Bill T

I have heard that the Super Sniper scopes work well on .50 cal's. I think that is where I'm going to start. They have several models and all of them seem to get good reviews. I believe they all have glass etched reticles, a requirement for a .50 BMG. In fact quite honestly, I've never heard a bad thing about them. They are all priced attractively. If a S.S. holds up well in this application, and I feel the desire for something a little better down the line, I'll be able to buy it with a little more confidence than I have now. I would feel sick if I dropped $1,800.00 on a Nightforce or similar model, only to have it go south in 80 rounds. I'm thinking the integral rail will be a big asset in preventing too much distortion of the scope itself upon firing. Having a scope mounting platform that is literally milled right into the receiver should help with stability quite a bit. I'm also thinking of going with multiple rings. Having that long, milled in rail gives all but limitless applications, all of which should be quite solid. We'll see. Bill T. _________________

The problem with scoping these rifles with big buck scopes isn't money, it is the fact .50 BMG's tear up scopes, cheap or expensive. The reason isn't what you might think. It isn't recoil, but rather the lack of it from the way the excellent muzzle brakes work. On most every heavy recoiling hunting rifle, say a .458 Win. Mag., the recoil goes one way. Straight back into your shoulder until all of it is absorbed by the shooter. On a .50 BMG it becomes a two stage process. That is what ruins scopes. This phenomenon is much like what air rifles do to scopes. You can put a $1,200.00 Leupold on a $50.00 Crossman from Wal-Mart and achieve much the same result. Upon firing the scope and rifle starts back. When the bullet uncovers the muzzle brake ports it begins to pull the rifle forward, much like the clamshell thrust reverser on a jet engine does after the plane touches down. Then the rifle pulls forward. You as the shooter don't feel this. You simply feel the much softer "push" it all makes happen. But the scope "feels" everything. First rear thrust, then forward. A bit like hitting a brick wall in your truck....... then getting rear ended a millisecond later. Your neck is like a wet noodle. Your scope reacts much the same way. Check out this high speed, slo-mo video. Watch the scope base, scope and rifle. It is unbelievable how much the whole thing flexes! This is a $15,000.00 Accuracy International semi auto. No matter, Sir Issac Newton doesn't care how much you paid for your scope and mounts! _________________

This is my new Bushmaster .50 BMG Rifle. I just picked it up today after months of struggling with inner demons trying to justify such an expensive purchase. I can't wait to get it out and light it up! I still need to scope it out, and acquire an extensive enough amount of ammo to keep it supplied. So far she is all what they say! Bill T.

"Also, it shot wayyy to the left at 100m, I had to use pretty much all windage I had in the scope to get it zeroed." I had this exact same issue on my Savage Model 10-FP. The receiver holes were not only drilled way off, but the holes were full of encrusted crap from whatever Savage uses on their spray on coating because they don't use plug screws. The only way you will fix this is either by using a windage adjustable base, or else do what I did and use standard tactical bases, and go with the excellent Burris Signature Zee Rings with the plastic inserts. Burris sells an inexpensive offset insert kit that allows you to move your scope around while keeping your adjustments central. The inserts come in + and - halves. You simply use them in matched pairs. You can use them vertically, horizontally, or even diagonally. My holes in the receiver were so far off I used a +.020 and a -.020 in the front ring, and the same, but opposite in the rear ring. When I was done the rifle printed about 2" left at 100 yards with the scope adjustments set as the scope came from the box. I have these rings on 3 Savage rifles now, and a Weatherby, and they are the only rings I use. They are self centering, hold really well, and will never mar a scope tube. They also eliminate any lapping because they self center the scope without putting any stress on the tube itself. They are available in 1", and 30MM. Once you try them, you never use another brand of ring again. I have a new .50 BMG Bushmaster BA-50 coming to Randall's this morning, and when I scope it out I'll be using another set of Burris Signature Rings. It just doesn't make sense to mess with anything else. One other thing I would add is if you have used all the travel in your windage adjustment, that in itself could be part of the problem with open groups. Some scopes wander a bit if they are at the very limit in elevation or windage travel. Bill T.

