200 yards,ground hogs to white tails. All of my other barrels are 1 in 7 so I have ammo from 55 to 77 grains.
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My RRA Varmiter upper will smack a dime at 100 yards, but it's not very tacticolio.
Less than $1,000?
BCM.
'nuff said.
I had a RRA varmint upper with heavy 1:8 twist 20" barrel, which I sold to a friend building a rifle for a terminal cancer patient. I only fired 350 rounds through the upper before passing it on, but I was impressed with the accuracy. I had a fixed 10X Bushnell mil dot scope on the upper and the trigger on my lower broke at 6 lbs..
Winchester white box 55g ball would print 10 shot groups just under 1" at 100 yards. Hornady V-Max 55g moly coated ammunition would print 10 shot sub 1/2" groups at 100 yards and it would make a good varmint cartridge.
I did not shoot heavier bullets through the varmint upper. The twist rate on my match rifles is 7.7:1 and they shoot bullets up to 80g very well.
If I go the BCM SS410 route,should I go 16" or 18"? I'm not too concerned with the weight.
I'd originally thought about getting the 18, but when the KMRs came out, the 16 was the only one available. I don't regret it. In addition to being accurate, the KMR keeps the weight down despite the stainless barrel, so with the 16, you end up with a great handling rifle.
I don't have a good scale, but unloaded with a Vltor iMod Clubfoot stock and MBUS, the thing is under 7.5 lbs. Still, the 18 with the 15" KMR would be nice too.
If you wind up buying the BCM SS410 upper, please let us know the barrel length and twist rate you select. Accuracy with 55g Hornady V-Max ammunition would also be good to know.
I ended up trading into one of those RRA Varminter rifles, 20 inch horse cock barrel, FF tube, ect, ect. It's shot alright, definitely likes 55gr loads as I haven't really pushed it with true match loads, but Hornady Steel Match 55gr is will print consistently MOA plus or minus .25, and this with a Bushnell 3-9X40 with a very thick reticule. However, my version does not like 75gr Hornady BTHP at all. Not only will it not throw the rounds at the same POI, it won't group the bastards at all. With the reloading press I just picked up I am going to try a few other loads in it come the new year and see what it will do with them and a new/better optic, am thinking of putting a SWFA SS 10X on it, but will see.
That said, for under a grand I would seriously lean towards a BCM upper the SS 410 barrels have a great rep for being an accurate barrel and if my BFH barrels, both free floated and none can print sub two inch groups in my hands with the same ammo my RRA was printing in MOA and if I am really on put the same rounds in near the same group size with less than half the magnification.... I think the BCM will serve you just fine.