[brownie]

Took the SA stainless "loaded" M1a out for a run today.

It's wearing a Bassett scope Mount. http://www.bassettmachine.com/images/bsmpr.JPG

The scope on the rifle is a Pride-Fowler fixed 10x model RR800-2 featuring the rapid reticle http://www.rapidreticle.com/rr800-2.htm

The picture of the M1a is from Davidson's online catalog but is the same rifle I shot today with the exception of the butt of the stock. Mine has the military flip up steel butt plate.

The target was set at 100 yrds. Benched, 4 rounds for group with Portuguese Nato Surplus 147 grainers from the 1970's. That flyer [ low left on the 4th shot ], put center to center at 1 1/16". The three first shots were 11/16" inches center to center.

I had a good morning, and the rifle performed as expected for group and function. The scopes rapid reticle is calibrated to 800 yds. Once dialed in for 100, if you know the distance just place the correct numbered line in the reticle and pull the trigger.

The Pride-Fowler reticle is very accurate at ranging and bullet drop. I've shot this rifle from 100 to 600 yd. known distances, ranging with my laser range finder [ kept in the starlight case with the rifle ] and not had one miss since dialing in the scope for 100 yards.

Overall, it's a sniper package I can live with. Even using nato surplus ammo, it'll group under 3/4" at 100 yds. if I do my part.

Brownie

 

[brownie]

Here's a picture of the scope on an M1a and the rapid reticle I'm using.

The reticle is not "busy" like some scopes, being uncluttered, easy to read and quick to threats.

These tired old eyes can still work well enough with the right equipment. Trained professionally on the m14 back in 69 in the Corps with iron sights and then at the HK Counter Sniper course for a week in 93-94, the precision skills haven't degraded much.

:ak

Brownie

 

[jimmills]

OK, I'm drooling now.

Jim

 

[Buckley]

Okay, now I want one. Sweet!

 

[Red Dawg]

Good shooting, sir. I still want the AR before I get into anything else. I've managed to acquire enough other caliber rifles for hunting purposes. Now I want the AR then I'll look at the other military style long guns.

 

[SGB]

:drinks


Very nice ............... I use the irons on my SA Loaded and get 2 MOA with Port surplus and 2 1/4 moa with the Aussie surplus.

 

[brownie]

jimmills, Buckley, Red Dawg

Thanks for your thoughts

SGB,

That's good shooting with irons. I've been able to hold 1.25 with the irons on the SA for three rds. benched with the Port, but the average grouping normally looks more like what you experience with yours.

Prone and slung in, I can usually hold a group of 1.50-1.75" but anything that's 2" at 100 yrds with the irons is nothing to sneeze at and will serve the purpose of these rifles very well, especially with milsurp ammo. I always use the Polytech for irons shooting out to 500 yrds and actually prefer the irons myself as well. The SA loaded I shot today is set up full time for scoped longer range duty past 500 yds.

I have Aussie surplus stockpiled but haven't tried any rounds of that flavor through any of the M1a's yet. It's really interesting to see just how accurate the 70's milsurp ammo can be. I've found the Port to be very accurate and consistent with the Radway Green holding the same level of accuracy.

That's a fine looking M1a sir. :thumsup How many rounds she got through her?

 

[FLRon]

Enjoyed the report Brownie! Thanks for sharing. You always bring a big smile to my face when you discuss the M1a.

 

[SGB]

That's a fine looking M1a sir. :thumsup How many rounds she got through her?

Thank you sir, kind of you to say. I've put a little over 1000 rounds through her, however with the dwindling supply of surplus ammo from the market she sees fewer trips to the range.

 

[Jim45]

I always enjoy reading your range reports Brownie. Its always good to see your insight on your collection of firearms and edged weapons. :thumsup

Nice M1A, and impressive shooting sir.

Jim

 

[FLRon]

Nice M1A, and impressive shooting sir.

Jim

And the most impressive part of it is Jim is that he never even removed the protective caps from his scope!

