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Thoughts on the Aero Precision SOLUS ?
- Thread starter zenpre
- Start date
I'm not the biggest barrel nut fan but I do have one on a nuke, mainly to try a 22 creed barrel out without dropping 700 into a shouldered barrel. Yeah, aesthetically speaking it's ugly, but it hammers and after it's burnt out at 1k rds I'll do something different. It defines allowed me to try out cartridge, figure twist rate, and experiment with 22creed without being bartlien blank+gunsmith fees into it.
Gotcha, some guys rag on them, so I didn't know. I'll recalibrate sarcasm meter.
I prefer them. I know more than most here about manufacturing and machining to believe the ad copy that some actions and barrels play so well together that headspace is always right.
The 6.5 PRC is not similar to the 6.5 Creed. The 6.5 PRC is much closer related to the .270 WSM and 6.8 Western, than the 6.5 CM. The 6.5 Creed is more closely related to the .260 Rem, 7mm-08, and .308 Win. in the case capacity, size, parent case, and types of powder used.
Anyone had issues with the bolt release not opening when running a Rem700 action in a Solus chassis? Meaning I can't remove (or install) the bolt from the action when everything is together. There is the faintest mark where the bolt release spring made contact with the chassis, so I filed a few thou off; doesnt make contact any longer. It seems that the bolt stop lever is not able to move.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Alright, so 3rd round of load development... The first 2 (first 50 rounds) were trying to get it to shoot the Nosler RDF 210's, since it has a 1:10" twist, I figured it shouldn't be adverse to them, and would like them, like my Christensen MPR 16" .308 Win, which stacks 5 shot groups under 1/2" with them. But that was not the case with the factory Aero M24 barrel... It didn't care for them at all... So, I decided to go with my old faithful Nosler 168 Custom Comps for this round to see if it was the bullet weight, or the gun just being picky, or needing more rounds for break-in.
Now, the unacceptable groups during the first 50 rounds, could very well could have been during the break-in period, and it just needed some time to settle in, because even today (shots 50-75) it was still hit-or-miss. I'm not sure if it's just really picky, or needs more break-in rounds to really settle in. But I did find 2 nice velocity nodes at 45gr. of Varget and one at 46gr. of Varget with the Nosler 168 Custom Comps seated .030" off the lands.
Now, the last 2 weekends, it has been UNUSUALLY hot and humid for June... Today broke 100ºF, and it was absolutely miserable out there. So, the unsual heatwave could have created some adverse barometric pressures and humidity that could have been affecting my groups... Only time will tell... I plan to explore between 45 and 46 grains in .2 grain increments now to see how it does.
Now, the unacceptable groups during the first 50 rounds, could very well could have been during the break-in period, and it just needed some time to settle in, because even today (shots 50-75) it was still hit-or-miss. I'm not sure if it's just really picky, or needs more break-in rounds to really settle in. But I did find 2 nice velocity nodes at 45gr. of Varget and one at 46gr. of Varget with the Nosler 168 Custom Comps seated .030" off the lands.
Now, the last 2 weekends, it has been UNUSUALLY hot and humid for June... Today broke 100ºF, and it was absolutely miserable out there. So, the unsual heatwave could have created some adverse barometric pressures and humidity that could have been affecting my groups... Only time will tell... I plan to explore between 45 and 46 grains in .2 grain increments now to see how it does.
Quick range session today yielded some less than stellar results... I think this factory barrel might just be shit... Because it always has a damn flier in EVERY group. Otherwise, the groups would be amazing.
Best groups of the day... If you pulled the fliers from the groups, then they would be sub-1/2 MOA.
Best groups of the day... If you pulled the fliers from the groups, then they would be sub-1/2 MOA.
Best groups of the day... If you pulled the fliers from the groups, then they would be sub-1/2 MOA.
Is it always on the first shot? Those groups look similar to mine with 168 CC’s; I was using IMR4064. They also look like my test groups with a 140RDF in my 6.5 CM. It’s maddening. At least I know my 6.5 will produce 1/2 MOA or less with a 123 CC; I’ve just begun experimenting with the 308, it’s a Solus with a 20” PVA “Wilson” barrel. It seems to like 155 CC’s better so far. I’ll be trying 175’s in it too.
168 Nosler CC
155 Nosler CC with TAC
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Mostly on the first shot. Shot #1 when I measure my groups is not always the true first shot of the group, it’s just the closest to the bull, since you start marking shots directly after marking POA…It’s just the first shot hole that you see, gets the “1” marker.
I'd be interested in that mag bolt face! It sucked that it didn't work out as expected, but I'm really liking this action. That's coming from someone that's owned origin, tl3, deadlines, impacts, defiance, AI, and badger 2013s. My origin sa that I tried to use 6.5prc with would trap empty brass during ejection between upper rear port corner and top rd in mag, no matter how hard you cycled bolt. Zermatts solution was bend feed lips down to lower top rd in mag, nevermind there was barely any overlap between top rd and bolt face to feed.
