Keep tc 204 or fund ar15?

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000shock

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I have a 1st gen tc compass in 204 ruger. It actually is very accurate, but the stock is so so and the factory trigger is horrible. With the 1:10 twist I do think it would be a good coyote rifle when fur matters. If i keep it, a new stock would happen along with trigger work, whether its a spring kit or other option. Here in nd, the wind is…ill go with other than friendly, so 40 grainers are optimal. I have a howa in 204 that almost stacks 32’s, but it shoots 2”+ groups with 40’s. That heavy sob is my main pd rifle

For what rifles are selling for right now, my other option is to sell the tc and use the $ towards a fast twist, general purpose ar15. It would be a truck gun for coyotes, prairie dogs and plinking. Nothing crazy high dollar (under $1k for sure).

So what are your thoughts? Thanks!
 
While I own a very nice AR, it is the last rifle I would take hunting.

Skim bedding the action and opening the barrel channel can make a big difference in how they shoot and that is about $12.

Having a GOOD gunsmith work over the trigger is a lot better than buying a mediocre AR that will more than likely need a trigger, mounts, magazines and a plethora of doodads that you already have for the TC.

Just my $.02, remember it is only worth $.02, if an AR is calling you, you're never going to be happy with the TC.
 
I think when you sell the TC your going to be disappointed. Not only in the used value but accuracy in the AR compared to the TC. Even though the TC is a budget rifle, they shoot good. MCarbo sells a trigger spring kit for about $7 and they are DYI and you can get a nice laminate stock from Boyd's for $150ish. It will make your TC a real nice rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI think when you sell the TC your going to be disappointed. Not only in the used value but accuracy in the AR compared to the TC. Even though the TC is a budget rifle, they shoot good. MCarbo sells a trigger spring kit for about $7 and they are DYI and you can get a nice laminate stock from Boyd's for $150ish. It will make your TC a real nice rifle.

A well-built AR with a good floated barrel will shoot with just about anything. My only dislike for them is the need to shag brass out of the weeds.
 
Doing a tack driving 204 in an AR is quite easy. The snake bite is going for nothing but big name parts. A trigger and barrel for 500 is easy and the rest can be done without any sweat. I have 3 bolt guns and an AR to play with in 204. The bolts are a tad better but 0.5 MOA on the AR was not a challenge.

The FF hand guard is the secret and they don't have to cost $150.00 contrary to popular belief.

Greg
 
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I have a 204 TC also, and a RAP 204, and I recently considered selling them both and building a nice 204 upper. I much prefer the feel and utility of the AR but didn't make the move as I didn't feel like shipping rifles if I sold them and the lgs didn't offer what I wanted out of them.

The TC stock is horrible but I worked it over when I got it with the dremel and you can actually get your hand around the grip now. The trigger took some work but I got that decent also. The firing pin is so sloppy it will pierce cci 400's with max loads but 450's and Fed 205m's work fine. I like that it's a 10 twist and that's the reason I bought it in the first place, and the mag is great and allows a very long oal. It shoots 40 vmax very well.

I love AR's, but stubby barrel 223 AR's make me yawn. They have their place I suppose but I haven't found it yet. If that's what you're considering I'd restock the TC and roll with it.
 
I read AWS post and he mention a mediocre AR so I kinda read into it that the OP didn't want to spend a larger sum of money. My bad. If he wants to go a little above mediocre then an accurate AR isn't out of reach. But you could just buy a Rock River and be done.
 
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogI read AWS post and he mention a mediocre AR so I kinda read into it that the OP didn't want to spend a larger sum of money. My bad. If he wants to go a little above mediocre then an accurate AR isn't out of reach. But you could just buy a Rock River and be done.

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I own a Rock River built full rifle and it is a nice rifle, and I also own a couple of very accurate AR's built with custom parts (barrel, trigger, and free float hand guard), and comparing them generically is like comparing apples and green peas.

The name Rock River on the lower receiver don't mean diddly in terms of extreme accuracy without specialty part like I mentioned above.
 
Do you shoot more rounds at prairie dogs or "truck rounds". Was(is) the AR going to be 204? Honestly I would rather shoot pd with a 204 than a 223.
 
Thanks for all the input everyone! A lot to cover but ill try and get it all…

With all of the prairie dog towns around my area, no doubt it will get used there periodically. My compass has lived in my pickup for over 2 years and the random itch to shoot when im out fishing or whatever hits now and again. However, if my intent is shooting pd’s, my howa comes with. Its a classic laminate varminter with an athlon argos 8-34x56, and its HEAVY. No joke, i think i can spot impacts better with it than my .22 pellet rifle.

If/when i get an ar, it will likely be a 16-18” bbl, 1:7 twist .223 wylde and id like to keep it under $1000 for the rifle (no optic). Pretty standard (and yes, boring!). That might fall in the mediocre spectrum, but its kind of where im at right now. Im prior army and miss shooting ar’s, plus i still have a ton of mags that have been lonely for too long! I also want my 2 sons to be familiar with semi auto rifles and currently i have non.

I think i am leaning towards keeping it unless the right ar drops in my lap. If so, ill prob do a new stock along with spring kit and bolt knob. Theres also a 20 moa base with a bubble level for it that looks interesting. Im still up for hearing opinions one way or the other though. Thanks for the help so far guys!
 
Well, i suppose i should have added in the question of what ar would you suggest for my budget? There are GLFA and radical arms ar’s locally under that, and the radical is packaged with a red dot (that im sure wont last) and 200 rounds. Those are really the only ones that have caught my eye so far, but i havent been searching very hard also. Thanks again everyone!
 
When brandon got elected I bought a GLFA because it was available. I don't know where they get their barrels but I got a good one. It shoots MOA or less with everything I've shot in it.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogUnless I missed it, have you mentioned what amount your budget is?

Id like to stay under $1000. Mixed reviews on the radical, ill take the advice of leaving it in the shelf. Just looked at a (sold) gfla again and they are $699…when he gets them back in stock!
 
I think with some shopping you can buy or build a pretty nice and accurate AR that fits in your budget. Maybe have a little left over. IDK for sure as I'm not much of an AR guy but several at my club build theirs and get off pretty cheap and most shoot pretty good.
 
Enjoyed shooting the M16 in basic training although there was
disappointment with the amount of drop @ 300 meters after shooting
prairie dogs with 22-250's and a .25-06 the previous summer.

The .204R shoots like a laser beam compared to a .223 and with an
AR, you will tend to be less careful of that first shot knowing the
second is right there, no need to work the bolt.

Were it me, I would get a Mcarbo trigger kit and replace the
Tupperware stock with a Boyd's. Have done similar with several
bolt action rifles, along with pillar and bedding jobs.

When our son comes out here to "practice" with his wife and daughters,
we ALL spend more time retrieving brass out of the grass than they do
shooting. I slowly eject cases out of my bolts and place them in
their box after hitting many more bulls-eyes than they do, even though
they've shot many 10's of times more than me. Guess that, and what
I've seen at firing ranges, has turned me off of those semi-autos.
 
Spray and pray shooters really reinforce the mystic of inaccuracy for the general population. Having competed with, taught with and campaigned them in the PD fields using 17,20,223 and 6 MM in various flavors has never led me to believe they wouldn't get the job done.

X-ring counts chock up pretty fast when you have some talent behind the trigger and a good launching pad. Nothing a few years of practice and application can't accomplish when the Arcs cone out.

Those brass catchers sure make life easier for us though. LOL

Greg
 
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