Long Range Rifle/Scope/PRS question(s)

Earlier in this thread there was some discussion about AICS pattern magazines. I'm aware of options from the following companies. Are there any more?

Accuracy International
Accurate-Mag
MDT
Magpul
 
I got the NF ATACR installed on the AWM .338 LM last night and boy is it close to the barrel. I measured .043" clearance between the objective bell and the barrel without the Tenebraex cover installed. I'm not comfortable with the scope being so close although I can't imagine that the barrel will move that much 6" from the end of the receiver. The scope might bounce up and down during recoil and contact the barrel but that might be an irrational concern. Regardless, I'll need to modify the scope cover a bit to get decent clearance.

awm_338lm_nf_atacr.jpg
 
Regardless, I'll need to modify the scope cover a bit to get decent clearance.
I have had to do that and never had an issue with the scope (Sightron 8-32x56 SIII on an FN-SPR ;)), but also prefer the scope to have more clearance.

I raised the Bushnell scope for my Impact Precision rifle higher than it was mounted on the Seekins, and mounted the Vortex higher on the Seekins than the Bushnell was on the Seekins as well.

A bit more "heads up" position and better clearance from the barrel.
 
Ruger was buying steel magazines from Accurate-Mag when they first launched the Scout rifle. Is their polymer mag made by Magpul or is it their own design/manufacture?
 
Feed lips look a little bit different, so it isn't just a standard Magpul AICS mag with Ruger on it, but it could be still be made by Magpul.
 
I have an mdt AICS pattern mag and their “12 rd” mag is the size of my AICS “10rd” mag, but both can fit an extra round in.

Bottom line, the mdt coating is nicer and it feeds more smoothly, I’ll buy from them if I need another AICS patter mag
 
I have an mdt AICS pattern mag and their “12 rd” mag is the size of my AICS “10rd” mag
We had one stage where you needed 12 rounds, so naturally I have that mag on my "wish list". Am very close to paying off everything else, then I'll add a couple of things, like an annealer, that mag, a full size waxed game changer bag, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: z7
My go-to mags are AIAW 10rnd mags, but they are welded and only hold 11. My “big mags” for high round count stages are two ARC’s with Area419 extended base plates which make them 14’s.

I have a couple AICS 10’s which would become 14’s with the 419 extenders, but they’re LONG mags. The AW’s and ARC’s are wider double stacks, with the ARC being a center feed, and the AW a stagger feed - so the shortest of the bunch.

I’d love to find a cheap AW mag somewhere so I’d finally be brave enough to chop it up and see if I can get the 419 bases to mate up to it. It’d be a 15 or 16.
 
The AI AICS mags are feeding 100% in the Seekins and the Impact. The tweaked/modded/bent feed lips AIAW 10 round double stack is working well in the Seekins, but the line between holding the rounds in the mags and being high enough to feed reliably is fine, and I don't like bending feed lips, and it has a lot of play when locked into the Seekins. I have one still un-modded and will be keeping it stock. I'll sell it or give it away. The Impact is not cut for AIAW mags, although they say they can do it for you if you wish.

I am going to look into the options and various extenders and try something, still leaning towards the MDT 12 rounder to start. The Seekins didn't particularly like the PMag that came with it, and I gave it to my buddy at work who likes them in his rig, a Howa action in a chassis, don't remember which chassis.
 
Altus is a big time range with some good matches if the reports are true, I haven’t made the trip but I seriously want to.
 
When crestview was k&m it had awesome matches. After k and m split and it became known as CORE they just don’t share my values and I won’t go anymore. But their facility is still cool.
 
I ordered the Area 419 Arcalock 14" Universal Barricade Rail Kit with a Pic rail because I have the picatinny mount type Atlas bipod.

I also ordered the Railchanger Kit from Armageddon Gear. I called up Foundation Stocks and have 6 of the T-Nuts need to mount the Arcolock rail to the Foundation stock. I will need to relieve the rail in the rear a little (Shave off about .030 on the under side of the rail for a short area to mount it fully to the rear), per the nice fellow I spoke with at Foundation.

 
ihave just bought a 110 savage desert tactical 6.5 creedmoor. first time at the range sho[ ten rpunds one at a time cleaning after each shot . on the 10th shot i gor no copper on my patch. shot a 3 round shot at 100 yds and left two holes touching each other. adjusted scope 0ne click to left shot another 3 round group. this left one raged hole. for 608.00 out the door i could not be happier. i shoot a Nikon 4-16x50 march 5 50 mm. scope
 
Not really pertinent to the detailed nature of the thread, but I’ll share a story:

I don’t spend much time on social media apps, only really get on Facebook here and there, and only have it because it’s a means to keep family close after our son was born. But I happened to notice a post by an old high school friend I hadn’t seen in over 15yrs on Sunday last week. It was a picture of a benched rifle, stating he was working to get better at 400yrds that evening, working his way to 1,000.

