Testing out the Mk12 Mod1 and M14 at the Abbotsford Fish and Game Club

So, I finally got around to getting my Mk12 Mod 1 clone build out to see how it shoots.  I knew the Colt HBAR that it was built around shot well when I had the barrel encased in Primary Weapons Systems (PWS) parts.  I'd only shot it once and I recall getting a decent group but I didn't measure it and wish I had.  The Mk12 Mod 1 clone had a Leupold 3.5-10x40mm FFP with Leupold's fine TMR reticle and I was shooting 75gr Hornady Steel Match, and I also tried out a few rounds of 77gr Federal Gold Medal Match SMKs.

I also dragged my M14 EBR out to see if I could get it to shoot reliably.  The last time I had this rifle out was in December of 2016 and it wasn't functioning properly.  Shells weren't ejecting properly and I had my buddy Roy take a look at it.  The shells were getting caught on the nut of the keeper screw of the scope rings.  I've since switched out the rings and scope and made sure the nut was on the opposite side this time (opposite of ejection port side).  The M14 was equipped with a Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x40mm SFP with Leupold's TMR reticle (a lot fatter than the fine version on the Mark 4) and I was shooting 155gr Hornady Steel Match.

I went with a few buddies to the Abbotsford Fish and Game Club this past weekend.  I think most of us have grown tired of the Port Coquitlam District Hunting and Fishing Club (PCDHFC) as it's gotten pretty crowded, and at times, a bit fuddy.

The Abby range had no wait time, plenty of lanes, and it was self governed.  It was a nice clean range and I would definitely like to go back.

It's a shame that it maxes out at 100m, but for zeroing rifles and shooting groups, it was good enough.  

There were plenty of benches to shoot off of, but there was also amble space to lay down right beside your bench to shoot prone

The first thing I shot was my M14.  I really wanted to see if it was just the scope ring issue that was causing previous malfunctions.  I know that my buddy Roy had diagnosed that as the issue, but I wanted to make sure.  I had a couple of cheap 7.62 rounds left in the magazine and decided to send a few for a rough zero, but a few of them actually failed to eject properly. 

Crap....so, I got out the 155gr Hornady Steel Match and my worries disappeared.  After I got a rough rough zero on a rock at about 75m, I decide to zero the rifle at the 100m target.  I shot a 5 round group that looked fairly respectable and went to my rifle sized targets.  

I probably should have measured this one, but it looks like it's about 2"?

Anyway, the best group I could manage with the Leupold VX-R was 1.7" at 100m.  Maybe I could have done better with more magnification and a finer reticle, maybe not.  I've read a lot of frustrating first hand accounts of people trying to squeeze accuracy out of these things.  Rack grade M14s came with no accuracy guarantees, and from what I've read match grade M14s can come with a guarantee to produce 2" groups at 100 yards.  There are accounts where some people have poured large amounts of money into these things (not even Norinco) in their "Ultimate Builds" to which produced 1" to 1 1/4" groups.  Some custom builds have been known to produce 1" or less, but I don't think I'm going to chase that unicorn.  I talked to Roy about it and he assured me the groups my rifle was producing was good for an M14.  

My Mk12 Mod 1 clone build performed as well as I expected.  I managed a .875" group at 100m, but I honestly think this rifle could do better with more magnification.  At 100m, it was hard for me to see the target, even with the fine TMR reticle.  That being said, it is supposed to be a clone build, and wouldn't be right with one of Leupold's higher power Mark 4s.  Actually, the Mod 1 was more commonly seen with Leupold's 2.5-8x36mm Mark 4, not this one, but I think I'll just settle for close enough.

Overall, I'm happy with these two rifles.  I think it was a successful day for me in that I managed to get both rifles zeroed.  The bonus was that both of them produced groups I was satisfied with considering the ammo and glass.  The Mk12 Mod 1 will always be a range toy considering the AR's restricted status, but maybe I can take the M14 out to plink with at further distances.

Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x40mm and Mark 4 30mm high rings for the M14 EBR

I've bought and sold Leupold Mark 4 rings in the past, but this was the first time I coughed up for brand new ones and it was a bit hard to swallow, lol!  That being said though, these are damn fine scope rings and I needed them to complete a certain look I was after.  

I understand that my M14 EBR is pretty far from a proper Mk14 Mod 0 clone, but one thing that has always sort of bothered me was my choice in glass.  I can't bring myself to spend $1,900 on a second focal plane MOA scope (Leupold Mark 4), but at the same time, I can't afford to keep a Steiner T5Xi on there either.  I settled for a Bushnell Tactical 5-15x40mm, miildot reticle with 1/4 MOA adjustments.  

It's not a bad scope at all, and was one of my first half-decent scopes, but I've gotten used to scopes in first focal plane, or at the very least scopes with a mil-based reticle with mil adjustments.  

The Bushnell also has a peculiar object paralax adjustment which is something that has been sort of getting on my nerves.

I also wasn't 100% sure on the Weaver Tactical rings.  You can see the ring tops flex if you don't crank them down evenly, and I also found the rings themselves scratch and even get gouged pretty easily.  This didn't exactly instill confidence considering the M14 has been known to be rough on scopes, let alone soft aluminum rings.

Also, if you look at the ring mount keeper screws/nuts, the front one in particular, there wasn't enough clearance to tighten the nut.  The nut would actually hit the ARMS base with every turn.  Not the manufacturer's fault in this case as it just simply wasn't designed for this base in particular, but the material would scrape away with every turn and would probably end up rounded out if I did it often enough.

The scope base is an ARMS unit, and I think these are made of steel.

The Leupold rings fit like a glove to the ARMS base, and the keeper screw easily cleared the base.

Leupold called for 65in/lbs, but when I took the pic, I had it adjusted to 45in/lbs.  I did torque it down properly later on.

So, I know I said I currently prefer first focal plane scopes, and the VX-R Patrol 3-9x40mm is clearly a second focal plane scope, but I wasn't about to buy another Steiner for my M14.  This Patrol came from my Mk12 Mod 1 clone (I got new glass for my Mk12 Mod 1) and I hope the elevation adjustment has good tracking so I won't have to rely on reading the reticle for shot adjustments (either that or keep it at 9x magnification when shooting or ranging).

Anyway, far from being clone correct, but I think it's a step in the right direction and probably a far better scope than the one it replaced.  I would liked to have gotten another Steiner T5Xi 5-25x56mm for the M14, but I'm not sure if the rifle itself warrants premium glass like the Steiner.

Looking forward to taking it the rifle out one of these days and see how she groups.  I've had it for years and still haven't shot groups with it yet, lol!

Snow Plinking in Squampton

So, this past weekend, me and a few pals decided to test out our Darwin memberships and drove out in the snow to a little plinking, lol!  We got to Squamish and managed to get maybe 1/4 way up our hill, hit ice, and got stuck, lol!  Nearly lost one of our trucks off the side of the edge as the guys on snowmobiles buzzed passed, pointing and laughing.

So, we spent an hour un-fukking ourselves, drove away with our tails between our legs and stomped around the valley looking for a safe place to plink.  We managed to find a spot, and by the time we set up, we had maybe 15 minutes of light left before we had to pack it all in, lol!

I'm afraid it doesn't photograph well, a black rifle, on white back ground and minimal light. 

The M14 isn't exactly a featherweight, but it's kind of a pig when it's sitting in the EBR chassis, lol!  Honestly though, I really just need to get in better shape and stop whining, hahahaha!

Although it was a torso sized gong, and it was only at 150m, we were losing light fast and I was really struggling getting rounds on steel.  With the weight of the rifle, I had a hard time holding the reticle still, even on such a large sized target.  Better hit the gym a bit more.