I find the saami freebore of 6.5prc is a bit long to play nice on short actions. My Smith ordered a custom reamer that is no turn with adg brass and freebore is .155 or .160(saami is .188). Works better with long slippery bullets and also constraints of a SA.
where did you get the 308 barrel?
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I've generally had good luck with the nosler CC bullets, but I've saw sometimes a bullet/barrel combo cause a flier like that. Best case I can think was an old Lothar walthar savage barrel, during load work with 107smk, 105h-vld(pre hybrids), and 105amax the amax would be 2 in a hole and 1 1/2" away. I just chalked it upto bullet. I don't think it's a barrel stress issue, or flier would be consistent to main group. In 1 it's high, and the other it's to the left.Quick range session today yielded some less than stellar results... I think this factory barrel might just be shit... Because it always has a damn flier in EVERY group. Otherwise, the groups would be amazing.
View attachment 8442547
Best groups of the day... If you pulled the fliers from the groups, then they would be sub-1/2 MOA.
View attachment 8442548View attachment 8442549
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…
The rounds were loaded so long you couldn’t even fit them in the magazine, so these are going to have to jump a bit to make it to the lands
2.980 = accuracy, international magazine ( the longest allotment ) will allow 2.970 (aw version)
The 12 round MDT 2.902 approx..
The Pmag will allow 2.890 approx
overall length…
I figured out the problem.
The rounds were loaded so long you couldn’t even fit them in the magazine, so these are going to have to jump a bit to make it to the lands
2.980 = accuracy, international magazine ( the longest allotment ) will allow 2.970 (aw version)
The 12 round MDT 2.902 approx..
The Pmag will allow 2.890 approx
overall length…
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Well, that’s some good information about short action/ and magnums …
When I look at just hunting bullets in general, looking at what’s available, no matter what caliber most of the hunting bullets do not look like a burger, Vld. Hunting bullet.
Be interested to find out who has been using the short magnums in these solace actions?
Because your new member you’re not able to do private messages? are you interested in selling the barrel in the bolt face?
Anybody knows how to do a private conversation let me know? Can’t seem to get it to work.
Plenty of hunting bullets with a sleeker profile these days too.
I’d be skeptical about having to jump 0.028” more in a saami chamber vs a 0.160” freebore amounting to any real measurable difference in precision.
Went and shot my 6.5 Creed this morning. Have just about 700 rounds on it at this point without a hiccup. Has shot pretty good from the beginning. Overall if you average it all out, it’s a 1/2 moa gun. It really shines with 140 hybrids and RL16 or N555. Considering I have less into it, minus the glass, than a lot of people have in just their actions, it’s been a winner for me. Did I just get a good one, maybe. But if something catastrophic happened to it today, I’d buy another one tonight. It’s been like a sore dick, you just can’t beat it.
Question for the thread:
Does anyone have experience running 6BR/6BRA/Dasher through a solus? If so, then what mags are you using and how is that working for you?
Does anyone have experience running 6BR/6BRA/Dasher through a solus? If so, then what mags are you using and how is that working for you?
Ballistic-X makes going back and altering a group simple without having to remeasure and hope it’s close. All I did was pull the #1 shot (flier) to see how the groups compare… Here’s a with, and without the flier removed from the measurement.
I did accidentally put in the wrong COAL on the original one, so I did correct that on the new one.
I did accidentally put in the wrong COAL on the original one, so I did correct that on the new one.
More range time today... Put 50 more through it at 45.0 grains of Varget with the 168 Custom Comps... Still not happy with how it's grouping with handloads, but cold-bore zero is pinwheeling the bull @ 100, and I had no issues hitting the small MOA sized gongs at 200 and 300...So, even though it won't group worth a fuck, it seems to make hits on MOA sized steel targets. Never seen a really picky .308 Win before, most are tack-drivers. This one loves throwing some shots and fliers. Not sure what the deal is, but it's just irritating as hell fighting this. 150 rounds down range it should be more than broken-in... I'm just glad @CarbonSix owes me a barrel, since I bought that Proof CF prefit for my other Solus build (.25 Creed). I might get Gene to spin-up a 16.5" .308 Win CF barrel for this one with a 1:7 twist for shooting subs and heavies...Or possibly a 20" 1:8 twist prefit chambered for 7 SAW for it. I have enough .308's in the safe, this one can become something new and different just to mix things up a bit.
44gr varget and 168gr smk was the street equivalent to fgmm. While that load always shot good, along with 43.7gr and 175smk, switching to h4895 got better numbers and accuracy.
