Finally!!!

Posted on by June 2, 2018

After WAY too long, I have two rifles configured for my SOCOM II suppressor!!!

It’s been over two years to first, actually GET the suppressor in, then another year of back and forth with ATF (with a gun trust)!

But it’s finally done!!!

Without…

WITH!!! šŸ™‚

SOCOM II 7.62

Without…

WITH!!! And yes, significantly nose heavy! šŸ™‚

And now the ‘fun’ starts… Rezero…

And then load development for a subsonic round. Looking at 172 gr, 1050fps. And see if the bullets will actually stabilize out of both guns. It may not cycle the SCAR, we’ll have to see.

And then check zero and hold over, and, and…

And ‘might’ have found some place to hog hunt and NOT get charged an arm and a leg!!! Not a bad day!

Comments

Finally!!! — 18 Comments

  1. Take a look at how the “switchbarrel” benchrest guys change barrels. They’re mostly in countries which make it difficult to own multiple rifles for shooting in different classes, so they switch barrels at the range as they move between classes.

    The current US benchrest fads call for enormous torques, but these guys are going just past hand tight and using strap wrenches to remove the barrels. And it works well enough to keep them competitive against the dedicated-caliber rifles.

    Which is a roundabout way to get to, if you want a tighter twist to optimize a heavier bullet, changing the barrel doesn’t have to be rocket surgery. And you can spin the original 10, 12, or 14 twist barrel back on to shoot standard ammunition.

    As a second aside, back a few years ago SSK’s web site used to have a bunch of ballistic data from JD Jones, from his development work with the .300 Whisper. A few years ago that all vanished, and any mention of Jones, and most products in Jones calibers… anyway, Jones had a bunch of comparison data between the .300 Whisper and the .308, showing the Whisper with a 265 grain bullet being significantly more accurate at longer ranges than a 150-grain .308, and also carrying more velocity at long range. He attributed this to the high drag on the .308 bullet when supersonic, causing it to lose velocity at a higher rate than the subsonic Whisper bullet, and the supersonic bullet being affected by turbulence as it dropped below sonic at long range.

    It was really interesting stuff that I failed to copy down to local storage before it vanished… anyway, it might be worth your time to do what it takes to run a heavy bullet. If I can ever get some “quality shop time” I intend to follow up on it, myself.

    • Well, the two years is going to pass ANYWAY. I wanted a can 2 years ago, but did nothing about it. So here we are today.
      Question is: am I gonna have a can two years from now, or not? It’s all up to me.

  4. It boggles my mind that we get charged to hunt feral hogs. They destroy ranch land, kill cattle, yet ranchers charge to hunt them. Iā€™m going to try that with my exterminator. For just $55 a day he can kill mice in my garage.

    • Right ? I remember, just a few years ago in fact, many farmers / ranchers were very grateful for hunters removing feral hog off their property for free. Hard on fence, their rooting around creates holes which can damage livestock. I guess like the trophy deer model, if you can make an extra buck, they will charge.

    • Come to Arkansas. No season, no limit, no tags, no out-of-state permit needed. ARG&F says they’re an invasive nuisance.

      If you’re lucky you might even find a farmer who’ll pay you a bounty.

      Unfortunately, alligators are becoming a nuisance in some areas, and not just the Delta, either. Some have even been found in lakes in hill country. Even though they’re clearly an invasive species, and dangerous, Game & Fish has declared them “protected” and has huge fines if you get caught popping one.

  5. I suspect you’re going to enjoy the challenge of working up the loads for the new setup. But paying to rid a rancher of a destructive nuisance? They ought to be paying you!

  7. TRX- A couple of folks I’ve talked to are recommending 10.2gr TB under a 175 SMK. I think I’ll probably start at 11gr and see what I get. And I’ve gotta go buy another chrono… sigh… WN- Nope!

    Pat- It HELPS if it’s not one the government wants… sigh… šŸ™‚

    LTC- That it does! Which is why I WILL NOT pay somebody to hunt hogs. Good luck with the exterminator…LOL

    Rev- Oh yeah, it WILL be a challenge… Gotta make sure they actually clear the barrel, then that they don’t keyhole, Chrono them, and THEN you finally get to put the can on and try it… And if any of the above fails, back to square one!

    • For maximum suppressor efficiency you want a minimum powder charge. But for maximum accuracy you want the largest charge that will completely burn, in order to minimize shot-to-shot pressure variation. TANSTAAFL, unfortunately… but that doesn’t mean you can’t work up one load for suppressor efficiency and a second “maximum accuracy” load.

  8. Hey Old NFO;

    I know that you are only pretending to grouse to maintain your rep as a grumpy old guy, but inwardly you are looking forward to taking those rifles to the range and having fun….. šŸ˜‰ We are expecting an AAR after the range…