In a previous posting I reported on testing a pair of the new Norinco sporting BushRanger rifles in 223 & 7.72x39.
Accuracy was not very good, so I bedded them. The bedding was reported at
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4665956#post4665956
Yesterday I got to test them at 300 yards. 300 yards might be the extreme (for the 223) or beyond the extreme (7.62x39) effective range of these light sporters, but that happened to be the range we had available.
The good news is that after bedding both rifles now shoot much, much better. The 7.62 probably shoots as well as the cheap surplus ammo permits, but I did not shoot handloads to prove the ammo is a factor. The CZ surplus (blue box) shot 4.3” at 300 yards, or 1.5 MOA. Perfectly acceptable and useful. I would not hesitate to use this rifle on a deer hunt.
I also shot some Wolf (Russian) 123 gr HP ammo. It shot 19” higher at 300 yards (hotter load?) and a much bigger group – 8.0”. I would say the quality of this Russian ammo is poor. Some of the rounds sounded louder than others. It would probably be ok for plinking at 100 or less yards.
The 223 shot sub one minute groups, which I would not have thought possible. I loaded 5 different bullets, making a guess at an appropriate charge of H335 for each. That is, there was no load development or load survey involved. I used H335 because it would throw accurately. I did not want to weigh charges. I loaded the military 55 FMJ because I have a few thousand of those and the 55 V-Max, because it has been an accurate bullet. I loaded the 60 gr Sierra flat base HP because it is the heaviest bullet my 1:14 222 will shoot. The Norc has a slow twist (I am guessing 1:12) so the flat-based 60HP is probably as heavy a bullet I can shoot, although the 62 gr IVI shoots ok, too. I also loaded some 68 gr match bullets, fully expecting them not to stabilize. They didn’t.
Results 300 yards H335
26gr 55 V-Max 4.8”
26gr 55FMJ 6.8”
25.5gr 60 HP 1.15”
25 gr 68 Mtch 5 feet
55 FMJ CQB load 24gr 3031 (mild load for close quarter match) 6.3”
The 60 gr HP looked outstanding.
Any group under a half minute in a $239 sporter is remarkable. This was the bullet that Sierra recommended to me as the deer bullet for my 222. (I have a O/U combination gun in 222/12ga.) If I ever wanted to use the Norico 223 on a deer, this would be the bullet. The fact that it is accurate also makes it the general purpose bullet for this rifle. It out-performed all the other bullets. I have no reason to think this bullet would work in other Norc 223’s. It just proves the value of trying different loads and bullets until you find something that works. In this case, I got lucky on my first attempt. Just to make sure it was not a fluke group, I shot a 10 shot group. 10 shots in 4.25” is 1.4 minutes. Plenty good for any plinker, sporter or hunting rifle.
That is a Weaver T-16 on there. A big help at shootig groups.
Shooting these two Norinco sporters I noticed three things. First, the trigger on both of them is a superb 2 stage trigger. The 223 one was initially stiff, but now I can feel the two stages and the let off is light and crisp. I have done nothing to it other than squirt in some BreakFree.
Second, extraction felt a little stiff in both. They are rear-lockers which tend to expand cases and get stiff if loads are a bit hot. I will try milder loads and see if the accuracy remains good with the 60 gr bullet. I have not Chronied it, but 25.5 gr is not mild. Probably about 3,000 fps.
Third, although the rifles have sling studs, the hole in them is slightly too small for a Harris bi-pod. Found that out on the range. My electric drill will soon fix that!
I wish the 223 had a 1:9 barrel so it could shoot the 68-69 &75 gr match bullets. The only thing “cheap" about these rifles is the wood (no surprise) and the scope blocks supplied. They were junk. Replaced them with Weaver. $10 well-spent. These rifles shoot well enough to benefit from bedding.
Accuracy was not very good, so I bedded them. The bedding was reported at
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4665956#post4665956
Yesterday I got to test them at 300 yards. 300 yards might be the extreme (for the 223) or beyond the extreme (7.62x39) effective range of these light sporters, but that happened to be the range we had available.
The good news is that after bedding both rifles now shoot much, much better. The 7.62 probably shoots as well as the cheap surplus ammo permits, but I did not shoot handloads to prove the ammo is a factor. The CZ surplus (blue box) shot 4.3” at 300 yards, or 1.5 MOA. Perfectly acceptable and useful. I would not hesitate to use this rifle on a deer hunt.
I also shot some Wolf (Russian) 123 gr HP ammo. It shot 19” higher at 300 yards (hotter load?) and a much bigger group – 8.0”. I would say the quality of this Russian ammo is poor. Some of the rounds sounded louder than others. It would probably be ok for plinking at 100 or less yards.
The 223 shot sub one minute groups, which I would not have thought possible. I loaded 5 different bullets, making a guess at an appropriate charge of H335 for each. That is, there was no load development or load survey involved. I used H335 because it would throw accurately. I did not want to weigh charges. I loaded the military 55 FMJ because I have a few thousand of those and the 55 V-Max, because it has been an accurate bullet. I loaded the 60 gr Sierra flat base HP because it is the heaviest bullet my 1:14 222 will shoot. The Norc has a slow twist (I am guessing 1:12) so the flat-based 60HP is probably as heavy a bullet I can shoot, although the 62 gr IVI shoots ok, too. I also loaded some 68 gr match bullets, fully expecting them not to stabilize. They didn’t.
Results 300 yards H335
26gr 55 V-Max 4.8”
26gr 55FMJ 6.8”
25.5gr 60 HP 1.15”
25 gr 68 Mtch 5 feet
55 FMJ CQB load 24gr 3031 (mild load for close quarter match) 6.3”
The 60 gr HP looked outstanding.
Any group under a half minute in a $239 sporter is remarkable. This was the bullet that Sierra recommended to me as the deer bullet for my 222. (I have a O/U combination gun in 222/12ga.) If I ever wanted to use the Norico 223 on a deer, this would be the bullet. The fact that it is accurate also makes it the general purpose bullet for this rifle. It out-performed all the other bullets. I have no reason to think this bullet would work in other Norc 223’s. It just proves the value of trying different loads and bullets until you find something that works. In this case, I got lucky on my first attempt. Just to make sure it was not a fluke group, I shot a 10 shot group. 10 shots in 4.25” is 1.4 minutes. Plenty good for any plinker, sporter or hunting rifle.
That is a Weaver T-16 on there. A big help at shootig groups.
Shooting these two Norinco sporters I noticed three things. First, the trigger on both of them is a superb 2 stage trigger. The 223 one was initially stiff, but now I can feel the two stages and the let off is light and crisp. I have done nothing to it other than squirt in some BreakFree.
Second, extraction felt a little stiff in both. They are rear-lockers which tend to expand cases and get stiff if loads are a bit hot. I will try milder loads and see if the accuracy remains good with the 60 gr bullet. I have not Chronied it, but 25.5 gr is not mild. Probably about 3,000 fps.
Third, although the rifles have sling studs, the hole in them is slightly too small for a Harris bi-pod. Found that out on the range. My electric drill will soon fix that!
I wish the 223 had a 1:9 barrel so it could shoot the 68-69 &75 gr match bullets. The only thing “cheap" about these rifles is the wood (no surprise) and the scope blocks supplied. They were junk. Replaced them with Weaver. $10 well-spent. These rifles shoot well enough to benefit from bedding.
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