XCR-M First Impressions (Suggestions for range report wanted!)

Xero

Xero

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Location
Calgary, AB
Hey everyone,

So I recently picked up an XCR-M .308 from The Shooting Edge in Calgary. Similar price to the other resellers in Canada and they're local for me so if I run into any issues I can at least take it somewhere local for an idea of what's wrong. I'm by no means a gunsmith, so having that piece-of-mind is really comforting to me. The staff at TSE were more than accommodating about absolutely everything I required in my three trips to the store. My initial trip was just to have a personal look at the gun after doing my research, for something this pricey I wanted to know it would be right for me. I compared it to a Norinco M14, and I didn't like the reviews I read about the Kel-Tec RFB... TSE answered all my questions to my satisfaction about the gun, on my second trip there I purchased it kind of as an impulse (it was meant to be another research trip, what can you do). My third return to the store was an accessory-finding mission, mostly just some scope rings since I totally forgot that standard weaver mounts aren't tall enough to clear a normal scope when mounting to a picatinny rail. Also scouted out some stocks/grips/etc that may come in the future.

Picked up a box of Hornady Zombie Max ammo while I was there since it was the cheapest available and in-stock. I didn't have much left at home (1 round to be precise), so I figured I'd grab that to at least get me started. Following weekend was range time! Took it out to some crown land, found a oil/gas site with a nice cut-line ending in an almost-perfect shooting pit, and took some shots at 100 yards.

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Took a bit to sight in, as this scope had been on a little Remington .308 bolt gun for a long time and then on to a Thompson/Center Venture .30-06 after that. Once she was sighted in though it was a blast to shoot the remaining rounds I had at the target we had setup. No MOA accuracy tests today, just wanted to get on paper at about the right spot with consistent results.

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My first impressions of the gun are the following:

Pros:
  • Ergonomics - The gun is very easy to use. All the controls are accessible with your trigger-finger with the exception of the charging handle.
  • Comfort - The recoil is extremely manageable. Doesn't really feel like I'm shooting much more than a .223 and the stock is actually decent for a cheek-weld! The non reciprocating charging handle really makes to feel more comfortable when shooting as well.
  • Magazine - A solid 5.5 rounds from the factory. Allows you to load up all 5 rounds and plop into the gun with the bolt forward without any additional bump into the mag-well.
  • Barrel - I was really impressed by the effectiveness at the barrel to dissipate heat, and it certainly seems beefy enough to take some sustained shooting without issue.
  • Operation - Really smooth firing, doesn't 'snap' when it recoils, doesn't kick up overly high, fed all the Zombie Max I put through it, ejects far on the highest gas setting (haven't tried lower ones yet).
  • Maintenance - Field stripping to clean the moving parts and barrel is literally one push of a button and popping out a pin if you want to go a bit further.

Cons:
  • Weight - It's a bit front-heavy, but nothing I wasn't able to hold in a shooting position for as many rounds as I wanted to fire. I took the iron sights it came with off to try and save a few grams, but I've since put them back on since it's not even noticeable.
  • Mags don't drop free - The mag it shipped without wouldn't drop free unless the bolt was closed, and still doesn't. I picked up 4 DPMS 5/20 round mags from Wolverine Supplies that wouldn't even really seat due to the rivet on them sticking out so far (bad riveting job?). Solved that with an angle grinder and now they're my go-to mags. They're not quite riveted at 5.5, probably more like 5.2 since they take a good smack to get seated with a closed bolt.
  • Case - The case the rifle came in is great for the stock rifle. Add a scope though and it's immediately to small to do any good.

Undetermined:
  • Accuracy - Not sure about this really yet. Haven't done a proper test, however when I put a few rounds down-range at 100 yards with iron sights I was hitting a 8"x8" plate consistently.
  • Loctite - Not sure if it's required that the XCR-M requires this as much as the L version, mine seems to have come with pretty much everything loc'ed up as much as possible.

