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Buying an AR-15...opinions?
bilwit
Member Posts: 21 ✭✭
Wanting to buy an AR15, mostly to varmint hunt. I would like any opinions on the best model to buy for such use. Thanks for your input!
Comments
Most of it is a question of personal preference and what exactly you want to do with the gun.
Basically, you want something with a flat top to easily mount a scope and a match-grade bull barrel. Good trigger is helpful too.
Several of the larger manufacturers make off-the-shelf AR-15s intended for varmint hunting (EG Bushmaster "Varminter", Rock River arms or DPMS "varmint", etc) or target shooting. You could do a lot worse.
Don't forget to budget for good glass as well.
Colt. Everything else is a copy.
Even the Colt is a copy itself...of the Stoner!
I just put a RRA 16 inch varmint upper on an early Eagle Arms lower. I added a two stage trigger, and the results with good ammo will blow you away. You need to pay CLOSE attention to the twist rate, and bullet weight. If you are going to want to shoot under a 55 grain bullet, you are going to want a 1 in 12 twist. They are hard to come by, unless you have one custom made. My RRA has a 1 in 8 twist, and does OK with the 55's, but loves the Barnes TSX 62, and 70 grainer's. I got it for dual purpose anyway, for coyotes, and deer. Those two Barnes TSX bullets are deer killing machines!
Best
Junior Member
374 Posts
Posted - 12/28/2010 : 9:05:52 PM Show Profile Reply with Quote
Colt. Everything else is a copy.
Edited by - dandak1 on 12/28/2010 9:06:59 PM
Wrong, Armalite Every thing else is a copy. Armalite was the original.
In effect Colt is a copy of the Armalite you know the company that Eugene Stoner worked for you know the guy that designed the whole AR15/M16/AR10 family of weapons. Well any way the current Armalite is not to be confused with the original.
Back to the point and enough of the history lesson. I have 3 Armalites, a Colt, a CMMMG, a Rock River, a Superior Arms, a DPMS and a Bushmaster
To say that any one of them is better than the other is sure lunacy.
Get some thing with a heavy barrel in which length you so desire. If your hunting praire dogs I'd look into a 24" barrel. If your looking to hunt fox or coyote look at a 16" or 20". Any name brand will do. Stay away from Hesse, Vulcan or Blackthorne. You'd probably want an AR with a flat top receiver and worry more about a decent scope. Don't go cheap on the scope. Do as TSR says and figure out what rifle twist rate you want. Spend a lot of time doing research on each companies offerings. This won't be done over night figure out what YOU WANT and get your best price and then go out and buy it.
Plus one here on the vote for Armalite!
Of course there is a bunch of other cartridges you can have your rifle chambered for. That is the great thing about AR's (even as much as I detest having to clean them). You can mix and match parts and chamberings. A truly modular rifle system.
However, if you are set on a complete brand name rifle, my first choice is RRA, immediately followed by Oly and Bushmaster (now Remington).
Colt is quality, but your also paying a couple hundred for the name brand. Some say in 10-15 years it will be worth more. I say not if you shoot it the way you should. Meaning go out and practice. I'm not one of those people who will buy a rifle, especially an AR, to keep as an investment. The investment to me is utilitarian. I spend the money for my defense. It does me no good to have money if you aren't around to enjoy it. There's other high dollar builders such as Noveske. IMO, that isn't a worthy investment either unless you can use a match battle rifle with all the toys attached to it.
One to stay away from for sure is Hesse, Blackthorn, Vulcan. All the same guy building crap. He changes names to stay ahead of the warranties and liabilities he creates.
Most people I know like DPMS (now Remington also). I've shot DPMS and the ones I've shot functioned well. However, I've handled some DPMS stuff off the shelf and it was sticky. The bolt carrier was rubbing on something as I pulled that back. If you don't feel any problems with the rifle you are looking at on the shelf, then you've got a good one. Most are, but I've run across the few that weren't.
-hope that helps
Put descent glass on and blasting you will go.
There is many, many options. But that would be my choice now, as a varmint rifle.