Re: Home protection Rifle
I mainly shoot 77 grain in my 5.56. A 1/8 barrel twist drives this round very accuratly. If you are getting a 16 inch bbl, which is what I shoot, I also recommend a mid length gas system. I believe it shoots smoother. The recoil doesn't feel as choppy as a carbine length gas system.
If you are going to be shooting coyotes with irons also I recommend installing a national match front sight post.
They are only about 12 dollars and will greatly enhance your ability to hit smaller targets at long range.
I also recommend a good 2 stage trigger. I like giessele's.
I use Giessele 2 stage triggers in all of my AR type weapons. 5.56 or 7.67. The reason I prefer 2 stage match triggers over single stage for dual purpose ARs is as follows.
This has been my experience:
When used in the CQB role a single stage trigger can be a hinderance. I have shot some single stage triggers rapidly while on the move and occasionally they have bump fired and pretty much gone cyclic. You don't really pull a single stage match trigger, you just touch it off. It doesn't take much to set it off, especially when wearing gloves. Shooting on the move at night indoors with furniture and adrenaline pumping, a single stage trigger may not be your best option.
On the other hand, a 2 stage trigger gives you some wiggle room. You have the additional slack in the 1st stage. This extra margin for error is important when shooting in a CQB mode. It is also a plus when shooting with gloves on. And you still have the precision of a single stage trigger once the slack has been pulled out. In my opinion it is the best of both worlds.
Shooting a 2 stage trigger also allows you to reset the trigger after every shot, so it somewhat mimics the trigger reset of your pistol. At least it does for me. I shoot a glock.
Once again these are my opinions.
I'm sure there are plenty of competent operators out there who advocate single stage triggers. And I know the 1911 has a single stage trigger and is a great combat gun. I think the reason single stage triggers in a pistol and rifle are different in a combat scenario are as follow:
When shooting a single stage trigger on the move with a pistol your arms and shoulders act as natural shock absorbers. Your pistol is only attached to your hand. So if you step hard or run into a chair or someone bumps you from behind you have that seperation of your pistol from your body.
When shooting a single stage trigger on the move with a rifle it is welded to your shoulder. Any heavy step, collision with foriegn objects or bumps from behind is instantly transfered to your shoulder, which is transfered to your rifle. If you were preparing to engage a tgt your round could be fired even a split second prematurely.
Sorry this is long winded, I Know the danger of making vague statements on this website.
Once again these are my opinions based on my experience.