TLDR: Skip to the bolded text at the end for the 60gr SS observations.
I went and put a bunch of ammo through two new builds, both with 16.1" Apogee barrels with nitride. The barrels were randomly selected out of inventory.
ELR #1 has a 3-18x44 Strike Eagle
ELR #2 has a 5-25x56 Venom
Both bores were cleaned and then ceramic coated in the shop before firing. Each had 100 rds of Aguila Superextra fired through them to give the bores a good coating of fouling before the SV ammo testing started.
Ammo tested:
Aguila Superextra SV
Aguila 60gr SS
CCI SV
Wolf Match Target (Eley)
Wolf Match Extra (Eley)
Mini Mag (10 rds, at a customer request)
All shots were fired off Caldwell bags and a crappy folding table/camping chair. Nothing but the best around here. Ammo was magazine loaded from 10rd 15-22 mags with a better mag adapter. Muzzle device was a Kaw Valley XL aluminum linear comp.
ELR#1 got 95% of the trigger time. Conditions were around 50F and breezy with gusts up to around 10-15mph at times. The wind started at my back and gradually shifted to nearly 90 degrees to the bullet path by the end of the day.
I didn't throw away a single paper target. All targets are scanned and available here:
CC SV threw down some impressive groups (for semi-auto, at least) and was the clear winner for ELR#1. ELR#2 was not tested with anything but CCI SV but it liked it as well.
I'm very pleased. I have a lot more ammo types to test, most that are more expensive than the above ammo assortment. If both barrels like 8cpr CCI SV the best, I'll not complain. Cheap date.
I shot ELR #1 out to 270 yards. Hitting a 6"wx11"h steel target was incredibly easy at 200 yards with CCI SV. Almost not even fun. at 270 yards was a little desert bluff and hitting little rocks and making them tumble down was not hard. 5.3 mils up for 200y, 10 mils up for 270y.
Aguila 60g SS was stable to 270 yards (max range at the location I was at). No signs of keyholing or yawing at all, nice little round holes. Accuracy was not stellar, with a large ~12" vertical spread and ~4" horizonal spread with a cross breeze, but they were quite stable. I think velocity of the ammo was all over the place, more investigation needed when I have time to set up the chrono.
If Aguila could get the velocity variations under control, these would be a great load for this barrel. As of now they are still a great load for suppressed since they fly straight in a 1-12" twist use if you want that extra mass. The sound of hitting steel at extended range was noticeably louder than 40gr SV loads.
I went and put a bunch of ammo through two new builds, both with 16.1" Apogee barrels with nitride. The barrels were randomly selected out of inventory.
ELR #1 has a 3-18x44 Strike Eagle
ELR #2 has a 5-25x56 Venom
Both bores were cleaned and then ceramic coated in the shop before firing. Each had 100 rds of Aguila Superextra fired through them to give the bores a good coating of fouling before the SV ammo testing started.
Ammo tested:
Aguila Superextra SV
Aguila 60gr SS
CCI SV
Wolf Match Target (Eley)
Wolf Match Extra (Eley)
Mini Mag (10 rds, at a customer request)
All shots were fired off Caldwell bags and a crappy folding table/camping chair. Nothing but the best around here. Ammo was magazine loaded from 10rd 15-22 mags with a better mag adapter. Muzzle device was a Kaw Valley XL aluminum linear comp.
ELR#1 got 95% of the trigger time. Conditions were around 50F and breezy with gusts up to around 10-15mph at times. The wind started at my back and gradually shifted to nearly 90 degrees to the bullet path by the end of the day.
I didn't throw away a single paper target. All targets are scanned and available here:
CC SV threw down some impressive groups (for semi-auto, at least) and was the clear winner for ELR#1. ELR#2 was not tested with anything but CCI SV but it liked it as well.
I'm very pleased. I have a lot more ammo types to test, most that are more expensive than the above ammo assortment. If both barrels like 8cpr CCI SV the best, I'll not complain. Cheap date.
I shot ELR #1 out to 270 yards. Hitting a 6"wx11"h steel target was incredibly easy at 200 yards with CCI SV. Almost not even fun. at 270 yards was a little desert bluff and hitting little rocks and making them tumble down was not hard. 5.3 mils up for 200y, 10 mils up for 270y.
Aguila 60g SS was stable to 270 yards (max range at the location I was at). No signs of keyholing or yawing at all, nice little round holes. Accuracy was not stellar, with a large ~12" vertical spread and ~4" horizonal spread with a cross breeze, but they were quite stable. I think velocity of the ammo was all over the place, more investigation needed when I have time to set up the chrono.
If Aguila could get the velocity variations under control, these would be a great load for this barrel. As of now they are still a great load for suppressed since they fly straight in a 1-12" twist use if you want that extra mass. The sound of hitting steel at extended range was noticeably louder than 40gr SV loads.
