*Update 5/2/8 - Range Report - Paco Kelly Acu'rzr (phase IV)

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jdj
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*Update 5/2/8 - Range Report - Paco Kelly Acu'rzr (phase IV)

Post by jdj »

Disclaimer: I wasn't sure where to post this -- in the rimfire (pistol or rifle?) section, or in ammo, or what, so Robert - feel free to move it if necessary.

Ok, so my girlfriend recently bought her first gun, a ruger old-model single-six at a gun show. The price was right at $260 used (in 98% condition). The trigger is excellent and she loves the gun, but it just won't group. The best groups I could get, trying CCI SV, Federal Automatch, Federal Value pack, and winchester Xpert was 1.5" at 15 yards from the bench (with the Federal Value pack, surprisingly).

So reading up on the single-six, I found they aren't known for their accuracy, but because they are designed for both .22lr and .22 mag, they tend to have overly large bores. Reading up on rimfirecentral, I heard abou the Paco Kelly Acu'rzr, and decided to give it a try. It's supposed to improve accuracy by uniforming bullet diameter, and optimizing the diameter for a given barrel. I love tinkering with things, so I thought it would be a lot of fun. See link here:

http://www.leverguns.com/store/acurizer.htm

I emailed Mr. Kelly, asking what chamber sizes would be best for the single-six, and my winchester 9422 lever-action. He said that .223 is best for the levergun, and .225 for the large-bore of the revolver. So, I mailed in the check on 3/10 $53 + $5 S&H for the combo-tool containing all-3 forming rods, and chambered in .223 and .225. I figured the turn-around would be around six weeks, which is what most people experienced on rimfirecentral, so I was pleasantly surprised when the package came in the mail yesterday. I was even more surpised when I opened the package:

Image


The new "phase IV" tool has chambers for .222, .223, .224, and .225, and all 3 forming rods in one tool:


Image

I decided to try out the tools on a few bullets, to see how they would look. The baby scorp'n tool is sort of a punch, which turns the bullet into a hollow-point like a federel hydra-shock. The Nasti-nose forms a severely deep and wide hollow point, and the dish-nose turns a round-nose bullet into a dish-nose wadcutter or semi-wadcutter (depending on how hard you smack it).

Forming rods and corresponding bullets: from left to right: Baby Scorp'n, Nastinose, and dish-forming rod (the black debris on the forming rods is wax from the bullets):


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Formed bullets, from Left to Right: Federal Automatch, Federal Automatch (Baby Scorp'n), Federal Value-pack, Federal Value-pack (Nastinose), CCI SV, CCI SV (dish-nose semi-wadcutter):


Image

The overall fit/finish of the tool I would describe as decent. The tool body is very well machined, with knurled grips, and numbers 2-5, indicating the chamber sizes. The forming rods are a bit rougher, but seem to do the job quite well. The rods fit fairly tightly in the .222 chamber, with a slight amount of play. in the .225 chamber, there is more play, but if you hold the tool centered when you smack it with a mallet, it isn't a problem.

I am looking forward to testing to see if the tool improves the groups of both my girlfirend's single-six, and my 9422. I won't be able to make it to the range until after finals are over (I have 3 finals this week), but I will add a range-report with target pics when I get a chance to go in a couple weeks. I will also test expansion of the nastinose and baby-scorp'n bullets using high-velocity and standard-velocity ammo, by shooting milk-jugs.

Update – Range Report:

I finally made it to the range to test out the Paco tool, and the results were both impressive and disappointing. I was impressed by the tool’s ability to supremely improve the terminal ballistics of the meager 22lr round. However, the claim that the tool improves precision was proven to be false. In fact, the precision of rounds formed with the tool ranged from being unchanged compared to normal rounds to groups that would not stay on a 8.5x11 target at 25 yards! In no case were the formed bullets more precise than unformed bullets.

The accuracy data was taken using a bench rest with sandbags for both the rifle and pistol. For the Winchester 9422 lever action rifle, 5 round groups were fired at 50 yards using a 7x scope. For the Ruger old-model single-six, six round (one cylinder) groups were fired at 25 yards with open sights. It is possible that I used too much force, and formed the bullets into too radical a shape, causing a degradation in accuracy (see above images to see the change in bullets). It has also been pointed out that the Acu’rzr formed SWC bullets are unlikely to cycle in a semi-automatic. In the future, I will experiment with forming the bullets less, and if there is any change from the data presented below, I will update the post.

