Form 4 virgin no longer!

[Kswhitetails]

Haha stahp et.

[Kswhitetails]

I will definitely post a report. Some of you especially here won’t find it of much use since it will by first and only suppressor experience. I will do my level best to avoid opinion, and to give objective results.

However, it is mine. I can’t be a robot.

I’m going Thursday noontime to Zero the new optic, judge the 20moa mount, and try the suppressor. If the gods smile at me and I receive my pistol barrel today or tomorrow, (doubtful), then I’ll do it with both. I’m interested in point of impact change with both on and off. As well as getting gas pressure operations in both conditions. According to the reviews, adjustable gas blocks aren’t necessary with the Tranquillo, which will be tested as I don’t have one on either.

I also have the 5.56 cartridge from LaRue on another rifle build so I’m planning on running that one too.

[Kswhitetails]

Have to say, the reduction of muzzle jump, and reduction of blast is a worthy thing. I can't speak yet to velocities or POI shifts, but I can say that this thing is great at the indoor range. At this location, I cannot use my chrono or get a good shooting position, so that will have to come later. I will say that things look promising for the 120 SMK and 8208. I need a place to go develop these loads outdoors - the public ranges here frown on tying down a lane for more than 20 mins, and setting up chronies... suck it commies.

So far, I can see a 3" drop from off, but the recoil impulse becomes pretty much perfectly linear. No more rise to the muzzle, and follow up shots are going to be a dream. I think I could watch the hole cut itself.

The drastic benefit of blast reduction is that when I do get my Magneto Speed, this range will become very friendly to load development. Grouping is possible, but it takes work and will require more bench time there to figure out my needed position.

There is no noticeable difference as far as back pressure from the CH or ejection port, but I know there is slightly more chamber gas. Only because the brass is slightly (emphasis on slight) more dirty. I don't see any more residue than usual on the outside of the receiver, which is what I had expected to see.

All in all, I sent 52 rounds in total, my dad sending 15 so I could sit in his lane next door to see the difference. It was like watching it on a video. There was no blast, no thump, nothing. The gun went off, the hole was made, and I was still waiting for him to do something. Since it is an indoor range, the high pitched psss was probably louder than it will be outside. Can't wait to go visit my buddies back yard with the chronograph and some bags.

Here is a target pic showing some very preliminary groups with 120 SMKs over 27.5gr of 8208 at 2.201" in Hornady once fired brass with some CCI 41s.

First canned lead. by ., on Flickr

I must say I'm sold. Despite the rather drastic drop in point of impact shift on/off, I am more than happy with the results. The guy next to me was shooting a 300WM and was giggling at the difference it made. He said he was interested in LaRue now, he had never heard of them before. For shame. (I was the same guy 2 years ago...) He went pale when I told him to try it. He went white when I showed him the 1000 yard drop numbers. There may be a Rem700 300 WM on Broker tonight >.<. He said that he bought it to go out at home (nw KS) to shoot long range - 400 yards. After two trigger pulls he was about to offer me money... This is what I live for! He was a great guy, and we found each other on FB so he could keep up with the progress and load development. Thanks to the magic inside our phones, he was perusing the LaRue site when I left... HAHAHA

He was a younger guy, (28?) and was an early career aerodynamics engineer at a local manufacturer. It was clear he had gone for the WM for downrange velocities, and was very interested in the fact that my little 6.5 AR could reach 1000 at all, let alone as well as it is touted to. I made sure to tell him that though I had never done it, today was to zero my optic and get my markers set for doing so soon. (I did not take him up on his offer to try his mule, I told him he could have his 208gr punishers, I was out of time - wink). Yessir, I am a wuss. Well, that, and all he had ammo wise was his ladder box, which I wasn't about to upset.

Anyway, this is hardly a review, only my early impressions. I will post again with some real world numbers and experiences before too long I hope. So far I am a happy camper.

KS

[LRRPF52]

Dang, I submitted before that, earlier that month.

I'm still happy for you.

[Kswhitetails]

Shouldn't be long P. When did they cash your check?

[Kswhitetails]

Went out again today, - Hey, no job to take up my time, why not? Went to a relatively newly founded range where I have been volunteering to help clear/burn/build. They have 1-400 yards laid out traversing up hill at about 15 degrees. We set the hanging steel plates with pieces of fire hose we cut this morning and screwing them to telephone poles laid across bails. Great modular set up which allows the ranges to be modified at any time and changing out the selected plates is easier.

I started at 100 to re-verify zero, and after a few rounds, I was comfortable enough to push it out. I have to say, this being the first time I've been able to stretch it beyond 230ish, this was a let down. It was too easy. I thought I'd have to try harder! Ha. Well, 400 is no problem, but I need more time on range to really dial things in.

I took the wrong ammo boxes, shame on me. I shot up my ladder boxes, and will have to re-create them. Not really a bad thing, it's more bench time for me on this end. All the better for experience.

The 129 SSTs were phenomenal, predictable, smooth, and repeatable. I put three of the same load within two inches at 270. That makes my day. Deer beware.

All in all, things are progressing quickly now. I have a place to train, to stretch a little, and am now a member of the Kansas Precision Rifle Club, a small group here in KS that does PRS style meets/shoots for points and competition throughout the season. I am really excited to see where things go for me this summer. I may get my 1K experiences before much longer.

Conditions today were about as bad as you could ask for. After this morning which was an overcast, but windy morning; as soon as we got back from lunch we started preparing to head out to get prone and start trying out the range layout. It started to rain. And only got worse. The wind came up and by the time we were lying down to begin, the firing line which had been packed with road base to enable a leveling and graded crown to shoot prone from was getting tacky. Oh well, it washes. The wind was a steady 22 from 2-3 o clock, gusting to 35+. Awesome, made it interesting. We were only going to 400 in 25+ wind. Fun. I learned that Ballistic AE said 4moa hold at 400 in that, and it was on the money. Elevation holds were useless because I have not gotten to measure muzzle velocities on any of the ladder loads I had with me.

Hornady Black continues to disappoint. Too much of a good thing somehow, it won't do better than 1.5 moa, usually closer to 2 for me in my rifle.

The suppressor is really fun outside. There is no blast, and the impacts were louder than the shot, or so it seemed. It has a hiss like an air line being disconnected on a 18 wheeler.

The guys I was with were throwing 223 at things with red dots and prayer holds. They were doing well considering. I had the advantage in every way though, and it was fun to hear someone say "yea, heard that one!". Later someone politely said "we're getting showed up by the new guy..." I laughed and said yea, but I've got LOTS of help, admitting to being the lesser skilled shooter. The other two shooters are retired MFR.

The Athlon ARES 4.5-27 really is a great piece of glass, clear, and precise. Dials were on, - as expected - and the reticle makes wind holds too easy. At 250, I was holding 1MOA in elevation, and 2.25 wind, and could put shots on the same quarter of the 12x18 plates. The The gusts made noticeable moves to the impacts, and I was glad to see that the shot predictability matched my expectations of the equipment.

We quit after about 20mins as it was getting colder, and the group had members that had an hour and a half drive home, going north, into the icing. It was a really great day, one which I hope to repeat often enough to develop some real skill, rather than just geeking out over what I read here.

1K here I come.

Untitled by .t, on Flickr
Untitled by ., on Flickr