Yes, this gun is an Accustock, and the Accutrigger model. Bill T.

I did my best guys. I really need a new digital camera. These were taken with my Sony Cybershot. It doesn't have the pixel quality I would like, but on the plus side I'm not burning up a ton of bandwidth on the forum. I picked up a nice Harris 6"-9" Bi-Pod this morning from Cabela's. The one I have is too long for a heavy caliber rifle. The one thing I don't care for on this new Bushnell 3200 Elite Tactical Scope is they have gone to green numbers on the adjustment knobs. It's not bad, and I'm not trying to nit pick, but the white numbers were much easier to see in lower light conditions. Anyway, I'm really happy with the way this rifle turned out. I really can't say enough good about the Bushnell 3200 Elite Tactical 5-15X Scope. I honestly can't come up with a better one that gives as much "bang for the buck". The Burris Signature Zee Rings mated up with the steel Burris Extreme Tactical Bases for just the right height. As you can see, the Butler Creek front Cap just clears the barrel. I bore sighted it about 10" high at 100 yards. To accomplish this I used a +.020 and a -.020 offset insert in the rear ring, and a -.010 and a +.010 offset insert in the front ring. Between the canted downward angle, along with the total elevation adjustment I have in the scope, along with the excellent Mil-Dot System, I should be able to hold dead on at very long ranges. This I'm really looking forward to! Anyway, for now it's all up to my handloads which I'll start loading tomorrow. It should be cooling off here soon, and I can't wait to get this thing lit up! Bill T.

I have more Leupolds than I care to count, and for many years I would not even consider putting anything else on any of my rifles. No longer. Leupold builds a great scope, but others like Bushnell have caught up to, and IMHO exceeded Leupold in both quality and clarity. This is one of 2 Bushnell 3200 Elite Tactical 5-15X 40 MM scopes I have mounted on 2, Savage .308's. One is a Model 12-F/TR, and the other is a Model 10-FP. This glass is incredible for the money, (low $300.00 range). So much so I'm seriously considering a third for my new Savage 110 FCP-K in .300 Win. Mag. I purchased last month. These scopes are as clear and bright as any Leupold I own, and focus crisp and clear as a bell. Both hold zero and repeat every bit as good as any Leupold. Bill T.

I agree totally with your assessment of the Bushnell 3200. These are the 2 I have mounted on my other Savage .308's. A Model 12-F/TR, and a Model 10-FP. They are a lot of scope for the money. Bill T.

I'm still kicking around optic options. As I mentioned it's way too hot here to shoot, so I've got time to make a selection. My "dream scope" for this gun is the Leupold Mark IV 16X, 30 MM tube. This scope has an almost unbelievable 140 M.O.A. of elevation adjustment. With the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge and 190 grain Sierra Matchking bullets this equates to being able to hold "dead on" at phenomenal ranges. The problem is even with my C&R discount from Midway, this scope runs right around $1,300.00 with shipping and insurance. The performance it delivers is well worth the cost. This is the same scope David Tubb uses in his video, "The One Mile Shot". He has it mounted on a custom 6.5 X .284. Bill T.

