I wanna build a lightweight AR10

J

jk2paintworx

New member
I am in the mood to build another rifle and thinkin some extra range and knock down power would be fun. My first choice would be a 22-250 but I don't know how light I could get it due to needing a 22" barrel for Acuracy sake.
What's the best caliber and components to try to keep the weight down yet keep accuracy out to 600 yards+? I do not reload so I want something with readily available factory ammo.
is it possible to put a AR10 together that's light enough to carry for calling? What does a light Weight AR10 weigh?
 
My 16in AR-10 in .308 comes in at 9.5lbs, 11lbs with my suppressor on. I tried to keep it light so that it wasn't too bad when I put my suppressor on. I know that there are ways to lighten it up more. I used a fluted, stainless, 16in barrel which cut the weight way down. I could have gone to a slimmer and shorter hand guard that would have cut down on the weight as well as a skeletonized stock but since I am a bigger guy I opted for comfort over weight.

I used it out to 500 yards on a regular basis, and we have gone out to 1000 yards with it. I usually run 150gr Hornady factory Whitetail SP's and 168gr BTHP's when we feel the need to reach out further than 500 yards.

image1 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr
 
Snowman. That's a nice setup. I have a supressor as well and I like the 16" barrel. I thought the larger calibers didn't perform with a short barrel. Nice to see that it's a option.
 
The .308 AR10 in 16" is capable of excellent performance IMO. I have five Aero M5 based builds that shoot very well... the Hornady 110gr TAP shoots well under MOA. The lighter bullet loads shoot softer as well.

Hard to beat a 16" M5 build... many pick mine up and don't realize it's a .308 until I tell them or they start looking closely.

With the .308 Win and 16" barrel, make sure you go Mid-length gas (MLG) and not carbine. I use SLR rails and SLR adjustable gas blocks.





 
Originally Posted By: Bowhntr6pt

With the .308 Win and 16" barrel, make sure you go Mid-length gas (MLG) and not carbine. I use SLR rails and SLR adjustable gas blocks.


i'll second this. i have a 16" DPMS LR308 - and while it shoots great, the [beeep] thing is way over gassed as is. I havent even bothered to shoot it suppressed yet because i need to put an adjustable gas block on it before that happens or i'm worried i'll be shredding the rims of my cases beyond saving then.
 
What are you velocities with a 16" barrel? My buddy has a 16" DPMS .308 that shoots really well but he is only getting about 2650 fps.
 
Originally Posted By: MPFDWhat are you velocities with a 16" barrel? My buddy has a 16" DPMS .308 that shoots really well but he is only getting about 2650 fps.

I've not shot mine over a chrony yet but I'll be training at the range tomorrow and Thursday, maybe I can get some loads fired and report back...
 
Originally Posted By: jk2paintworxSnowman. That's a nice setup. I have a supressor as well and I like the 16" barrel. I thought the larger calibers didn't perform with a short barrel. Nice to see that it's a option.

It really works well. Over gassing is an issue with the shorter barrels as is it being a bit more difficult getting a carbine buffer system to run just right. But both can be overcome with the addition of a good adjustable gas block. I am running an Anderson adjustable block on mine and I love it. It was easy to tune and I throw a spare allen wrench in my buttstock so that I can make adjustments if I ever need to shoot unsuppressed.

In fact we have done some testing with a 16in 6.5 Grendel built for the suppressor and it is really performing well even at longer distances. AzBushman shot this group a few weeks back with the rifle while he was out testing it. We had not really tested that ammunition much so it was very impressive to see it group that well.

19756732_1814915648747914_8381668159719500221_n by Jason Mosler, on Flickr

I am going to load up some Hornady 129gr SP's since we have seen great accuracy out of the SP's in the .308 and I ma curious to see if the 6.5's will group as well.
 

You might take a look at the new Savage MSR 10 Hunter. Weight is 7.8 lbs for the 308 with the 16 inch barrel or 8 lbs for the 6.5 Creedmoor which has an 18 inch barrel. Also comes in 338 Federal.

They come with adjustable gas blocks and some other nice features for the $1200 give or take price tag. They are hard to find right now.

https://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/msr10hunter

The long range version adds a couple of pounds.

https://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/msr10longrange

http://www.guns.com/review/gun-review-savage-msr-10-hunter-semi-automatic-rifle-in-308-video/

 
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Originally Posted By: Bowhntr6ptOriginally Posted By: MPFDWhat are you velocities with a 16" barrel? My buddy has a 16" DPMS .308 that shoots really well but he is only getting about 2650 fps.

I've not shot mine over a chrony yet but I'll be training at the range tomorrow and Thursday, maybe I can get some loads fired and report back...

We are getting right around 2700-2750 depending on the bullet and the weight that we are running. The Hornady 150 SP's claim 2820 on the box but we know how that goes.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I am gonna start putting a parts list together. I have had great luck with Aero stuff so I am gonna get the receivers from them. I have a Ballistic advantage barrel on a .223 ar and I am happy with it so probably gonna go with them. What twist rate is gonna serve me best?

