Bear creek Arsenal did away with their MOA guarantee

Originally Posted By: TxhillbillyI don't know why anyone would expect anything from BCA to shoot MOA or better. You're buying a complete upper for less than a "Quality" barrel cost.

You get what you paid for, and that isn't much!

I have another 243 BCA upper that's a tac driver. I posted on it here a couple seasons ago. It shot some tiny little groups with about a half dozen or more of my hand loads pushed pretty fast using 55 grain combined technology bullets the first time out to the range. It was a 22" stainless heavy barrel upper. I believe its hit and miss on their barrels. I have a little over a week of turkey season here yet and then I'll start load testing my replacement upper.
 
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ya.. i hear ya on the hit or miss

my cousin ordered a couple 308 uppers from them... the machining on the feed ramps and barrel extension lugs is horrible - burrs everywhere, tooling chatter, etc. if they even attempted to deburr them - it must have been with a freaking carrot that they jammed in there and turned a few times. must have been monday builds.

he's not bothering to send them back - just gonna get the files out and knock the burrs off and hit em with a little polishing compound with the dremmel to clean them up. not worth a warranty claim for 30mins worth of work.
 
I've heard the horror stories with BCA. I can tell you that my BCA 6.5grendel shoots under MOA for me...they did have to replace my first 6.5G barrel as the threads were all jacked up. I mean if you are expecting a lot from a $50 barrel, you have other issues. I took a chance on BCA because a $50 barrel wasn't going to cause me financial heartache if it didn't shoot well. I am happy with my sub MOA BCA barrel for the cost.
 
Originally Posted By: aubie515I've heard the horror stories with BCA. I can tell you that my BCA 6.5grendel shoots under MOA for me...they did have to replace my first 6.5G barrel as the threads were all jacked up. I mean if you are expecting a lot from a $50 barrel, you have other issues. I took a chance on BCA because a $50 barrel wasn't going to cause me financial heartache if it didn't shoot well. I am happy with my sub MOA BCA barrel for the cost.

Here is my other BCA/ar stoner 243 upper. I would expect they all should shoot like this one...

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3209599


I wish they still offered $50 barrels so I could use my $50 coupon on one and call it a free extra. Their barrels are all $150 to $277 now, and besides the price hike BCA dose not offer a MOA guarantee anymore. I wouldn’t spend a dime on a barrel from any manufacturer that doesn’t offer any type of accuracy guarantee. I have about a week left to burn up my coupon. I might grab a pair of side saddle flip up sights and a tumbler...knows.
 
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I finally had a chance to test out my replacement upper today. I only did a quick test with 8 loads total. I picked the three tightest grouping loads I achieved from the barrel I se t back and loaded them up and down a grain. Two of the loads shot tighter and the the 3rd shot about the same. Since varget shot tighter than H4895 I will have to do a complete ladder test in .2 grain increments next week to see if I can close the gap. I might try and see if i can load a little longer than 2.650" with the little 55 grain NBTs as well. I'm sure it will shooter tighter groups when I find the right bullet and powder combo.







Eight out of the 12 loads I tested shot under and inch this morning. No cloverleaf but I didn't expect one with only testing 8 different loads. I never get that lucky. I have some H380 laying around I might give a go. The CMC single stage 2 pound trigger felt like it had 3 stages from some reason
It slam fired 2 rounds when I was sighting it on on my load sled. I'll have to pull the trigger out and inspect it.

I just checked and one of my blue loc tited trigger pins walked loose but it still has a good 1/4" of travel.

 
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Test groups from the previous post. For some reason they won’t attach to the post above this one.