I messaged him to offer that we should get together at one of our properties (knowing we own land within 15miles of each other back home, even though we live about an hour and a half apart these days) and shoot together. We’d have him at 1,000 in a half day... Then I mentioned, “heck, there’s a precision rifle match the following weekend not far from us, why don’t you come out there and shoot?”

Sourcing a 10rnd AICS mag and 140rnds of ammo in a small Kansas community within a couple of days was a bit of a feat, and he had to download strelok, but it all came together in time.

I asked him this morning before the match - “how long were you expecting to shoot that rifle before you took it to 1,000?” He hadn’t before thought about it in that regard, but he finally conceded - “ya know, I might never really have done it, but it took me a year with the rifle to feel good at 400, so a long time...”

Almost as if scripted for a movie, the long range troop line stage came up as our last in rotation, so he had 90 rounds of other stage obstacles, south of his 1,000 yard objective, before he’d finally have a chance to break over a grand with what would be his last two shots of his first match. Spotting and calling for him, I saw him hit the downwind edge, then slip off of the 984yrd plate with his second shot, so I coached him, “hold an extra minute of wind on the next one and send it.”

“Dammit!!” - rang out as he yanked the trigger and pulled his shot two full targets out into the field...

Settle in, breath, and ask this last one a little more nicely...

DING!

“Impact!”

He shot some very solid stages in the day, and despite twitchy winds and extremely challenging positional stages, and despite the fact almost every target he engaged all day was farther than he’d ever shot before today, he didn’t blank any stages and finished some stages with respectable scores topping more experienced shooters in our squad. And of course, he achieved what he thought might have been a “tomorrow never actually comes” goal of crossing over 1,000yrds.

Just a matter of deciding - “yes, today I’m going to go do it” when opportunity knocked.
 
Not really pertinent to the detailed nature of the thread....
Not directly in line, but it reinforces an important theme

To shoot at 1000yds, or to shoot a match, you need:
-a rifle chambered in a round capable of the distance goal,
-a scope with reliable adjustments to dial or hold for wind and elevation
-a ballistic app to help with drop and wind adjustments (not required but makes life way easier)
-good ammo that will shoot 1.5moa or better through your gun
-for a match, some way to feed your gun 10-12rds in 90 seconds, which is why AI pattern mags are popular and important

There are many things and ways to spend more money that are “worth it” as @Walkalong can attest, he upgraded rifles significantly and is enjoying the quality of the upgrade. Better gear will enable a shooter to preform better and learn more, but a $7,000 in gear is not the starting point for long range shooting
 
Better gear will enable a shooter to preform better and learn more, but a $7,000 in gear is not the starting point for long range shooting

I agree.

I certainly am more comfortable with the second rifle, and that comfort level may have helped get an extra hit or two, but the first rifle was more than capable, and Sam proved that. Someone looking to get into long range shooting could spend $1500ish even starting from scratch and still do well and have fun. If they already have a capable rifle, much less than that. After that the sky is the limit of course.

Buying better equipment is never a bad thing, even if it isn't really needed, as long as you enjoy it, and I did, and will, for a long time. I expect to hand that rifle down to someone when I pass this realm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: z7
Getting ready for my first match I did not really have time (I hate rushing) to get the exact seating depth where the lands are for the Berger Hybrid 105, so I did it the old fashioned way, feel and marks on the bullet from the lands, so I seated hard into the lands to fire form and just off the lands for the match load.

I removed the firing pin assembly and the ejector and used this method to find the lands.


With two lines showing and the Wilson micrometer hand seater set at 35 the bolt would close of its own weight but there was slight resistance. At two lines showing and the seater set at 40 the bolt dropped freely with zero resistance.

So now I know where the lands are with this bullet and seater. I also got numbers with my Sinclair CP-6000 comparator.
6MM Dasher Fireforming Rounds Pic 2.JPG
Impact Bolt Stripped for Finding Lands @ 50%.JPG
 
Back
Top