These are a few quick photos of my new Savage long range thumper. It's the new Model 110 FCP-K Heavy Barrel in .300 Winchester Magnum. I've been wanting to set up a long range .300 Win. Mag. for some time now, and almost went with a Remington 700 Police in that caliber, but then heard about this new Savage and decided to wait because I really liked the features that it has and the 700 Police didn't. First is the new Savage Accustock which has the Aluminum spine running the full length of the forend. It is really supposed to help in accuracy. Next is the brake which combined with the new super soft recoil pad which Savage calls the P.A.D. (Personal Anti recoil Device), along with the guns weight, (right around 9 pounds out of the box), should make for a really nice, soft shooting .300 Magnum. The gun also has the Savage Accutrigger, which I also have on both of my Savage .308's. For me there isn't a better factory trigger out there. All and all I'm happy with the gun as it came from the box. Fit and finish appears to be good, and the action is very smooth. Now comes the task of scope selection. I haven't made up my mind yet, and considering that today it's supposed to hit 116 degrees in the shade, I've got plenty of time to make up my mind before the cool weather comes. I'm seriously thinking of going with another Bushnell 5-15X 3200 Elite Tactical. I have that scope on both of my Savage .308's, a Model 10-FP, and a Model 12-F/TR, and I've been very happy with the results. For rings I'm for certain going with the excellent Burris Signature Zee Rings with the plastic inserts. Again, I have these rings on several rifles and the results have been nothing but good. With the Posi-Align Offset Insert Kit I can dial in any MOA tilt I want without the need for tapered bases. I'm excited about this gun because I don't think there has been a better long range performer than the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge. With 190 and 200 grain Sierra Matchking's, along with healthy doses of IMR 4831 powder, you have to look long and hard for a better 1,000 yard rifle. Cost per shot in relation to performance is pretty hard to beat. I'll have it ready to go by Fall. Between this rifle, and the 3, M-1 Garands I have on order from the CMP, I'm going to be very busy putting a lot of lead downrange! Bill T.

I had my Springfield SOCOM 16 out at the range the other day, just to run a few rounds through it and check functioning, sights, etc. I didn't run any handloads through it, just factory Winchester White Box and some Mag-Tech .308 ball I bought the other day. The gun ran flawlessly. Not one single FTF or FTE in the 10 round magazine the gun came with, or both my 20 round factory Springfield mags. I even tried the 10 round mag my Camp Perry Edition M-1A came with. Zero issues. As far as accuracy with the stock sights the only thing I didn't care for was the rear aperture on the SOCOM 16. It is a bit too large for me. I realize this is primarily a CQB rifle, but with such a large rear aperture you have to really take time to center everything properly if you're shooting at 100 yards or more. With that said I could maintain around a 4" group at that distance off a rest. Shooting conditions were ideal except for the heat which was around 103 yesterday late in the day. Recoil was not an issue as the factory brake works very well. Muzzle blast was high naturally with such a short barrel. I wasn't deterred by any noticeable flash, but that was no doubt because of the bright sunlight. Shooting at night would of course be a whole different story. The gun will require optics to do any real accuracy testing, and that is something I haven't decided on yet, and most likely won't until Fall when things cool down a bit. Here in Phoenix Summertime shooting is difficult with the ultra high temperatures we have. Once you heat up a barrel, it simply takes forever for it to cool down. I used up a full can of that "canned air" trying to keep the barrel of the SOCOM cool enough to touch. For Pluses I would rate the gun as follows. Extremely well balanced and easy to shoulder and get fast sight acquisition. It was very easy to perform fast, accurate double taps with this rife with just a bit of practice at the closer ranges. For a gas operated semi automatic the gun is easy to operate and magazine changes can be accomplished quite effortlessly once you have worked with the gun for a while. The sights are good and easy to adjust and very fast to align because of the large rear aperture. I found it to be quite easy to ring 12" steel gongs offhand at my clubs 200 yard range. Recoil is not bad and the stock configuration works well to absorb it. Even my wife found the gun not at all uncomfortable to shoot. For the minus column there really aren't too many marks I can place against this rifle. Cost is of course quite high and it's price tag keeps it out of the hands of many shooters, but at the same time it reflects the quality the Springfield M-1A weapons have become associated with. Also I agree with the assessment of this gun not being good for social work at all. Shooting this weapon in the confines of a modern track built house would result with a serious over penetration issue, not to mention substantial hearing loss! With FMJ Mil-Spec ammunition this rifle could easily penetrate a home from one end to the other. The legal ramifications of that could be devastating. There are simply far better choices for home protection. When all is said and done this is a very high quality "fun gun". It is a gun I will be bringing to the range often. With good optics and the right loads I have zero doubt the accuracy will be good if I want to explore that relm. Most likely I'll keep this weapon box stock. It is a fantastic rifle for putting a lot of lead down range in a really fun way. I think in it's factory stock configuration the gun would make an excellent woods, brush hunting rifle for deer, elk, or other similar size game. For Javelina I can't think of a better weapon. Of course if you were to employ the gun for that purpose it would require the use of a 5 round magazine to comply with local hunting regulations. All in all I'm very satisfied with the overall performance of this gun, and I'm glad I made the purchase. About all I need to do now is handload in a large volume so I'll be ready for shooting it when the weather cools down in the Fall. Bill T.

