I think im ready...convince me...

[Exo]

I had an epiphany last time I went out...I like shooting my AR more than my R700. (doesnt help at all my buddy had his AR308 and it was such a pleasure to shoot) I think im ready to drop the bolt gun, and get a gas gun.

Im looking at <$1500 for the gun, I will put an optic, bipod and such other items on when I get it so the $1500 is for the GUN ONLY.

I saw the DPMS TAC 20 and it really appealed to me. In the price range, it LOOKS like a free floated rail(???) the only thing I would change is the gas block.

TAC20

I am thinking a Burris MTAC 4.5-14 MIL/MIL optic, harris bipod, and call it good to go for a combo hunting / shooting gun?

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

 

[MarkCO]

Have you read all the information on the DPMS GII? That would be my path.

On the optic, I have that on my Rem700AAC-SD. I used it for deer and elk this year and It worked well, but I do like to have 2 or 3x on the bottom end for hunting. The Veracity line has a 3-15, but in MOA. The XTRII has a 3-15 in Mil, but a larger tube, exposed turrets and a little more slanted towards precision than hunting. That said, Burris will do custom knobs in some cases. I just don't know if there are any capped turrets in their line that will work on the XTRII line.

 

[Exo]

I actually have the MTAC 3.5-10 MIL/MIL now on my R700 and im freak in IN LOVE with the scope, reticle and the fact the knobs are not exposed but can be super quick. The only thing I regret is not buying the 4.5-14. I will check out the G2! Thanks

 

[bigmatt17073]

Info on the DPMS 308 GII rifles:DPMS GII // DESIGNED II DOMINATE MICRO. If you want a precision range/hunting gun the best options would be the free floated models: Recon, SASS, or Hunter. They are all above your $1500 budget (at least MSRP price, street price?). But, reading the specs they all three have the upgraded dual stage trigger which from a report on here seems to be nice. I have a G1 LR308 and the stock trigger was absolute junk. It was replaced with a $230 Geissele SSA-E. I also replaced the stock and grip as well. I eventually want to change the stock again (PRS), add an adjustable gas block and maybe change out the hand guard as well. With the upgrades the GIIs come with you will be already ahead of the game. Even the most expensive SASS comes with the PRS stock, Harris bipod, the 2 stage trigger, Magpul MBUIS, and a Panther grip with palm shelf so it comes with some of the upgrades many people might do anyway from the factory.

 

[elfster1234]

I personally would not get the tac20 as it has a fixed front sight, especially if you're going to put a scope on it.. if your limit is 1500 bucks, then I'd be all over the dpms G2 .308 recon

I had an epiphany last time I went out...I like shooting my AR more than my R700. (doesnt help at all my buddy had his AR308 and it was such a pleasure to shoot) I think im ready to drop the bolt gun, and get a gas gun.

Im looking at <$1500 for the gun, I will put an optic, bipod and such other items on when I get it so the $1500 is for the GUN ONLY.

I saw the DPMS TAC 20 and it really appealed to me. In the price range, it LOOKS like a free floated rail(???) the only thing I would change is the gas block.

TAC20

I am thinking a Burris MTAC 4.5-14 MIL/MIL optic, harris bipod, and call it good to go for a combo hunting / shooting gun?

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

 

[Exo]

So the other option I am considering at this point, is building a 6.8spc upper for my AR. From what I understand its still capable of going 600-700 yards accurately? I could put a little more money into my lower, build a great upper, and be able to use the same magazines. Im not a 1K shooter yet...and with as often as I get to go out...well thats funny.

My GOAL here, is to satisfy two requirements:

1. Have a good gun, thats fun to shoot, that can be shot accurately inside of 800 yards.
2. Be able to use that gun for hunting inside of 800 yards. Honestly, if I want to go longer, I have a Win70 .300wm thats all done up (MCM A3-5, Bartlein Barrel, tuned trigger, Harris Bipod, NF Scope) at my disposal.

So basically, I want a semi auto gun (bigger than 5.56/.223), that will be able to deliver a round accurately with enough stopping power that I can take game home and put it on my kitchen table for my children.

I know this is kind of like all of those other "make the best THIS" and "help me get THAT" posts, but the 'Hide knows more than I so here is my "dumb post"

 

[MarkCO]

Prior to the G2, I might have said okay option, but the G2 will be available in a 6.5 something soon, and a better option. Unless you have to have it now, shoot the snot out of a .308 G2 this year and rebarrel with a Bartlein or Kreiger once they have barrels available.

