Thinking of ordering a Rogue Hunter with 18" SS barrel for coyote/varmint/plinking. Looking for others who have experience with this rifle, and your opinion(s). Thanks!
Marty
Marty
Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
- Thread starter XTREM HTR16
- Start date
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
You really can't go wrong with a Noveske. I have a Rogue Hunter with a 14.5 barrel and 13.5 NSR. I particularly like the Rogue Hunter's because they have the lighter profile barrel and a standard A4/N4 upper receiver (I have no need for the extra weight and expense of a MUR upper). My 14.5 is about perfect, light and accurate (it's less than 6.5 lbs with Aimpoint). I also really like the NSR rails, they feel great, are strong and lightweight.
The only potential downside I can see is that some people have reported the lighter weight 18" profile barrels have not been as accurate as Noveske's other 18" SPR barrels.
I can't speak from experience as to the relative accuracy of the 18" SPR vs lightweight barrels, but I would still bet the Rogue Hunter is a MOA or better rifle with a good shooter, trigger, and ammo.
I would say go for it.
You really can't go wrong with a Noveske. I have a Rogue Hunter with a 14.5 barrel and 13.5 NSR. I particularly like the Rogue Hunter's because they have the lighter profile barrel and a standard A4/N4 upper receiver (I have no need for the extra weight and expense of a MUR upper). My 14.5 is about perfect, light and accurate (it's less than 6.5 lbs with Aimpoint). I also really like the NSR rails, they feel great, are strong and lightweight.
The only potential downside I can see is that some people have reported the lighter weight 18" profile barrels have not been as accurate as Noveske's other 18" SPR barrels.
I can't speak from experience as to the relative accuracy of the 18" SPR vs lightweight barrels, but I would still bet the Rogue Hunter is a MOA or better rifle with a good shooter, trigger, and ammo.
I would say go for it.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost.
As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
I agree with Mil.Dot, you really can't go wrong with Noveske. I was going to get the 18" Rogue Hunter but I wanted the MUR upper (more of a want than a need) so I decided to get the 18" SPR w/ the NSR rail instead. They ended up getting the order wrong and sent me the regular 18" SPR with the 14" SWS rail and I have no complaints. I use my AR for pretty much the same purposes as you, with the addition of doe's and hog eradication, and the Rogue Hunter will serve you well. I was thinking about switching the SWS out for the NSR but the SWS is actually extremely light at about 15 oz, only 4 oz heavier than the NSR, so you really can't go wrong with either. With a 3-9x40 Accupoint, LMT SOPMOD, and Atlas bipod my AR weighs 10.4 lbs. It balances out really well so it's really not that bad carrying it around. IMO, with a lightweight stock such as a SOPMOD, VLTOR IMOD, or Magpul CTR/ACS/STR, and a lightweight scope combined with that upper, that would make a hell of a varmint/range gun. That's what I would do if I had to do it over. Hope this helps and good luck!
I agree with Mil.Dot, you really can't go wrong with Noveske. I was going to get the 18" Rogue Hunter but I wanted the MUR upper (more of a want than a need) so I decided to get the 18" SPR w/ the NSR rail instead. They ended up getting the order wrong and sent me the regular 18" SPR with the 14" SWS rail and I have no complaints. I use my AR for pretty much the same purposes as you, with the addition of doe's and hog eradication, and the Rogue Hunter will serve you well. I was thinking about switching the SWS out for the NSR but the SWS is actually extremely light at about 15 oz, only 4 oz heavier than the NSR, so you really can't go wrong with either. With a 3-9x40 Accupoint, LMT SOPMOD, and Atlas bipod my AR weighs 10.4 lbs. It balances out really well so it's really not that bad carrying it around. IMO, with a lightweight stock such as a SOPMOD, VLTOR IMOD, or Magpul CTR/ACS/STR, and a lightweight scope combined with that upper, that would make a hell of a varmint/range gun. That's what I would do if I had to do it over. Hope this helps and good luck!
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost. </div></div>
Glad to hear this is what you have seen informally. It has never sat quite right with me that the Noveske lighterweight barrels are substantially less accurate than the medium profile barrels. I mentioned it above, because it has been reported form a reasonably reputable source on M4carbine.net.