Image

Image

The other claim to fame of the tool is of course the nasti-nose and baby scorp’n forming heads of the tool. To test the expansion of the formed bullets, they were fired vertically into a 50 gallon garbage can filled with water (using necessary safety precautions, of course). The bullets were then recovered and compared to unformed bullets fired from the same gun. The results speak for themselves:

Image

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As you can see in the first image, the standard velocity ammo with the Nasti-nose expanded reliably to more than double it’s diameter, and had 100% weight retention, except in the single instance where it shed the expanded portion of the bullet. I believe these bullets would be extremely effective on small game such as rabbits and squirrels where you want to be sure that the bullet uses all of it’s energy without over-penetrating, and doesn’t damage the meat if you intend to eat the critter.

The Baby Scorp’n bullets exhibited the same type of expansion with both standard velocity and high-velocity ammo as seen in the first 3 images, shedding the expanded portion of the bullet around the central post, and retaining most of it’s weight. This seems like it would be a good choice for deeper penetration for larger varmints. However, the shed jacket could overly damage meat and be difficult to remove, presenting a possible problem if you intend to eat the meat.

The high-velocity 36 grain Federal value-pack and Winchester Xpert rounds all exhibited explosive expansion with the nasti-nose bullets, shedding the expanded portion of the bullet into many pieces. This would be devastating for any very small critter e.g. squirrel or pigeon where you wanted to kill the animal quickly and be sure that there was no overpenetration. However, the damage to meat with such a round would obviously be substantial.

I tested the tools with CCI CB shorts, which have a claimed velocity of 710 fps. None of the bullets was able to expand at such a low velocity.

If you’re looking to vastly improve the killing power of 22lr for small game at short range such as a pest-control application, I think the tool is a worthwhile purchase. It is possible that you can find an ammo/gun combo that shoots the formed bullets nearly as accurately as the unformed bullets, as with the Winchester Xpert and Federal Value-pack from the single-six. However, for longer-range applications or headshots, the formed bullets are unlikely to provide the needed accuracy.

The claim of the tool to improve accuracy proved to be completely bogus, at least in the small test sample presented, with 2 guns and 5 types of ammo. It is possible that in a different gun and/or forming the bullets less, the accuracy could be improved.

Overall, I am a bit disappointed in the tool. Since I do not hunt, the impressive expansion ability of the formed bullets is a bit superfluous, although I may use the bullets to assassinate the occasional milk-jug :) . The main purpose I bought the tool was to try and improve the dismal accuracy of my girlfriend’s single-six, which makes the tool mostly a failure. If I had to do it over again, I would not purchase the tool, but I am not upset that I own one, since it is well-made, fairly inexpensive, and capable of turning ordinary 22 bullets into nasty hollow points. I look forward to trying the tool with a 10/22 and some auto pistols this summer when I go home to visit my parents in AZ and I will see if less modification of the bullets can change the disappointing accuracy results.

Jeff
Last edited by jdj on Fri May 02, 2008 7:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by tomz34 »

Please post your results when you get them. I had considered purchasing this item awhile ago. I am very busy and had forgot about it until now. Your results would be greatly appriciated.
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Post by gunn24 »

Hope your girlfriend takes you around the world for all that work.
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Post by 3101 »

yeah, she outta let you spend a couple a nights in her sorority house on "drink til you drown" weekend after all that work trying to squeeze MOA accuracy outta Single Six.... :lol:

but with all that said, post how it works out accuracy wise.....
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Post by Mongo »

Do the rods thread in and apply pressure or do you smack them with a hammer?

What holds the round in the chamber? Seems kind of dangerous applying pressure to the nose of a rim fire round while it is in a chamber. Must not require much force to deform the bullet.

Yes keep us informed on this, looks like a neat tool.
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Post by jdj »

GaLEO wrote:yeah, she outta let you spend a couple a nights in her sorority house on "drink til you drown" weekend after all that work trying to squeeze MOA accuracy outta Single Six.... :lol:

but with all that said, post how it works out accuracy wise.....
lol, yeah, we're both medical students, and she's not really the "sorority girl type," quite the opposite, but she loves guns, which is kickass. I bought the tool more because I enjoy tinkering with stuff, than anything, and if I can get better accuracy out of cheapy bulk 22 ammo it'll be fun. I can crank out rounds while I'm studying.
Mongo wrote: Do the rods thread in and apply pressure or do you smack them with a hammer?

