White Oak SPR Upper .223/5.56, 18" Barrel, ALG Handguard, 1-8 Twist? Something else?

[Sid Post]

How does this upper shoot with common target and defense loads ($15 give or take a few bucks per box, no entry level blaster ammo)? Right now I'm shooting Gold Dot 64gr loads for general use FWIW. Will this barrel stabilize 77gr target loads (my friend uses DCM/CMP competition loads) and I don't want to blow up baffles in a suppressor with his ammo.

The 20" Service Rifle uppers a are a bit heavy after shoulder surgery so, I'm looking for something soft on the shoulder, not overly front heavy, with enough authority to be reasonable on feral hogs (and other nuisance critters like chicken & geese killing dogs and coyotes). 18" rifle length gas with an H2 buffer seems like a reasonable place to start though, a 16" midlength barrel is an option. WOA lists this SPR'ish upper at $675 so, I'm also open to other suggestions for similar money delivered to my door (no home builds by this amateur gun plumber ).

The 'rack' grade match upper my friend loaned me post surgery is a sub 1/2" rifle in his hands on an average day so, I'm used to a precise upper but, in all fairness, I can't shoot that well so 1/2~1" upper is more than enough for me, the targets I have and, the distances I shoot (inside 200 yards). When I start shooting 600 yards offhand for score, I'll go back to my friends upper until I decided what I want to build then.

TIA,
Sid

p.s. I have a lightweight 16" AR-10 I really like but, my shoulder doesn't agree with that statement even with a muzzle brake. My 6.8SPC is a bit heavy as well.

 

[padom]

White Oak's 18" SPR barrels straight shoot. I had one and built probably 5 uppers for people using that barrel and they all LOVED a 77smk over 23.6g 8208XBR. They shot the Hornady 75g bullets really well also. Im talking frequent sub 0.5moa groups and consistently a little over 0.5moa. Buy with confidence.

 

[FishDr]

I'm working up load for the same system. Padom, did u find a sweet consistent load across multiple barrels using the 69 SMK? I'd prob go straight for the 77 but have several boxes of 69s.
Thanks.

 

[padom]

I never tested the 69smk's... Went straight to the 77smk and 75BTHP from the start. 23.6g 8208XBR and 77smk in 1xLC brass was consistent across all my WOA barrels from 10.5" to 20"..

 

[RicosRevenge]

My "go to" AR is a frankengun that I built in 2009-10 with a White Oak 18" SPR with Rifle Gas. I use a 1:7 twist, not the 1:8 and it absolutely loves Black Hills Match 77-Gr.

Rifle shoots an honest 1" at 100 without cherry picking the 1/2" and 3/4" groups. I know there must have been a stovepipe or some type of malfunction over the thousands of rounds I've put through it... but I just can't remember when. I've taken 3 Carbine classes with it and the only time that it malfunctioned was when we were forcing it to for clearing drills.

I have several ARs and AR VAriants but if I need something that I have 100% confidence in to go "bang" and put rounds where I want them regardless of situation; this is the one I grab.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

WOA barrels are good to go, I put them in the top tier of match grade AR barrels. I'd safely assume that any uppers they're putting together are also using quality parts as well as workmanship. As with anything though, no matter how good they are a few things are bound to slip from time to time.

If the upper offers the features you're looking for I don't see how you could go wrong. If you'd prefer something else then just get a barrel from them and put it together yourself with your list of parts.

Either way an 18" 223 with rifle gas will be a pussycat with a good brake or suppressor. Personally I'd build it myself and run a good adjustable gas block like the Seekins so I can perfectly tune it. Check out the JP silent capture buffer system and their low mass bolt. Both of those parts also work wonders smoothing up the operation of an AR.

 

[FishDr]

Thank you, guys. Looks like I will try the 77s and some XBR.