Looking for suggestions for a junior hunt firearm

[[Kev308]]

Took the upper to the range today with the new magazine and scope. All my targets got soaked in a down pour and ripped when taking them down. I didn’t bring my phone out, otherwise I would have taken pictures before attempting. I didn’t want to hold things up.

I tried 5 different types of ammo. 2x 180gr, 170gr, 150gr, and 145gr.

The 150 Winchester Deer Season XP jammed the worst. Probably because of the tip design

The 170gr Hornady Whitetail was a close 2nd worst jammer. One round jammed so bad it deformed the brass to the point I won’t even attempt to use it.

The two 180’s did ok.
**All the rounds shoot about 1-1/2” @100yds

 

[outrider58]

Took the upper to the range today with the new magazine and scope. All my targets got soaked in a down pour and ripped when taking them down. I didn’t bring my phone out, otherwise I would have taken pictures before attempting. I didn’t want to hold things up.

I tried 5 different types of ammo. 2x 180gr, 170gr, 150gr, and 145gr.

The 150 Winchester Deer Season XP jammed the worst. Probably because of the tip design

The 170gr Hornady Whitetail was a close 2nd worst jammer. One round jammed so bad it deformed the brass to the point I won’t even attempt to use it.

The two 180’s did ok.
**All the rounds shoot about 1-1/2” @100yds
View attachment 421668 View attachment 421669 View attachment 421670

Have you inspected the feed ramp alignment on that upper? Those jams are showing possible serious feed ramp problems.

 

[gwchem]

So it begins. Best learn to use it like a single shot.

I bet BCA tells you to try polishing the feed ramp yourself, before they'll do anything to fix the issue.

 

[outrider58]

So it begins. Best learn to use it like a single shot.

I bet BCA tells you to try polishing the feed ramp yourself, before they'll do anything to fix the issue.

I wouldn't trust them to fix it, to be honest. Fixing them is not hard, but it does involve removing the barrel.

They can be easily checked by running a fine ball-point pen up the ramp from the aluminum, up onto the steel ramp. If the pen hangs up between the two surfaces, the ramps need to be cut and polished. Easily done with a Dremel.

 

[[Kev308]]

So it begins. Best learn to use it like a single shot.

I bet BCA tells you to try polishing the feed ramp yourself, before they'll do anything to fix the issue.

Just need one shot!

 

[[Kev308]]

Have you inspected the feed ramp alignment on that upper? Those jams are showing possible serious feed ramp problems.

I never had a jam on the last round, and sometimes I would drop the mag and the round would then chamber.

What about shortening the spring in the magazine or changing the buffer weight?

 

[Inigoes]

One shot, one kill!

 

[Pale Ryder]

From some of what I’ve heard the BCA’s run a bit over gassed. Does it hang up in the chamber or does the bolt seem like it runs over the cartridge? Might want to try an H2 buffer.
Been tempted to go down this rabbit hole, but keep telling myself if I want a single shot 350 buy a CVA Scout. May just stay with my 1894 .44 this season.

 

[[Kev308]]

From some of what I’ve heard the BCA’s run a bit over gassed. Does it hang up in the chamber or does the bolt seem like it runs over the cartridge? Might want to try an H2 buffer.
Been tempted to go down this rabbit hole, but keep telling myself if I want a single shot 350 buy a CVA Scout. May just stay with my 1894 .44 this season.

It seemed like most times the next round in the magazine was slowing down the bolt from completely going into battery. The round would be half way fed into the chamber and when I would drop the magazine the round would finish chambering.

170gr Hornady and 150 gr Winchester seemed to have feeding ramp issues. Those would be on a bad angle and hung up.

 

[Pale Ryder]

It seemed like most times the next round in the magazine was slowing down the bolt from completely going into battery. The round would be half way fed into the chamber and when I would drop the magazine the round would finish chambering.

170gr Hornady and 150 gr Winchester seemed to have feeding ramp issues. Those would be on a bad angle and hung up.

Maybe this will shed some light. Hopefully.

 

[Doco Overboard]

What mags did you get by chance?
I bought the cmmg mags and mine runs like a champ. Lucky huh?
Someone else mentioned buffer.
Could be?
I think mine came from a Wyndham 308 orc that was delivered with collapsible stock at some other time.
Honestly I cant even remember now that I think about it but pretty sure thats what's in there.
But, sorry to hear about your disappointment I was hoping you had the same experience as me.
I use one of the below for loading my Ar's most of the time anyhow so I'm not too hard to impress.
Hope you get it straightened out soon now's the time to prep because it wont be long.

