All,

Centurion has just released the new 5mm Varmint version of their ammo. It is a 30gr JHP with similar specs to the 30JSP, but much more frangible. Initial testing by AMMOe appears very promising. Of note the 592 seemed to prefer it, while the 591 appeared to have some harmonics issues. I will be modifying a 541 stock with a barrel tuner and testing it to confirm this suspicion.

AMMOe has more details as he received his ammo on Friday. I should receive mine today. BTW, the QC on this ammo appears very tight!

 5mm_Varmint_Box_small.jpg ( 362.78K ) Number of downloads: 9

Yes Indeed! I did receive a shipment of the new 5mm Remington Magnum 30 grain Varmint HP from Centurion Ordnance. I confess that this isn't the first shipment I received as I was sent some of the "white box" prototype of this load earlier this summer but as production wasn't ramped up yet, I was asked to keep it quiet.

The production ammunition is good and in every respect as good as the prototype ammunition was; and in some respects, better. As PMI alluded, my 591M didn't like it much but in retrospect, this 591M has always been a bit of a problem. It has been my experience that, for what ever reason, the 592M tube feed shoot better than the detachable magazine 591M models.

It was a rainy sunday morning when I hit the range with my 592M. The previous day I'd taken my 591M out and gotten about 2 MOA with a 3x9 scope and a 5 pound trigger. This 591 has also been a bear to extract cases from as the primary extractor was supplied undersized and allows brass to swell against it on firing. I had to yank on the bolt to cleanly extract the fired brass (which I expected) but what I didn't expect was shearing off the bolt stop; effectively sidelining this rifle until another is made.

So I took my 592M "walking" rifle with the 2.5X Weaver on to just to do some chronographing. Some quick three shot groups at 25M got my attention. It seemed to shoot as good as I could hold in the rain and with the low magnification; Not to mention the less-than-ideal trigger. Hmmm.

Over my old Chrony (it was raining too much to use my new one) I averaged 2480.8 feet per second for each ten shot string with a maximum spread, from slowest to fastest, of 30 fps! This was at 15 feet. Corrected to the muzzle it is surely over 2500 fps. That's over 400 ft/lbs of muzzle energy for those who like physics.

Function through the tube magazine was flawless and extraction was effortless.

A couple of things hit me as I was hastily hauling my soggy gear in from the bench to get out of what was turning from a drizzle into a steady downpour. First, I need a better scope on this 592M. Second, I need to hit the prairiedog town with the 30 grain Varmint again. I didn't get any pictures last time, but I will the next....~AMMOe

Sounds good guys I just wish the 592M I picked up shot good but I've not have it out in some time, I know that one of the problems is that the dove tale slot the main stock screw goes into is very loss. I guess I could make one in shop class and just not tell any one what it's for.

WB: Try pulling the block and drilling through it for a set screw.~AMMOe

PS:

This is the ballistic table I generated this evening. The BC is from dual chronograph readings. Compare this to other rimfires. (Especially in drop and energy)

Went out last night and found some flea ridden rabbits with the 5mm. I got three but one flew straight up and landed in it's hole with only a foot sticking out. The fleas kept me from digging it out. This one was at 65 yards with a body hit. Looks like a Hornet hit, doesn't it?


This one was about 5 yards farther up the bank with just the head showing. This mess was the far side.


So far, so good! ~AMMOe

WOW talk about making a mess out of the first one.

Thanks for the idea to drilling an tapping the block. I was ready to make a new one.

This post has been edited by wildbirdhunter: Aug 26 2009, 05:11 PM

You welcome. I'm an old country hock... I do things the easy way. That head shot was a little more gruesome then the pic allowed for. No skull. Just a skin face-flap and the ears.~AMMOe

Lately, I've just been observing the forum. Unfortunately, my new life in SoCal doesn't lend to much shooting or hunting.

I think the production of this new "Varmint" round is a great thing. Maybe this is a sign that some new 5mm rifles will soon make their debut.

Thanks for sharing, Marine PMI and AMMOe!

The Boy and I took a rare run to the local PD town yesterday evening. He is working extra hard to save for Grad school and has a lady friend from college working on a fellowship at the local museum, so our customary summer jaunts have been curtailed as of late.

As is tradition with us, we grabbed the CZ Hornets and did most of the work with those but I did take the 5mm along to see how it fared. I hadn't had a chance to swap out the 2.5X scope but did kill a half dozen dogs from 40 to 115 yards on a breezy afternoon. Never a second shot needed. (Finisher, I mean. I did miss twice) The last shot was shooting into the sunset at about 80 yards. The dog was standing on top of a dike that runs around a small rural substation and at the shot, I could hear the impact of the bullet but couldn't see the dog for the foliage. I watched for a second and then saw the tail fluttering between the grass tufts; A sure sign that it is down for good. I took another rabbit a few minutes later but it was a 30 yard, no brainer shot to the head. Nothing to talk about, performance-wise.

I went to the Billings Gun Show yesterday. Prices were ridiculous on 5mm rifles: $450 to $550. I was really looking for a Martini .22 action on which to build a custom, varmint grade 5mm. I didn't find anything suitable so I either pick up a New England Firearms .22 (or .22WMR/17HMR) and bore and thread the barrel shank for a new 5mm tube or build an action from scratch. I wish CZ or NEF would build a rifle for this one.... ~AMMOe

This post has been edited by AMMOe: Aug 30 2009, 04:24 AM

Thinking Chicoppe or Vault lock?

It was so hot here this weekend, I didn't really get a chacne to do crap.

Chicopee CF action. It's easier and can be sandwiched. Also it can be converted from CF to RF easily.

Sorry you got heated. We are enjoying 80 degree weather and the dogs are plentiful. I put a larger scope on the 592 last night: a 3-9X Weaver. If I wasn't feeling so crappy I'd be heading out today to sight it in.~AMMOe

Great report!!

Double Ditto's on the CZ thing. When the news broke about the reintroduction of the round I took a vow NOT to buy any new guns until CZ came out with their 5mm which I intended to snap up post haste. It was a promise I could not keep. A guy can hold his breath just so long you know, and CZ didn't end up any of my money.

The local Trading Post has a beater NEF .22LR coming out of pawn next week and has agreed to sell it to me cheap so as to fuel the 5mm project. I'll bore out the barrel shank and thread it for a 5mm tube, refitting the extractor once I get the gun together. This is going to be too much fun.~AMMOe

I finally seen the 5MM ammo on the shelzes here in Ohio. It's only in 1 store but by golly it's here!!

$18.99/box