If there's a caliber that makes more sense, like .260, 6.5... I am open to suggestions. I don't have a ton of experience so I appreciate the input. If .308 is where it's at I am good with that since its ez to find and not as expensive as other stuff.

Ammo availability and cost is a factor but I will only be using it for hunting and typically I pick up a box of several options in the bullet weight that I want and see what it shoots best and then I just stick with that and then I don't buy much other than just testing for zero A few times per year. I am looking for the best performance in a lightweight build I can carry on long walk ins.
 
Originally Posted By: jk2paintworxThanks for all the input guys. I am gonna start putting a parts list together. I have had great luck with Aero stuff so I am gonna get the receivers from them. I have a Ballistic advantage barrel on a .223 ar and I am happy with it so probably gonna go with them. What twist rate is gonna serve me best?

If there's a caliber that makes more sense, like .260, 6.5... I am open to suggestions. I don't have a ton of experience so I appreciate the input. If .308 is where it's at I am good with that since its ez to find and not as expensive as other stuff.

Ammo availability and cost is a factor but I will only be using it for hunting and typically I pick up a box of several options in the bullet weight that I want and see what it shoots best and then I just stick with that and then I don't buy much other than just testing for zero A few times per year. I am looking for the best performance in a lightweight build I can carry on long walk ins.

Stick with one manufacturer for the key parts, upper, lower, BCG... otherwise, you may have issues.

I abandoned the 6.5 CM in a gas gun because I could not get the most out of the cartridge w/o getting signs of high pressure and damaged brass... while not sexy, the .308 is still a good cartridge for your intended use.

I've had zero issues with Aero's standard buffer and tube kits in both carbine and rifle... suppressed or unsuppressed.

I recommend Schuyler Arms for your Aero parts needs.
 
Originally Posted By: jk2paintworxThanks for all the input guys. I am gonna start putting a parts list together. I have had great luck with Aero stuff so I am gonna get the receivers from them. I have a Ballistic advantage barrel on a .223 ar and I am happy with it so probably gonna go with them. What twist rate is gonna serve me best?

If there's a caliber that makes more sense, like .260, 6.5... I am open to suggestions. I don't have a ton of experience so I appreciate the input. If .308 is where it's at I am good with that since its ez to find and not as expensive as other stuff.

Ammo availability and cost is a factor but I will only be using it for hunting and typically I pick up a box of several options in the bullet weight that I want and see what it shoots best and then I just stick with that and then I don't buy much other than just testing for zero A few times per year. I am looking for the best performance in a lightweight build I can carry on long walk ins.

I don't have bad things to say about most of the caliber choices available. One of the biggest factors that most guys do not recognize is that there is nothing that replaces good practice. Range time and time on the rifle is a must. So if ammunition costs are a factor then go with the 308. I built my expressly for use with a suppressor. I spent a LOT of time waiting for my stamp so I had time to really get to know my rifle at the range and that translates into a lot more fur down during hunts.

There are a lot of low cost options available for the .308 for not only target shooting but also for hunting. I am currently running the Hornady Whitetail 150gr SP's and I am VERY pleased with them. At $22 per box they have fantastic accuracy for an off the shelf round and they knock the snot out of coyotes. I wouldn't hesitate to use them on deer either. I am not seeing any signs of over pressure. I have seen signs of over pressure from the Hornady 150gr SST's as well as the Winchester Deer XP's but not the Winchester SP's those seem comparable to the Hornady's.
 
I have some ballistic data:

Hornady 168gr AMAX Superformance are advertised at 2840 fps. On a recent outing we were getting an average of 2760 fps out of our 16in barrels and hitting a 10in plate at 1000 yards with 32 MOA of adjustment. So we are losing about 10 fps per inch of barrel. That seems to be about standard, somewhere between 10 and 25fps/in is what we normally see.
 
Quick run a minute ago... 16" BA barrel, suppressed with YHM LTA. Just a few rounds fired to give a very rough estimate.

168gr FGMM 2489 FPS vs. advertised of 2650 FPS

168gr HORNADY TAP 2527 FPS vs. advertised of 2700 FPS

110gr HORNADY TAP 2865 FPS vs. 2857 FPS advertised from a 16" barrel... so this one is on the mark, advertised 3014 FPS from a 20" barrel.
 
I was in this boat last year for a deer rifle. Go 308 so you can run the short barrel.

I'll second the Aero M5 products, great for a build and affordable. You'll be in the 9lb range unless you drop serious coin on a titanium BCG which is really where you can save some weight.

I went with the 16" BHW 416 stainless 1:11 and it's a tack driver. It's a lighter weight profile but still has some heft to it.

Definitely go with an adjustable gas block right off the bat, will save you lots of head scratching.

Good luck with it. Check out Twhitey's 6.8 build and check the specs, he did his proper.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2867781
 
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