Windham Weaponry Varmint Exterminator Review

trg42wraglefragle · June 19, 2013, 09:54 PM

Hi all.

A friend of mine has just brought one of these ARs so thought I'f share my thoughts on it.
I don't know much about ARs but I'll do my best.

First up, the gun build quality felt excellent.
The fit between the upper and lower was excellent, almost no play what so ever, but it was still very easy to split the too.
The finish on the rifle was excellent, and all the controls functioned perfectly.

We did have some feeding issues, but think it was the magazine, but 90% of the time it was fine.

The two stage trigger felt quite good but not perfect, the first part was a little gritty which wasn't that flash, but the second stage broke very cleanly.
The rifle came with some raisers for the scope rings, so using them and some B-square rings I had lying around, mounted a Burris Fullfield 2 scope I also had spare.
The rifle really needs a cantilever mount as the scope was as far forward as we could get and was only just usable.

Using some 55gr BVAC ammo we sighted it in at 100yards, which didn't take very long.
The rifle was a joy to shoot, was surprised by the recoil of it, even though there was no harsh recoil to hurt your shoulder, the rifle pushed you back a fair bit from a bipod, it was very soft and I believe its just from the mass of the bolt cycling.
I didn't take any photos of the groups, but we shot about 5 3 shot groups and all were under 1" off a bipod, and this was using the cheapest brass case ammo we could find.

Over all was very impressed with the rifle, neither of us had used an AR before so were both amazed at how easy it was to field strip and clean.
The only complaint we had was with a scope and bipod it was very heavy, so wouldn't want to stalk with it, but that's not it's intended use so it's not really a problem.

My mate intends to work up a load for 53gr Vmax bullets, probably in the Lake City brass he has from the BVAC ammo he will probably lose a fair few cases, and the rifle doesn't appear to be that friendly on them either.
He also will be getting a Vortex Viper PST for it and a Leupold cantilever lever mount, so should hopefully print some 0.5moa groups, and be an excellent varmint gun.

Hope this review isn't too poorly written as I'm a bit short on time, but hopefully it can help someone.
I'll try add some photos later.

Quentin2 · June 20, 2013, 11:51 AM

42, thanks for the review.

I'm curious, I guess NZ has much freer views on gun ownership than Australia. So a responsible citizen can own ARs and handguns?

What brands of ARs are available there? Is Windham big there?

Palmetto-Pride · June 20, 2013, 12:30 PM

I have a Vortex Viper PST FFP 4-16x50mm and I love it you won't be disappointed.

Boomer58cal · June 20, 2013, 12:33 PM

You'll like the 53gn V-max. It's a very slick bullet. Less drag than the 50gn. I loaded some for my Bro and he's getting sub moa and he doesn't practice much. When I worked the loads up for him I could get 1/2 moa and I hadn't shot an AR much at that time. That was with a 3-9x40 Nikon. If I had a bit more scope I think I could have done a bit better. I was very impressed to say the least. I now own 3 AR type rifles if that meens anything.

Boomer

trg42wraglefragle · June 20, 2013, 10:17 PM

Quote:

42, thanks for the review.

I'm curious, I guess NZ has much freer views on gun ownership than Australia. So a responsible citizen can own ARs and handguns?

What brands of ARs are available there? Is Windham big there?

There are some laws that are a bit funny here, but on the whole I think they are well balanced.

You have to be licensed to own any firearm and then there are different classes of licence.
The A category (normal/standard) licence allows you too own any bolt action, pump action, lever action or semi auto rifle, shotgun. But for semi center fire rifles the magazine must hold 7 or less rounds and there are some rules on what stock you can have on semi's too. All these firearms have to be longer than 762mm though.

So yes anyone with a licence can own an AR15 if it has a 7 round magazine.

You can then get another licence that will allow you to own larger magazine rifles, but you need to have a good reason to want one, (which isn't that hard for genuine people).
And then there is a licence for pistols, which is very strict, but not hard to get if you are a genuine owner.

trg42wraglefragle · June 20, 2013, 10:22 PM

From what I've seen you can get Bushmaster, RRA, Stag, DPMS, Windham, Daniel Defense.
There are others but cant remember off the top off my head.

Firearm prices in general are a lot higher than the US though, and ammo too.
If you want a rifle that can take a 30round mag, it comes into another category which then generally makes them cost more again.

The 53gr Vmax's look very good, the BC is surprisingly high for light .224 bullets, and I've heard of some very quick velocities from them too.

Palmetto-Pride · June 20, 2013, 10:25 PM

I wonder if someone were wanting to commit a crime with a gun they would make sure they had the proper license for the gun they were going to use......lol

Quentin2 · June 20, 2013, 11:53 PM

Thanks for the information, 42. I'm glad you're able to own firearms there and not have to jump through too many hoops in doing so.

trg42wraglefragle · June 21, 2013, 02:26 AM

Well that's the thing Palmetto-Pride or course they dont.
There have been a few cases of people being shot and are usually never from a licensed person so thankfully no groups can try getting guns banned as a result.

