05-02-2021, 12:46 AM
Changes to the upper are:
16" Lilja Barrel: 28.5 oz
9.5" Odin Works O2 Lite Handguard: 7.5 oz with hardware
VG6 6.5 Epsilon Compensator: a couple of ounces of so
Gas Block: Sadlak clamp on
Added all together, the upper weighs in at 55.3 oz for a total unscoped weight of 85.2 oz, or 5.32 lbs.
I went with the Odin handguard for 3 reasons. One, I don't trust that carbon fiber won't be an insulator under rapid strings of fire (and this rifle does see rapid strings of fire). Two, I want the option to install a JP Thermal Dissapator (and I likely will). None of the Ultralight aluminum / lithium alloy , magnesium alloy, etc. options would allow it. And 3, carbon fiber and the alloys (which are softer) wouldn't hold up as well shooting without a bag off of barriers, rocks, etc. I've found that 9" or so is all I need - it's where I like my bipod and it's where I like to have my left hand when shooting off of a bag, so unless it's covering a gas tube, I personally see no need for a longer rail.
Could I have gone lighter with the compensator? Probably, but function trumped weight here. Recoil abatement is important with something so light so there was no shaving ounces here. Epsilons are my personal favorite so not much thought went into it.
The gas block was supposed to be the Faxon Ultralight at around 1.1 oz. That didn't work out due to a mismatch in the tolerances of the block I had and the barrel, so I needed a clamp on. At the time in this market, a Sadlak was all I could find. It's a bit of a pig and probably weighs as much as a Superlative Adjustable, but we must make do in these times.
My trusty old 16.9 oz Vortex Viper HSLR 2.5-10x32 adorns it. It's FFP with an XLR Reticle which is a nice, thin Christmas tree that doesn't inhibit target acquisition like a Horus can. I really can't understand why Vortex stopped making this scope. It's mounted with Warne Skelitized mounts at 6.7 oz. I gave up on the Aero's after GiGi took a slight fall the night before a match and I showed up with my zero half a mil off..... So far, so good with the Warnes.
So adding it all up with the scope, it tips the scale at 109.4 oz, or 6.84 lbs. It is sheer luck, but it is also exceptionally well balanced and moves extremely fluidly between positions. Probably a bit due to having a bit of weight in the Hogue stock versus the Ultralight options out there that would compromise functionality (i.e., riding a support bag, etc).
Load development was easy. I broke the barrel in with a 100 rounds of various odds and ends lying around the bench, and then started with Varget and 105 gr RDFs. Using Varget and it's temp insensitivity is important to me with a 12 month shooting season :p and temps that can range from the 40's to over 100 before it's time to run and hide in the A/C. The combo with RDF's did not fail and they (and their .280 G7) are running at 2446 with a single digit SD. And sub MOA accuracy - all of the paper I've shot have 5 shot groups ranging from a little over 1/2 MOA to just under MOA. Such a light rifle magnifies shooter error: grip too hard, don't get into the bipod just right or slap the trigger a touch? It shows up downrange. I'm confident that if it was put onto some sort of bench rig, it would shoot 1/2 MOA all day long. It's my first Lilja barrel, but it certainly won't be my last.
I will note that 2446 with 105s out of a 16" is considered slow for an ARC. That could easily be around 2600 with Lever or CFE 223. Nonetheless, from a ballistics standpoint, it matches up almost exactly with what I was able to with my 22" 6.5G running 123 gr Scenars at 2560 with CFE 223. There is a little bit more drop, but a tad less wind drift. Both map out to supersonic to 1100 yards with the last environmental data in my app.
So all of this looks great on paper and from the bench, but after having thought I achieved my goal with the BSF barrel only to have it not work out, more testing was in order. Especially due to running the Ti carrier (recommended for use with .223/5.56 only) and lightweight buffer and springs (use of such not recommended with Ti carrier). So after 2 matches with my 243 LBC where 95 gr TMKs pulled a bit of an unexplained disappearing act past 600 yards, Rubin was thrust into action. And the op system performed flawlessly. 73 rounds in 5 stages of 90 seconds max and I only needed all 90 seconds once - 17 shots were it was Bang! Beep! Impact! on the last target (I am also lucky I didn't have the ounce of so lighter Wilson Combat Rodgers stock for that last shot, because I don't think I would have made it given a certain feature of that stock which made me shy away from it). Ended up being my best finish thus far - 5th overall (including large frame) out of a field of 70 and 3rd in what is basically small frame open (field of 45) with the top 10 or so all determined by the timed stage.
So what was originally anticipated to be a 9 month project took almost 4 years! Pictures and more thoughts to come.