 

[brownie]

I always enjoy reading your range reports Brownie. Its always good to see your insight on your collection of firearms and edged weapons. :thumsup

Nice M1A, and impressive shooting sir.

Jim

Thanks for your thoughts Jim. I really enjoy shooting this rifle platform more than any others with maybe the exception of the Marlin 39a. I suspect the reason is the Parris Island rifle range when I was young, tender and impressionable.

Ron, that's no joke, I've forgotten to take the scope protectors off and shouldered the rifle a few times :rolf

Brownie

 

[FLRon]

That's funny!

I was reading the write up on that scope and it does seem refreshingly straight forward. While I have no experience in scopes, I can tell you that I have found some of the one's I have read about pretty complex. Perhaps once you read the manual and get some time with it you can master the fine points relatively quickly, but they do seem a bit intimidating for a newbie.

 

[brownie]

If we're talking anything but the simplest duplex reticle, which doesn't allow you the leeway to shoot the longer ranges with any precision but rather guessing holdover/holdoff, most scopes get real "busy".

I've got a few Mk4 Mil-dot Leupold's on other rifles as well, and I really dislike using them due to having to memorize formulas. This Pride-Fowler was very well thought out and is much faster to use in the field to hit with accurately.

BTW- Pride-Fowler is about to release an 880-2 like mine with a lit reticle. I've got plans to pick up one of those and eventually replace the mil-dot reticles completely except the one for the Barrett 50.

Most people cheap out on their glass after spending a goodly sum on their rifles. It's a mistake, one learned the hard way over the years.

Brownie

 

[Red Dawg]

If we're talking anything but the simplest duplex reticle, which doesn't allow you the leeway to shoot the longer ranges with any precision but rather guessing holdover/holdoff, most scopes get real "busy".

I've got a few Mk4 Mil-dot Leupold's on other rifles as well, and I really dislike using them due to having to memorize formulas. This Pride-Fowler was very well thought out and is much faster to use in the field to hit with accurately.

BTW- Pride-Fowler is about to release an 880-2 like mine with a lit reticle. I've got plans to pick up one of those and eventually replace the mil-dot reticles completely except the one for the Barrett 50.

Most people cheap out on their glass after spending a goodly sum on their rifles. It's a mistake, one learned the hard way over the years.

Brownie

I've always heard the rule of thumb is to spend as much or almost as much on the glass as you do for the rifle.

 

[brownie]

I've always heard the rule of thumb is to spend as much or almost as much on the glass as you do for the rifle.

Took some years for me to figure that out, but now we're on a roll.

Brownie

 

[brownie]

SBG,

Shot the iron sights Polytech today with the same port surplus and barely kept a 2.5" group for 4 shots at 100 yrds. First two were touching, but the third and fourth shots went 2 O' clock and 7 O'clock.

The Chi-com Poly isn't as accurate as my SA's and I didn't expect it to be. I could still ring the 18" steel gong 100% at 300 yrds iron sighted with it, and 8 of 10 shots at 600 on the steel Rams.

Don't know if I'll keep it, it's depressing to shoot for groups on paper with it, yet it will shoot less than minute of man out to 600 all day.

Brownie

 

[SGB]

Brownie I'd have a hard time getting rid of any M14 platform ..... even a chicom one.

If I found a chicom M14 cheap enough I'd have it rebuilt into a Bush rifle.

 

[brownie]

Brownie I'd have a hard time getting rid of any M14 platform ..... even a chicom one.

If I found a chicom M14 cheap enough I'd have it rebuilt into a Bush rifle.

You know-----, you're right SGB. I guess I'll just keep it and maybe have the rifle upgraded some day :clap

Presently I've got 6 of them: 3 SA loaded Stainless [ one of them the limited NRA rifle ]; the Polytech, a Bush, a Socom. The Polytech is the hard use shooter, maybe I'll designate it to a trainer for others and use it strictly for banging steel which it's very good at out to 600.

The only ones not NIB are the Poly and the scoped Loaded stainless I shot the group with in this thread.

Thanks for bringing me back to my senses. :thumsup

Brownie