I really dont have a problem with the licensing process, it does a great job at getting rid of some people who shouldn't have guns and really isnt a hard process. But of course it doesn't stop people getting them illegally but then there isnt a huge black market here anyway.

We are able to own supressors easily which is quite good.

trg42wraglefragle · June 21, 2013, 11:37 PM

Failed attempt at adding photo

trg42wraglefragle · June 21, 2013, 11:42 PM

The first photo is obviously the gun on the couch.

The second is our awesome facilities at the local range.
(Us lying in a friends paddock)

tulsamal · June 24, 2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

but on the whole I think they are well balanced.

You have to be licensed to own any firearm

Those two statements can't be used together. Definition crash.

Quote:

So yes anyone with a licence can own an AR15 if it has a 7 round magazine.

Wow. 7 round mags for AR's and that's "well balanced." And then it will be 5 rounds. And then they will be banned and destroyed. And what point.... any point?... will that stop being well balanced?

Gregg

Palmetto-Pride · June 24, 2013, 04:26 PM

Not trying to hijack the thread with political BS, but since it has gone that way I completely agree that you give them a inch they will take a mile. A law abiding civilian should be allowed to own any weapon a police officer can have anyone who thinks otherwise is on the wrong side of the argument......

IMO

trg42wraglefragle · June 24, 2013, 11:48 PM

The laws changed around semi automatic centerfires after a shooting "massacre" that happened over 20 years ago and the laws have never changed since.

New Zealand doesn't have shooting ranges like you do in the US where one can pay a fee and shoot at the range, and our hunting laws are different than yours also, as well as the public land you are allowed to shoot on.

The assumption is if you want to compete with a military style rifle or want one for hunting/fun then you will go the route of getting the correct licence and then buying those types of rifles.

I live out in the country and about a month ago a man turned up at a neighbors place asking where down our road he was allowed to shoot, as he had just got his licence and a gun. Now no where down our road is there anywhere that anyone can set up some targets and shoot, as it is very steep and very thick bush so you couldn't be sure you were safe to shoot or not..
It is also only a small block of public land and it is completely surrounded by farm land and houses and a few roads. And it's not even very good hunting anyway. So I'd rather not have people who don't know what they are doing, on public land that don't know the area or the lay of the land being able to fire off hundreds of rounds at there will.

I do know exactly what you are getting at, and I think you do have a point for in the US, but we don't have the same shooting culture or the same facilities for people to shoot here.
The system is set up quite well and we don't have anti gun people trying to get at it constantly, so it does work the way it was meant for. As it's not overly difficult to get the type of licence you need if you are a genuine person.
That being said there is still gun crime here, but not very much, and it's very very rarely with the type of these guns that are restricted but have been obtained illegally, or by someone who obtained them legally.

June 19, 2013, 09:54 PM	#1
trg42wraglefragle Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 856	Windham Weaponry Varmint Exterminator Review Hi all. A friend of mine has just brought one of these ARs so thought I'f share my thoughts on it. I don't know much about ARs but I'll do my best. First up, the gun build quality felt excellent. The fit between the upper and lower was excellent, almost no play what so ever, but it was still very easy to split the too. The finish on the rifle was excellent, and all the controls functioned perfectly. We did have some feeding issues, but think it was the magazine, but 90% of the time it was fine. The two stage trigger felt quite good but not perfect, the first part was a little gritty which wasn't that flash, but the second stage broke very cleanly. The rifle came with some raisers for the scope rings, so using them and some B-square rings I had lying around, mounted a Burris Fullfield 2 scope I also had spare. The rifle really needs a cantilever mount as the scope was as far forward as we could get and was only just usable. Using some 55gr BVAC ammo we sighted it in at 100yards, which didn't take very long. The rifle was a joy to shoot, was surprised by the recoil of it, even though there was no harsh recoil to hurt your shoulder, the rifle pushed you back a fair bit from a bipod, it was very soft and I believe its just from the mass of the bolt cycling. I didn't take any photos of the groups, but we shot about 5 3 shot groups and all were under 1" off a bipod, and this was using the cheapest brass case ammo we could find. Over all was very impressed with the rifle, neither of us had used an AR before so were both amazed at how easy it was to field strip and clean. The only complaint we had was with a scope and bipod it was very heavy, so wouldn't want to stalk with it, but that's not it's intended use so it's not really a problem. My mate intends to work up a load for 53gr Vmax bullets, probably in the Lake City brass he has from the BVAC ammo he will probably lose a fair few cases, and the rifle doesn't appear to be that friendly on them either. He also will be getting a Vortex Viper PST for it and a Leupold cantilever lever mount, so should hopefully print some 0.5moa groups, and be an excellent varmint gun. Hope this review isn't too poorly written as I'm a bit short on time, but hopefully it can help someone. I'll try add some photos later.

