| Posted: Thu Dec 14th, 2006 08:33 PM |
|
1st Post |
Blackhat
HB Life Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | New Braunfels, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 210 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I purchased a AR 15 from a friend on mine a few years back. I have never shot it, but my bud said it was not to good. I currently hunt with a guy who has a Bushmaster whatever, and he claims it will shoot 3/8 MOA. It is a flat top and has a free floating barrel, I believe he said. I don't know anything about ARs and would like some info. I want a varmint rifle (accurate) in a short of barrel as practical, yet not effect velocity. I am not sure if a 20" bbl. is long enough?
Should I sell the military style one with the handle, and purchase a Bushmaster or equivelant? Or can I get away with just buying a complete upper w/barrel? If so what make, type of barrel, and twist rate? I noticed some twist rate to be somewhat fast for some type of heavy .223 bullets that are available. The lower is a EA and is very tightly mated to the upper. So much so that I have to use a brass pin punch and mallet to drive out the rear pin to break open the rifle. I would appreciate any information.
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 14th, 2006 09:53 PM |
|
2nd Post |
crazy2medic
Moderator
| Joined: | Thu Mar 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Watauga, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 425 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | small bore rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
an option you have with the ar is to simply replace the barrel, or the upper receiver and make it into what you want! My ar is mostly meant as a self defense piece and because I know alot of liberals simply don't want us to have them, but it is accurate enough to use on hogs and coyotes!
____________________
80 million armed americans! now that's peace of mind!
Teach the children quietly, for someday sons and daughters will rise up and fight while we stood still!
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 14th, 2006 11:01 PM |
|
3rd Post |
72coupe
HB certified Master Handloading and Ballistics advisor
| Joined: | Sun Jun 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Iowa Park, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2017 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
All you really need is an upper and maybe a Jewel Trigger. The possiblities are endless as to what you might want. A lot of people make varmint uppers. Some are very pricey and some are more economical.
Half the fun of building an AR is that you can custumize completely to siut yourself. Barrels, butsocks, sights, pistol grips, match triggers anything and everything to make it fit you.
I have 2 and they look on the outside like a stock M16A2s. Each will shoot 10 shot groups under 3/4 inch. One has a Krieger barrel with a 7.7 twist and the other has a PacNor 3 groove with a 7 twist.
____________________
Reloader since 1969.
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 14th, 2006 11:50 PM |
|
4th Post |
wolfkill
Master Ballistician and Handloader
back to top
|
I hate to see anyone get rid of an AR-15.
I have a Colt AR-15 that shoots very good but I have bolt actions that shoot better. I don't think your going to touch a bull barrel upper for much under $500 after tax etcetera. I've never bothered with the bull barrel upper because I will gladly put mine up against the best bull barrel flat tops out there. I have a fast 1/7 twist and with Sierra 69gr hand loads and a 12x scope I have grouped 5 shots under 1/2 inch at 200 yards. But conditions were perfect, right at sundown and no wind. The gun has what Colt refers to as a 20 inch heavy barrel or "H-Bar" and I have a custom Kreiger-Milazzo trigger.
From what I understand with a fast twist is it will still shoot the 55 gr fine but it loves the heavy 69 gr plus. And now I see Sierra is making them as heavy as 90 gr, but I'm sure the overall length will be so long that your AR-15 can only be loaded one at a time. The clips will be worthless.
The Sierra 69 gr is as long of a bullet as my clips could take and still feed them, unfortunately, the best accuracy had barely enough powder charge "oomph" to work the cycling action reliably. I finally resorted to the plain old Rem-UMC cheapo 55 gr FMC which functioned flawlessly in the rifle and gave very good accuracy (certainly good enough with the peep sights in rifle competition). And they are so inexpensive to buy!!
The cheapest route would be gather up a dozen different brands of .223 from buddies at work or whatever and see just how bad or good your AR-15 shoots. If it shows promise you could reload and cut the best group in half again maybe.