1 in 12" for the Savage 12-F/TR and 1 in 10" for the 10-FP. 1 in 11" for the Springfield SOCOM 16. I agree that OAL governs accuracy far more than resizing dimentions. Bill T.

I just picked up a set of RCBS Small Base Reloading Dies in .308 to compliment my RCBS Competition Die set in that same caliber. My reason for this is I have recently acquired 2 new Springfield Armory M-1A rifles. A National Match, and a SOCOM 16. I also reload .308 for 2 Savage bolt actions, a Model 10-FP, and a Model 12-F/TR. My question is will I sacrifice anything in the accuracy department by running all of my brass through the small base sizer die? I could segregate it but that is a lot more work. Much of the brass I'll be reloading is new, so I don't think it will matter that much. Has anyone run any accuracy tests in this area? I'm a firm believer in full length resizing, and I don't feel it effects accuracy that much. However, with that said I have never run any direct accuracy tests in an attempt to establish a running difference either way between the two. Thoughts or comments?? I should mention I shoot several rifles in the AR platform, two are LWRC weapons. I religiously use small base dies for all of my .223 / 5.56 MM reloading. I don't believe I sacrifice any accuracy by using small base dies in the .223 /5.56 MM caliber. I also shoot a CZ Model 527 LUX in .223, and it is quite accurate with the ammo reloaded with the small base dies. I just am not sure if that translates into anything different with the .308. Bill T.

Boxer primed, non corrosive, and fully reloadable. Bill T.

I've been thinking of getting that new Ruger Mini 14 Davidson's is offering with the Tactical black metal and flash suppressor, and Circassian Walnut stock, but I wasn't sure, so I thought I would go look at a Mini 14 Tactical at Cabela's before I ordered anything. Well, you know the story. They had this really nice Springfield M-1A SOCOM they just unboxed and put on the rack. Suddenly the Mini 14 didn't look so good. So after spending over twice as much I took the SOCOM home. It's a hell of a lot more rifle than the Mini 14 could ever hope to be on it's best day! This gun points like a Sporting Clays Shotgun! It has the Trijicon illuminated front post with the Ghost Ring rear sight set up. I need to get a nice black nylon padded sling for it. I haven't decided if I'll go with a scout scope setup, or just keep it the way it is with the factory irons. Either way I'll take it out and light up a few next weekend. I got all of my crap done around the house, stuff I've been putting off, so now it's plat time! Bill T.

I went to Cabela's along with all of the Saturday afternoon cattle, and they had a ton of Magtech .308 Ball for $35.99 a box of 50. That comes to $14.40 for a box of 20. Not too bad. You can see it has annealed cases, and is really clean. It also has green lacquer sealed primers. The cheapest .308 they had next in line was Remington UMC Green Box and that was $21.00 for a 20 count box. With Remington brass running $40.00 a hundred, and cheap FMJ .30 cal. bullets going for around $20.00 a hundred, by the time you figure in powder at $20.00 a pound and primers at their new "adjusted" price, it's doubtful you could load it as cheap. I'm going to try it in my new M-1A SOCOM and see how it shoots. If it's decent I'll grab some more. Bill T.

