6.5 finally done!

[1903Collector]

Not a great picture
So I finally got this completed, took six months because I was "paying as I go" for parts. By far the priciest build I have done yet. Decided not to do a muzzle device, not really needed on a 6.5 Grendel. Stats:
Upper.....
Standard BCM M4 upper
BHW 20" 1/8 SS barrel and matched bolt/rifle length gas system
BCM BCG
Syrac Ord. Gen 2 gas block
JP rapid configuration hand guard extended rifle length

Lower.....
Alexander arms lower receiver
Geissele SSA-E FCG
Ambi selector
Magpul MIAD grip, trigger guard, and stock
KNS anti-walk pins...yes.... I know I don't need them but I had a few sets kicking around so I put them in, kinda like the way they look.

Optics.....
Burris 2-10x42 FFP XTR with LaRue LT104 mount

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

Seriously nice! I chickened out and built mine in .223, but with a very similar build spec

Can't wait to see target pics

(I have a wicked man crush on anything 6.5 )

 

[1903Collector]

Seriously nice! I chickened out and built mine in .223, but with a very similar build spec

Can't wait to see target pics

(I have a wicked man crush on anything 6.5 )

I'm hoping this one does better with the heavier bullets, my 1/9 doesn't seem to like anything over 107gr. Mfg's barrel break in is pretty lengthy so that's going to take a while.

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

I'm hoping this one does better with the heavier bullets, my 1/9 doesn't seem to like anything over 107gr. Mfg's barrel break in is pretty lengthy so that's going to take a while.

Eh, mag dump it a few times... Boom, broken in

Nice build, now I want one

 

[mac1911]

I'm hoping this one does better with the heavier bullets, my 1/9 doesn't seem to like anything over 107gr. Mfg's barrel break in is pretty lengthy so that's going to take a while.

Im curious to know their barrel break in..... Nice looking rifle....

 

[1903Collector]

Im curious to know their barrel break in..... Nice looking rifle....

Thanks,
I dont have the exact procedure in front of me but its along the lines of fire one shot and clean X 10, then fire two shots and clean x 10, fire 3 shots and clean X 5, etc. You get the picture. When i have a minute ill post it if you like?

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

: How should I break in my barrel?

A: I suspect that more barrels have been damaged than helped by "breaking in". Barrel makers take a lot of care to get a uniform finish on the inside of a barrel. Barrels are lapped not so that they will be smooth, but so that the finish and dimensions will be uniform over the entire barrel. When you use an abrasive cleaning compound you will change the finish on the inside of the barrel. Since some areas of the barrel are going to be protected by copper that you are trying to remove, and others areas are not, the surface finish is no longer going to be uniform. Since I got a bore scope I have backed off on my use of abrasive bore cleaners. I use them, but not nearly as aggressively, particularly on a new barrel.

My personal break in procedure is to take a new upper to the range and zero the front sight and shoot a group or two. This will take about 15-20 rounds. I then bring it back to the shop and clean it good with shooters and a good quality brush. I check it with a bore scope, but generally very little copper fouling is present. Depending on how it looks I may hit the throat lightly with some JB. That's it, it is now broken in.

This all for good quality hand lapped barrels. I will get a little more aggressive with mass produced barrels.

That's from John of White Oak.... I trust his expertise

 

[1903Collector]

That's from John of White Oak.... I trust his expertise

Works for me!!!

Plus the rifling is polygonal, I wonder if that would affect how much copper gets left in the barrel?

 

[mac1911]

That's from John of White Oak.... I trust his expertise

I recieved a similar response from Wilson Arms. tHey claimed on a quality match grade barrel it should be lapped enough that "breaking" in by shooting the rifle is not going to do much of anything. Now me being trained by my dad. a new barrel: Clean it very well before the first shot.
1 shot then patch clean, 2 shots patch clean. 3 shots patch clean. If your getting a lot of copper fouling by then the barrel finish might not be that great. This was my dads thoughts anyway. Then a final 5 shot then clean.
At that point my dad would say "is it a cold bore 1 shot gotta count rifle or a target gun"
his cleaning procedure differed for the hunting gun vs the target guns.

glad to see a nice target crown on that barrel vs a muzzle device.