The 6.8 is kind of an off caliber and it does need 6.8 mags. If you want to build on a AR15 platform, I honestly think there are better options than the 6.8.

 

[hewlett260]

If you were just going for the 800 Mark and be able to put a deer on the table occasionally get a 6.5 Grendel upper for your AR, the XTRII3-15x and some magazines of various capacity and call it good. That would be my choice but to each his own.

 

[elfster1234]

problem is your $limit$.... at 1500 dollars and for what you want, then building an AR might be your only option. I WOULD LOVE to get an AR in 260 or maybe 6creed, BUT the availability of .308 lake city brass and bullets at my local shop keeps dragging me back to .308. I'M STOCK TO THE HILT with 5.56 and .308 bullets. No worries about running out of ammo on my part. No screwing around with re-forming brass. My dream rifle, if I could afford it or wanted to spend that much money with little regard to reloading, would be a 6creed GAP with about a 20" barrel.

believe it or not, up to about 400 to 500yards, my 5.56 AR's are more accurate than my 7.62. Especially at 100yards. With that said, at about 600yards my 7.62 LMT really starts to pull away in terms of accuracy. It doesn't get better,,,,, it is just more consistent (especially with the wind and the obvious extra bullet weight).

So the other option I am considering at this point, is building a 6.8spc upper for my AR. From what I understand its still capable of going 600-700 yards accurately? I could put a little more money into my lower, build a great upper, and be able to use the same magazines. Im not a 1K shooter yet...and with as often as I get to go out...well thats funny.

My GOAL here, is to satisfy two requirements:

1. Have a good gun, thats fun to shoot, that can be shot accurately inside of 800 yards.
2. Be able to use that gun for hunting inside of 800 yards. Honestly, if I want to go longer, I have a Win70 .300wm thats all done up (MCM A3-5, Bartlein Barrel, tuned trigger, Harris Bipod, NF Scope) at my disposal.

So basically, I want a semi auto gun (bigger than 5.56/.223), that will be able to deliver a round accurately with enough stopping power that I can take game home and put it on my kitchen table for my children.

I know this is kind of like all of those other "make the best THIS" and "help me get THAT" posts, but the 'Hide knows more than I so here is my "dumb post"

 

[Exo]

So after what seems an exhausting search, and asking stupid questions, and pouring over what I "THINK" I understand ballistically...I am actually swaying to building a 6.5 grendel upper for my AR instead of buying a whole different rifle...the 6.5 seems far superior over the 6.8 and building a new upper is way cheaper than buying a new rifle. For now, well...once it gets built, I will just hijack my MTAC 3.5-10 off my 700 and put it in a SWFA SSALT mount and call it good until I can afford a designated optic.

Is the requirements the same? new bolt, barrel, magazine? Other AR components will still play nice with the 6.5? I am thinking a 20" barrel, free floated rifle length hand guard, slap a harris on it and go shoot?

 

[LRRPF52]

So after what seems an exhausting search, and asking stupid questions, and pouring over what I "THINK" I understand ballistically...I am actually swaying to building a 6.5creedmore upper for my AR instead of buying a whole different rifle...the 6.5 seems far superior over the 6.8 and building a new upper is way cheaper than buying a new rifle. For now, well...once it gets built, I will just hijack my MTAC 3.5-10 off my 700 and put it in a SWFA SSALT mount and call it good until I can afford a designated optic.

Is the requirements the same? new bolt, barrel, magazine? Other AR components will still play nice with the 6.5? I am thinking a 20" barrel, free floated rifle length hand guard, slap a harris on it and go shoot?

You need a whole different receiver set that is not compatible with the AR15.

The cartridge you are looking for is the 6.5 Grendel, and you have more than enough room in your budget to build a quality upper chambered in Grendel, with room to spare on a good scope and mount if you don't have them already.

You will not be hunting at 800yds, but you can easily target-shoot out to 800yds with a Grendel.

I have 4 of them, as well as a 22" .260 Remington AR10. I have 2 16", and 2 18" Grendel barrels. My 16" Grendel loses 200yds of performance compared to the 22" .260 Remington, which means it is still supersonic out to 1100yds at sea level with the 123gr A-MAX factory load. My .260 Rem with a 123gr A-MAX hot hand load is supersonic out to 1300yds at sea level.

The 16" Grendel weighs 8.6lbs with a Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44 and ADM mount, whereas the 22" .260 Rem weighs 14lbs with a Vortex 5-15x44 Viper HS Tactical. There are no factory loads that I would trust to shoot in my .260 Remington, and there are 26+ factory Grendel loads.