In over 35 years of shooting I have never seen a need to disassemble an auto pistol magazine for cleaning. All I've ever done is soak them in a 2 pound coffee can full of either clean Kerosene, or else WD-40 which is available in gallon cans at Home Depot or Lowe's very reasonably. It also smells better than Kerosene. After letting them soak I then blow them out with compressed air. This leaves them almost dry to the touch with just a very thin coating on the inner portion of the magazine itself, and the spring. WD-40 or Kerosene will not attack plastic, and is very good as a cleaning solvent. Small, portable air compressors are available from places like Harbor Freight quite inexpensively. They are all but indispensable in gun cleaning. Bill T.

My 3 Glocks. A Glock 21 with Trijicon Night Sights, a 21-C (Compensated) with standard sights, and a Glock 30 with Glock Night Sights. The only one left in .45 ACP I need to get is the single stack Model 36. Bill T.

+1 The same with the Burris Extreme Tactical Bases. They are also made of steel. I can understand Aluminum bases and rings costing less because Aluminum machines like butter and tool life is forever. But what some of these companies like Leupold and Badger charge for either steel or Aluminum should be a crime. They get away with it because people will pay it. I won't if it's to the point of being ridiculous. Bill T.

I'm on a "Glock kick" lately, and I am off to Bear Arms in Scottsdale this morning to pick up a new Glock 30, (full size, not SF), with Meprolight Night Sights that he was nice enough to put on hold for me. It was the last one he had. These are getting increasing hard to locate since the election, and the buying frenzy that has accompanied it. Has anyone purchased these sleeves you place over standard Glock 21 magazines which give the 30 a full 13 round capacity, and a little longer grip handle? http://glockstore.com/pgroup_descrip/3_Fac...2BExtensions%2F I've got a ton of 13 rounders for my 2, 21's so I think I'll try a few of these. If I get a chance later today I'll try and post some pics. Bill T.

I just bought one of these yesterday at Cabela's. I have a plain Model 21 .45 ACP with 22 extra 13 round magazines, and I've been curious about the compensated models for some time, and I thought it would be better for my wife because of reduced muzzle flip. Plus, we wanted another Glock, so we went ahead and made the purchase. It will be a couple of weeks before I'm able to toss anything downrange with it, and I was wondering if anyone else shoots a compensated Glock, and would like to hear your opinions. We both like the 21 because we both have large hands, especially me. My standard 21 has Trijicon night sights, the 21-C has the standard fixed white notch rear and front white dot. Both line up quick, and make target acquisition a snap, even in low light. Now all we need is a 30 to complete the set! Bill T.

I would check with Robar. They can provide just about any type of finish you want. They do good work, and have a good reputation. Bill T.

The problem with AR-15 anything today is availability. Most everything from bolt carrier assemblies, to magazines are back ordered. When anything is available it is usually priced high. Cabela's in Glendale has 30 round Bushmaster Aluminum mags, but for $30.00 each. You used to be able to buy them for $9.95. Everyone today is raving about Mag-Pul P-Mags. The problem again is availability and price. If you can find them, or any other decent magazine for that matter at a fair price, I would purchase all you can afford. This hysteria won't be ending any time soon. Bill T.

(CLICK ON THUMBNAILS TO ENLARGE) The range session for both guns went well. I got out early and had the range all to myself. Wind was dead calm. The large "Number 2", (far upper right), was the worst target shot all day. The rest are pretty acceptable. All were fired from a Bald Eagle front and rear rest. The "Shoot-N-C" target was the 12-F/TR. Overall the 12-F/TR was a little more accurate, and I suspected it would be with the heavier contour 30" target barrel. Both guns show a preference for Nosler Ballistic Tips which kind of surprised me. I thought the Sierra Matchkings would do better. I don't "break in" barrels, both were shot as they came from the box. Overall it was a good first outing, and it looks like I'll be looking to Nosler, Varget, and Lapua as components of choice for both of these guns. I am going to try some Hornady A-Max bullets, as well as some Berger VLD's. But that's another session for yet another day. Hopefully with my work schedule settling down, I'll get more of a chance to enjoy them. Bill T.