New Rifle: Zero and Field Test



Little Bear, the Second Amendment Cat, posing next to the AR.
(I placed it on the floor for this picture and she couldn't resist the
 opportunity to be near a firearm and later fell asleep on top of it.)



    So a little over ten days ago I came across a deal and joined Team Black Rifle. In other words I purchased an AR-15 more specifically a hybrid conglomeration of parts that I thought was cool enough to buy. The upper is a Ruger 556C which is the 16.12 inch model with a heavy fluted barrel and integral flash suppressor/compensator. The lower is a CMMG with a Rock River Arms National Match trigger group. The previous owner also added a Magpul M.I.A.D grip,  an Ace Socom M4 Buttstock(Long version) with an A2 buffer and buffer spring , Eotech 512 Holosight, Surefire 6PX Tactical flashlight with KZ offset mount,Troy modular vert grip. The gun came with 7 P Mags and 12 C Products magazines with Magpul floor plates. The price was right and I am glad I bought it. I really have to say that this thing is addictive to shoot. My friend Paul has a Rock River LAR-15 Entry Tactical and we have been doing a comparitive study by shooting both.  I have found that I enjoy the Pmags for their free fall ejection and their ability to be left loaded at capacity without taking a set. I went ahead and fitted an Arredondo Magwell to the gun not because it was difficult to change magazines, but because it made it fool proof and gave a decent grip surface to the front of the lower.  I also opted for a Magpul AFG first generation because it allows me a positive close range/fast transition grip while the Troy grip is perfectly positioned for steadying longer shots and operating the flashlight if/when needed.

   We decided that after we developed practical zeros on the rifles(we went with a 25 meter zero) we would put them to a real world test by hunting groundhogs in the adjacent bean fields next to our target range/gravel pit. Before anybody jumps on us for killing defenseless animals, this is a service we provide the farmer in exchange for the use of his gravel pit. It is also a practical test of the shooter's ability to make tight shots at various distances with time constraints. I believe that this is a great way to practice shooting and help out the farmer in production of food for our country.

Our first expedition was unsucessful and after waiting too long in order to show Paul what a groundhog looked like two rushed shots were taken and nothing accomplished.  Today's hunt was very different once I learned to stay within certain limitations. My first shot was presented at 120 meters at two groundhogs together. I chose the larger of the two for obvious reasons and took up a hasty prone position in the middle of a farm road and steadied as best I could for the shot. A clean squeeze and a clean miss. The little dot in the middle of the EOTech looked gigantic and seemed to cover the whole head of the groundhog at this distance. I waited some 20 minutes and was rewarded with another shot which I took from a carefully sandbagged position and missed again. I was now certain that this shooter did not have the ability to make consistent hits on this size of target at that distance. I abandoned this spot and went to another beanfield, where due to recent rain, I abandoned my truck and went on foot for some 800 meters through a cow pasture to reach the next beanfield. On approaching the beanfield I was greeted by an erect and alert groundhog at a distance of 181 meters. I figured given my recent performance the likelyhood of a successful shot at this distance would be slim and opted to take a less direct and longer route in the name of stealth. This gamble paid off and presented me with a shot on the same groundhog at a distance of about 60 meters. I say about because I located it through a brush divide between the fields, set up a decent offhand position and squeezed off a shot in short order. The stupid part is that I used the 6x optic of my laser range finder to verify the target without ranging it and did this several times during the hunt. The shot felt good and after a short period of let down and suspected miss anxiety I found the hole and its deceased occupant. Good technique resulted in a humane and instant kill. Being in the middle of the field I too a moment to scan my surroundings to learn if any other holes were nearby and attempt to gain some intelligence about the possible number of groundhogs in the area. I was shocked to find a hole some forty meters to my left (as I faced the position I had shot from) with what appeared to be part of a head sticking out of it. I took but a moment to study the object before executing a clean trigger press and a stable shot. I did not know it at the time, but I had just made a headshot on an exposed area of about 4 square inches.   

The first animal taken from about 60 meters offhand.

The second animal taken at approximately forty meters offhand partial head exposure.

The hunt was dually successful in that it provided great practice and great service and I am grateful for both opportunites.