My Remington UML Setup for CO

[Josey Wales]

This year, I decided to upgrade from my CVA Optima to something that I could use for longer range shooting (for fun, and potentially in NM, if I ever draw a tag), but also use for elk and Mulies in CO. After debating the Knight UL v. Rem UML, I decided to go with the Remington. I know many people on here love the Knight UL...but honestly, I wanted a little heavier gun. I shoot a heavier gun more accurately, and I don’t know if I’m man enough to take the recoil of a lighter weight gun shooting heavy loads. Also, my impression is that the Remington might be better suited to longer range shooting. My brother (Sandhillhunter) is going through the same process, and we are picking the same components since we’ll be hunting together. Two is better than one.

I thought I’d share on here what has worked and what hasn’t.

First, I bought the gun from Luke at Arrowhead Rifles. He installed his modified breach plug and sent me the rifle, along with 20 primer modules and a depriming tool.

My hope was to use the front globe from the Williams Western Precision globe sight

and then to mount a picatinney rail on the rear so that I could mount a scope to work up loads (and when I win the NM lottery for an elk tag), and then remove the scope and attach the NEGC peep to the rail.

Unfortunately, the front globe sits too low for this setup...I could not get the rear sight low enough to get on paper.

I scrapped the picatinney rail and tried the lowest Weaver style mount I could find, but it still was not low enough to get on paper. I decided to scrap the idea of the quick swap system, and mounted to scope to get to working up loads.

Based on Luke’s recommendation, I decided to try the Fury Star Tip2 .50 cal, 320 grain bullets, with Blackhorn 209 powder. I bought the bullets and some .030 veggie wads from Luke.

I’m using Federal 215M primers. I started out with 70 grains of powder by weight, and worked up to 77 grains by weight. Off to the range...

At first, I thought this was a great 2 shot group at 100 yards...but I couldn’t get any others on the target. The bullets were tumbling in the air and shooting a very unrespectable 3 foot group. I’m not the greatest shot, but surely I can do better than that. Back to the drawing board.

After talking with Luke, I upped the charge to 95 grains of powder by weight. Same result. I then talked to the guy from Fury Bullets...he suggested that I needed a 0.060 wad, or two .030 wads stuck together.

To be continued...

 

[ENCORE]

.060" wad is the correct thickness. If it were me, I'd take that charge up.

 

[Josey Wales]

Encore is right on both points...

With two 0.030 wads and 95 grains of powder, this was the result:

Getting better. Luke told me the sweet spot is usually around 98 grains, so I tried that next. First group is on the left, then I adjusted the scope and shot the 2nd group (these are all 2 shot groups):

I’d be happy with that using a centerfire rifle.

I chronographed the 98 grain load and got an average muzzle velocity of 2025 FPS. With that, I worked up a drop chart:

I checked it at 200 yards, and was hitting good (I didn’t get a picture of that one), then moved on to 300. I dialed up 9.5 moa, and shot this 2 shot group.

If only I could use the scope in Colorado! Next, I removed the scope and went back to the peep sight. I had to remove the rear scope mount and installed the Williams rear peep that came with the Western Precision sight. Even with that, I had to adjust it as low as possible to get bore sighted.

After a couple of shots to get it adjusted at 100, I moved to 200.

That was aiming at the bolt on top of the target. I moved the sight over a little to get centered up. I later figured out that I could use the 1st hash mark in the Western Precision sight and it was right on at 200.

For the sake of science (meaning I am not planning on taking any 300 yard shots on game with a peep sight, but I’d like to know where to hold in case I needed to make a long follow-up shot)...I moved out to 300. The drop chart shows 30 inches of drop at 300. I used the 1st hash mark in the sight, and held it about 20 inches over the center of the target at 300, and hit about 1” high and 1” left of the center.

After being worried about tumbling bullets, I’m really happy with how it is shooting now. It’s amazing to me that an extra 0.030 of wad makes such a difference.

Regarding the gun, I like the fit and finish of it for a production gun. The bullets require consistent force going down the barrel. The trigger is several pounds heavier than I usually shoot on my centerfire guns, but it breaks cleanly. The recoil with the 98 grain loads is stiff...it reminds me of my .300 Win Mag days.

Regarding the bullets, the Fury bullets I bought from Arrowhead are knurled to .503. The require a lot of force to get down the barrel. I ordered a sizing pack from Fury to see if a .501 or .502 would seat easier and still shoot well. If I was doing to over again, I would get the sizing pack first before working up the loads.

My apologies for being long winded, but I never found much info on the forum about the Remington UML, and I thought all of this might save someone else some time. Come on September 12...

 

[ENCORE]

I'd put an LR Customs brake on the rifle, then I'd bump up the charge and make that rifle do what its designed to actually do

 

[sandhillhunter]

I’m shooting the same setup as Josey Wales.

98 grains BH209
Fury 325 grain bullets with the universal plastic base.

My first try today with open sights.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[robby denning]

I'd put an LR Customs brake on the rifle, then I'd bump up the charge and make that rifle do what its designed to actually do

Takes a lot of words to explain it right. Good job man. What a shooter!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ENCORE]

I’m shooting the same setup as Josey Wales.

98 grains BH209
Fury 325 grain bullets with the universal plastic base.

My first try today with open sights.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great shooting with open sights.
I'm to old and have had to many eye surgeries to see open sights.

 

[robby denning]

I’m shooting the same setup as Josey Wales.

98 grains BH209
Fury 325 grain bullets with the universal plastic base.

My first try today with open sights.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That'll kill any buck walkin'