This isn't going to be a super technical review. More like, this is how I do my stuff, read further at your own risk. Caveat emptor.
So I bought this rife used off of a well-known guy on snipershide, supposedly with less than 200 rounds through it. It came with 1 mag and a 20 moa (I believe it's 20 moa. I mic'ed front and rear, and it drops almost 1/8", which comes out to, I think, 19.82 MOA- but that's using my oilfield formulas, so if anything is off, it's probably between my ears) scope base.
20" rifle, chambered in 6.5 Grendel. Seller replaced the stock with this one...don't know which one it is, but I like it. With shipping I paid less tha $400.
I then bought, received and mounted yesterday, an Athlon Argos 8-34x56 BTR. I paid $265 w/the rings- rings were advertised as Vortex, but I believe they are knockoff/fakes. Either way, mounted it about 5 minutes after my dogs quit barking at the UPS guy.
I like used stuff. I feel like I can do a lot more stuff buying used...and with Athlon, there's good piece of mind in that they have a lifetime warranty, not conditional upon being original owner or having a receipt, etc.
Anyway, to the shooting.
First sat down at the 50 yard line to make sure I could get on paper. Fired a 3 shot string, Texas WAGg'ED 16 clicks down, 14 left, and moved over to the 100 yard line.
Brass was mixed head stamp, converted 7.62x39, IMR 8208 XBR, 123gr Sierra HPBT, over CCI small rifle primers. All brass was wet tumbled, dried in the sun on a towel, lubed, and then sized from 7.62 to 6.5mm. Yes, I convert(neck/deprime in 1 step... haters gonna' hate). After I size them, I don't clean them again or anything: I just prime, load, and go.
The horrible 26.5gr group was 100% my fault: I kept flinching, even though this thing doesn't kick. SMH
The trigger pull is pretty sweet. Not full custom, $2000+ rifle sweet, but way better than a stock glock or cheap 1911 sweet, for sure.
Process: Fire one 5 round group. Pick up brass, load mag, drink some water...tried to take 5 minutes between groups.
Next step, I'm going to load some 130gr noslers and take this to 200 yards. If the first few groups are good there, I'll go to 500 yards and see what she'll do.
My original plan was to immediately rebarrel this in 24 or 26 inch, but this shoots so good so far that I'm tentatively rethinking that.
So I bought this rife used off of a well-known guy on snipershide, supposedly with less than 200 rounds through it. It came with 1 mag and a 20 moa (I believe it's 20 moa. I mic'ed front and rear, and it drops almost 1/8", which comes out to, I think, 19.82 MOA- but that's using my oilfield formulas, so if anything is off, it's probably between my ears) scope base.
20" rifle, chambered in 6.5 Grendel. Seller replaced the stock with this one...don't know which one it is, but I like it. With shipping I paid less tha $400.
I then bought, received and mounted yesterday, an Athlon Argos 8-34x56 BTR. I paid $265 w/the rings- rings were advertised as Vortex, but I believe they are knockoff/fakes. Either way, mounted it about 5 minutes after my dogs quit barking at the UPS guy.
I like used stuff. I feel like I can do a lot more stuff buying used...and with Athlon, there's good piece of mind in that they have a lifetime warranty, not conditional upon being original owner or having a receipt, etc.
Anyway, to the shooting.
First sat down at the 50 yard line to make sure I could get on paper. Fired a 3 shot string, Texas WAGg'ED 16 clicks down, 14 left, and moved over to the 100 yard line.
Brass was mixed head stamp, converted 7.62x39, IMR 8208 XBR, 123gr Sierra HPBT, over CCI small rifle primers. All brass was wet tumbled, dried in the sun on a towel, lubed, and then sized from 7.62 to 6.5mm. Yes, I convert(neck/deprime in 1 step... haters gonna' hate). After I size them, I don't clean them again or anything: I just prime, load, and go.
The horrible 26.5gr group was 100% my fault: I kept flinching, even though this thing doesn't kick. SMH
The trigger pull is pretty sweet. Not full custom, $2000+ rifle sweet, but way better than a stock glock or cheap 1911 sweet, for sure.
Process: Fire one 5 round group. Pick up brass, load mag, drink some water...tried to take 5 minutes between groups.
Next step, I'm going to load some 130gr noslers and take this to 200 yards. If the first few groups are good there, I'll go to 500 yards and see what she'll do.
My original plan was to immediately rebarrel this in 24 or 26 inch, but this shoots so good so far that I'm tentatively rethinking that.