Axis 223 at the range.

[Underdog]

Took my axis 223 to the range to sight in a scope I had just put on it. Several people there asked about it and I let them shoot it. Everyone was very happy with it's performace and looks and the groups it shot. My gun is a youth axis with the trigger spring upgrade and the trigger housing epoxied on and a small amount of weight added to the butt stock. I'm using a centerpoint 4-16x40 scope and pmc 55gr along with some herters 55gr ammo. The gun was shooting very well and one of the shooters went right from the range to walmart and bought one himself. He brought it to the range this morning and was showing it off. He's got a simmons 22mag scope on it and he let me shoot it, it's a shooter right out of the box. He was using hand loaded ammo though and his groups were slightly smaller than mine.

[sixonetonoffun]

Honestly the 223 is so economical to shoot this way and so much fun it drives me nutz. I spend all week looking forward to shooting on 1 of my days off. This week I got the crud so didn't get out. In fact thats how I knew I was to sick to go to work. Figured if I was to sick to shoot dang sure wasn't up to working. Sitting on 200 rounds of Federal cheapo 55gr FMJ about the last on my short list of decent less then .35 a round ammo to try. As long as the AR guys keep demand as high as it is today I'm sure the decent economy ammo will be available.

Won't be long and the bean/corn fields will be cleared off then the fun should really begin!

[thermaler]

Honestly the 223 is so economical to shoot this way and so much fun it drives me nutz. I spend all week looking forward to shooting on 1 of my days off. This week I got the crud so didn't get out. In fact thats how I knew I was to sick to go to work. Figured if I was to sick to shoot dang sure wasn't up to working. Sitting on 200 rounds of Federal cheapo 55gr FMJ about the last on my short list of decent less then .35 a round ammo to try. As long as the AR guys keep demand as high as it is today I'm sure the decent economy ammo will be available.

Won't be long and the bean/corn fields will be cleared off then the fun should really begin!I've shot thousands of federal rounds through my AR's--I regard it as "fodder break-in" type ammo since I generally get ho-hum results with it (especially the lake military surplus stuff which comes in ammo boxes, which I no longer will chamber in my AR's even though it's ultra-cheap)--but like they say each gun has it's own preferred diet. My theory is that the lighter calibers, especially with the shorter production stock, in the Axis line will generally have fewer issues than the big bangers. In the budget line of surplus type ammo I've found the Prvi partizan PPU to have outstanding quality and results for the type of ammo that it is--but keep in mind it is a higher pressure NATO 5.56 though I don't know if that is of any consequence to the Axis.

[mattm0812]

Honestly the 223 is so economical to shoot this way and so much fun it drives me nutz. I spend all week looking forward to shooting on 1 of my days off. This week I got the crud so didn't get out. In fact thats how I knew I was to sick to go to work. Figured if I was to sick to shoot dang sure wasn't up to working. Sitting on 200 rounds of Federal cheapo 55gr FMJ about the last on my short list of decent less then .35 a round ammo to try. As long as the AR guys keep demand as high as it is today I'm sure the decent economy ammo will be available.

Won't be long and the bean/corn fields will be cleared off then the fun should really begin!

When shooting rifles and wanting to get the best groups possible, you don't want to be shooting cheap ammo. You're going to be either shooting the most expensive stuff you can get or be shooting handloads.

[thermaler]

I think this guy is an AR owner wannee-be! : ) If you really get a kick out of sending tons of ammo down range--and still quest after the sub-MOA grail (and even if you don't, as some soldiers I've met returning from Iraq and Afghanistan tell me they don't really care so much about) you cannot beat an AR for fun-for-bang-for-buck. : )

[mattm0812]

I've shot thousands of federal rounds through my AR's--I regard it as "fodder break-in" type ammo since I generally get ho-hum results with it (especially the lake military surplus stuff which comes in ammo boxes, which I no longer will chamber in my AR's even though it's ultra-cheap)--but like they say each gun has it's own preferred diet. My theory is that the lighter calibers, especially with the shorter production stock, in the Axis line will generally have fewer issues than the big bangers. In the budget line of surplus type ammo I've found the Prvi partizan PPU to have outstanding quality and results for the type of ammo that it is--but keep in mind it is a higher pressure NATO 5.56 though I don't know if that is of any consequence to the Axis.

If you still are wanting to be cheap with ammo, then you shouldn't own a rifle when you are looking for accuracy. Keep the cheap stuff in the AR's.

[thermaler]

If you still are wanting to be cheap with ammo, then you shouldn't own a rifle when you are looking for accuracy. Keep the cheap stuff in the AR's.Have you fired PPU?

[mattm0812]

Have you fired PPU?

I don't believe factory/surplus ammo can come close to handloads. And it shouldn't.

[thermaler]

I won't argue that--but there's a pretty darn big group of shooters who don't load their own--so it's natural to want to find good deals.

[sixonetonoffun]

Wow guys ya really went over the top there! I just enjoy shooting with my friends and family. More likely to shoot a skunk, chuck, coon or possum across the yard as a rock at 1700 yards (Though that might be fun too). Not a serious shooter by any stretch of the imagination. I realize many of ya all are. So yeah bargains are good and my girls will learn to shoot the eyes out of a rubber gopher at 100 yards just as well with 34 cent ammo as they would with match grade ammo. Hand loading would of course be great it just isn't feasible for us at this time and frankly results with cheap stuff are pretty amazing. Though as you well know not as consistent as might be expected from factory loads. Hornady especially so far but yes I plan to try some other factory loads to see how far I can get with em. Again for fun.

[thermaler]

Wow guys ya really went over the top there! I just enjoy shooting with my friends and family. More likely to shoot a skunk, chuck, coon or possum across the yard as a rock at 1700 yards (Though that might be fun too). Not a serious shooter by any stretch of the imagination. I realize many of ya all are. So yeah bargains are good and my girls will learn to shoot the eyes out of a rubber gopher at 100 yards just as well with 34 cent ammo as they would with match grade ammo. Hand loading would of course be great it just isn't feasible for us at this time and frankly results with cheap stuff are pretty amazing. Though as you well know not as consistent as might be expected from factory loads. Hornady especially so far but yes I plan to try some other factory loads to see how far I can get with em. Again for fun.I've sent a whole bunch of 223/5.56 downrange out of several AR's for years--I know where you're coming from. I agree that hornady V-max or superformance is a choice round for a factory load--all my ARs love Hornady. I love the PPU stuff also because the brass is very good, burns clean, and the accuracy is better than most standard production non-premium domestic 223 I've used. I buy it in 200 round sealed battle packs for around $70.00. The only catch is they use a red dye of some sort on the primer cap--though it's never been an issue in my AR's which can get mighty hot.

[sixonetonoffun]

Thanks thermaler will have to check out the PPU. I've only run into online ammoseek ect... will have to give it a try.