What holds the round in the chamber? Seems kind of dangerous applying pressure to the nose of a rim fire round while it is in a chamber. Must not require much force to deform the bullet.
the rods don't thread in, you basically push the cartridge into the chamber you want to size the bullet to (.222, .223, .224, or .225), then put the tool on a flat surface (i use a big slab of plywood on my lap), then put the tool in above the bullet and smack it with a rubber mallet. You get a feel for how hard to hit it, but it doesn't take much (lead is soft). And yes, obviously it's a bit dangerous, since it's basically a 2" smoothbore barrel of solid brass. I use eye protection, and make sure i'm not leaning over it, so if I get a KB, the worse that would happen is it shoots into the ceiling. I've read a lot of posts of others who use the tool though, and never heard of a round goinging off. Really, you don't need to hit it hard, even to form a full wadcutter. I usually use a couple of softer whacks rather than one hard one.
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Post by tomz34 »

I've heard nothing but positive feedback on this tool from people who have used it. Everyone claims it increases accuracy, and what's not to like about the bullet profile options. We need a range report soon. Keep us posted.
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Post by Landry308 »

How many rounds per hour are you supposed to be able to do ?
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Post by ssdhouston »

I emailed Paco about pricing on this tool and told him I had read a review of it on a forum recently. He asked me where I saw the review, so I forwarded him a copy of the thread. After reading the thread, he saw that some folks had safety concerns, and asked me to respond since I was registered on the forum. His responses are copied directly from the emails he sent to me.


THANK YOU STEVE... IN READING THE REPLIES I SEE THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT SAFTY....
IF YOU WOULD YOU MIGHT MENTION ON SILENCER THAT THE TOOL IS NOT DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE RIM NEVER TOUCHES THE TOOL, AND IT TAKES VERY LITTLE TAPPING PRESSURE TO CHANGE THE BULLET NOSE AND REFORM IT... IN FACT MOST FOLKS START OFF USING TOO MUCH TAPPING PRESSURE.. WHICH MAKES FULL A WADCUTER SHAPE BULLET NOSE... PACO

I then asked Paco to confirm that the tool does not touch the rim of a rimfire round, either top to bottom or side to side. Here is his response.

LOOK AT THE PICTURES OF THE TOOL, BOTH TOP TO BOTTOM AND SIDE TO SIDE THE RIM NEVER TOUCHES THE TOOL... AND WE SLAMMED DOWN ON A ROUND IN A TOOL WITH HUNDREDS OF POUNDS OF PRESSURE AND COULDN'T SET IT OFF... THE ONLY ONE WE WERE ABLE TO FORCE FIRE WAS HOLDING THE TOOL SIDEWAYS AT AN ACUTE ANGLE SO THE RIM ALONE WAS ON THE SURFACE, AND WE USED A STEEL SURFACE AND HIT THE ROD WITH A STEEL HAMMER... EVEN THEN IT TOOK SEVERAL HARD HITS TO SET IT OFF... THE BULLET NEVER LEFT THE TOOL BECAUSE THE GAS EXCAPED OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOOL AND THE ROD NEVER CAME OUT OF THE CHANNEL..... IT SOUNDED EXCITING BUT REALL WAS MORE OF A DUD... WHEN WE CLEARED THE TOOL, WE PUT IT BACK TO WORK SIZING ROUNDS WITHOUT A PROBLEM... THE TOOL IS SAFE JUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS THAT COME WITH THE TOOL... AND THANKS FOR YOUR HELP STEVE........PACO



I have ordered one of these things for myself. It should be fun to mash some jackrabbits and armadillos with some modified 22's.
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Accuracy Test Results

Post by Neil »

Things have finally come together for me. Threaded barrel and subsonic .22 HP's have been sitting here. Saturday the Paco Kelly Accurizer arrived, and Monday I picked up my first can, a HTG Universal.

Sunday I prepped all my test ammo. I quickly discovered that the hollow point tool is fine for opening up existing HPs, but no good for making hollow points in solid bullets. The tolerances are not tight enough to form the new hollow cavity in the center of the bullets.