Now I just ordered 1000 rounds of 7.62x51 145gr Norinco ammo. Going to be going out and taking some video this coming weekend, what I want to know is if any of you would like me to film or check any specific things that you think may benefit a review. Let me know and I'll do my best to cover it as well as I can, any suggestions are welcome!
 
Do some 100 m accuracy tests on gas setting 1 or 2. Then do one with the gas shut off. I will be trying that on my xcr l. I m curious to see if the no-gas group shrinks a bit. Enjoy ;)
 
ggh said:
Do some 100 m accuracy tests on gas setting 1 or 2. Then do one with the gas shut off. I will be trying that on my xcr l. I m curious to see if the no-gas group shrinks a bit. Enjoy ;)
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How about I do accuracy tests on all the gas settings for you? :)

Btw, I've never ordered this much ammo at once before... It is pretty awesome!

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ha ha That much ammo makes me feel happy.

I would really like to see the accuracy that the M is capable of. My L is too light for deer, and I now want to step it up to the M.

But where does it end? One day I shall have an XCR-N? The N being nuclear? Can you imagine the loc-tite needed on that sucker. :)
 
factionrr said:
XCR-M is a great rifle. Accuracy testing with bulk ammo will test your patience. Even with hand loads don't expect tight groups. Not knocking the rifle, owned more than one.
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I've secured my XCR-Ls barrel extension with loc-tite (seriously). Then loc-tited the crap out of the barrel nut. My L works perfectly on gas setting 1. I plan on doing some groups with no gas/bolt action style to see what happens.

I am just hoping for a nice round group in the 1.5 moa range. I think the trick to achieving the best accuracy with this gun is minimum gas, and a secured barrel with 180 degrees of surface contact.

We shall see.
 
The best group I got with my XCR-L was 1.25" 5 shot @ 109y. I've become a better shot since. When I get around to it, I'm going to scope my XCR and see if I can improve on that.
 
So due to a series of unfortunate timings and Moose sightings today... I wasn't able to get actual range tests done, however I finished putting the recommended 200 rounds through it into a stump that was really asking for it. Hopefully next weekend I can get out there again and do some accuracy testing. I'll do the actual accuracy testing with my hunting rounds (Hornady 165gr).
 
Congrats, I'm sure you will like it. I have been getting a consistent 1moa @ 100yds with my -M so it is coming along hunting this fall.
 
Desertrat said:
Congrats, I'm sure you will like it. I have been getting a consistent 1moa @ 100yds with my -M so it is coming along hunting this fall.
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You have the most accurate xcr-m on the planet if it can pull 1 moa on average from five round groups.
Show me four or five groups averaging 1moa on the same target sheet and my world will be turned upside down.


ggh said:
I would really like to see the accuracy that the M is capable of.
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It's all been done before.
But to summarize, your looking at 2 to 3 moa at absolute best for an average group size with five round groups.
Vertical stringing due to the Mickey Mouse barrel attachment method is common.
For the fan boys, yes it'll pull a decent group off once in a while, especially if you're a three round group kind of guy. But the average isn't good.

To the op, slap an eotech, aim point etc on there and have fun, it'll never be a precision rifle so you might as well play to its strengths (soft recoil, ergos).
 
ntm said:
You have the most accurate xcr-m on the planet if it can pull 1 moa on average from five round groups.
Show me four or five groups averaging 1moa on the same target sheet and my world will be turned upside down.


It's all been done before.
But to summarize, your looking at 2 to 3 moa at absolute best for an average group size with five round groups.
Vertical stringing due to the Mickey Mouse barrel attachment method is common.
For the fan boys, yes it'll pull a decent group off once in a while, especially if you're a three round group kind of guy. But the average isn't good.

To the op, slap an eotech, aim point etc on there and have fun, it'll never be a precision rifle so you might as well play to its strengths (soft recoil, ergos).
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We get it, you don't like the Xcr M
 
In my experience on here and with my own rifles, the results of an accuracy test depend on the optic used (high power optics get the best results). If I use a 10x scope on my rifle and shoot a group at 100 yds, I can cut the group in half by simply putting on a 20x scope. I notice the same thing on here, where if a fella puts on a nice optic, they often get the good groups. Your experience may differ. I think 90% of the time the rifle is more accurate than the shooter.
 
