Varmint upper?

[Hawk451 2,230]

 Got invited to a prairie dog hunt next summer up in South Dakota. Sadly, nothing I currently have is really  appropriate for plinking such little targets out to 300 or more yards.

 

So maybe it's time for another AR upper. I'm thinkin' 18"- 20" barrel with 1:8 twist & 223 Wilde chamber (so I can still hit something with cheap 55gr fmj, smite small critters out to maybe 350 yards with 50-55 gr stuff [might spin little 40 grain pills apart?] and reach out a bit further with 75-77 gr stuff for bigger, tougher 'varmints'. 

 

RRA has a plug & play 20" 1-8 upper that's supposed to be good, but I've been reading a lot of good stuff about White Oak Armament uppers & barrels. 

 

They've got a 20"/1-8 twist varmint upper too, but also a 18" 1-7 or 1-8 SPR upper that looks interesting.

 

 

Then there's glass... Sounds like 6-18 or higher magnification for waging war in the 'varmint-kong'?   

 

 

I've found a lot of recommendations for the Vortex crossfire II (and I really like illuminated reticles), but I trust that I'm getting a good product from Leopold, even if it's nearly twice the coin & not illuminated. 

 

Ach! My poor, aching wallet.

 

Maybe I'll take along a PSL too, just for grins...

 

Any recommendations?

 

 

Edited September 7, 2015 by Hawk451

[forsaken352 235]

First, if I might make a suggestion, build your upper receiver yourself. Even if you have to purchase tools, you will have them from then on. You will get to pick and choose what you want on it rather than buying a pre-made upper, and possibly switching parts later. Secondly, if it were me, I would probably go as low as 50gr. with a 1/8, but I don't know about 40. Some people claim it works fine for them, but faster twist rates are better suited for heavier bullets. Third, Vortex is a great company. I don't have experience with the Crossfire, but I have a Sparc 2 from them, and even for a little $200.00 "red dot", it's quality. Also, I've always heard Vortex has a great warranty on all of their products should something go wrong. Lastly, check out Black Hole Weaponry's barrels. Everybody who owns one has good reviews on the AR forum I belong to.

[macbeau 902]

Check out the Sheppard scope site.

Their scopes are AWESOME but pricey.  However, they have a bunch of neat tools for picking / matching  a scope to a caliber, ballistic tables and charts and load data.

http://www.shepherdscopes.com/

 

Also, with a 1-7 or 1-8 twist, you'll want to stick with bullets that are 55gn and heavier.  You will probably over-spin a 40, 45 or 50gn pill.  Maybe go with solids, too.

If you're hand loading, here is what I might suggest.

http://www.theamericanmarksman.com/1000-CopperHead-223-Remington-55gr-BT-SOLID-COPPER-2nds-bullets-1000-count-Free-Shipping_p_378.html

 

Macbeau...

Edited September 7, 2015 by macbeau

[Spacehog 2,218]

Take this for what it is worth Hawk, which is absolutely nothing, but my one and only experience with White Oak Armament's barrels has not been positive despite the myriad of positive reviews. I have the 18" SPC in 1:7. I have not been able to do better than 2.5" with it, even with hand loads. Before anyone asks, I have done a lot of work isolating the problem, and it is the barrel. I have DPMS factory barrels that outshoot it.

 

Now with that said and to be fair, I have not contacted White Oaks to inquire about a replacement yet. It could be that I received the one out of 100,000 barrels that was sub par from them.

 

Personally, I like slower twist 1:8 or 1:9 in ARs. From my experience, they offer better accuracy over a wider range of bullet weights.

[Sim_Player 1,939]

Have an Ak-74, mount, and sight?

 

Affordable ammo, even after the ban.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Sim_Player

[Hawk451 2,230]

I'll probably go with a pre-built upper for now. Figure out barrel replacement when the first barrel 'shoots-out' (won't hold MOA/sub-MOA, give it to my nephew, he'll be tickled).

 

I'll have to do some research on BHW barrels too.

 

Dual reticle Shepard scopes are interesting, I've always thought any kind of range-finding reticle on a variable-power scope should be FFP.  3-9 POSP (not IP-21) for PSL is a good example. Bears more looking into.

 

Spacehog, maybe you just happened to get a lemon.  Hope you can get it sorted out with mfg.  1-8 twist sounds like the best compromise to work with 55-75 gr bullets. Could go 1-12 for wee bitty bullets, but I like versatility.

 

Sim_Player has helped me figure out my backup rifle: 'Wilson'. And I have a pretty good supply of 7N6 & Ballistol.

 

[gunfun 3,931]

Check out the Sheppard scope site.

Their scopes are AWESOME but pricey.  However, they have a bunch of neat tools for picking / matching  a scope to a caliber, ballistic tables and charts and load data.

http://www.shepherdscopes.com/

 

Also, with a 1-7 or 1-8 twist, you'll want to stick with bullets that are 55gn and heavier.  You will probably over-spin a 40, 45 or 50gn pill.  Maybe go with solids, too.

If you're hand loading, here is what I might suggest.

http://www.theamericanmarksman.com/1000-CopperHead-223-Remington-55gr-BT-SOLID-COPPER-2nds-bullets-1000-count-Free-Shipping_p_378.html

 

Macbeau...

 

I never thought I would see decent projectiles for 223 in that price range again.

[Hawk451 2,230]

Well, for now the varmint upper project has morphed into a SPR build: 

 

White Oak Armament 18" fluted 1-8 barrel with rifle-length gas system on WOA side-charger upper. Longest time spent on assembly was fitting gas block: seems barrel boss was maybe 1 RCH oversize. 1/2 hour with 600-grit wrapped rod chucked in my Dewalt yielded a firm fit without needing to hammer it on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troy 15" Alpha, YHM BUIS, Burris Fastfire 3 on MI 0100 mount, Vortex Viper 2.5-10x44 in ADM Recon mount all seem to go together well.

 

 

 

State-of-the-art high-desert test facility(not):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did sight-in & break-in Thursday, with accuracy testing Friday & Saturday.  Tested a few factory loads:

 

PPU 69 gr match was nothing to write home about, consistently 1 to 1-1/4", (^%$#! favorite load for 16" upper)

 

PPU 75 gr match was running just under 1".

 

 

 

American Eagle 50 gr 'tipped varmint' was frustrating with 3 of 4 groups cloverleafed for 3 shots with fliers opening groups to just over 1". Extreme spread on velocity was 71fps.

 

Winchester 69 gr Matchking loads were all under 1" with a best 5-shot group of .694" not too shabby considering gusty, unsettled breeze & my less than stellar technique.

 

HSM 55 gr Blitz remans were the prize-winners: 3 of 4 groups under 1" with best of .601"  Bench-resters or seasoned varminters might scoff, but that's the best group I've yet shot & I'm pretty tickled with it.

 

 

 

 

I have another scope (Vortex Crossfire 2  6-18x44) that might be more appropriate for vaporizing varmints, will fit that & try out some more loads next week. 

 

I'd think reliable 1/2 MOA ought to do for mud poodles out to 300-350 yards. Hopefully I can work up some handloads that will do the trick.  I really need to get my loading bench unpacked & set up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gunfun 3,931]

Nice. That's a fine looking setup, including the precision test rig.