So, at this point I have the following ammo for testing:
CCI Stinger original profile and with Accurizer enlarged HP
15 year old PMC Target - original solid profile and with Accurizer dished profile
15 year old Federal Gold Medal - original solid profile and with Accurizer dished profile
CCI subsonic HP - original HP and Accurizer enlarged HP
Eley subsonic HP - original HP and Accurizer enlarged HP
PMC Moderator subsonic HP - original HP and Accurizer enlarged HP
Aguila subsonic HP - original HP and Accurizer enlarged HP

My test rifle is a T/C Contender with a custom Bullberry .22 LR Match barrel cut to 17", threaded and wearing my HTG Universal silencer. I slugged the barrel at .223 before ordering my Accurizer. The scope is an older 4 x 12 AO Redfield. Five shot groups were shot off a solid benchrest at 50 yards. Ambient temp was about 65 F. No wind.

RESULTS:

Stingers 1.05"
Accurized Stingers 1.72"
One flier made all the difference.

PMC Target 1.07"
Accurized PMC Target 1.02
Best 4 out of 5 favored the unaccurized
Some rounds were subsonic, & some were supersonic. Results may be considered invalid.

Federal Gold Medal 0.51"
Accurized Federal Gold Medal 0.94" vertical string
Some rounds were subsonic, & some were supersonic. Results may be considered invalid.

PMC Moderator 0.62"
Accurized PMC Moderator 0.70"
Looking at the groups, no significant difference

Aguila 0.70"
Accurized Aguila 0.60"
Looking at the groups, no significant difference

Eley 0.42", best 4 of 5 in 0.38"
Accurized Eley 0.49", best 4 of 5 in 0.27"
No significant difference
Clearly the most accurate ammo without Accurizing

CCI 0.98" vertical string
Accurized CCI 0.30"
WOW ! Best 5 shot group of all testing was with Accurizing
These were the loudest of the subsonics. Could they have been leaving the can at the speed of sound and immediately dropping below?

I bought the Accurizer primarily hoping that larger hollow points would give better terminal performance with subsonic ammo. At it's worst, the HP Accurizer seems to do no harm, and at it's best it did significantly improve the accuracy of the CCI subsonic HP.
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Post by green0 »

I wonder what kind of impact it has on terminal effects and in fligth stability of Aguila SSS.

Anything positive would be exciting. (Without significantly reducing penetration which is already marginal.

What's the cost?
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Post by Artful »

green0 wrote:I wonder what kind of impact it has on terminal effects and in fligth stability of Aguila SSS.

Anything positive would be exciting. (Without significantly reducing penetration which is already marginal.

What's the cost?
http://www.leverguns.com/store/acurizer.htm
THERE ARE THREE SELECTIONS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM, FOR AN ORDER....

**1. THE ORIGINAL, BUT NEWLY DESIGNED ACU’RZR WITH THE DISH AND NASTI-NOSE FORMING RODS.... PHASE III. THAT IS $38 PLUS $5.00 for shipping.

**2 THE BABY SCORP’N HAS THE B-SCORP’N AND DISH FORMING RODS, WITH THE HEAVY BASED TOOL. THAT IS $43 PLUS $5.00 for shipping.

**3 AND THEN THERE IS THE COMBO-ACU’RZR WHICH HAS ALL THE FORMING RODS ON THE HEAVY TOOL BODY FOR $53 PLUS $5.00 for shipping.
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Post by green0 »

The aguila is the round I care about- it's length makes it yaw on impact excessively, and I don't know how this would effect it on target.

If you could get it to penetrate straight instead of yawing, that would probably be ideal, as .22lr has limited penetration from the start.
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Post by Artful »

green0 wrote:The aguila is the round I care about- it's length makes it yaw on impact excessively, and I don't know how this would effect it on target.

If you could get it to penetrate straight instead of yawing, that would probably be ideal, as .22lr has limited penetration from the start.
Well as to shortening the bullet either the Dish or Baby Skorpin look to me like they shorten the bullet which should increase stability.
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Post by jdj »

Ok guys, here's the update as promised. Sorry it took me so long to make it to the range, medical school is a bitch sometimes. Enjoy

Jeff
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