I just got in from the range and wanted to try some more loads since my maiden voyage. I wanted to see how the rifle shot with the gas off and rounds single-feed to see if I could isolate the barrel performance only since it's only resting in a GI fiberglass stock.
All targets shot at 100 yards.
Since my last trip, I aligned and lapped the scope rings, leveled the scope to the action using a bubble level, a plumb line and my barrel alignment gauges and swapped the gritty trigger for a new Garand style trigger which was unused.
I warmed up with 30 rounds of Federal M80 ball, zeroing the scope and once I got sighted in at 100 the last twenty grouped in around 2.5 inches. I then switched to AE 168 gr OTM. My first group was way high compared to the M80 and it grouped in at 1.428". I adjusted the scope and shot three more 5-shot groups measuring 1.189", 0.787" and 1.458"
I then shot another 5-shot group using M118LR from 2006 and it measured an astonishing 0.329"!!! That's the best 5-shot group I've ever fired in my life!
I then switched to another green backing board and shot another M118LR groups for 1.287" and four 5-shot groups of 168gr FGMM measuring 0.936", 0.857", 1.344" and 1.605". I pulled the last shot of the last group. My eyes were getting too fatigued by the end of the range session.
The FGMM averaged 1.1845" group sizes (darn flyer!)
The American Eagle averaged 1.2155"
The M118LR averaged 0.808" but that's not much of an average since it was only two groups.
This barrel really seems to like the 175's. I've got some 175 Sierras and some 178 A-Max's that I will have to try out.
Again, this rifle is un-bedded. Next trip will be with the gas on. I was just curious to see what I could do single-feed and slow fire with manual cycling.
Tony.
All targets shot at 100 yards.
Since my last trip, I aligned and lapped the scope rings, leveled the scope to the action using a bubble level, a plumb line and my barrel alignment gauges and swapped the gritty trigger for a new Garand style trigger which was unused.
I warmed up with 30 rounds of Federal M80 ball, zeroing the scope and once I got sighted in at 100 the last twenty grouped in around 2.5 inches. I then switched to AE 168 gr OTM. My first group was way high compared to the M80 and it grouped in at 1.428". I adjusted the scope and shot three more 5-shot groups measuring 1.189", 0.787" and 1.458"
I then shot another 5-shot group using M118LR from 2006 and it measured an astonishing 0.329"!!! That's the best 5-shot group I've ever fired in my life!
I then switched to another green backing board and shot another M118LR groups for 1.287" and four 5-shot groups of 168gr FGMM measuring 0.936", 0.857", 1.344" and 1.605". I pulled the last shot of the last group. My eyes were getting too fatigued by the end of the range session.
The FGMM averaged 1.1845" group sizes (darn flyer!)
The American Eagle averaged 1.2155"
The M118LR averaged 0.808" but that's not much of an average since it was only two groups.
This barrel really seems to like the 175's. I've got some 175 Sierras and some 178 A-Max's that I will have to try out.
Again, this rifle is un-bedded. Next trip will be with the gas on. I was just curious to see what I could do single-feed and slow fire with manual cycling.
Tony.
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