Well, 44gr of Varget behind a 168 has always been my go-to load to see if any .308 Win would shoot, or not... This one did NOT like 44 grains, and is SUPER picky. Best groups were 45.0 and 45.2 grains. I'm probably going to snatch the barrel off and send it back to Aero, to see if they'll do some testing to find out WTF is wrong with it. Maybe tolerance stacking? Chamber seems to have been cut really nicely, and so is the crown, and the muzzle threads are also about as perfect as you could ask for, so I doubt any of that's the issue. And I'm seating bullets at a MAX of .030" off at a +/- 0.0005" tolerance, which should be more than short and consistent enough jump to eliminate seating depth as an issue. It has to be a bore issue. I'm going to scrub the shit out of the bore again before next range session and see if that helps settle it down. If it doesn't settle in the next 50 shots, then I'll be contacting Aero.
@John.Warren4 might be able to help, since he's a forum presence, and the Solus was his baby.
Not enough difference between them and the Custom Comp to justify swapping over.
I don't care what people agree with... I've never had issues with Custom Comps. I've tried 2 different types of bullets (RDF & Custom Comp) and 2 different weights, both are proven from that lot to be just fine in my other .30 caliber rifles... But this barrel won't shoot either one? I wouldn't say the bullets are the issue. But just to satisfy the masses, I might try a box of SMK's, or try some Berger 168's. I don't typically shoot Bergers at steel at the range (due to cost $$$) unless I'm doing load development on a particular hunting rifle/bullet combo, but I might have to give them a try just to see.
you can't make a barrel like a bullet, just like you can't make a horse drink water. I've had plenty of bullets that worked in other barrels not work in a new barrel, but I tried another bullet and found one that worked great. I'm afraid you will need to do that or replace barrel and "hope" the new barrel likes custom comps. I will say, the biggest difference I saw between cc and smk was at distance the smk were just tighter.
Yeah, I’ve been doing this a long time…I’m aware. But when 10 barrels like them, and then 1 decides it doesn’t, that’s strange. Also, the fact it didn’t like 210 RDF’s or 168 Custom Comps is strange, being that it’s a 1:10 twist.
I do know I’m tired of wasting powder and primers on a potentially junk/picky barrel. So I might just go ahead and snatch it and replace it, then send the factory tube to Aero for testing. And if it’s bad, they can either send me a new one, or refund me for what a barrel cost.
No that's not strange at all. 20 to 1 or 50 to 1, yea it's the barrel.
Exactly… When I said “that’s strange”, I was referring to being strange that this particular barrel does not like that bullet & charge, since I’ve never had (or loaded for) a .308 Win that didn’t like that bullet/powder combo. That has been my gold-standard for almost 20 years, and hasn’t failed me yet. Even guns that belonged to friends that said they couldn’t get it to group well, shot MOA or better with that combo.
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I meant the opposite. One barrel in ten thar doesn't like your pet load isn't unusual.
Not strange at all.
RDFs are shit.
There's a reason why they have the moniker "random damn flier"
See, I haven't had that issue with the RDF's like some folks claim. Maybe I'm just lucky with them. The only gun that hasn't shot them well was the 16" MPR 6mmARC, with the Nosler 115 RDF's... But after sending that back to Christensen, it was a chamber issue + a tolerance stacking issue with the action, and the replacement has been great. All my magnums and .300 BLK precision loads using the 210 RDF's have been exceptional. Even my 16" MPR .308 Win will stack 5 of them inside a 1/2". But this barrel just seems to hate everything I've thrown at it. I've been through 2 complete rounds of 50 (4x25) load development with 2 different bullets + another 50 at 45.0gr, and one day it shoots a great group, the next it's like shit. I even tested another theory this weekend, where I shot 2 groups using the TBAC Magnus-S, and the OCL Hydrogen-L... Same powder, same everything, just to see if it was a harmonics issue. I didn't figure with a truck axle M24 contour barrel it would be, but... covering all my bases. It shot 1 semi-acceptable group out of 4. I shot a 5 shot group with the Magnus-S, then let it cool down, and shot a 5 shot with the Hydro-L. Then swapped them around again, and did the same while letting it cool between. Same shit.
I'm waiting on Gene or Justin @CarbonSix to call me back tomorrow, and discuss options for my 2nd custom barrel in lieu of my original .25CM barrel I ordered back in November, since I don't need that one anymore, because I ordered that Proof prefit from Evolved Ballistics for it. Thinking I might go 20" 7 SAW on this one.
Bud, I'm just sayin I've had some barrels love 110smk and 112 Barnes, and some barrels hate them. Identical spec and chamber barrels. The barrels that didn't shoot them would bughole 105hybrids or 107smk. Every barrel has its own personality, if you force them to use a bullet don't expect stellar results. This is why I'll never own a barrel that is set up or chambered for a particular bullet, sets yourself up for fail.
Well, I really wasn't asking your opinion on the matter, either.
But he is rightWell, I really wasn't asking your opinion on the matter, either.
My experience exactly. They seem to turn a bug hole group into a 3/4” group with one random flyer no matter what the seating depth. If I run them 100-150 fps slower than other same weight bullets, the flyers seem to go away, but whats the point of that other than maybe make my barrel last longer.
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