New Axis .223 XP - Range Report

[DGNY]

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

[dacaur]

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....