Not knowing exactly how the others were shooting the lightweight 18, it seems possible that the difference might be related to something like a high rate of fire.
I am very happy with the practical accuracy of the lightweight 14.5 I have, though I haven't shot it for groups. I have a lightweight chrome lined Noveske 14.5 on order, so I am looking forward to comparing them for accuracy.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost. </div></div>
Glad to hear this is what you have seen informally. It has never sat quite right with me that the Noveske lighterweight barrels are substantially less accurate than the medium profile barrels. I mentioned it above, because it has been reported form a reasonably reputable source on M4carbine.net.
Not knowing exactly how the others were shooting the lightweight 18, it seems possible that the difference might be related to something like a high rate of fire.
I am very happy with the practical accuracy of the lightweight 14.5 I have, though I haven't shot it for groups. I have a lightweight chrome lined Noveske 14.5 on order, so I am looking forward to comparing them for accuracy.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mil.Dot</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost. </div></div>
Glad to hear this is what you have seen informally. It has never sat quite right with me that the Noveske lighterweight barrels are substantially less accurate than the medium profile barrels. I mentioned it above, because it has been reported form a reasonably reputable source on M4carbine.net.
Not knowing exactly how the others were shooting the lightweight 18, it seems possible that the difference might be related to something like a high rate of fire.
I am very happy with the practical accuracy of the lightweight 14.5 I have, though I haven't shot it for groups. I have a lightweight chrome lined Noveske 14.5 on order, so I am looking forward to comparing them for accuracy.</div></div>
We both run the exact same load so we plan to test for groups with a cold barrel and then do a mag dump or two and retest. It's not scientific but it will give us an idea. I have read alot of controversy over the lightwieght barrels but haven't seen any facts, or even informal testing. I'll make sure to write up our observations and post them.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mil.Dot</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As far as accuracy is concerned my teammate runs Noveske's 18" lightwieght in his 3-gun rifle and has seen no appreciable difference in accuarcy as far as 3-gun goes. We plan to do some testing with his 18" lightwieght and my 18 medium contour. If you want the Rogue Hunter with a medium contour barrel call Noveske and they will do the swap for you at no extra cost. </div></div>
Glad to hear this is what you have seen informally. It has never sat quite right with me that the Noveske lighterweight barrels are substantially less accurate than the medium profile barrels. I mentioned it above, because it has been reported form a reasonably reputable source on M4carbine.net.
Not knowing exactly how the others were shooting the lightweight 18, it seems possible that the difference might be related to something like a high rate of fire.
I am very happy with the practical accuracy of the lightweight 14.5 I have, though I haven't shot it for groups. I have a lightweight chrome lined Noveske 14.5 on order, so I am looking forward to comparing them for accuracy.</div></div>
We both run the exact same load so we plan to test for groups with a cold barrel and then do a mag dump or two and retest. It's not scientific but it will give us an idea. I have read alot of controversy over the lightwieght barrels but haven't seen any facts, or even informal testing. I'll make sure to write up our observations and post them.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
It looks like the NSR barrel is 6 oz heavier than the lightweight barrel. Would take the total weight from 6 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs 10 oz.
Any big reason to go with 18" barrel over 16", besides a touch more velocity?
It looks like the NSR barrel is 6 oz heavier than the lightweight barrel. Would take the total weight from 6 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs 10 oz.
Any big reason to go with 18" barrel over 16", besides a touch more velocity?
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kimber7wsm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It looks like the NSR barrel is 6 oz heavier than the lightweight barrel. Would take the total weight from 6 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs 10 oz.
Any big reason to go with 18" barrel over 16", besides a touch more velocity? </div></div>
The 16" midlength vs 18" intermediate is really just going to depend on who you ask. For me, I don't think the extra 2 inches would be worth it for the kind of shooting I do. If you really want a little extra velocity, it might be worth it, otherwise the 16" will be lighter, more maneuverable, and likely more versatile.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
We both run the exact same load so we plan to test for groups with a cold barrel and then do a mag dump or two and retest. It's not scientific but it will give us an idea. I have read alot of controversy over the lightwieght barrels but haven't seen any facts, or even informal testing. I'll make sure to write up our observations and post them.
