My RA XCR-L spare upper components are finally in...

Camp Cook

Camp Cook

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Whoo hoo... finally got the call this afternoon my RA XCR-L O/D green spare upper receiver/components so I can have 2 complete upper receivers one in 223 the other in 6.8 SPC and a small parts kit are finally in...

I should have them in my hands Tuesday or Wednesday of next week which is perfect timing considering I am heading out hunting tomorrow with my XCR-L in 6.8 SPC and won't be home until Monday night.

Looking for a whitetail buck but will settle for a doe if I have too... :D


:canadaFlag:
 
Just out of curiosity why did you go with a complete upper vice the drop in barrel/bolt combo? I realize that it is easier to just swap uppers but is it to keep the optics zeroed to each barrel?
 
Glock4ever said:
Just out of curiosity why did you go with a complete upper vice the drop in barrel/bolt combo? I realize that it is easier to just swap uppers but is it to keep the optics zeroed to each barrel?
Click to expand...

That is exactly the reason why...

I already have the conversion kit for the 223 actually bought the rifle in 223 and bought the 6.8spc kit later I am using the 6.8 for deer hunting right now shot a nice 2 point buck with it Oct 4/10 shot was 166 yards and heading back out to the same general spot tomorrow going to try for a whitetail with the XCR-L this time...

I have a VX111 4.5-14X40 Varmint reticle LR 30mm tube side focus scope mounted when my 6.8spc barrel is installed with my 95gr TTSX loads it is zeroed @ 200 yards with the main reticle, the first Varmint reticle line down is dead on @ 300 yards 1/2 way between this reticle and the second Varmint reticle down is dead on @ 350 yards and just below the second line is dead on @ 400 yards I average 6" 3 shot groups at 400 yards when conditions are calm...

In other words due to how accurate this setup/combo is I do not want to touch it, it takes me way to long to re-zero it in so perfectly and the 95gr TTSX aren't the cheapest bullets around to shoot...

In a few days when everything arrives and I get the 223 sighted in all I will have to do is pull a snap ring pull a pin switch uppers install the pin/snap ring and I'm done...
 
When my wife came out for the day to our hunting camp a couple weeks ago she shot the XCR for the first time before she took her first shot she told me that it was far to heavy for her she then proceeded to shoot unsupported five 6.8spc 110gr Sierra Prohunter rounds into a 5" - 6" group @ 40 - 50 yards...

She now thinks a lot differently about this rifle and would like to shoot it more this kind of scared me because I load all of my ammo and I didn't want her blazing away with my more expensive 6.8 rounds.

Now I'll be set up to pop the 223 upper on and she can blast to her hearts content I still have 700 - 800 223 factory or reloads and five 10 round LAR mags I'm also thinking if I pop the scope off and install the ghost ring sights that came with the rifle it will make it that much lighter for her or if she still wants a scope I'll either put a 1X Burris or a 3-9X Leupold Compact on it or get her a red dot...

Also going to think harder on a heavier 223 bullet/load that would be good for camp defense for her I already have some 55gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claws that would work but would like to find something in the 70gr or heavier range...
 
I can sort of see the logic to doing that but I guess I look at it like my SAKO Quad (just swap barrels and keep the optics) I wouldn't think that saving on the lower would be worth not just buying a complete rifle... it just gives me an excuse to pop off a few rounds to confirm zero. I guess if you are switching uppers very frequently this is better but wouldn't you still need to confirm zero regardless (in case the optics got bumped when you swapped uppers?)
 
I guess if I was careless I would double check zero but I keep the gun in an aluminum rifle case when transporting.

I found I wasn't using the 223 kit at all actually only changed to it once since I got the 6.8spc kit so basically I decided to have two complete uppers or sell off the 223 kit...

Here is an example... I have 2 T/C Contender carbines with 8 barrels all have scopes mounted so I do not have to re-zero I will double check their zero when I reinstall but I would rather have to only take one shot than many to change the scope adjustment back.

Nov 27 2008 I was working near Monty Lake right at dusk I spotted a 4 point mule deer buck @ 700 + yards, only rifle I had with me was my T/C Contender carbine with a 223 barrel installed it was to late to do anything about the deer that night so I went to my hotel in Kamloops pulled out the Contender removed the 223 barrel and installed my 308Bellm barrel (444 Marlin brass necked down to 308" = 150gr Rem Core Lok @ 2620fps).

In the morning I headed back to where I had seen the deer, in the head lights I set up a target and took one shot it hit exactly where I wanted it to I continued on to the edge of the logging cut where I had spotted the deer put my snow camo on and started heading across the cut to where the deer was the night before with my Contender in 308Bellm.

