Bushmaster's ACR Designated Marksman Rifle Part 2

Maine ushered in spring with truly lousy weather; wind, snow/sleet, cold gusting winds and temps ranging from zero to teens. Still, with a heavy forward schedule dictating no further delay, I suited up in winter gear, slogged across a field of knee deep snow and out into the woods to place targets. Yes, I am an accomplished whiner and thank you for noticing.

The only real hardship I had to endure in this type of weather was the target trek. The shooting area is covered, sheltered from the wind. The chronograph is UV lit to permit data collection beneath the same roof. Add a jet heater, a Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and a giant sippy cup filled with ice tea and that pretty much defined my range day.

No I am not ashamed of my current shooting comfort as I paid my dues. When I was young, data collection required standing behind a target, catching bullets with my bare hands, and then measuring my wrist deflection to gauge velocity. Yes, I know I am verbally wandering. You must be new here, as that’s what I do when I am mentally sorting through details of a firearm and determining where to begin…

In search of Raison d’être…

I started my first contact with the Bushmaster ACR DMR thinking, “Wow! Weird AR”. Ten minutes later I realized the error of my ways and within a couple of days of taking it apart, putting it back together… fortunately the same number of times, then conducting a few extended live fire sessions, I realized the Bushmaster ACR didn’t work, look, feel, or shoot like an AR.

The ACR feels large… substantial, because at 10.4 lbs without scope, it is substantial. Initially, a subconscious thought process kept incorrectly suggesting that the button on the forward trigger guard should drop the magazine, the button above the guard should release the bolt and I kept groping for a non-existent charging handle under the scope’s eyepiece.

A very comfortable rifle in hold, it took only a few magazines of shooting before proper handling and operation became second nature. There is a logic to control placement, including the forward, non-reciprocating charging handle. Even the gas regulator selector, suppressed – unsuppressed, is out in the open and easy to access.

Cleaning is easy, although the Bushmaster ACR is a very clean operating firearm and does not need special attention to cleaning. Stock, barrel and gas system removal and service, for me, seemed a simple task when compared to an AR. I did not miss the AR’s Slinky like recoil spring and buffer, not did I miss the myriad of AR 15 handguard mounting systems.

It would be difficult not to take advantage of the buttstock adjustment capability. Trying flip up sights, red dot sights and scopes, the ability to adjust comb height and position as well as length of pull was useful. The same could be said when changing shooting positions from bench to standing, to kneeling, to sitting, to prone. The last position with a bipod mounted forward on the bottom rail. The ACR DMR felt a bit like a well made varmint rifle and it cycled really smoothly with hardly noticeable recoil. The Bushmaster ACR DMR’s real ability to shine came as a surprise, primarily because it was in stark contrast to what I had read or seen on social media.

Accuracy that instills confidence

5.56 NATO and 223 Remington ammunition can be used in the ACR. It’s tight 1:7″ twist is quick enough to stabilize bullets at the heavy weight end of the bullet spectrum, but also lighter bullet weights as well.

I apologize for the ratty targets, but a review firearm is zeroed once and then shot for groups, ignoring shifts in point of impact… including those that land on the cardboard next to the target. Not pretty, but the approach yields accurate data and it is a process that saves a good deal of wasted ammo and targets. I’ve seen social media suggestion that a barrel with a tight twist to accommodate long heavy for caliber bullets “over stabilizes” light bullets. Not so.

In my experience, short, light bullets are more tolerant of fast twists rates than long, heavy bullets are to slow twist rates as there is nothing inherently destabilizing about a tight twist. The negative assertion is that tight twists result in excessive light, short bullet rotational speeds. Theoretically, excessive rotational speed acts on minute aerodynamic and balance defects, introduced during bullet design and/or manufacturing, causing a bullet to wander about its longitudinal access. Not unlike an out of balance tire on a car. At low speeds the condition may be barely perceptible, but at very high speed it will shake until you teeth chatter. Contradictions to the theory? See targets pictured above.

Personality…

The Bushmaster ACR DMR is am incredibly smooth shooting firearm. No slamming, clanking or hammering sensations, just a slick cycling with next to no recoil and it will deliver to a marksman’s potential out to 550 meters. The ACR DMR is a good looking, good shooting firearm, one that warrants a first hand look.