NEW GEAR John Markwell
ROAD TRIP Traveling west every year to shoot Vanguard 10.5x45mm Endeavor ED
varmints has become a tradition for a couple of friends and me. In 2012, I was again fortunate to be able to spend a considerable amount of time on the road. Traveling in my camper-equipped pickup with Maggie, my Heeler dog, I was able to shoot little furry critters in North and South Dakota, as well as Montana. With side trips into both Idaho and Wyoming to scout out new shooting opportunities, and to do some fishing, it was quite a good trip. Also during this latest trip west, I met a surprising number of VHA members. To all of you, “It was a pleasure.” What follows are reviews of some of the new stuff I was able to field test in the var- mint fields. NIKON’S M-223 LASER IRT 2.5-10X40 RIFLESCOPE
Brownells 1911 Conversion Case Brownells Shooting bag, at right
The M-223 IRT is one of Nikon’s new offerings in their AR Optics line of telescopic sights. I had never had the opportunity to use a laser rangefinder/ scope combo before and was eager to use this one in the varmint fields of the West. The M-223 Laser IRT is designed to be used on 223 AR platform rifles. According to Nikon’s Web site, “The M-223 Immediate Ranging Tech- nology (IRT) riflescope combines the speed and precision of a Nikon range- finder with the accuracy potential of the M-223 riflescope and BDC 600 reticle.” The M-223 IRT is a 2.5-10x variable powered scope with a built-in laser rangefinder. Both the turrets (which have ¼ MOA clicks) and the BDC 600 open circle reticle are calibrated for the trajectory of the 223 cartridge with 55-grain polymer tipped bullets at a velocity of 3,240 fps.
100 mph tape held turrets in place Page 164 Winter 2013
I mounted the M-223 IRT on my Colt AR 6720 Coyote rifle and estab- lished a 100-yard zero using Cor-Bon ammunition loaded with 55-grain Sierra BlitzKing bullets. This Cor-Bon load chronographs at 3,168 fps from the Colt’s 20-inch barrel and shoots like
hotcakes from the AR. Powered by one CR2 lithium bat- tery, the laser function of the M-223 is activated by pressing a button on the left side of the scope tube. The laser can be programmed to give either a straight line or horizontal distance to the target with the electronic display being visible in the upper one-fourth of the field of view above the reticle. I programmed the laser to give me the horizontal read- out. The ranging feature of the M-223 scope worked like a charm in the field. The measuring function stays on for 12 seconds and, unlike other rangefinders I’ve used, the unit seemed to get a “hit” on almost everything I pointed the laser at the first time, regardless of size, color, or texture.
With a 100-yard zero, elevation compensation for different ranges can be either “dialed in” using the eleva- tion turret’s BDC function or, using the BDC600 reticle, one can “hold” for dif- ferent ranges. The BDC 600 reticle has a series of alternating open circles and hash marks which I found to be pretty close for their designated ranges. I did, however, have some trouble using the BDC600 reticle for hold-overs as the circles and hash marks are not marked in any way. You have to count every time you go to a different range. Before going west, I took the M-223 and the 6720 Colt rifle up to the site of the Allegheny Sniper Challenge to shoot some steel. I did not dial for any ranges. Instead, I depended on the BDC600 reticle for hold points for all of my initial shooting. Bear in mind that many of the ASC steel targets are torso sized. I engaged targets out to 550 yards with the Colt 223 with the M-223 IRT mounted on its railed top. On these torso-sized targets the open circle/hash mark reticle worked quite well. When I tried shooting 6-inch steel discs, the BDC600 reticle worked pretty well out to about 300 yards. Past that distance, it was tough to get a precise sight picture. In the prairie dog towns a month
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