So i took my new 24" 6.5 stag with the freshly slapped on green c8 butt to the indoor range to test ammo, sighted it in at 50 yards. I tested different ammo and did a barrel brake in at RDSC. My stag produced the best velocity around 2700fps sd 12 es 34 at around 15C (indoors) with 140 hpbt hornady, hornady x1 annealed brass, h4350 and cci mag primers. The next week it was taken out to range, it was -5C in the prairies with a 5 mph wind from 1:00. So i zeroed the stag in at 100 yards. Then we drove to the cattle dug out 1084 yards out. We had steel up. Used an horus kestral 4500 for the dope. I was a mil low on calculations as my velocity was off. i adjusted and started to ring steel. it was extremely accurate, impacts were achieved on 16" x 16", 12" x12" plates, 10" round steel, even the 10"x6" steel. We drove to the corner of the quarter, at 1464 yards, wind shifted from 1:00 to 11:00 -5C. i believe the bullets destabilized going subsonic the impacts became erratic. Within a mil or two but random. I failed to get any impacts at that range(1464yards) with the stag and ammo that day. next time...
for all break in and shooting i used 10 round metal xcr pistol 308 mags. I am super pleased with the stag 10. I had zero feed issues with four different types of ammo. this rifle is not light it weighs 16 lbs. with no magazine, chunky bipod and a heavy scope. I think stag uses Ballistic Advantage stainless barrels on the model i have( let me know if anyone knows otherwise). the two foot stainless barrel must weigh six pounds. the brake it came with is a vg6 gamma65 which i believe is very effective and loud. the gun was shipped pretty dry, lube it up and let her buck. It shot moa or better with the ammo i had on hand. would i use it in prs or hunting? i believe that with practice this gun could perform anything required of it within reason. a bolt gun is probably a bit less rocky for self spotting impacts for follow ups on barricades or in an awkward shooting position, anyways. It chews on the brass a bit, shrug, whatever, it does not have an adjustable gas block. it has a stag two stage semi-match trigger, it feels like 2-3 lb first stage 3-4 lb second stage. it is not a geiselle but it does the trick, i wont replace it. My stag is an impressive big ugly front heavy imbalaced beast of a factory rifle. would i sell it? i dont bloody think so! my only problem is that i havent used it enough.
4k for a modern hunter, 2.2k for a stag... 0.7k for a norinco m305... time and money baby time and money.
