The business of dispatching unwanted critters requires a platform capable of a high degree of accuracy. Nuisance animals such as prairie dogs are both small and skittish in nature, meaning that they tend to keep their distance and scurry away upon the arrival of incoming fire. One of the best solutions has long been a highly accurized AR-15, but alas, these designs have begun to fade from fashion over the years. Bent on keeping the company name in line with its roots, the new Bushmaster Firearms company is resurrecting legacy products, most with only minor changes to keep up with current trends. One of the newest is its V-Radicator, a tack-driving AR-15 built to handle the smallest targets at the furthest distances.
The V-Radicator’s options for optic use are broad thanks to a lengthy receiver/fore-end expanse of Picatinny rail.
Bushmaster’s V-Radicator is a direct-impingement semi-automatic rifle that feeds from standard AR-15 detachable box magazines. When a round is fired, gas is tapped off the barrel and re-directed toward the action. This gas acts upon the bolt carrier, causing the bolt to rotate, unlock and retract to the rear. As the carrier moves rearward, the bolt extracts and ejects the fired case, and the carrier cocks the internal hammer during its rearward travel. Once it reaches the end of its stroke, a buffer-spring assembly returns the BCG to battery and a fresh round is stripped from the magazine in the process.
While the operation of this rifle is consistent with a standard AR-15, its accoutrement is geared toward long-range precision. A medium-profile, 20″ barrel cut with a .223 Wylde chamber is secured to the upper receiver. This design allows for the use of either .223 Rem. or 5.56 NATO ammunition without making a large concession to accuracy. This is done by modifying the amount of free bore within, which is more than that of a .223 chamber, but less than one bored for 5.56. Longitudinal fluting runs down the entirety of the barrel’s exterior, and it is threaded 1/2×28 TPI to accept a muzzle device.
In traditional AR fashion, the V-Radicator’s upper and lower are joined by a pair of captured take-down pins that allow easy access to the bolt carrier group. A Magpul MOE K2-XL grip and MOE PR Carbine stock provide the ergonomic interface.
The forged lower receiver is built with a suite of mil-spec parts, however, the trigger is an exception. Instead, the rifle employs the company’s two-stage DM2S trigger, which averaged just 1 lb., 10 ozs., in pull weight during our testing. Furniture consists of a free-floating aluminum fore-end with seven surfaces of M-Lok slots, a length-adjustable MOE PR Carbine buttstock and a hand-filling MOE K2-XL pistol grip from Magpul.
Like most ARs today, the V-Radicator does not include iron sights; however, the A4 flattop receiver features an integrated Picatinny rail, so adding an optic is effortless and secure. For our range testing, we went with a Hawke 8-32X Sidewinder riflescope, as the high magnification, coupled with the mirage-busting Crown glass, makes it appropriate for this firearm’s intended use. As the rifle has only 1/2″ of drop at the comb, we used one of Hawke’s Tactical Cantilever Ring Mounts to set the scope to the proper height and eye relief.
The rifle’s details include (clockwise from upper l.): a 1/2×28 TPI-threaded muzzle fitted with a crush washer and a flat-sided, contrasting cap; a chrome-lined, phosphated bolt carrier group; a 10-round Magpul PMAG; and a light, two-stage DM2S trigger.
Typically, varmint-style rifles are built with slower twist rates designed for light, short varmint bullets. Instead, the V-Radicator features faster 1:8″ rifling, opening it up to use with more bullet weights. To capitalize on this, we selected a broad variety of .223 Rem. bullet types and weights—Hornady’s 75-grain BTHP Match load, Federal’s 55-grain Barnes TSX ammunition and Lehigh Defense’s 62-grain Controlled Chaos.
Our evaluation of the rifle began from a benchrest position in order to zero the optic and gauge the gun’s consistency. Initial impressions of the trigger were unanimously positive, as nobody expected the sub-2-lb. break. This was a welcome change from the basic AR-15’s pull weight, which can be nearly five times as heavy. Throughout our testing the gun grouped exceptionally, with each of the three loads fired proving to be capable of five-shot 1″ groups—and Hornady’s heavy-for-caliber Match load managing an impressive 0.63″ five-group average. As expected, the recoil was almost nil with an almost purely straight-back movement, free of muzzle rise. The AR-15 is built to put the muzzle in line with the buttstock, creating this effect, but the additional weight also helped a good bit.
Range day ended with engagements out to 500 yards, putting more hits than misses on a 6″ gong. Once we had our dope for each cartridge, getting them there was effortless. This level of precision, combined with its uninterrupted performance, showed us that the gun was certainly up to the task of clearing out a groundhog or prairie dog colony or any coyote that might need to be dispatched as well.
With the addition of some quality glass, the Bushmaster V-Radicator is well-suited to most types of varmint hunting or long-range competition—and it is not so heavy as to be out of the question for defensive purposes as well. Bushmaster has done an excellent job of bringing this gun “back,” providing a service to the American shooter looking to handle some varmints, without having to turn to a custom build.
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