New Axis .223 XP - Range Report

Thanks to all of you here, I bought this new economy rifle [$310+tax OTD] and took it out today here in upstate NY. Stated reason for purchase was to use up a few hundred rounds of American Eagle 55 gr FMJBT that I had bought in the 80s and never used. 10AM was the appointed hour with a friend; just about 37*F. Shot 50 rounds from bench with spongy borrowed rest in front [centerline of which was ~front of mag] and bag of grain at rear, with fist [yes, I know...] providing final elevation for each shot. As you all know, the scope is so-so at best; but it provided a view of the target and did not fall off. The factory bore sighting was way off.

The rifle's best was a four shot group [before I got the mag to accept 5] in minimum breeze at 50 yards - around .545" ctc by caliper. Later 5-shot groups at 100 yards were in the 1.5 range. I cleaned with wet and then dry patch after each few rounds, starting after 5 rd and then gradually increasing the # of rounds between cleaning. No attempt to get too rigorous..

The trigger felt just OK - a slight hitch and then resistance and then the break. I had snugged the front action screw [w/o torque wrench] and the rear screw a bit looser, as I do on my Swiss 7.5s. I had also verified that card stock would slip around barrel from foreend tip rear to near action. At the bench, I did find the buttstock wiggly, exaggerated by the rifle's balance point being somewhat forward due to the low density stock material. With the fadeaway style of the pistol grip, I got [for me] best non-jittery trigger let-off and consequent best grouping by pinching the trigger, thumb vertical behind trigger guard and index finger squeezing. BTW, would never shoot a hard recoil rifle with that squeeze technique. Am left handed, so some heart beat effect on each shot.

Notwithstanding that I will not reload for this rifle, am hoping in warmer weather to get some better groups, as have several rifles that do inch or better @ 100. [For those rifles, that is good, as none is especially accurate by modern standards.] Let's hope I can still hold that well!!

Thanks again for all the info on these good and economical rifles and for the commendably elevated tone of the discussions.

Regards,

Dyson

My .308 will do groups less than an inch at 100 yards, but not with every ammo... before I started reloading, I tried some remington and some federal, the remingtons grouped about 1.5-2 inches, and the federals grouped under an inch..... Handloads are ever better now...

Keep in mind with its skinny bbl, you probably wont get sub inch 5 shot groups regardless of ammo. On my .308, the first 3 shots are almost always touching, then the next two open the group to 1-2 inches or so due to bbl heating moving the POI....