450Bushmaster.net

A few months back I ordered a 22" m24/m40 contour Green Mountain 1/16 twist 450 bushmaster barrel for a R700 action from http://apachegunworks.com/

450 bushmaster standing by a 308 while a 5.7mm cry's our in terror.


I screwed it all together last week and these are its first shots at 100. 4 shots at 3 o'clock are the very first shots fired, I had a magnetospeed attached. At 12 O'clock is a second 4 shot group also with the magnetospeed. 9 O'clock is 4 shots without the magnetospeed and the final 4 at 6 O'clock. This is all with Factory Hornady ammo using the Flex tip 250 grain bullet. Velocity published on the box is 2200 fps.



IIRC, the 2200fps is what is to be expected from a 20" AR gas gun. My 22" barrel on the bolt rifle gave the following:
Shot Group 1. 2343, 2339, 2312 & 2364 for an average of 2339 ES=52 SD=21
Shot group 2. 2329, 2318, 2365 & 2320 for an average of 2333 ES/SD 47/21

So I am pushing these about 135fps faster than the published velocity.

Business end



Over view.

Niles Coyote-
Thanks for posting about your bolt rifle. It's nice to see a rifle as nice in appearance as your rifle is, and the groups you showed indicate it does have real accuracy potential. Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Your recorded velocities for the Hornady factory rounds are a bit higher than most velocities posted on the forum. In May 2011 I recorded the velocity of Hornady factory ammo with an average = 2237 fps, SD = 15.8 fps: Chronographing Remington & Hornady Ammo

These were taken using a 26-inch barrel. If you have occasion to use another lot of Hornady ammo, it may be helpful if you'd post the results of further measurements of velocities. You may have a "fast barrel", or the higher velocities are a result of lot-to-lot variation.

Please take the time to post results here of using your new rifle.

--Bob

very nice rig!!

Thanks for the kind words.

I do have another lot number at home that I will be getting to soon. I'll post results and lot numbers when I do.

Last week I took it out to my long distance range with factory ammo. Bullet BC appears to be around .18g1 per my drops at 2, 3, 4 and 5 hundred. All shots were from prone with a bipod while using a rear squeeze bag... practice like you play

200y


300y


400y the wind was playing tricks with my bullets, I had two that were just off on each side of the plate. FWIW, this bullet should be going subsonic at around 325 yards. At 400 my ballistic computer says the bullet should be retaining a velocity of 1088 given the weather data at the time.


By 500 I was down to 4 rounds remaining and went 50/50... first two were a hit and last two went wide and unnoticed in the grass some where. At 500 retained velocity around 970fps.

My first attempts at hand loading this cartridge...
Playing with Lil-gun and 250 Hornady FTX at 100... believe it or not these are all 4 round groups. Some passed though rips in the paper

[/quote]

I was out again Monday and retested 38, 38.5 and 39, this time at 200y and 39 appears to be the winner when measuring my vertical spread.

very very nice shooting!!

who's bottom metal and mags you running?

Al in Mi wrote:very very nice shooting!!

who's bottom metal and mags you running?

R&D precision, very similar to Badger ordnance's M-5 but with out the exposed/extended release lever. It uses Accuracy International AICS mags and I didn't need to do any modifications to get them to work.

Deer in Michigan's limited rifle zone are quivering

pitted bore wrote:Niles Coyote-
Thanks for posting about your bolt rifle. It's nice to see a rifle as nice in appearance as your rifle is, and the groups you showed indicate it does have real accuracy potential. Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Your recorded velocities for the Hornady factory rounds are a bit higher than most velocities posted on the forum. In May 2011 I recorded the velocity of Hornady factory ammo with an average = 2237 fps, SD = 15.8 fps: Chronographing Remington & Hornady Ammo

These were taken using a 26-inch barrel. If you have occasion to use another lot of Hornady ammo, it may be helpful if you'd post the results of further measurements of velocities. You may have a "fast barrel", or the higher velocities are a result of lot-to-lot variation.

Please take the time to post results here of using your new rifle.

--Bob

New lot #3141030
5 shots over the magentospeed averaged 2396fps SD-26 ES-65

On June 14, 2015, Niles Coyote wrote:Shot Group 1. 2343, 2339, 2312 & 2364 for an average of 2339 ES=52 SD=21
Shot group 2. 2329, 2318, 2365 & 2320 for an average of 2333 ES/SD 47/21

So I am pushing these about 135fps faster than the published velocity.

On July 2, 2015, Niles Coyote wrote:New lot #3141030
5 shots over the magnetospeed averaged 2396fps SD-26 ES-65

N.C.-
Thank you for making the effort to check another lot of Hornady factory 250-grain ammo through your admirable rifle.

What are your ideas about why Hornady factory ammo seems to be going 150+ fps faster from your rifle than from any other?

Thanks.
--Bob

22" bbl