Using the same AR-15 now updated with Timney Trigger, Leupold scope and mounting system I shot in single shot mode with 77 grain Nosler Custom Competition bullets and 23 grains of Reloader 15. The cartridge overall length was 2.435 inches. I expected the rifle to shoot tighter groups at least 1 inch at 100 yards as the bullet was closer to the rifle lands. Best case was one group at just over 5/8 inch and two groups at around 1 1/4 inches. This is good but this rifle can do better, I think.

Back at the reloading bench today, I tried three different powders but I really did not want to shoot them in single shot mode so I shot them at just under the max cartridge overall length of 2.260 so they would fit in the clip. I shot 3 shot groups at 100 yards with wind under 5mph.

GROUP#         BULLET                                POWDER                SPREAD                                         

Group 1       69 grain Nosler CC Bullet with  23 grains Varget       1 3/4 inches

Group 2      69 grain Nosler CC Bullet with  23 grains Varget         1 3/16 inches

Group 3      69 grain Nosler CC Bullet with  23 grains Varget          1.0 inches

Group 4      69 grain Nosler CC Bullet with  22.5 grains IMR 4895  1.0 inches

Group 5      69 grain Nosler CC Bullet with 22.5 grains IMR 4895  1 1/4 inches

Group 6      77 grain Nosler CC Bullet with 23 grains RL-15           1 1/16 inches

Group 7      77 grain Nosler CC Bullet with 23 grains RL-15           1.0 inches

Group 8      77 grain Nosler CC Bullet with 23 grains RL-15 1.5 inches (two of the bullets are 1/2 inch apart, one looks like a flyer)

Analysis

Each group had at least 1 group at 1.0 but the 77 grain Nosler CC has two groups (6 &7) basically at 1.0 or 1 MOA and the other 77 grain group may have a flyer. This preliminary data was expected that the heavier bullet will outperform. From a Mil-Spec Semi-Auto Carbine with a 16 inch barrel this is very good. Thus it translates to keeping 6 inch groups at 600 yards and 10 inch groups at 1000 yards if there were no wind. I need to repeat this test  with 77 grain bullets but at 150 yards, the farthest at my club before trying 600 yards.

After Thoughts

Group 1 was way out of line and it is likely that I was not warmed up and relaxed. Hitting the bench cold can sometimes do that.  Thus I think that the Varget Group 1,2,3 needs repeating after a warm up of a few practice shots. I used the scopes power at 12x to split an orange 1 inch square on each target into 1/4 inch quadrants as I squeezed the trigger.

© 2016

I had hopes of testing this New Hampshire made rifle soon but sales at Ruger are so hot and heavy that I can’t get one to test till perhaps June.

After much research on the engineering of this rifle is that it is not just your drop in a barrel and a minor change here and there, this rifle was engineered from the ground up for long range shooting. I am very pleased with Ruger firearms as they are well built, designed and are cost effective for a broad range of the shooting public. We shall see if this rifle lives up to that reputation or even exceeds my expectations!

Why all the fuss for a .223 like my AR -15 in the Header Photo?

I can tell you that my.223 is just plain fun to shoot and is capable for targets out to 1000 yards and further though I have yet to do that. It is a great coyote and varmint rifle. Some like it to deer hunt with it but I prefer larger calibers for that.

Below is a video of a shooter at 800 yards ringing 12 inch steel multiple times with his carbine with a standard 16 inch barrel and his trusty AR-15 in .223 Remington.  I would love to do that! Perhaps you would too! Shooting long range requires skill and coordination, and a great understanding of your rifle its ammo. Since I am reloading my own ammo  with Nosler Custom Competition bullets it requires attention to detail. I was going to write about the new Die I purchased but thought that this was better use of your thoughts. Having shooting fun is more my style!!

This kind of accuracy can be expected out of a good AR-15 and a skilled shooter.

My Nosler friends came through and provided these Custom Competition Bullets for NH Rifleman to test and share with readers. Just arrived below are 69 grain, 77 grain and 80 grain .224 bullets for shooting in my AR-15. The 77g and 80g will be used as single shot.

As you may have read already, my carbine is a marriage of a Colt upper with a 1/7 barrel twist (a gift) and a Bushmaster Mil-Spec. lower and working well except for the trigger. This article is very short but sweet for those who know little about triggers, like me. My AR trigger is an 8.5 pound trigger and bumps and drags like bad chalk on a chalkboard in school, till the sear breaks and the rifle fires.  A long range target shooters nightmare!

Grouping at 100 yards is around 1.75 inches and perhaps largely a trigger issue with off the shelf 55 grain ammo. Clearly the trigger needs to be replaced if long range shooting is your goal. I expect sub-moa from this rifle but not with that mill spec. trigger!

Here are 2 youtube video’s I found on-line for you and I to see on Timney Triggers (may test some) and Geiselle triggers of both single and 2 stage types. Cost is around $200 to $300 for these. I am learning just like many of you with a new AR in the gun safe. I make no recommendations here just information as a fellow shooter. As I said, my Carbine has a 1/7 barrel twist making it more of a long range heavy bullet competition rifle. More on that soon.

I have contacted Timney and hopefully we will have some triggers for us to test this spring.

Resources:

http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=ar+15+triggers&ksubmit=y

https://xtremegunsandammo.com/gun-parts-and-accessories/triggers.html 

The 375 Ruger Cartridge is still growing in popularity. It is one of the most powerful cartridges in North America.  When coupled with state of the art recoil pads like the Pachmayr decelerator or the Simms Vibration Laboratory SVL recoil pad which reduce felt recoil to 50% it is likened to a 30-06 or .270 recoil and very manageable indeed. My M77 Ruger African rifle shoots it so well in such a variety of bullets that it just makes me smile when paper holes overlap like a Venn diagram regularly at 50 yards and are sub-moa at 100 yards. I achieve the greatest satisfaction by handloading them. I have written  lots of articles before in my magazine here for you to search out too. Barnes Triple Shock has several heads in .375. I intend to try some Barnes 235 grain heads and download them for deer. Below is a Barnes video demonstrating the lethal nature of the all copper head.

I bought extra boxes of Speer 235 grain now out of stock but will try the Barnes which are have higher BC-ballistic coefficient.

Also the Sierra 200 grain flat nose will flatten deer size game and is available today as a reduced load bullet traveling no faster than 2200 fps to avoid over mushrooming.

An article of value to 375 Ruger Enthusiasts for Full Power  is; http://www.loaddata.com/articles/PDF/LoadDevelopment2LowRes1.pdf

See my reduced load article: click the header.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2014/09/05/375-ruger-reduced-loads-and-powder-are-here/

C 2016