Range Time
I have been testing the Revolution in 6.5 Creedmoor for the last few months and its accuracy has been impressive. This .308 version was equally as accurate. My best 100-yard group measured in the 0.70 inch range. Everything tested under an inch at 100 yards. Moving to 300 yards it put 10 rounds into just over 3.5 inches fired pretty quickly. Like most everything I’ve tested, it really liked the Hornady 155-grain American Gunner load. Tested in the last dozen rifles it is consistently match-grade accurate, reliable and very clean shooting. As a bonus, it is half the cost of some match grade ammunition. For home defense or duty applications it was equally accurate, with Hornady’s Critical Defense Rifle using the 155-grain FTX bullet. Terminal ballistics on this round are impressive with a devastating wound cavity and 16 to 18 inches of penetration. Given the chance, I would not hesitate to deploy this as a patrol carbine using the Critical Defense. Doubletap Ammunition’s 155-grain Sierra TMK load was also very accurate and has also proven effective in duty applications.
There were no stoppages or other failures with a wide variety of ammunition. Adjusting the gas made that pretty easy, it even ran some Corbon MPR loaded with the 125-grain Sierra TMK—a round that makes many AR-10s stumble. Accurate and fast at just under 3,000 f.p.s. out of this 16.5-inch barrel, it’s soft shooting and hard hitting out to 500 yards. Given the lower reciprocating mass of the smaller carrier and a bit longer dwell time, its easier than tuning most standard AR-10s. In most cases you can turn the gas down, but mating it with the proper spring or buffer can make for a cool running and smooth operating rifle without much fuss or frustration.
Timing for the test was about perfect with a state wide 3-gun match occurring the next day. Several stages were set up in preparation and at my disposal. Running through these stages was an excellent test and quite a bit of fun, and this Revolution excels at this job. Moving through stages it is fast to swing, shoot and get on target. Recoil is manageable with the 3-port brake, loud for sure but pressure on the shooter is pretty minimal. Admittedly, I am pretty brake averse, but as they go this one is excellent and the norm in most competitions. Recoil is commensurate with most AR-10s with a brake, but the lower reciprocating mass helps. Tuned to run with the Hornady 155-grain American Gunner, it was comfy and fast to shoot. If I were going to run in a “heavy” division for any of the action shooting competitions, this gun and mom combination would be at the top of my list.
Considerations
It runs suppressed as well as any DI AR-10. Four different suppressors were used, two are no-backpressure designs, one has limited back pressure, and the last is typical of standard baffle designs. Both the OSS and the NG2 are no-backpressure units using some form of flow through system. They required very little adjustment to run and were reasonably quiet. Both are heavy, in the 20-ounce range, but there was no real excess gas in your face.
Suppressed Armaments K9S was designed for this application and worked well. At only 14 ounces and 5 inches in length, you barely notice it on the rifle—it’s just louder than most. It’s about perfect for a duty use since it does not gum up the works and protects those around you from blast and flash. Used on several rifles it tends to have about half the back pressure of most conventional suppressors. Dead Air’s NOMAD-30 is a more conventional design. It was the quietest of the bunch, but had the most back pressure.