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I loaded up 20 more test loads yesterday. I lengthened them to 2.665” and worked loads in varget from 43.6 in .2 grain increments to 45.4 grains. I then loaded up 45.5, 45.6, 45.7, and 45.8 grains. I also loaded up the last of my H380 in .2 grain increments form 52 to 53 grains to try as well. Never had good luck with H380 in anything accept for low velocity 90 FMJ loads in a 243 bolt gun so I’m not expecting good groups from the powder. Hopefully I can get some tighter groups out of this ladder testing batch. If not I’ll try some other bullets and powders. I sent these groups to BCA customer service since they sent a 2moa target test with my gun....lol. I wonder if they really tossed the other barrels. I sure would like to dispose of them. I will post my results after the next ladder testing. Hopefully I get the 55 grainers to shoot a little tighter.
 
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I tried my ladder test loads of varget and a few loads with the last of my H380. I loaded longer at 2.665”. Both the 45.7 and 45.8 grain load opened up. I had a few three shot groups under an inch bath the best being .398” . I think it’s time to try a different bullet. Here’s a few of my 100 yard groups, I’m guessing with a 1 in 8 twist barrel I need a longer, or different, bullet to get better groups.

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My barrel got pretty hot testing loads the other day. I never gave it a chance to cool down between load testing. Ill have to retest a few of the tightest grouping loads with a cold barrel. I plan on testing some 60 grain seirra HPs later this week as well. I probably will end up trying 70 grain NBTs through it to.
 
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It liked the Sierra 60 grain HPs. I tried 12 groups today and only one shot over MOA. I know I flinched on the last group using 42.2 grains of h4895. The first two touched and the last one when I flinched shot a little low. It groups .364” it’s a load .2 over book with no signs of pressure. The 42 grain group was almost as tight. I shot all 12 groups in 45 minutes so my barrel was pretty warm needless to say. I had an appointment I had to get to so I was pressed for time. I’ll have to got back and shoot a few groups of the 42.2 grain load with a cold barrel and try 42.1, 42.3, and 42.4 with watching for pressure signs.

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I emailed the customer service manager my 12 group target today so she could see how the 2 MOA upper she sent shot.lol
 
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It doesn't surprise me to see 3 different configurations of 243 uppers for sale at BCA again...after being told by several employees that they would never run a 243 chambering.
 

I love my BCA 6.5 Grendel upper. It’s a keeper. Coyotes don’t like it, though. $275 delivered to my door, complete with BCG. I have a friend who has a BCA 7.62x39 who is equally impressed.
 
A buddy was in the marines and wanted a A1 20" upper like his unit used. I told him about BCA. He bought one and loves it. He also got a 7.62x39 and said it works just as good. I like to push the 308 out to a thousand and want to try it with an AR. BCA would be a budget way to try it, if the 20" barrel didn't cut it I could put a 24 inch in it and wouldn't have much invested.
 
I was debating on buying a 22-250 upper now that they have come down from $599 to $330 with a magazine. I don't use the ones I've got the way it is so I think I'll pass. Especially since it has a proprietary magazine and my 243s will shoot just as flat, or flatter, with a 55 grain bullet.
 
proprietary magazine? you mean a Pmag LR/SR? just only load 8 rounds in them or the taper makes things wonky from what i understand.

i mean.. look at some of the pics... thats a standard pmag 7.62x51, and the dpms gen 1 lowers take the lr/sr pmag just dandy.


i was exploring it as a caliber option, but they (bca) only offer it in 14 twist. which is cool and all if you're only gonna shoot 55's... but i suppose if i wanna do a 22 caliber ar-10 that will shoot mids and heavies.. there are probably better options out there.
 
I've had 4 of their barrels. The first two, 223 wylde and 224 valkyrie, were very accurate and had back when their guarantee was still in place. I got rid of both over the years. I recently purchased another 223 wylde barrel. It shot awful (5-6 moa). They paid for the return label and promptly shipped a replacement. That is also on its way back, this time as a return, for an out of round gas block journal.
 
The last 6.5 grendel barrel I had from BCA wouldnt shoot better than 6 inch groups..if oyu want to call it a group. It got returned under warranty for a refund. I decided to buy from trusted sources after that and not cheap-out. Obviously others mileage varies from mine, but I wont buy another bbl from them.
 
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