June 20, 2013, 12:30 PM	#3
Palmetto-Pride Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2009 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,071	I have a Vortex Viper PST FFP 4-16x50mm and I love it you won't be disappointed. __________________ “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.” -Margaret Thatcher-

June 20, 2013, 12:33 PM	#4
Boomer58cal Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2013 Location: closer than you think Posts: 967	You'll like the 53gn V-max. It's a very slick bullet. Less drag than the 50gn. I loaded some for my Bro and he's getting sub moa and he doesn't practice much. When I worked the loads up for him I could get 1/2 moa and I hadn't shot an AR much at that time. That was with a 3-9x40 Nikon. If I had a bit more scope I think I could have done a bit better. I was very impressed to say the least. I now own 3 AR type rifles if that meens anything. Boomer __________________ The number one cause of death in the 20th century. 290,000,000 citizens were first disarmed and then murdered by their own governments. This number does not include those killed in war. We're from the government, we're here to help Last edited by Boomer58cal; June 20, 2013 at 12:36 PM. Reason: can't type!

June 20, 2013, 10:25 PM	#7
Palmetto-Pride Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2009 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,071	I wonder if someone were wanting to commit a crime with a gun they would make sure they had the proper license for the gun they were going to use......lol __________________ “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.” -Margaret Thatcher-

June 24, 2013, 04:26 PM	#13
Palmetto-Pride Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2009 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,071	Not trying to hijack the thread with political BS, but since it has gone that way I completely agree that you give them a inch they will take a mile. A law abiding civilian should be allowed to own any weapon a police officer can have anyone who thinks otherwise is on the wrong side of the argument......IMO __________________ “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.” -Margaret Thatcher-

June 20, 2013, 11:51 AM	#2
Quentin2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2009 Location: NorthWest USA Posts: 1,996	42, thanks for the review. I'm curious, I guess NZ has much freer views on gun ownership than Australia. So a responsible citizen can own ARs and handguns? What brands of ARs are available there? Is Windham big there?

June 20, 2013, 10:22 PM	#6
trg42wraglefragle Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 856	From what I've seen you can get Bushmaster, RRA, Stag, DPMS, Windham, Daniel Defense. There are others but cant remember off the top off my head. Firearm prices in general are a lot higher than the US though, and ammo too. If you want a rifle that can take a 30round mag, it comes into another category which then generally makes them cost more again. The 53gr Vmax's look very good, the BC is surprisingly high for light .224 bullets, and I've heard of some very quick velocities from them too.

June 20, 2013, 11:53 PM	#8
Quentin2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2009 Location: NorthWest USA Posts: 1,996	Thanks for the information, 42. I'm glad you're able to own firearms there and not have to jump through too many hoops in doing so.

June 21, 2013, 02:26 AM	#9
trg42wraglefragle Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 856	Well that's the thing Palmetto-Pride or course they dont. There have been a few cases of people being shot and are usually never from a licensed person so thankfully no groups can try getting guns banned as a result. I really dont have a problem with the licensing process, it does a great job at getting rid of some people who shouldn't have guns and really isnt a hard process. But of course it doesn't stop people getting them illegally but then there isnt a huge black market here anyway. We are able to own supressors easily which is quite good.

June 21, 2013, 11:37 PM	#10
trg42wraglefragle Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 856	Failed attempt at adding photo

June 24, 2013, 11:48 PM	#14
trg42wraglefragle Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2008 Location: new zealand Posts: 856	The laws changed around semi automatic centerfires after a shooting "massacre" that happened over 20 years ago and the laws have never changed since. New Zealand doesn't have shooting ranges like you do in the US where one can pay a fee and shoot at the range, and our hunting laws are different than yours also, as well as the public land you are allowed to shoot on. The assumption is if you want to compete with a military style rifle or want one for hunting/fun then you will go the route of getting the correct licence and then buying those types of rifles. I live out in the country and about a month ago a man turned up at a neighbors place asking where down our road he was allowed to shoot, as he had just got his licence and a gun. Now no where down our road is there anywhere that anyone can set up some targets and shoot, as it is very steep and very thick bush so you couldn't be sure you were safe to shoot or not.. It is also only a small block of public land and it is completely surrounded by farm land and houses and a few roads. And it's not even very good hunting anyway. So I'd rather not have people who don't know what they are doing, on public land that don't know the area or the lay of the land being able to fire off hundreds of rounds at there will. I do know exactly what you are getting at, and I think you do have a point for in the US, but we don't have the same shooting culture or the same facilities for people to shoot here. The system is set up quite well and we don't have anti gun people trying to get at it constantly, so it does work the way it was meant for. As it's not overly difficult to get the type of licence you need if you are a genuine person. That being said there is still gun crime here, but not very much, and it's very very rarely with the type of these guns that are restricted but have been obtained illegally, or by someone who obtained them legally.

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