The KR Training April 2010 Newsletter is now posted.

I’m in Austin, Texas. I’m leaving the local indoor gun range. What do I see parked next to my car?

A Volvo. Stationwagon at that.

A Darwin fish.

A rainbow bumper sticker.

The desire for self-protection runs strong through many people.

Took the new 6.8 to the local indoor range to get her zeroed.

I’m shooting Silver State Armory’s 6.8 SPC 85 grain Barnes TSX tactical load. The rifle is a Wilson Combat 6.8 upper (and all their “factory” trimmings), on a Bushmaster lower, with a Rock River Arms 2-stage match trigger. Magazines are C Products 10 round. Scope is a Burris Fulfield II 3-9x40mm on one if their P.E.P.R. mounts.

Allow me to interpret (click on the picture if you want to see a larger version).

I started at 25 yards just to get something on paper, ensuring the scope wasn’t too far out of adjustment. Moved to 50 yards and got things roughly zeroed. Then obtained a new target, which you see above, and sent it out to 100 yards. Starting in the center, the high shot was the first shot. My friend Charles said if you were zeroed at 50 yards you’d be 1.5″ high at 100 yards and that seemed to be the case (given the rough 50 yard zero I had). Adjusted and got the lower shot. Adjusted more and got the almost dead-center shot.

The lower left grouping is then shooting at 100 yards. It’s a 3 shot group. While not the best group, I blame that on operator error. All shots went where my eyes said they went.

The lower right grouping is shooting at 50 yards. If I zero at 100 yards, I want to know where impact will be at 50 and 25 so I can know what sort of holdover I’ll need. So that is a 3-shot group at 50 yards. Looks to be about 0.5″ below point of aim, and I can live with that.

The upper right grouping is at 25 yards. That is a 4-shot group. Looks to be about 1.5″ below point of aim.

I’m pleased. This combination of ammo and rifle is quite accurate. Certainly it will do whatever job I ask of it. And we now have evidence… if I fail to bag that deer or that hog, it’s my fault… can’t blame the equipment. 🙂

My friend Ron drove up to the area to take KR Training’s AT-4 Pistol Skills Development class this past weekend. Here’s his review of the class.

I wish I could have been there but I had a prior engagement this weekend.

Looks like Ron had a good time and got a lot out of the class. I like his final take on the whole thing:

I’d also recommend it to any gun owner I know. You learn how true Jeff Cooper’s saying “Having a gun doesn’t mean you are armed.” is. If you can’t hit stuff in a class like this I shudder to think how much you will miss when you life depends on it.

From left to right: .223 Rem, 6.8 SPC, .308 Win

More specifically:

• On the left is a .223 Remington caliber rifle round. It’s a Federal P223S, which is using a 55 grain Barnes TSX bullet (.224″ diameter). Published factory data has a muzzle velocity of 3200 fps, muzzle energy of 1250 ft-lbs.
• In the center is a 6.8 Remington SPC caliber rifle round. It’s from Silver State Armory using a 85 grain Barnes TSX bullet (.277″ diameter). Published factory data lists a muzzle velocity of 3030 fps (not sure if that’s for the commercial or tactical load, but the above is a tactical load), and that calculates out to a muzzle energy of 1733 ft-lbs.
• On the right is a .308 Winchester caliber rifle round. It’s a Federal P308H, which uses a 165 grain Barnes TSX bullet (.308″ diameter). Published factory data lists a muzzle velocity of 2650 fps and a muzzle energy of 2573 ft-lbs.

Yes, I like Barnes bullets. 🙂

I wouldn’t say any one of these is necessarily better than the other. I would say that each has a place and role.