This is a continuation of my post from a couple days ago, before I'd been able to make it to the range with my new baby.
Well, I went to the range today and fired 50 rounds (bought all 80 that the shop had when I bought the rifle on Wednesday). Windy conditions and all, this thing is amazing. I got the 16" Carbine version, and fitted it with one of the new Weaver Classic Extreme 1.5-4.5X 30mm illuminated reticle scopes (very nice, for the money - about $440), in TPS aluminum high 30mm rings.
First of all, using a 30 rd AR mag with the only modification being that I switched to the blue single shot follower supplied with the rifle, functioning was perfect. Mag capacity is 11 rounds, with this setup.
I didn't boresight it, so it took several shots to get it on paper and dialed in (frustrating, at about $1.40 per shot!). Once that was accomplished, however, good things happened. The only load available is the Hornady factory 250 grain rubber-tipped spitzer style bullet load. Factory ballistics state 2,200 fps.
The average of 3 chronographed shots was 2,190 fps, from my 16" barrel. Obviously, the factory claim of 2,200 is slightly conservative, since I'm sure it would exceed 2,200 from a 20" barrel.
The recoil is definitely there (as you would expect with that kind of power), but it's in the form of a big push, not a sharp crack. I put an Ace FX stock on it, with a 1" extension soft rubber butt pad, and it's totally comfortable.
How did it shoot? After dinking around getting it on paper, dialing it in at 100 yards, and firing it through the chrono, I settled in and fired 2 groups at 100 yards. The first was a 5 shot group that measured 1.15" ctc. the second was a 6 shot group @ 1.25".
I then moved to the 200 yard target and fired 5. The group was 2.38", with the best 4 into 1.42". Remember, this is a 250gr .45 cal bullet, at 200 yards, with a 4.5X scope! The drop was about 12" from a 100 yard zero.
The real fun came next. There are 24" and 12" gongs next to each other at the range . . . at 287 yards. It did take several shots to find the steel at that range (in a stiff wind), but once I did, even the little 12" model was clanging and swinging big time . . . several times in a row.
I own an awful lot of firearms, and I have to say I can't remember being this happy, or having this much fun with one in a LONG time. For any of you that have ever wanted a "Thumper", get one of these things. Now that Hornady has standardized the round, I think it has a very good chance of success. It uses standard AR mags, with only the follower swapped out - another positive.
I've never been a huge fan of Bushmaster AR's, but this thing is absolutely beautiful. The finish is perfect, it fits tight, etc. The only glaring negative is a horrible trigger. That'll be fixed soon.
Oh, I'll hopefully have gun and target pics posted tonight or tomorrow, assuming I can figure out how to post them! My next step is to stuff some of these newly empy hulls with 300gr Hornady XTP's!
see ya
Well, I went to the range today and fired 50 rounds (bought all 80 that the shop had when I bought the rifle on Wednesday). Windy conditions and all, this thing is amazing. I got the 16" Carbine version, and fitted it with one of the new Weaver Classic Extreme 1.5-4.5X 30mm illuminated reticle scopes (very nice, for the money - about $440), in TPS aluminum high 30mm rings.
First of all, using a 30 rd AR mag with the only modification being that I switched to the blue single shot follower supplied with the rifle, functioning was perfect. Mag capacity is 11 rounds, with this setup.
I didn't boresight it, so it took several shots to get it on paper and dialed in (frustrating, at about $1.40 per shot!). Once that was accomplished, however, good things happened. The only load available is the Hornady factory 250 grain rubber-tipped spitzer style bullet load. Factory ballistics state 2,200 fps.
The average of 3 chronographed shots was 2,190 fps, from my 16" barrel. Obviously, the factory claim of 2,200 is slightly conservative, since I'm sure it would exceed 2,200 from a 20" barrel.
The recoil is definitely there (as you would expect with that kind of power), but it's in the form of a big push, not a sharp crack. I put an Ace FX stock on it, with a 1" extension soft rubber butt pad, and it's totally comfortable.
How did it shoot? After dinking around getting it on paper, dialing it in at 100 yards, and firing it through the chrono, I settled in and fired 2 groups at 100 yards. The first was a 5 shot group that measured 1.15" ctc. the second was a 6 shot group @ 1.25".
I then moved to the 200 yard target and fired 5. The group was 2.38", with the best 4 into 1.42". Remember, this is a 250gr .45 cal bullet, at 200 yards, with a 4.5X scope! The drop was about 12" from a 100 yard zero.
The real fun came next. There are 24" and 12" gongs next to each other at the range . . . at 287 yards. It did take several shots to find the steel at that range (in a stiff wind), but once I did, even the little 12" model was clanging and swinging big time . . . several times in a row.
I own an awful lot of firearms, and I have to say I can't remember being this happy, or having this much fun with one in a LONG time. For any of you that have ever wanted a "Thumper", get one of these things. Now that Hornady has standardized the round, I think it has a very good chance of success. It uses standard AR mags, with only the follower swapped out - another positive.
I've never been a huge fan of Bushmaster AR's, but this thing is absolutely beautiful. The finish is perfect, it fits tight, etc. The only glaring negative is a horrible trigger. That'll be fixed soon.
Oh, I'll hopefully have gun and target pics posted tonight or tomorrow, assuming I can figure out how to post them! My next step is to stuff some of these newly empy hulls with 300gr Hornady XTP's!
see ya
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