back like like the military, but with the military night vision bracket and the military issue Hensoldt SSG scope.
Weird staged photo where the guy has, his finger on the trigger with the bolt open, and he seems to have done a better job concealing himself than the rifle:
Last edited:
- Location
- lloydminster
why bend the bolt so far back?
Your rifle looks great with the new barrel and brake ghostie!
I changed the brake on mine to a single chamber as well. Got out to the hills today for some shooting, still have not cleaned it since I am waiting for the bore guide to make its way over from the UK. 250 rounds down the pipe now and it is shooting very nice indeed, just wish my driving skills were better. I feel I have the one load tuned in now (168 AMAX) and will start shooting gongs with it next time out.
I changed the brake on mine to a single chamber as well. Got out to the hills today for some shooting, still have not cleaned it since I am waiting for the bore guide to make its way over from the UK. 250 rounds down the pipe now and it is shooting very nice indeed, just wish my driving skills were better. I feel I have the one load tuned in now (168 AMAX) and will start shooting gongs with it next time out.
