Author Archives: Ed Hale

About Ed Hale

I am an avid hunter with rifle and Bow and have been hunting for more than 50 years. I have taken big game such as whitetail deer, red deer, elk, Moose and African Plains game such as Kudu, Gemsbok, Springbok, Blesbok, and Impala and wrote an ebook entitled African Safari -Rifle and Bow and Arrow on how to prepare for a first safari. Ed is a serious cartridge reloader and ballistics student. He has earned two degrees in science and has written hundreds of outdoor article on hunting with both bow and rifle.

Leupold Scope – Integral Mounting System for Picatinny Rails by Ed Hale

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Pictured on the front page of New Hampshire Rifleman is a new image of my AR-15 with Leupold’s one-piece cantilever integral mounting system for scoped  rifles such as my carbine with Picatinny rails. The model I am testing is the Mark 2 IMS for 30mm Scope bodies. It does the job and fast mounting! Great for tactical scenarios or just rapidly swapping over to other scopes or other aiming devices. 

https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/mounting-systems/integral-mounting-systems/mark-2-ims-30mm-integral-mounting-system/

What makes this model so attractive is its easy attachment of the IMS system to the Picatinny rail. Just a few minutes and it is on and snug.

This is a great solution for an AR needing a long range scope such as my VX-6 . As you can see it is a beefy mount that can take punishment of an AR.

If I were shooting a magnum rifle I would likely use additional top ring screws to keep the scope in place during heavy recoil. See the upgraded Mark 4 IMS system below for 30mm.

Applying proper torque is critical and Leupold recommends the following maximums:

6-48 Base Screws – 22 in/lbs

8-40 Base Screws – 28 in/lbs

8-40 Ring Screws – 28 in/lbs

Ringmount Keeper Screws 45 in/lbs

The ring screws on mine are 8-40 and I did snug them with 28 in/lbs with my Wheeler fat torque wrench below.

.wheeler fat wrench

Back to the IMS mounting systems. If you want more IMS security for your scope the Mark 4 System base can be purchased. https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/mounting-systems/integral-mounting-systems/mark-4-ims-integral-base/

and then you can purchase the Mark 4 IMS insert below.

https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/mounting-systems/integral-mounting-systems/mark-4-ims-30mm-integral-ring-insert/

It has been the practice of many shooters to place an indelible pen mark where the ring and scope mate. Over time you can verify with the mark that the scope did or did not move. I would do that here as part of my test which will last several weeks. Look for more feedback on the Mark 2 IMS system.

There are lots of scope mounting systems on the market but as I have said before, I trust Leupold products to deliver. You just have to choose the right product for your application.

Good Shooting!

© 2016

 

 

 

 

New Timney Trigger Install on My AR-15

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Below is the red AR 2 stage short trigger I installed as a drop in unit. It was not difficult to do once I pulled the old trigger and the safe/fire switch. Also I had to remove the hand grip with an Allen wrench to reveal the spring and tension for the safe/fire switch for removal. All to get the trigger and its base out of the lower unit.

The AR Targa Image is from the Timney web site. http://www.timneytriggers.com/shop/AR-Targa-2-Stage-Short-gger-PTri77.aspx

 

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Some folks have already made a You Tube video of a Timney Install on the AR-15 and it is a good one. I followed it easily. The great part is that if you can work with basic tools it is a drop in solution. No muss no fuss.

It took me 45 minutes to do the removal of the old trigger and install of the Timney with a You Tube video at my side to follow.  Since my lower unit is metal it did not have the little loose lock screws as the video shows.

The trigger allows in the first stage to pick up slack at 2lbs so you know you are pulling, then firms up and releases the hammer at an additional 2 pounds. I was not able to use a Trigger Pull gauge to determine the 2 pounds to break the sear it but is supposed to pull 2 pounds in the first stage as far as I can tell and then another 2 pounds to break the sear. It is smooth and breaks crisp. My groups have tightened with the tightest less than 3/4 inch at 100 yards by my 3 shot groups today 3/20/16 and my worst group at 1.5 inches.

Now there is no excuse for the trigger to provide poor groups and can work on powder, bullet choice,  Cartridge Overall Length (COL), Scope and Cheek weld to enhance the groups even further. At least that is the plan.

© 2016

 

Ruger Precision Rifle Test and Evaluation in June?

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I had hopes of testing this New Hampshire made rifle soon but sales at Ruger are so hot and heavy that I can’t get one to test till perhaps June.

After much research on the engineering of this rifle is that it is not just your drop in a barrel and a minor change here and there, this rifle was engineered from the ground up for long range shooting. I am very pleased with Ruger firearms as they are well built, designed and are cost effective for a broad range of the shooting public. We shall see if this rifle lives up to that reputation or even exceeds my expectations!

 

Why all the fuss for a little AR-15 in .223

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Why all the fuss for a .223 like my AR -15 in the Header Photo?

I can tell you that my.223 is just plain fun to shoot and is capable for targets out to 1000 yards and further though I have yet to do that. It is a great coyote and varmint rifle. Some like it to deer hunt with it but I prefer larger calibers for that.

