AR-15 Questions

Okay guys, this is the kind of information I need. My main intent is to shoot coyotes, along with the ocassional fox or bobcat. Once in a great while I might shoot prairie dogs, gophers, or marmots, but I have specialized rifles for those already so I doubt I'll use an AR all that often for the little critters.

Another question. Some of you have mentioned building your own AR. So what part the upper or the lower does a guy need an FFL for to have it shipped to him? If I understand correctly if I have let's say a .223 AR I can buy a .308 upper and have a .308 as well? Is that right?

Where is the best place to find uppers and lowers? I know there are tons of places, but who is the most reliable, with the most reliable parts? I don't mind the thought of building my own, but I don't want second rate parts. You guys are starting to make my head swim. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
You will need FFL shipping on the lower/trigger assembly only. You can't swap a .223 upper and .308 upper on the same lower. The .308 cal. will need an AR10 lower. The AR15 lower can handle cals. such as .17 Rem, .204, .223, 6.5 Grendal, .223WSSM, .243WSSM, etc.
 
FLL Required on lower housing-stripped or assembled. You can buy them stripped or assembled. The lower parts kit includes trigger and other parts that go in the lower and that can be mail ordered/bought over the counter no FLL.
Seems the world of AR's is over run buy acronyms so gotta spend some time learning them. Military thing I guess.
Stripped lower, just what it says, part that has manufacture, model and Serial num on it.
Everything else from there is mail order or over the counter. Exclude silencers or full auto sears. SOME States have regulations on AR15 that vary from state to state, barrel length, mag capacity, threaded barrel end vs pinned and welded. Gotta research that for where you live.
One thing I would recommend, find a dealer you want to work with and call them on the phone, or visit if local. If they are willing to spend the time with you to help you understand and help fit the rifle configuration to you, you will be miles ahead.
Poke around at AR15.com. I warn you though, them guys can speak a different language now and then!
Oh, the 6.8 is a real Elk gitter from the pictures i have seen.
Rick H...
 
What Rick said...The Arfcom guys are a diffeent breed.
Watch yourself.
There are plenty of guys on this sight that are in the know on AR's and MUCH easier to weed through the opinons.
Good luck!
 
Ursus21,

You will like the R-15. I've been using AR's for coyote hunting for a lot of years. This rifle is perfect for calling. There are lots of different AR's on the market and you can certainly put one together from parts. Many of them will do but IMHO none are as perfectly suited to predator calling as the R-15. I absolutely love this rifle. It is also a joy to carry as well as shoot.

As far as being anal about groups and accuracy, I can certainly understand this. I'm sure that the R-15 will more than satisfy you in this respect. I killed a coyote a few days ago up in OK with my R-15 at 312 steps. Back in November I killed one well over that in Idaho. I've shot plenty of sub MOA groups with mine. I would doubt yours would be any different. I have several AR that are box stock as well as a couple of custom jobs. Most of the box stock guns shoot as well as the customs and none are not capable of killing coyotes to further than I feel comfortable shooting. The AR design is just as capable of outstanding accuracy as any bolt gun.

As I've said before I've used ARs for calling for a lot of years. My main complaint has always been the weight. Remington's R-15 addresses this with a lighter barrel (but not too light). The 18 " gun weighs just under 7 #'s and the 22" gun weighs just over 7 #"s. The GI trigger was also addressed with a nice trigger from Remington. There are a few other differences that seperate this rifle from other AR's in the market. Compare the options of all and I think you'll find the R-15 is the best choice for a predator rifle.

Good Hunting, and God Bless,

Byron
 
Rock River Coyote rifle would get my vote.

I just made my version of the "coyote" upper for one of my 2 new lower halves I have coming!
 
Quote:
what makes ar so loud. just curious.thanks



It's not that they are louder than any other 223, it's that most hunting rifles come with a 22 - 24 inch barrel. Many AR's these days are built using a 16 inch barrel. Anytime you get that close to the muzzle end and especially when using a brake, things tend to get very uncomfortable to shoot. One blast from a 16" barrel with a brake can seriously damage your hearing. I prefer a 16" gun to hunt with, but I would rather shoot my 20 inch barreled AR's.

My DPMS AP-4 is a 308 and it has a 16" barrel with a brake. Let me tell ya, you'll only shoot that thing one time without hearing protection and you'll cry the rest of the week while your ears bleed.
 
The Rock River AR has my vote times two! It's one of the best guns I have ever owned. The 20" wilson with 1:8 twist is the way to go.
 
I have A Buhmaster Varminter with the 24 inch barrel with a Leopold 6.5x20x40 tach. scope and reload hornady 75grn bthp. I put a harris swivel Bipod (the long one). I have put a 3/4 inch 3 shot group at 300 yards with it before. I have taken 7 deer and 15 hogs in texas and countless coyotes out to 450 yards. I have the new Leupold III rangefinder and love it better than any of my other rifles. You get what you pay for when it comes to Rifles.
IT IS BETTER TO OWN 1 GOOD RIFLE THAN 5 OK RIFLES FOR THE SAME PRICE. Just my 2 cents.
 
All I can say is that for a grand, you ought to be able to get a dam nice AR that shoots really well. Rock River, DPMS, Bushmaster are typically thought of as being towards the top of the AR heap.
I just got a new Rock River Predator Pursuit for less than $900. I threw an old Burris 3-9x40 that I had laying around on it. Shoots 1.28" @ 100 with cheap bulk gun show blasting ammo. Can't wait to work up a nice v-max or b-tip load for it. Now the old Armalite A-2 is waiting for a flat top .204 upper, which I fully expect to be completely fun as well.
 
turnminsideout, what caliber is your Bushmaster that you are killing deer and hogs with it? When you say Leupold rangefinder I assume you are talking about their B+C or Varmit reticle?
 
I have a couple of 16" 223 uppers and also 204 (excellant on cats with the 35gr Bergers) and 25WSSM (only used it on a couple of coyotes and one cat - it brings the smackdown) custom uppers......I got to see the R-15 and it is setup right for a carry/calling rig.....I wish I had checked out the trigger on it...I have put JP and Jard single stage triggers in the lowers I have now.......be advised once you start you will own more than one.
Good Luck with your choice.

Regards
Kelly
 
I was looking at the R15 myself. It looks like it is the perfect combination of weight and accuracy for a rifle to be carried around. I know when I am calling I tend to cover a lot of ground and excess weight is not fun. The 20" version ways in under 8 lbs!!
 
I just put mine together last week and finally had a chance t shoot it this past weekend. Keeping groups under MOA is no problem. I assembled my Eagle Arms lower using Armalite's parts kit, A2 buttstock, I ordered a DPMS 223 20" complete upper from Midway and installed, finished with a Accuwedge. Shoots Good.
 
I have a couple AR-15s - both made by olympic arms. One is chambered in .223 and the other in .243 WSSM. The are both 24" ultramatch and shoot unbelievably well - less than 1" groups at 100 yds with factory ammo. I have found 50 grn v-max (by Black Hills Ammo) to work quite well thru the .223.
I love having the additional shots ready to go when I get multiple targets coming in. They are accurate, reliable and a blast to shoot. I wouldn't trade my ARs for anything. The only downfalls I've seen from hunters using ARs is - rushing your shots because you know you have several more waiting and I've noticed I use more ammo now since I switched from my bolt.
As for brands, I think there are many quality ones out there now - Olympic Arms, Colt, Rock River makes a cpl nice predator models, my friend has a Bushmaster Predator and loves it. I'd probably stay away from the cheaper "off brands".
 
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