New Coyote / Varmint getter

Larry in SD · Jun 20, 2007

I finally received my newest aquisition.

It is a DPMS Panther Bull 20, Fluted. I picked this up from Mike Milli at Dedicated Technology in Bemidji Minnesota. Prior to my getting it Mike (at my request) smoothed up the Factory Trigger. I want to say he did a great job. The trigger still has it's full travel, but Mike has it really smooth.

The Simmons 2.8x10x44mm Atec is mounted in 1" High Weaver 4x4 Scope Rings on Yankee Hill Machine 1/4" Risers. This set up puts the scope at the exact right height for me. However I think I may end up getting a set of 1" High Double Extension Weaver Scope Rings as the scope could be forward just slightly.

Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet.

I have only ever had one other .223 Remington with a 1 in 9" twist and I only shot that one a little bit and with Commercial Reloads. In short I have very little experience with 1 in 9" Twist .223's, and this is going to be my first experience with an AR.

I have a bunch of .223 ammo left over from a pervious .223 Rifle. The ammo I have is as follows:

40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with 26.5grs. Hodgdon Benchmark
50gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with 25.5grs. Hodgdon Benchmark
55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with 25.5grs. Hodgdon H-4895
55gr. Sierra HPBT's loaded with 25.5grs. Hodgdon H-4895

All of this ammo is either 1/2 to 1 grain under Hodgdon's published maximum.

I know there are no hard fast rules as to what is going to shoot in an individual rifle, but what do you guys with experience with 1 in 9" .223's think I can expect out of this ammo in a 1 in 9" twist?

Thanks

Larry

JD338 · Jun 20, 2007

Larry,

Sweeeeeeet!

JD338

Powerstroke · Jun 20, 2007

I have a DPMS bull set up ( non stainless ) I have not done 1 iota of work to it other than throw a scope on it and shoot it. I have a ton of bullets left over from yes a previous .223 when we to shoot bench rest on friday nights. I've had awesome luck with mostly 50 and 52gr smk's. Powder 748 is also a great bet in the .223......it is a very dirty burning powder however..... if you hunt yotes in extreme cold temps be prepared to clean often

Larry in SD · Jun 21, 2007

Well I got the chance to break in the barrel yesterday after supper and get the scope zeroed. The only one of the above loads I shot was with the 55gr. Sierra HPBT's. Man was I surprised. I cleaned (2 patches soaked in Shooters Choice followed by 2 dry patches) for the first 10 rounds. I then shot 3 shot groups cleaning after every 3rd round for the next 15 rounds. I then shot 5 shot groups, cleaning after every 5th round for the next 20 rounds.

My 3 shot groups were running between 3/4" to 1" (with the better groups coming towards the end of my shooting 3 shot groups). The 5 shot groups were running right at 3/4". After I was done with the shootin-n-cleanin I had shot all my targets, so I put 10 rounds in a magazine and proceeded to make my last 5 shot group a 15 shot group, which measured 1 1/4" for the 15 rounds.

So far I am very pleased. I had high hopes of getting out again this morning, but the weather man didn't cooperate as it was windy and raining.

Hopefully next week I can test the other loads.

Larry

CZ · Jun 21, 2007

I THINK ITS A PLEASURE YOU CAN OWN AND HAVE ONE OF THOSE BLACK RIFLES, FOR SURE I WOULD LIKE TO POSSES ONE. HERE IN MEXICO FOR CIVILIANS ITS TOTALLY PROHIBITED, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURCHASE AND HAVE "NORMAL" RIFLES, YOU HAVE TO BUY THEN DIRECT TO SEDENA(MILITARY), IN CENTRAL MEXICO.
SO ENJOY UR HUNTING RIFLE AND KEEP UR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.

HeathSexton · Jun 21, 2007

My AR really likes 55gr NBT over 25.5grs of H335. It's a 1/9" Bushmaster.

CZ · Jun 21, 2007

BULLETS ON THE HEAVY SIDE 60GR SHOULD WORK BETTER ON UR RIFLE, IMR4895,H335,4064 SHOULD WORK FINE, I HAVE A 6.5-284 WITH A 1 in 8 TWIST AND WORKS EXCELLENT WITH HEAVYWEIGHTS, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF TRICKS OUT THERE TO MAKE THOSE BLACK RIFLES PERFORM BETTER.
GOOD LUCK.

Larry in SD · Jun 22, 2007

Well I managed to get in a little more shooting today. I tested the above mentioned 4 loads.

The 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Benchmark shot good. The groups I shot with this bullet were all 1" of slightly less for 5 shots at 100 yards. Average velocity out of the 20" 1 in 9" Twist Barrel was 3316 FPS.

Not sure what the deal was with the 50gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Benchmark, but each and every group I fired would have 4 shots in 5/8" to 3/4" and one shot about an inch higher on the target. In all of the groups I really didn't think I pulled any one shot either. Average velocity for this load was 3208 FPS.

The 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4895 were the winners. 5 shot groups with this load were running between 5/8" to 3/4" and nice round groups. Average velocity for this load was 3090 FPS with an extreme spread of only 27 and a standard deviation of 6.

Once I was finished I put up one of my Coyote Targets and shot a 5 shot group. Natually I messed up and pulled the last shot. I knew it was going to be high when the gun went off and sure enough it was. However the other 4 went into .659" center to center.

I really hate it when I mess up a nice group !

Larry

PS I am really liking this rifle.

JD338 · Jun 23, 2007

Larry,

Nice shooting.
BTW, the group on the coyote is fine,
you killed him with the first shot.

JD338

Larry in SD · Jun 23, 2007

Thanks

Yep I am quite sure the Coyote was dead after the first shot but he just kept standing there so I had to keep shooting. That is quite easy to do with an AR ya know. I can already tell that with this AR I am going to be spending more time at the loading bench.

Larry