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OK... maybe not so brief
When I took the kids shooting the other day, I decided to sight in the new(to me) scope I got last week. It's a 6-18x44 Vortex CrossfireII with the illuminated reticle mounted to my rifle with an American Defense AD Recon QD mount. All I brought for ammo was my personal m193 recipe of 25.5g of h335 behind a 55g Hornady fmjbt and CCI #41 primer. A budget plinking round. What transpired was nothing short of amazing.
I paced off 100 yards, put down a tarp and a little (but not nearly enough)cardboard to get off the gravel.. I had limited room in the gun case, so I took advantage of the American Defense mount's excellent QD function, and mounted the scope to my Mega/Ballistics Advantage 18" SPR chambered in .223 Wylde.
It was hot, 95 degrees +, the tarp and folded up usps flat rate boxes I happened to have in the Jeep did little to cushion me from the 3" minus pit run gravel I was laying on, and the flys were "bugging" the $#!+ out of me, but I finally settled in behind the rifle, popped in a mag... took aim and squeezed one off. I didn't bore sight or anything.
First shot hit dead center, about 1/4" above the bulls eye. Second shot about 3/4" to its left. I had to walk up to the target and make sure I was seeing it right, and sure enough.. I came back to the rifle, squeezed off a half dozen more resulting in a 1/2" ragged hole... cleared the gun and put it back in its case, and went back to letting the kids shoot.
It took me an hour, and 20-30 rounds of much more expensive ammo to get my last scope this close! I want to fine tune it at 200/300 yards, but our secret creek spot is only 100yards, and my makeshift shooting mat was not working to keep the pit run rock from digging in to my knees and elbows, so I'll have to do it at the range later.
I know they say you should spend as much on optics as you did on your rifle, but if I can get these results out of a $270 scope and an unlimited lifetime warranty, I'm in no hurry to spend 1G or more for a little more clarity. Granted the American Defense AD Recon mount probably has a lot to do with it, and it costs almost as much as the scope(around $180). It is money well spent considering the quality, amount of contact it has with the pic rail, and it too has an unlimited lifetime warranty. My research has told me that the American Defense AD Recon is arguably the best you can get for return to zero if you plan on swapping optics or want to be able to remove it for transport or storage. LaRue is its main competition. Though my personal experience is limited, my research has been confirmed. I've heard the LaRue is on par, but I have no experience with them other than noticing the owner of the company frequents ARFCOM, and turns every mount discussion into a 3 page LaRue ad, and will attack anybody that argues with him. And I've heard he's an arrogant prick. That alone is enough to steer me back to AD.
I wouldn't have been able to afford this setup, but I got it used for $150 from a great NWFA member, and I feel like I stole it.
Bottom line...
Vortex Crossfire2 6-18X44 w/V-Brite reticle..
American Defense AD Recon mount....
My mock M193 handloads....
This range report was brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Mygrainman
When I took the kids shooting the other day, I decided to sight in the new(to me) scope I got last week. It's a 6-18x44 Vortex CrossfireII with the illuminated reticle mounted to my rifle with an American Defense AD Recon QD mount. All I brought for ammo was my personal m193 recipe of 25.5g of h335 behind a 55g Hornady fmjbt and CCI #41 primer. A budget plinking round. What transpired was nothing short of amazing.
I paced off 100 yards, put down a tarp and a little (but not nearly enough)cardboard to get off the gravel.. I had limited room in the gun case, so I took advantage of the American Defense mount's excellent QD function, and mounted the scope to my Mega/Ballistics Advantage 18" SPR chambered in .223 Wylde.
It was hot, 95 degrees +, the tarp and folded up usps flat rate boxes I happened to have in the Jeep did little to cushion me from the 3" minus pit run gravel I was laying on, and the flys were "bugging" the $#!+ out of me, but I finally settled in behind the rifle, popped in a mag... took aim and squeezed one off. I didn't bore sight or anything.
First shot hit dead center, about 1/4" above the bulls eye. Second shot about 3/4" to its left. I had to walk up to the target and make sure I was seeing it right, and sure enough.. I came back to the rifle, squeezed off a half dozen more resulting in a 1/2" ragged hole... cleared the gun and put it back in its case, and went back to letting the kids shoot.
It took me an hour, and 20-30 rounds of much more expensive ammo to get my last scope this close! I want to fine tune it at 200/300 yards, but our secret creek spot is only 100yards, and my makeshift shooting mat was not working to keep the pit run rock from digging in to my knees and elbows, so I'll have to do it at the range later.
I know they say you should spend as much on optics as you did on your rifle, but if I can get these results out of a $270 scope and an unlimited lifetime warranty, I'm in no hurry to spend 1G or more for a little more clarity. Granted the American Defense AD Recon mount probably has a lot to do with it, and it costs almost as much as the scope(around $180). It is money well spent considering the quality, amount of contact it has with the pic rail, and it too has an unlimited lifetime warranty. My research has told me that the American Defense AD Recon is arguably the best you can get for return to zero if you plan on swapping optics or want to be able to remove it for transport or storage. LaRue is its main competition. Though my personal experience is limited, my research has been confirmed. I've heard the LaRue is on par, but I have no experience with them other than noticing the owner of the company frequents ARFCOM, and turns every mount discussion into a 3 page LaRue ad, and will attack anybody that argues with him. And I've heard he's an arrogant prick. That alone is enough to steer me back to AD.
I wouldn't have been able to afford this setup, but I got it used for $150 from a great NWFA member, and I feel like I stole it.
Bottom line...
Vortex Crossfire2 6-18X44 w/V-Brite reticle..
American Defense AD Recon mount....
My mock M193 handloads....
This range report was brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Mygrainman
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