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Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

MOOSEKNUCKLE

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 10, 2009
165
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52
Ohio
Just picked up a thermal scope and want to get a precision grade AR15 upper for varmint hunting(.223). I was looking at the White Oak 24" stainless. Pretty good pricing but looking for some feedback on accuracy.
Thanks
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

You wont go wrong with White Oak.

When moving from a M1A to AR service rifle I inquired all over as to which was the best, most accurate. Almost all of the higher caliber high power shooters I talked to recommended White Oak. I went that route and have no regrets.

As a side benifit, you wont find any better service then you get from White Oak.

At first I was having ejecting problems, though it was my reloads, went to Military Ball, same issue. A quick e-mail explaining the problem and John expressed me another bolt (no charge). I haven't had one issue since, not one malfunction.

If I had to replace my AR for some reason, or was to buy another, I wouldn't consider anyone else.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

If 1/2" 5 shot groups at 100 yards and busting soda cans at 300 yards at will is your ticket then WOA is the way to go. I have their 20" varmint upper and couldn't be happier. I did a lot of research prior to buying and chose WOA from my findings and don't regret anything.

You won't be disappointed!

Brian

Be sure to get a good trigger...
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

I recently put a WOA 18" SPR barrel on my bench/coyote AR build; it's currently shooting 0.6-0.75 MOA with handloaded 69gr SMK's and 0.75-0.90 MOA with handloaded 55gr V-max.

Regarding maintenance, don't clean 100% to shine. I run a few patches every 100 rounds to clear debris, but that's it. If I do a FULL clean until a patch comes out clean, it takes about 10-15 rounds to copper-foul the barrel and re-gain accuracy.

Definitely a shooter, a great barrel that doesn't need to be pampered.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

If I were smart I think I would have gone the way you are going. 16 weeks will fly by and I'll bet Johns estimate in time frame will be closer then the builder that I used. I was given an estimate of 8 weeks and its been 26 with no light showing yet. I'm pretty sure that you made the right call.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

Sorry I don't have a first hand review yet but
After doing some research I ordered one of they're service rifle uppers. I still have 3-4 months wait. From what I've read it'll be worth the wait. 16-20 weeks isn't bad. 3 have already gone by.

People love they're barrels. 5.56 and 6.8 Especially for the price.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

You could always buy a WOA barrel/bolt combo and build your own upper. They aren't very hard to put together...with the right tools.

Brian

A 24" varmint barrel is going to weight a lot! If you are using a thermal device you might be better off with a 20" varmint as I assume most hunting will be done at night and extremely long shots are the exception.

FWIW - my 20" is fluted, threaded and duracoated black on a WOA custom side charger with a YHM customizable ff tube.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

You should look at buying from Rainier Arms. I was looking for my 18" SPR bbl for a while. I finally setup the "email notification", because of the wait.

Turns out they got one within a few days; because I was ready to order, I just threw it in my cart and had it in a week. That's going to be your best bet to beat the long lead time.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BCP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">They are the best option at their price level.</div></div>
AHEM. they are the best option for what they are built for at their price level, (I shoot a competing brand)

but yes op there rep is second to none
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

For those of you that have ordered from WOA have you gotten any emails or anything after ordering? Just wondering I placed an order back in February.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

I got a confirmation, but it took a couple days. One of my items was suppose to ship in 30 days but they wrote me and told me that it should ship in 15 days then another e-mail the day it shipped.

Also if you are worried shoot them and e-mail, I had a few question before ordering and they always got back to me in just a day maybe two.

you will not go wrong with WOA they are the best and they will get my business again and again!

 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

White Oak builds awesome AR's and John is a great person to deal with. I used his uppers for years in XTC competition and they shoot outstanding. I also have one of his 20" varmint uppers that I have been pleased with and I have shot many groundhogs with it.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kentucky Jelly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For those of you that have ordered from WOA have you gotten any emails or anything after ordering? Just wondering I placed an order back in February. </div></div>

My upper is sitting at a ups hub waiting for delivery! Was well within the quoted 18 weeks!
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

WOA stuff is top notch, period. But, if you can, avoid emailing and calling WOA to check on status, all that does is slow him down even more! You will get your stuff, within the time quoted, unless you slow them down with needless status calls.

You will get excellent accuracy out of the WOA uppers, even the ones based on the WIlson bbls.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

I am looking into getting one of there uppers and leaning towards WOA over the Noveske so why the 3-4 month lead on the uppers? Is there that much of a back log or are they ordering stuff as the orders come in?

There is also a link to White Oak Precision and judging from what is offered on that website it seems that the uppers from each website are one in the same. Is there a difference from what is on the WOA website compaired to the WOP website?
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

Sulenski, there is a 3-4 month wait cause WOA sells a LOT of uppers and folks are willing to wait for, and pay for, quality. The difference between the WOA and WOP stuff is the bbls that John uses in the uppers. The WOP uppers use the more expensive brands, like Krieger, pacnor, etc.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

Is there a difference in price between a upper from WOA and one from WOP. Everything from WOP has "call" in the price category. I was looking at the precision/varmint uppers and they don't look to have anything different from the 2 other than the barrel? Can you choose what brand of barrel goes on either the WOA or WOP upper? As I read the WOA page they seem to use Wilson barrels.
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

correct, WOA are going to be Wilson bbls and the WOP you can pick between a few other brands. IMHO, the WIlson will do just fine and you probably wont be able to tell the difference, other than in the wallet!
 
Re: Experience/ review with White Oak uppers

My father-in-law and I have been running both WOA assembled uppers and WOA varmint barrels that we barreled ourselves. All these rifles were built to shoot prairie dogs. A combination of 2 24 inch 1/8 twist and 2 20" 1/12 barrels. They all shoot nice and consistently.

My barrels average 5 shot groups in the .6s and .7s with 55 grain Midsouth Varmint Nightmare Extremes and the 1/8 twist the same average grouping with Nosler 69 grain CCs. I tried to get a Sierra 77 grain SMK to shoot with Varget but just couldn't get it to run consistently sub MOA. The best load was right there but not quite there.

Now, you may say well, 6s and 7s that's not too impressive for a "precision" barrel AR, but these uppers will do this consistently, regardless of weather. I've put over 2800 rounds through the 1/8 twist barrel and have been very satisfied. I will second what a previous poster mentioned, don't keep these barrels sqeaky clean. I knock the crud out of the bore every 300-500 rounds and give them a thorough cleaning after I get back from the annual prairie dog massacre. For kicks I shot three 5 round groups after putting 1200 rounds through the tube of the 1/8 twist without cleaning and guess what? Average just over 0.6" at 100 yards.

Now with that said, I'm building a "spotter" rifle for matches and am using a Noveske 20" Varmint Barrel. Why? Because I want to see first hand what their precision barrels will do.

Sorry about the long winded response but I like to find detailed posts when I'm researching a product, so I try to give as much info as possible. Your mileage may very, find out for yourself. Resist the Kool-aide! Feel free to contact me for more info.

Craig