Got my new RRA Varmint 16 Thursday and tested it out with various loads over the weekend. Here are some random notes on my experience. (This is my first AR, by the way.)
1) EOTech was adjusted WAY high at first. I had to go down approximately 20-30 clicks to sight it in.
2) the EOTech dot seemed larger than 1MOA. It completely covered my target dot (~1") at 50 yards. Isn't that 2 MOA? I turned down the brightness but it didn't matter.
3)The very first round I "fired" didn't go BOOM. Inspection revealed a very light pin strike... this happened several times on a new mag. Finally, I started pushing the charging handle forward and rapping the forward assist a couple times. Once, I even had to unload and dry fire a couple times before it would go BOOM. Is this operator error?
4) I tried Winchester USA 55gr FMJ, WinUSA 45gr HP, UMC 55gr FMJ, Wolf 55gr HP, and Win Q3131A. Best groups at 25 and 50 yds? Wolf! I couldn't believe it. Also, had milder recoil than the rest, and stunk like hell.... worried about doing damage, so I might not use it anyway.
5) Tried to rapid-fire one mag of the USA 45gr HP. About 6 rounds into it I had a stoppage. Looks like the tip didn't fully feed into the chamber because when I removed the case(from the magazine!?!) the bullet was jammed up in the case and powder dumped everywhere... that was new to me, but I'm new to AR's...
6) Hunted for 2 days with it, and with a good sling, it didn't feel as heavy as it is. (8 lbs)
Glad I went with the heavy barrel.
7) Overall, an absolute blast, I can't wait to put a good scope on it as the gun appears MUCH more precise than the EOTech. I'll bet I can get better than 3/4 MOA with home-cooked ammo.
Comments?