 

[Derwood]

If you ever see a future where you hunt something other than deer with him, I'd go with a shotgu, specifically either a Mossberg or Remington 20 gauge combo pack where you get a smooth barrel and a rifled barrel with a scope. You can hunt just about everything with a shotgun, so it's a good way to get started.

I used a Mossberg 500 pump with the scoped/rifled barrel exclusively for my first ten or so firearms seasons and killed a lot of deer dead with it. I like Hornady SST sabot slugs. They always work consistently and let's be honest, the red tip on those rounds makes them seem extra excellent. I started hunting as an adult, so I always had a 12 ga. But my older son will be ready in a few years and I plan to get him a full size 20 ga pump gun (not a little youth model that will kick harder). I've gotten him started shooting on BB guns and more recently on a .22LR so that he learns to shoot without even thinking about recoil/flinching from the start. I'll probably put him behind a .410 next year for squirrels.

If you don't see a future that involves small game/bird hunting, then go with one of the straight wall options. Personally, I'm partial to my 44 mag lever gun which has killed many deer and looks damn cool at the same time. I like that I can load the same rounds into a revolver. Those are probably going to be more expensive though. I can tell 350 Legend is quite popular. I'll have to try that out some time!

When I hunt in rifle areas, I still use my trusty old Savage Axis bolt gun scope combo that I bought in my early 20's when I first started hunting. A 150 grain 30-06 flies flat enough and knocks em dead every time. I killed two deer in 1 minute last year at a farm in VA with 250 yard shots using that thing. I just held high and they fell low! I've since gotten a 30-30 lever gun that I use for a couple spots where I'll never have a shot beyond 40 yards. I've not had an opportunity on a deer with it yet but obviously it's a proven caliber.

I'm not sure why bolt action guns cost more -- perhaps there are higher manufacturing standards since people go with a bolt for higher accuracy? Or maybe it's more costly to manufacture since less of them are made?

 

[Archeryrob]

I think your son will appreciate the recoil with the 350 and not even know how much a shotgun slug kicks. I've seen recoil destroy a kids desire to shoot/hunt. .

 

[mark71211]

My boy started hunting at 9 years old and I had him use my encore .50 muzzleloader. I got a bog tripod stand and it has worked great for him his first time out he shot two deer

 

[[Kev308]]

Took the 350 Legend upper out again today to test different types of ammo. I used a ten round magazine which has a lighter spring tension then the 5 rounder and only loaded 5 max. I also swapped out the buffer weight and installed a H2 set. Out of 30 rounds fired I only had one FTF on a follow up shot with a polymer tipped Winchester XP 150 gr bullet. I had two FTF on loading 1st round on Winchester Super X 180 gr.

The upper seems to be 1.5" MOA at best. The cycling reliability greatly improved from the last time I took it out.

200 yd groupings were about 3"

I was going to shoot more today, but the as*h*les at Walmart made me wait 15 minutes for someone to never show up to the ammo counter so I just left empty handed.

 

[6-Pack]

You reload at all? I’m shocked at the price of hunting ammo these days.

My pet load is 22 grains of IMR-4227 with a 165 Hornady FTX.

 

[outrider58]

Took the 350 Legend upper out again today to test different types of ammo. I used a ten round magazine which has a lighter spring tension then the 5 rounder and only loaded 5 max. I also swapped out the buffer weight and installed a H2 set. Out of 30 rounds fired I only had one FTF on a follow up shot with a polymer tipped Winchester XP 150 gr bullet. I had two FTF on loading 1st round on Winchester Super X 180 gr.

The upper seems to be 1.5" MOA at best. The cycling reliability greatly improved from the last time I took it out.

200 yd groupings were about 3"

I was going to shoot more today, but the as*h*les at Walmart made me wait 15 minutes for someone to never show up to the ammo counter so I just left empty handed.

I don't find 1.5 MOA that bad considering the round. I'm betting you will find something better as you proceed.

 

[[Kev308]]

You reload at all? I’m shocked at the price of hunting ammo these days.

My pet load is 22 grains of IMR-4227 with a 165 Hornady FTX.

I haven't started yet. I bought the press and dies but then the primer and powder shortage happened, so I haven't gone much further, and it's been on the back burner. I still need to get the equipment for brass cleaning. I'm only reloading shot gun rounds currently.

Saving all my brass for hunting calibers.
44 mag
308
350
357

 

[[Kev308]]

I don't find 1.5 MOA that bad considering the round. I'm betting you will find something better as you proceed.

I don't see a shot that will be greater than 100yds where we will be hunting, so I feel good about it.

 

[outrider58]

I don't see a shot that will be greater than 100yds where we will be hunting, so I feel good about it.

Heck yeah!