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ntm said:
You have the most accurate xcr-m on the planet if it can pull 1 moa on average from five round groups.
Show me four or five groups averaging 1moa on the same target sheet and my world will be turned upside down.

It doesn't sound like any evidence would convince you, but to those that might actually believe that it can do this here are the spec's on mine.

Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 with Federal GMM 168gr, 1-10" twist stainless barrel. I bought it with no expectations of great accuracy but it has surprised and impressed me with the accuracy as I am not a long range or precision shooter. It has also been totally reliable so that is another bonus.
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andrew3081 said:
We get it, you don't like the Xcr M
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It's fine for what it is, a fal replacement.
But as far as accuracy, I'm just telling it like it is, which unfortunately doesn't line up with how most people would like it to be.

Desertrat said:
It doesn't sound like any evidence would convince you, but to those that might actually believe that it can do this here are the spec's on mine.

Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 with Federal GMM 168gr, 1-10" twist stainless barrel. I bought it with no expectations of great accuracy but it has surprised and impressed me with the accuracy as I am not a long range or precision shooter. It has also been totally reliable so that is another bonus.
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Again, 1 moa on average ?
Five round groups ? This is important as anybody that's been shooting for any amount of time will tell you that a three round group is more luck of the draw than a statistical analysis.
To achieve a 1 moa average the law of odds and probabilities says you're shooting at least a percentage of your groups sub moa. With factory ammo. And a 1-4. And an xcr-m.
Wishful thinking at best, step back and be honest with yourself about the rifles performance. I've been guilty of doing the same thing until trying something more accurate and realizing that it wasn't the wind, or the ammo, or the rest, or me. Those "fliers" were 100% the rifle.
 
knock-knock said:
No failures?
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I had one failure to fire with the Norinco ammo. Firing pin mark on the primer with no result. I was using the highest gas setting per the instruction manual for the first 200 rounds. I put 4 mags worth through after that on gas setting 4 to see if the Norinco 145gr ammo would be OK there, it was not. I had multiple failures to eject including stove pipes, bolt not moving far enough back to grab another ground, etc. Also had one of the casing get stuck in the chamber, requiring me to force the bolt open by slamming the butt down on the ground while putting down-pressure on the charging handle.

I put this down to the surplus ammo being sub-par, all the Hornady and Winchester ammo I have put through the gun has cycled fine (though that was all on gas setting 5 as well).

One thing that I noticed when cleaning the rifle after getting home is that the gas cap on the gas block was lose a few turns. I'm assuming that was enough to let some gas escape, this screwing with the gas adjustment settings. My failure to notice or diagnose this while trying out rounds on gas setting 4 likely resulted in a lot of the above issues. I'll confirm it next time I am out for you guys!
 
"But to summarize, your looking at 2 to 3 moa at absolute best for an average group size with five round groups."

Accuracy is relative. Your above statement suggests that the XCR is at least as accurate as 80% of all AR 15s. That's not too bad.

There are dedicated factory hunting rifles that are lucky to be 2 moa. So the XCR is in good company. :)
 
I did record SOME video while out there, just not at targets.


Are there different angles you want? What should I improve on as a shooter?
 
ggh said:
ha ha That much ammo makes me feel happy.

I would really like to see the accuracy that the M is capable of. My L is too light for deer, and I now want to step it up to the M.

But where does it end? One day I shall have an XCR-N? The N being nuclear? Can you imagine the loc-tite needed on that sucker. :)
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Kinda late in replying but I'm assuming when You say your xcr-l is too light for deer, you mean it's in 5.56? Why not just buy a 500$ 7.62x39 kit? That round is a definite deer stopper. But hey man if your paychecks are that big I am jealous!
 
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