As I was walking I spotted buck tracks going the opposite direction so I looked behind me and spotted the buck sky lined looking my direction I found a rest shot was 210 yards and the rest is history.

So hopefully you can see why I am set on not having to re-zero a scope/barrel, if all I was doing is blasting at targets at the range I couldn't care less and I would have saved a lot of money on the upper components because I wouldn't have ordered them and just had a dedicated scope for either barrel that I would swap as well the 223 upper will have an older Vari X 11 4-12X40mm AO scope that Korth just did a warranty check on and install an LR reticle for me...

I also do not want or need two complete rifles.

375RUM_420_and_460_yard_Shots_Nov_28_2008_Buck_015.jpg
 
I have no personal heartache with your purchase, it is your money afterall :) I would have thought you could have done exactly what you did in your narrative by swapping the barrel and bolt, firing one shot and adjusting the scope (if required)? I think what you are doing is solid but with the cost of the monolithic rail, it seemed to me to negate the advantage of the rock solid upper rail and optics mount with quick release barrel and bolt to buy a completely separate upper - it is the selling point of the XCR (IMO). Did you notice a significant change in POI for the scope when swapping barrels? On my SAKO, it is negligible (<.5" at 100m) so swapping barrels is no big deal assuming you have a chance to pop off a confirmatory round. So I was wondering if it is the same for the XCR, I am not sure if I want to pick up a different barrel/bolt combo yet but I don't mind the first hand experience so that if I decide to get a 6.8 I do it right vice just picking it up in dribs and drabs.
 
Just another question, regarding your 6.8 - how are you finding the reliability of the mags? Like everything else about the XCR I am hearing complaints about the mags jamming in the 7.62 and 6.8 - I haven't seen a jam yet in my .223 (11 different mags and not one jam) - I thought she had a feeding problem once but the friend that was shooting mine was cocking the action like a C6 machinegun (she was pulling back and pushing forward on the cocking handle) and it caused a misfeed; however once I showed her to pull it back and let it go; it never happened again. Is the C-Mag pretty good, can I just my LAR Mag and put 6.8 SPC rounds into it? I realize that the bolt face is larger but I haven't handled one yet... I am pretty intrigued by the 6.8 SPC but I don't have much experience with this caliber.
 
Only issue I have had with the mags is one rattles when 4 - 5 rounds are inserted so it is my spare when I am hunting.

You can feed a round manually by pushing the charging handle in and then ramming forward.

Only time I have an issue with the mags is if I did not put the rounds into the mag correctly.

I tried 6.8 rounds in my LAR 223 mags doesn't work for me the roll in the sides of the mag walls are in to deep definitely not reliable for me.

To learn more about the 6.8 go to ww.68forums.com
 
The components arrived about 1 hour ago and I have already installed them with the 223/5.56 conversion kit.

I am working with 2 scopes right now a Burris 1X & a Leupold Vari X 11 4-12 LR reticle AO I'm also planning on setting up the ghost ring sights that came with the rifle I'll get them all sighted in and let my wife decide which set up she likes best...

Hopefully I'll get to the club tomorrow/Sunday/Monday at the latest to play...

:D
 
I already had the conversion kit so a small parts kit, complete upper receiver & buffer tube + taxes & shipping = $864.00
 
Made it to the club today put the Leupold Vari X 11 4-12X40mm LR reticle scope on that had been zeroed on my old upper with the 223 barrel installed even though it was now on the new upper it was to my amazement still sighted in dead on @ 50 yards...

I moved out to the 100 yard targets with Fiochi 55gr FMJ ammo the groups were hitting 4" high & 2" left adjusted the scope and tried my 60gr Sierra Varminter HP reloads groups hit 2" high and averaged appr 1 1/2" for 10 shots.

I then removed the scope and installed a 1X Burris zeroed it for 50 yards removed it and installed the ghost ring sights that came with the rifle when I bought it and sighted them in @ 25 yards.

Removed them and reinstalled the Vari X 11 4-12X it was still perfectly zeroed @ 100 yards.

I didn't have time to do much more so I still need to get back and switch the upper to the 6.8spc upper to see how zeroed it is and now that I have the snap ring for the cross pin installed correctly it takes less than a minute to switch uppers.

I have to say that I am very happy with the set up.

Oh yeah second shot with the new upper didn't feed the next round I looked but still don't know what I did or what happened to cause it basically the bolt didn't close all of the way I cleared the action and reinstalled the mag and didn't have another issue...

10 round LAR 15 mags are fun and I am using Leupold PRW scope rings...

:)
 
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