Matt
Just picked up one on these about a month ago. I go the AAC-SD version with the threaded barrel. Otherwise they are the same. I picked up a couple of boxes of Federal 168 gr. Gold Metal Match ammo just to burn until I got the reloads started. Took it to the range and started shooting one hole groups at 100 yards off the benchrest right off the bat. I was impressed with both the gun and the ammo.
The Hogue over-molded stock was a nice color of OD Green with black stippling and felt very good to the touch. The alluminum pillars allowed me to torque the action screws to my typical 65 inch pounds with no problem. The only problem I had with the stock was when I mounted the Yankee Hill Phantom Suppressor, which weight a couple of pounds, on the front of the barrel. The added weight on the end of the barrel caused the normally free floated barrel to contact the stock when shooting off of a tripod or sand bag rest. Since I intend to shoot the rifle primarily as a suppressed gun (13 grs of Trail Boss powder and a 220 gr. bullet produces nothing but the sound of the firing pin falling) I ordered a Remington Long Range Tactical B&C stock to replace the factory Hogue. I probably could have took out a little material from the forearm of the stock and solve the problem but I'm fond of the full length alluminum bedding blocks in the B&C and H. S. Precision stocks.
I was tempted not to even bother reloading since I was buying the factory ammo for $20 per box of 20. But once a reloader, always a reloader. The first thing I tried reloading was the Sierra 168 gr Match King, which is the same bullet loaded in the Federal shells. Loading to the same velocity as the factory loads gave me the same great accuracy as the factory.
The load was 43.4 grains of Reloader 15 powder with a CCI 200 primer seated to 2.800"COAL, in the Federal Match brass. The load produced 2417 FPS in the 20" barrel.
I then tried the Berger 155 gr. VLD bullets. 47 grains of Reloader 15 powder with the CCI200 primers seated to 2.80" COAL produced half inch groups at 2748 FPS.
Next load was the Berger 190 Gr. VLD bullet with 42 grains of Reloader 15 with the CCI 200 primers seated to 2.80" COALwith a velocity of 2365 from the 20" barrel.
The last load I've tried was the Nosler 150 Gr. Ballistic Tip bullet in front of 46 grs. of Reloader 15 and a CCI BR2 Primer loaded in Winchester brass loaded to 2.810" COAL traveling at 2666 fps. The bullets also shot into one ragged hole at 100 yards.
All these loads were fired at 760 feet above sea level at temperatures in the 50s. I will experiment with more loads and powders as time allows. The possibilities are unlimited. All loads were below max in my gun but as always should be approaced with CAUTION.
The xmark trigger adjusted down to about 3 pounds without removing the stock. The only problem was to get it to this point I had to back out the allen screw in the trigger far enough that it got in the way of my trigger finger. I removed the stock and adjusted the trigger weight screw on front of the trigger housing until it had no spring pressure at all, sealed it with finger nail polish and after putting the action back in the stock adjusted the allen screw to about 2 pounds with the screw back near factory position.
All in all I'm very pleased with the rifle and would reccomend it to you for your wife. She'll like it and so will you.
Nimrodmar10