</div></div>
It'll be interesting to see what you find. Keep us posted.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kimber7wsm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It looks like the NSR barrel is 6 oz heavier than the lightweight barrel. Would take the total weight from 6 lbs 4 oz to 6 lbs 10 oz.
Any big reason to go with 18" barrel over 16", besides a touch more velocity? </div></div>
The 16" midlength vs 18" intermediate is really just going to depend on who you ask. For me, I don't think the extra 2 inches would be worth it for the kind of shooting I do. If you really want a little extra velocity, it might be worth it, otherwise the 16" will be lighter, more maneuverable, and likely more versatile.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: B4forever</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
We both run the exact same load so we plan to test for groups with a cold barrel and then do a mag dump or two and retest. It's not scientific but it will give us an idea. I have read alot of controversy over the lightwieght barrels but haven't seen any facts, or even informal testing. I'll make sure to write up our observations and post them.
</div></div>
It'll be interesting to see what you find. Keep us posted.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
Also, I'm assuming the trigger on the Noveske is much better than your standard AR trigger on a sub $1,000 AR?
Also, I'm assuming the trigger on the Noveske is much better than your standard AR trigger on a sub $1,000 AR?
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kimber7wsm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Also, I'm assuming the trigger on the Noveske is much better than your standard AR trigger on a sub $1,000 AR?</div></div>
Depends on the model. From what I understand, the trigger that comes standard in the Rogue Hunter is the ALG combat, which should feel like a broken in mil-spec trigger without the grittiness of a new mil-spec trigger. My Afghan had a regular gritty mil-spec trigger group in it. It smoothed out ofter a few thousand rounds. ALG should feel nice, right off the bat.
Another great thing about the Rogue Hunter is that it is pretty fairly priced, compared to the price of other Noveske offerings.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kimber7wsm</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Also, I'm assuming the trigger on the Noveske is much better than your standard AR trigger on a sub $1,000 AR?</div></div>
Depends on the model. From what I understand, the trigger that comes standard in the Rogue Hunter is the ALG combat, which should feel like a broken in mil-spec trigger without the grittiness of a new mil-spec trigger. My Afghan had a regular gritty mil-spec trigger group in it. It smoothed out ofter a few thousand rounds. ALG should feel nice, right off the bat.
Another great thing about the Rogue Hunter is that it is pretty fairly priced, compared to the price of other Noveske offerings.
Re: Noveske Rogue Hunter 18"?
I have a Noveske RH 12.5" custom, and it is very accurate. Used it for a class and shot 3 days, 500 rounds without problems with the SS barrel and Battlecomp. Tested one 5-shot group @ 100 with premium ammo and achieved a cloverleaf. It likes heavier ammo, but can do 2 to 2.5 MOA all day with cheap lighter ammo. My best groups are with Fiocchi Exacta 77gr and Wolf Gold 75gr HPBT after testing 14 different commercial ammo. Hornady Tap FPD 75gr is good also @ 1.2MOA. John's philosophy is to go as short barrel as your needs dictates, and I am happy with the 12.5. The Troy TRX Extreme rails feel good in the hands, but a pain to install accessories because you have to fish for the mount connectors. No experience with the newer NSR rails.
I have a Noveske RH 12.5" custom, and it is very accurate. Used it for a class and shot 3 days, 500 rounds without problems with the SS barrel and Battlecomp. Tested one 5-shot group @ 100 with premium ammo and achieved a cloverleaf. It likes heavier ammo, but can do 2 to 2.5 MOA all day with cheap lighter ammo. My best groups are with Fiocchi Exacta 77gr and Wolf Gold 75gr HPBT after testing 14 different commercial ammo. Hornady Tap FPD 75gr is good also @ 1.2MOA. John's philosophy is to go as short barrel as your needs dictates, and I am happy with the 12.5. The Troy TRX Extreme rails feel good in the hands, but a pain to install accessories because you have to fish for the mount connectors. No experience with the newer NSR rails.
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