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Where to Start on a .308 Build

Houston Fire 34

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 5, 2012
46
0
Texas
Hey guys. I'm looking for my first AR10ish build/buy. I don't have a set budget but I'm not loaded either. I would like to build myself but understand that some professional built rifles are more accurate. I have built a few 15s but have noticed the field of parts availability narrows a lot. I don't want to drop 3-4 grand on a rifle right now. I don't mind buying parts that add up to that eventually but I just have a mental block on laying that kinda cash down at one time. I've talked to the guys at JP and really like what they had to say. I was planning on using their parts to begin with but now am leaning towards their receiver as well. The main problem I have is that the upper won't match any other lower. I have a couple Sig rifles and was gonna start there but still not sure. I'm not a fan of DPMS and I know that will piss people off but that's why there are so many brands out there. It wouldn't b fun if we all like the same thing. I guess I need to know what receiver I need to start with or stay away from.
 
Yea normally I would suggest a LWRC, Larue, or GAP-10 but I understand not wanting to drop that much on a rifle (I am the same way). I have a Black Rain/JP AR-15 and I absolutely love the gun; reliable, accurate, and everything I needed in an AR-15 style setup.

As a secondary option I would have mentioned a DPMS SASS but you ruled that one out haha. Check out an Armalite AR-10 or use some of their parts. That is what I built my 10 off from and it does everything I need it to and more.

Lastly I owned a factory POF-308 with a 20" barrel. CANNOT go wrong there.
 
Hey guys. I'm looking for my first AR10ish build/buy. I don't have a set budget but I'm not loaded either. I would like to build myself but understand that some professional built rifles are more accurate. I have built a few 15s but have noticed the field of parts availability narrows a lot. I don't want to drop 3-4 grand on a rifle right now. I don't mind buying parts that add up to that eventually but I just have a mental block on laying that kinda cash down at one time. I've talked to the guys at JP and really like what they had to say. I was planning on using their parts to begin with but now am leaning towards their receiver as well. The main problem I have is that the upper won't match any other lower. I have a couple Sig rifles and was gonna start there but still not sure. I'm not a fan of DPMS and I know that will piss people off but that's why there are so many brands out there. It wouldn't b fun if we all like the same thing. I guess I need to know what receiver I need to start with or stay away from.

Mega MaTen receivers are one of the best.
 
Sorry. Been crazy busy. I hunt a lot of hogs and coyotes at short and long range. I do shoot the occasional long rang match but nothing to serious.

I've recently seen some Area53 stuff out there. How are they?
 
Sorry. Been crazy busy. I hunt a lot of hogs and coyotes at short and long range. I do shoot the occasional long rang match but nothing to serious.

I've recently seen some Area53 stuff out there. How are they?

If these are your main uses, with the occasional match, I wouldn't even mess with a .308 or large frame AR10.

I've owned 5 different AR10's, and couldn't count how many of my friends own multiple AR10's as well. Been down this road for a long time now, and I personally came to the conclusion long ago that the big frame AR is best served with another caliber than .308 for my needs.

For a lightweight coyote and pig AR, stick with the AR15, but go with 6.5 Grendel. You will cut your costs down significantly for a build, have a lighter weight carbine that is excellent for what you seek to do with it, will have less recoil, less wind drift, and factory ammunition is actually meant to run in it, unlike most of the .308 hunting ammo that is meant for bolt guns, not gassers with a .080" firing pin hole (SR25 and DPMS pattern AR's).

You can actually stalk game with a lightweight AR15, whereas an AR10 carbine, even when put on a diet, is a different beast with a massive BCG akin to a baseball bat, a heavy barrel shank with large OD, imbalanced receivers that place mass more forward of your firing hand, and significant recoil that is difficult to spot your own hits from when running into position after chasing an elusive coyote.

There are several incidents where people with 6.5 Grendel's have achieved "twofers" on pigs, and affordable hunting ammo works well on them, namely the 123gr SST at under $18 a box. The cool thing is this load doubles as a great target shooting solution, given its accuracy and high BC of .510, which is higher than a 175gr .308 SMK even.

I had plans since childhood to own a 7.62 NATO carbine AR, but the Grendel erased those plans for the reasons I stated above.

 
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Build a Maten in 6.5 Creedmoor. You will be starting with one of the best receiver sets out, get a good barrel and go from there. JP or Krieger would be my choice for a barrel.
 
JP's upper (the PSC-12 that is) will indeed fit many lowers out there. DPMS, Iron ridge, Christensen, Shadow Ops, Hogan, SI Defense, and even POF with $40 in bushings for the takedown/pivot pins. JP is also now making 308 uppers for the SR25 receiver cut as well. They are certainly heavier than an AR-15, but you could easily manage how much heavier buy piecing it together. For example, JPs LMOS BCG weighs just over 14oz. Compare that to a full mass or M16 AR-15 carrier at 12oz. Not a huge difference. I just grabbed a 14.75" Fortis rail for mine that comes in at a whopping 10oz. My big game hunting rig is an 18" 338 Federal that weighs only 17 ounces more than my 20" 6.5 Grendel. Food for thought I guess....

 
Matrix Aero receiver set, or armalite if you can find em. Source the following from armalite; bcg, rifle buffer/tube, upper/lower parts kit with exception of fire control , get that from geissele. Custom barrel or of the shelf armalite 20" SS. Pick out your handguard, grip, rifle stock and top it with your choice of optics. Gtg If you go with a Matrix, make sure you get the mag catch parts from armalite that fit the A model which takes pmags.