Bought the Watchman just under a year ago, smoking hot price from my dealer made the wallet dump less painful.
Had issues right outta the gate, destroyed brass, numerous FTF and jamming. I was highly pissed, more pissed when I was having problems with them returning emails. Got my dealer involved, phone call within 5 minutes and return authorization emailed within 15 seconds of hanging up.
Weapon's round trip run was 10 days with a shit ton of swag and extra magazines.
Didn't have much time to really shoot a bunch when I got it back, but bought 3 boxes of different manufacturers and the weapon shot perfectly, I didn't care much about accuracy at that point, more just to working on continuing barrel break in.
Prior to hunting season this year I loaded up a pretty standard weaker end go to load that I use of my BAR and one of the bolt guns.
190 Berger, 215 Match, 73gr IMR 4831 and new cheap Winchester cases. (run new and once fired in my semi's, probably hit 5-6 reloads on bolt guns) After spending the money of high end brass that gave exact same results as Winchester, albeit about 2-3 more reloads, I just stopped buying them and they've been shot out of rotation and in scrap bucket.
Shoots perfect, no dented cases, no ejector swipes and sub moa at 100yds.
Ran it over the chrony and pushing 2750-65, rounded up a couple fps.
While I've got a decent VX5hd scope on it for hunting, playing out to 520+ yds was hitting a reasonable kill shot, about 4"-5", but knew I could do better next time, all the humping through the clearing checking the target, taping over holes and second can of go juice had me fidgety and playing knocking over bowling pins got more involved than going for full blown accuracy.
I've carried it a couple full days deer hunting just to get used to it. Needs a friggin handle on it. If there's ANY complaint about the weapon now, except for maybe the butt stock, it's due to being the most uncomfortable and impossible weapon to carry in one hand. I beat brush, can't always shoulder, can't always carry cross body or single point, need to carry in hand while crawling or beating the brush, someone needs to design a handle that flips down and around the scope, which is about where the center balance is..... seriously, that fukr is impossible to carry in my smallish hands.
It shoots fast, you can shoot all day long, I can drop back on target immediately, it doesn't pound your shoulder or crack your neck from recoil. There's really no mag drop, it hangs and you've got to grab it, haven't looked into it, but I'm not going to play woods warrior either.
I was set on buying this weapon before I read all the reviews. Fell into the internet trap of people complaint when shit doesn't work, don't when it does. When I was having first issues on mine and read here and elsewhere, I felt I'd been reamed and just a bit pissed. Sat back, went thru the process, got her fixed/adjusted whatever they did, and happy as hell with her.
I don't shoot comps, reach out a mile and ring steel or think I'm some expert, just an old Army dude that owns a healthy handful of 300WM's and wanted the NEMO for the collection, and for the wife to ask why I'm taking half a dozen 300's Elk hunting. I'll plink out to 800yds if I'm in the area, but I have no intention of buying spendy glass for this.
Now, to start collecting 264 Magnums and spend the next 10 years building up a couple sweet loads.
I have a patient and understanding wife, she knows what I've paid for all of them....