But you could just buy a new Savage bolt action with their new adjustable triggers which I'm hearing very good things about and be done with it. Save the AR-15 for civil war or the Jhad or whatever.
One final note about the handle and attaching and reattaching a scope to it. Mine never shows any hint of shifting. Hard to believe one little wing nut at the bottom hand tightened can keep it's zero but it does.
____________________
Notice to womenfolk visiting my cabin...the following comments will be ignored:
"There's mice living in my mattress."
"The outhouse is full."
"I smell something dead under the cabin."
http://buckmountainchateau.com
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 15th, 2006 01:29 AM |
|
5th Post |
Timberghozt
Board Founder
| Joined: | Fri Feb 11th, 2005 |
| Location: | Texas USA |
| Posts: | 6796 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | 300 Winchester Magnum ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Damn..that is tight Wolfkill..
I have a custom 7x57mm that I shot a .18 " group at 100 with..I don`t think I could pull 5 at 200 though without a hair twitch making a flyer..
____________________
"He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster; For if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - F.Nietzche
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 15th, 2006 10:46 AM |
|
6th Post |
wolfkill
Master Ballistician and Handloader
back to top
|
That gun has scared even me at times...what it can do with the peep sights. My best shooting position in competiton has always been the rapid fire sitting with it. I don't recall anyone ever beating me in the sitting rapid fire at DCM/CMP shoots I attended.
I usually scored at least a 95 out of 100. But the eyes gave out and with the new glasses the shooting scores went downward. I put the AR-15 in the safe about 4 yrs ago and dont think I've fired it since.
I tried looking for the above mentioned target to post but not in the (5) reload info books I have. I'll keep looking.
I sent a zerox copy of it to a guy at our club one time before a shoot to try and mentally spook him but he was keen on mind games. I beat him but not by much.
____________________
Notice to womenfolk visiting my cabin...the following comments will be ignored:
"There's mice living in my mattress."
"The outhouse is full."
"I smell something dead under the cabin."
http://buckmountainchateau.com
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 15th, 2006 12:46 PM |
|
7th Post |
72coupe
HB certified Master Handloading and Ballistics advisor
| Joined: | Sun Jun 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Iowa Park, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2017 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I witnessed a 200/20X fired at Oklahoma City in sitting rapid fire. What was impressive about this was, it was fired with and out of the box Rock River DCM legal AR.
____________________
Reloader since 1969.
|
| Posted: Sat Dec 16th, 2006 02:45 AM |
|
8th Post |
dakotasin
Board Founder
back to top
|
the ar-15 in a short-ish barrel configuration can be scary accurate, as those who shot against my 18" ar-15 in the last bsb postal match might be inclined to say... 20" barrel is plenty long. on an ar-15, i prefer 16-18".
a well set up ar-15 will give any bolt gun a run for its money, and will outshoot most factory varmint rifles.
____________________
Hunting is not a matter of life or death; it is much more important than that!
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 22nd, 2006 01:29 AM |
|
9th Post |
Blackhat
HB Life Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | New Braunfels, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 210 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Thanks for the reply guys! Any and all info is welcome.
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 26th, 2007 02:27 PM |
|
10th Post |
Riposte1
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Mon Jul 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 50 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I have a new Bushy upper on a Rock River lower (ant they mate really tight). The barrel is a heavy fluted 16" in a floated handguard.
Shot it for the first time this week. M855 ball and some 3D (Hornady owns the factory) remanufactured 55 gr as well as some locally remanufactured 55gr BTFMJ all went from 1.5 to 1.7 MOA. To my amazement Wolf "Gold" 55gr (labled M193) shot two groups of .9 and .95 MOA (I am not a huge Wolf fan and it went 4.1 MOA in annother vendors M4 I was testing) - while the other loads shot about the same in that gun).
Each barrel is an individual. If you find the right load there is no reason an AR set up right wont shoot. They are using them at 1,000 yards now...to my amazement.
Riposte
|
|
