SSL
Gold $$ Contributor
My background check was completed on Thursday (only one day late, not bad considering the flood of purchases that can make them up to ten days) and I made a flying trip to the gun shop. I decided to wait to do any break in/shooting until the 5-round magazine and trigger spring kit arrived. Both arrived on Friday, but my wife and I had gotten a call that we could get our first COVID vaccinations on Friday. Too much rushing around to do it right, so I waited until today (Saturday)
The rifle itself isn't a thing of beauty, with it's molded ugly green stock, but a least I can always paint it without remorse. The bore is surprisingly well finished with no evident chatter marks or scratches that I could see with my Teslong. The bolt is a little ragged in cycling, but it will probably wear in with use. I won't go into deep detail about the specifics of the rifle since all of that can easily be found on the internet. I'll just cover what I did.
I mentioned the spring kit. The trigger, adjusted as light as the factory spring would allow, was a miserable 4 pounds. Crisp and constant, but unacceptable. I knew this from trying it at the shop so had planned ahead. I didn't want to spend the money for an aftermarket trigger if I could help it, so I ordered a spring and shim kit on EBay. It took me maybe 20 minutes to install the spring and one trigger shim (reduce side-play). The kit came with two shims, but I could only fit one. I had hoped to hit at least two pounds, so I was happy to test it at 1 pound, 12 ounces. Not a bench trigger, but about all I feel is safe for a walking around rifle. Trigger is still crisp and there is no creep.
The rifle takes AR magazines and comes with a 10-round MagPul. I wasn't real thrilled by that magazine sticking so far under the stock, so I had ordered the 5-round to replace it. The joke is on me...same length! I guess I'll have to get used to it. It feeds well from both magazines and the MagPul has the added benefit of a bolt stop so you know when it is empty without looking. The only irritation other than the length of the magazines is that I had to bump the bullets of the loaded rounds I had laying around a bit deeper in order for them to fit into the magazines.
After thoroughly cleaning the bore and lubing the bolt, it was time to start breaking in the barrel. I had found a mixed lot of old reloads, so I used them for the tedious process. After about 30 rounds of shoot-clean-shoot-clean, I did a final thorough cleaning and changed to a quantity of loaded rounds I had loaded several years ago testing various AA2015 loads with the 50-grain VMax bullets. I had mounted a Bushnell Drop Zone 4.5 - 18 X 40 that I had just sitting in a drawer and was ready to shoot. Scope even looks pretty good on it.
The first three targets below (upper left to right) used 24.5 grains from a very old lot of AA2015 with the 50-grain VMax bullets. I wasn't impressed, so once they were shot up I switched to my remaining 25.0-grains of AA2015 with the same bullets. Now that's more like it! The .70" group was used to tweak my scope adjustments and the last group is truly a 5-shot group, but I felt that flyer go. Unfortunately those five ended my loaded supply and I had to stop. Would the trend have continued? Who knows. Not a bench gun, but groundhogs beware!
And yes, I'm aware that the lines don't exactly align with the centers of the holes. They are there just as indicators. All measurements were made from the outside of the indicated holes and .224" subtracted.
Now I need to work up loads with my stock of 52-grain Hornady BTHPs and see how my AA2200 powder works. I have had really good luck with that powder in other .223s and have nearly 8 pounds of it to use up if it works. I've proved to myself that the 1-8" twist will still work with lighter bullets...at least at 100 yards. It will be fun to try them out further when I get the chance.
The rifle itself isn't a thing of beauty, with it's molded ugly green stock, but a least I can always paint it without remorse. The bore is surprisingly well finished with no evident chatter marks or scratches that I could see with my Teslong. The bolt is a little ragged in cycling, but it will probably wear in with use. I won't go into deep detail about the specifics of the rifle since all of that can easily be found on the internet. I'll just cover what I did.
I mentioned the spring kit. The trigger, adjusted as light as the factory spring would allow, was a miserable 4 pounds. Crisp and constant, but unacceptable. I knew this from trying it at the shop so had planned ahead. I didn't want to spend the money for an aftermarket trigger if I could help it, so I ordered a spring and shim kit on EBay. It took me maybe 20 minutes to install the spring and one trigger shim (reduce side-play). The kit came with two shims, but I could only fit one. I had hoped to hit at least two pounds, so I was happy to test it at 1 pound, 12 ounces. Not a bench trigger, but about all I feel is safe for a walking around rifle. Trigger is still crisp and there is no creep.
The rifle takes AR magazines and comes with a 10-round MagPul. I wasn't real thrilled by that magazine sticking so far under the stock, so I had ordered the 5-round to replace it. The joke is on me...same length! I guess I'll have to get used to it. It feeds well from both magazines and the MagPul has the added benefit of a bolt stop so you know when it is empty without looking. The only irritation other than the length of the magazines is that I had to bump the bullets of the loaded rounds I had laying around a bit deeper in order for them to fit into the magazines.
After thoroughly cleaning the bore and lubing the bolt, it was time to start breaking in the barrel. I had found a mixed lot of old reloads, so I used them for the tedious process. After about 30 rounds of shoot-clean-shoot-clean, I did a final thorough cleaning and changed to a quantity of loaded rounds I had loaded several years ago testing various AA2015 loads with the 50-grain VMax bullets. I had mounted a Bushnell Drop Zone 4.5 - 18 X 40 that I had just sitting in a drawer and was ready to shoot. Scope even looks pretty good on it.
The first three targets below (upper left to right) used 24.5 grains from a very old lot of AA2015 with the 50-grain VMax bullets. I wasn't impressed, so once they were shot up I switched to my remaining 25.0-grains of AA2015 with the same bullets. Now that's more like it! The .70" group was used to tweak my scope adjustments and the last group is truly a 5-shot group, but I felt that flyer go. Unfortunately those five ended my loaded supply and I had to stop. Would the trend have continued? Who knows. Not a bench gun, but groundhogs beware!
And yes, I'm aware that the lines don't exactly align with the centers of the holes. They are there just as indicators. All measurements were made from the outside of the indicated holes and .224" subtracted.
Now I need to work up loads with my stock of 52-grain Hornady BTHPs and see how my AA2200 powder works. I have had really good luck with that powder in other .223s and have nearly 8 pounds of it to use up if it works. I've proved to myself that the 1-8" twist will still work with lighter bullets...at least at 100 yards. It will be fun to try them out further when I get the chance.