 

[1903Collector]

So I have two sets of break in procedures, the barrel is a BHW but I purchased it from Precision Firearms and they sent there break in procedure. I went to BHW's web site and there's is 5 rounds, clean and repeat for 60 rounds. There seems to be a lot of "diversity" in break in procedures...

 

[1903Collector]

glad to see a nice target crown on that barrel vs a muzzle device.

Thanks, I saved a chunk not having a MD or threaded barrel plus I maintain the ease of swapping things out should I decide to later on. Now I just gotta get the damn thing to the range and also give myself a lesson or two on MRAD scopes vs. MOA.

 

[NickyBangBang]

Wow very nice

 

[mac1911]

Thanks, I saved a chunk not having a MD or threaded barrel plus I maintain the ease of swapping things out should I decide to later on. Now I just gotta get the damn thing to the range and also give myself a lesson or two on MRAD scopes vs. MOA.

MRAD is not to hard. What you need to know is if your scope is actually calibrated for Mil. and @ what distance.
"Mil dot" style reticles can be almost anything the manufacture makes it.

Your standard mil dot scope the "dots" should be 1 mil spaced or even .5 mil. And the "dot" on some are .2 mil.
Then you need to know how many mils the turret adjustments are.
This is a basic look into it.
http://www.tedsholdover.com/video/shooting-demonstrations/mildot-ranging-target-demonstration/

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

MRAD is not to hard. What you need to know is if your scope is actually calibrated for Mil. and @ what distance.
"Mil dot" style reticles can be almost anything the manufacture makes it.

Your standard mil dot scope the "dots" should be 1 mil spaced or even .5 mil. And the "dot" on some are .2 mil.
Then you need to know how many mils the turret adjustments are.
This is a basic look into it.
http://www.tedsholdover.com/video/shooting-demonstrations/mildot-ranging-target-demonstration/

1903collector and I actually have the save Burris scope I believe.... which, for anyone interested Burris is offering up a $100 rebate on right now. The XTR II 2-10X42 FFP scope can be had for less than $550 after the rebate....

1903collector, have you considered a mil dot master analog calculator for range estimation? I just order one... figured for $30 it would at least help me get the idea

 

[mac1911]

1903collector and I actually have the save Burris scope I believe.... which, for anyone interested Burris is offering up a $100 rebate on right now. The XTR II 2-10X42 FFP scope can be had for less than $550 after the rebate....

1903collector, have you considered a mil dot master analog calculator for range estimation? I just order one... figured for $30 it would at least help me get the idea

The only thing I can tell you with dealing with my "mil dot " style scopes is you need to know your target size pretty well. Also subtension is a word I needed to learn.
Now having FFP will make it a bit easier as your reticle should retain is "size" in proportion to the target. reguardless of mag X, only don side is sometimes the reticle is washed out into the target at high magnification.

Play around with it and you will see. My 2 mil dot style scopes are cheap and one sits on the shelf and the other on a inexpensive pellet gun. Although I have come to really like the range estimation of the dots. Once I figured out at what MAG X how many inches between dots covered.

Im looking for a new scope for my AR, I want a nice target dot scope. 1/8 MOA dot FFP would be nice?

I only have looked through a FFP scope the large reticle is somewhat shocking at first on high X. Im so undecided on what I want on this AR.

 

[1903Collector]

So I finally got the rifle to the range the other day, fired 40 rounds with one FTF but once I opened up the gas block one turn all was good. I don't have one of those fancy target analyzing apps so I measured the groups the best I could with my calipers. #1 was the best except for the flyer which was due to a very unfriendly wasp landing on my arm. I wanted to see what would happen at 200yds but the line was just too busy that day.