Below is a video of a shooter at 800 yards ringing 12 inch steel multiple times with his carbine with a standard 16 inch barrel and his trusty AR-15 in .223 Remington.  I would love to do that! Perhaps you would too! Shooting long range requires skill and coordination, and a great understanding of your rifle its ammo. Since I am reloading my own ammo  with Nosler Custom Competition bullets it requires attention to detail. I was going to write about the new Die I purchased but thought that this was better use of your thoughts. Having shooting fun is more my style!!

 

This kind of accuracy can be expected out of a good AR-15 and a skilled shooter.

 

My AR-15 at Range with Mil. Spec.Trigger by Ed Hale

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Ed's face

Yesterday, 3/1/2016 was sunny and little wind (0 to 5 mph) at the range in Southern New Hampshire. This article is a continuation of discussion my Colt upper/ Bushmaster mil spec lower AR-15 and its Trigger.

First, let me say that if given this trigger was a permanent one and I could not change it, it does work “ok” if you work to learn it even at 8.5 lbs. Thankfully that is not the case. New Timney triggers are coming and thus we can see what kind of improvement we can get. Should be a fun exercise and we can hopefully learn a lot. Yes there are other manufacturers that also produce triggers but that is for another day.

So I went to the range today and shot 3 brands of 55 grain Full Metal Jacket FMJ ammo with cannelure crimp at 50 yards to see what grouped best with 5 shot groups.

What I found was groups tighter than expected and occasional fliers which can be attributed to 1) the trigger 2) the shooter, 3) the ammo itself, 4) new rifle.

The trigger pull experience on this rifle can be understood to be heavy and have slack. I found that I could pull up slack and find the barrier wall where the hammer is located. It helped me group better than I expected by pulling to the wall first and then a final squeeze.

I chose 50 yards to begin this grouping exercise because I could clearly see the “x” in the bullseye and focus on it. What I found was that each brand grouped well with this trigger with occasional flyers due perhaps to a combination of things including the trigger, shooter unfamiliarity etc. I am satisfied with this exercise of capability with each brand of ammo with ARMSCOR USA shooting the best 5 shot group with one flyer. It is about groups not where they hit the target bullseye you see. We can always adjust the scope! My goal is to do this kind of grouping at 100 yards not 50 yards with a better trigger like the drop in Timney’s that I will test. Note the “X” Ring circle is 1 inch across for your reference. Triggers are coming! The take away here is that the Colt barrel is excellent and, I believe, capable of better groups than we see here under ideal conditions.

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© 2016

 

My AR -15 Carbine needs a new Trigger- Intro Part 1 by Ed Hale

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As you may have read already, my carbine is a marriage of a Colt upper with a 1/7 barrel twist (a gift) and a Bushmaster Mil-Spec. lower and working well except for the trigger. This article is very short but sweet for those who know little about triggers, like me. My AR trigger is an 8.5 pound trigger and bumps and drags like bad chalk on a chalkboard in school, till the sear breaks and the rifle fires.  A long range target shooters nightmare!

Grouping at 100 yards is around 1.75 inches and perhaps largely a trigger issue with off the shelf 55 grain ammo. Clearly the trigger needs to be replaced if long range shooting is your goal. I expect sub-moa from this rifle but not with that mill spec. trigger!

Here are 2 youtube video’s I found on-line for you and I to see on Timney Triggers (may test some) and Geiselle triggers of both single and 2 stage types. Cost is around $200 to $300 for these. I am learning just like many of you with a new AR in the gun safe. I make no recommendations here just information as a fellow shooter. As I said, my Carbine has a 1/7 barrel twist making it more of a long range heavy bullet competition rifle. More on that soon.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejf6m1t8c-I

 

I have contacted Timney and hopefully we will have some triggers for us to test this spring.

 

 

 

 

Resources:

http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=ar+15+triggers&ksubmit=y

 

https://xtremegunsandammo.com/gun-parts-and-accessories/triggers.html 

 

 

Ruger 375 buffs can’t get enough.

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375 Ruger-0001The 375 Ruger Cartridge is still growing in popularity. It is one of the most powerful cartridges in North America.  When coupled with state of the art recoil pads like the Pachmayr decelerator or the Simms Vibration Laboratory SVL recoil pad which reduce felt recoil to 50% it is likened to a 30-06 or .270 recoil and very manageable indeed. My M77 Ruger African rifle shoots it so well in such a variety of bullets that it just makes me smile when paper holes overlap like a Venn diagram regularly at 50 yards and are sub-moa at 100 yards. I achieve the greatest satisfaction by handloading them. I have written  lots of articles before in my magazine here for you to search out too. Barnes Triple Shock has several heads in .375. I intend to try some Barnes 235 grain heads and download them for deer. Below is a Barnes video demonstrating the lethal nature of the all copper head.

I bought extra boxes of Speer 235 grain now out of stock but will try the Barnes which are have higher BC-ballistic coefficient.

Also the Sierra 200 grain flat nose will flatten deer size game and is available today as a reduced load bullet traveling no faster than 2200 fps to avoid over mushrooming.

.375 Caliber (.375) 200 gr. FN (50 bullets)

An article of value to 375 Ruger Enthusiasts for Full Power  is; http://www.loaddata.com/articles/PDF/LoadDevelopment2LowRes1.pdf

See my reduced load article: click the header.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2014/09/05/375-ruger-reduced-loads-and-powder-are-here/

 

C 2016