I like both cartridges a lot, and thought I would shoot .260 Rem the most, but I ended up leaning to the Grendel a lot more for the weight of the carbine, factory ammo availability, and low powder consumption when I load for it.

 

[Exo]

**Grendel, my bad...thanks LRRPF52

When you say a whole new receiver SET ... are you talking more of an AR10 lower/upper or AR15 lower and 6.5g upper?

Hunting ranges, say inside of 400 yards, 500 yards?

 

[tipper]

An this is were the stupid comes in, 6.5creedmore will not feed through an AR-15 lower, it can be done single shot.

 

[LRRPF52]

**Grendel, my bad...thanks LRRPF52

When you say a whole new receiver SET ... are you talking more of an AR10 lower/upper or AR15 lower and 6.5g upper?

Hunting ranges, say inside of 400 yards, 500 yards?

The 6.5 Creedmoor and .260 Remington require an AR10 frame. I've owned 5 of them, been shooting AR10's for a while now.

The Grendel drops right into existing AR15 receiver sets. You need:

* Grendel barrel/bolt combo
* Grendel mags

Depending on muzzle velocity and projectile selection, you are looking at an effective 350-520yd hunting caliber on medium and even medium-large game. Guys and gals have been killing everything from yotes to elk and moose with Grendel's over the past decade.

Even a 14.5" Grendel has 350-400yd effective range with the 123gr SST factory load from Hornady. I really like the performance I'm getting from my 16" AA set-up. We've done comparisons with recovered bullets from deer and pigs, next to calibrated Perma-gel tested bullets, and the results have mirrored each other.

It's an awesome little pig and deer slayer as well. Here's a pic of a caribou just taken in October in Alaska:



That was his 2nd harvest with an 18" Grendel, 123gr SST factory load, at 400yds. The first one he took was 275yds, DRT. This one jumped, flipped over, did the kicken' ckicken' and expired.

You basically have 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer performance from an AR15.

 

[Exo]

So a grendel bolt/barrel and grendel mags. Other AR15 accessories play nicely? Sorry for the dumb questions I just want to make sure I have all my bases covered before I start purchasing things...

 

[diggler1833]

I wanted a .308 semi-auto as well, but did not have a lot of money to spend on it. I ended up getting a DPMS LR308B and put a Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x on top of it. There is not a lot of "tacticool" use to the rifle, but it serves its intended use beautifully (less expensive hog/deer/truck gun on the Father-In-Law's ranch). All total it ran me right at $1500, so I won't feel too bad about dinging it up. Shots can be had day or night at ranges from 25-400yds depending on which pasture I'm in. Shoots sub MOA with match ammo, unfortunately about 2 MOA with hunting ammo. I do reload, but have not developed a load for this rifle yet.

Hope this helps.

 

[LRRPF52]

So a grendel bolt/barrel and grendel mags. Other AR15 accessories play nicely? Sorry for the dumb questions I just want to make sure I have all my bases covered before I start purchasing things...

Yes, everything else is standard AR15 parts compatibility. I use an H2 buffer in my 16" MLGS carbine, and standard rifle buffer works in rifle-length extension tube builds.

Most Grendel's shoot 1 MOA or better, while the ones that have high-end barrels will shoot anywhere from 3/4 down into the teens, but you will want a quality upper with a square face if you go that route of the top accuracy. Barrels and complete uppers can be purchased from AA, JP, Lilja, Precision Firearms (PF complete uppers are insane accurate), Midway, Brownell's, Templar, J&T, Specialized Dynamics...

You have half the recoil of .308, with 85% of the .308's energy, only higher BC bullets, so the energy gap closes as the distance increases, and wind deflection is better with the 6.5's.

 

[45ar]

There's an 18 inch AA upper with FF handguard on GB.
It would be a good 6.5G upper for the money to get.
It takes several months to get one if you order one from AA.
If I didn't build my own I'd get the one on GB.

 

[Exo]

I am definitely going to build it! Save money where money can be saved through a couple of friends who are dealer/distributors for a bunch of AR type manufacturers. I was originally thinking about selling my 700 to fund this project, and I still might, I just need to do some window shopping first.

 

[45ar]

If I build another 6.5 Grendel I'd get a barrel from Lilja.
They're said to be very accurate and not as expensive as some of the other high end barrels.

 

[Exo]

I will check them out! thanks 45