16" Lilja Barrel: 28.5 oz
9.5" Odin Works O2 Lite Handguard: 7.5 oz with hardware
VG6 6.5 Epsilon Compensator: a couple of ounces of so
Gas Block: Sadlak clamp on
Added all together, the upper weighs in at 55.3 oz for a total unscoped weight of 85.2 oz, or 5.32 lbs.
I went with the Odin handguard for 3 reasons. One, I don't trust that carbon fiber won't be an insulator under rapid strings of fire (and this rifle does see rapid strings of fire). Two, I want the option to install a JP Thermal Dissapator (and I likely will). None of the Ultralight aluminum / lithium alloy , magnesium alloy, etc. options would allow it. And 3, carbon fiber and the alloys (which are softer) wouldn't hold up as well shooting without a bag off of barriers, rocks, etc. I've found that 9" or so is all I need - it's where I like my bipod and it's where I like to have my left hand when shooting off of a bag, so unless it's covering a gas tube, I personally see no need for a longer rail.
Could I have gone lighter with the compensator? Probably, but function trumped weight here. Recoil abatement is important with something so light so there was no shaving ounces here. Epsilons are my personal favorite so not much thought went into it.
The gas block was supposed to be the Faxon Ultralight at around 1.1 oz. That didn't work out due to a mismatch in the tolerances of the block I had and the barrel, so I needed a clamp on. At the time in this market, a Sadlak was all I could find. It's a bit of a pig and probably weighs as much as a Superlative Adjustable, but we must make do in these times.
My trusty old 16.9 oz Vortex Viper HSLR 2.5-10x32 adorns it. It's FFP with an XLR Reticle which is a nice, thin Christmas tree that doesn't inhibit target acquisition like a Horus can. I really can't understand why Vortex stopped making this scope. It's mounted with Warne Skelitized mounts at 6.7 oz. I gave up on the Aero's after GiGi took a slight fall the night before a match and I showed up with my zero half a mil off..... So far, so good with the Warnes.
So adding it all up with the scope, it tips the scale at 109.4 oz, or 6.84 lbs. It is sheer luck, but it is also exceptionally well balanced and moves extremely fluidly between positions. Probably a bit due to having a bit of weight in the Hogue stock versus the Ultralight options out there that would compromise functionality (i.e., riding a support bag, etc).
Load development was easy. I broke the barrel in with a 100 rounds of various odds and ends lying around the bench, and then started with Varget and 105 gr RDFs. Using Varget and it's temp insensitivity is important to me with a 12 month shooting season :p and temps that can range from the 40's to over 100 before it's time to run and hide in the A/C. The combo with RDF's did not fail and they (and their .280 G7) are running at 2446 with a single digit SD. And sub MOA accuracy - all of the paper I've shot have 5 shot groups ranging from a little over 1/2 MOA to just under MOA. Such a light rifle magnifies shooter error: grip too hard, don't get into the bipod just right or slap the trigger a touch? It shows up downrange. I'm confident that if it was put onto some sort of bench rig, it would shoot 1/2 MOA all day long. It's my first Lilja barrel, but it certainly won't be my last.
I will note that 2446 with 105s out of a 16" is considered slow for an ARC. That could easily be around 2600 with Lever or CFE 223. Nonetheless, from a ballistics standpoint, it matches up almost exactly with what I was able to with my 22" 6.5G running 123 gr Scenars at 2560 with CFE 223. There is a little bit more drop, but a tad less wind drift. Both map out to supersonic to 1100 yards with the last environmental data in my app.
So all of this looks great on paper and from the bench, but after having thought I achieved my goal with the BSF barrel only to have it not work out, more testing was in order. Especially due to running the Ti carrier (recommended for use with .223/5.56 only) and lightweight buffer and springs (use of such not recommended with Ti carrier). So after 2 matches with my 243 LBC where 95 gr TMKs pulled a bit of an unexplained disappearing act past 600 yards, Rubin was thrust into action. And the op system performed flawlessly. 73 rounds in 5 stages of 90 seconds max and I only needed all 90 seconds once - 17 shots were it was Bang! Beep! Impact! on the last target (I am also lucky I didn't have the ounce of so lighter Wilson Combat Rodgers stock for that last shot, because I don't think I would have made it given a certain feature of that stock which made me shy away from it). Ended up being my best finish thus far - 5th overall (including large frame) out of a field of 70 and 3rd in what is basically small frame open (field of 45) with the top 10 or so all determined by the timed stage.
So what was originally anticipated to be a 9 month project took almost 4 years! Pictures and more thoughts to come.
Let's go Brandon!