AR platform long range accurate rifles? Best for the money?

[saiganov_raz 11]

Okay, recently I've been very interested in the AR10 style 308/7.62x51 rifles. Problem is I don't wanna drift too far over $2000.

I've looked at a bunch of them but feel there's a lot more out there that I haven't even considered.

So within that price range what's the best gun in your opinions?

I'm looking for:

-1moa or sharper at 500-700 yards.

-tactical capability (rails and less than difficult scope mounting)

-18" or more in barrel length.

-price under $2200

-detatchable magazine preferably 20rd

-decent ruggedness (I don't expect AK dependability)

-1st hand experience with the gun from the person responding.

-weights not a huge issue.

 

Now as far as I can see the options I'm liking the most are the the RRA 308 and the DPMS SASS.

The rock river is just a good sturdy name on top of a decent rifle. But as far as I can tell people with the dpms sass have better accuracy. The difference seems to be in the barrels. While the 18"-20" option for the RRA seems well made, its a light chrome lined barrel that seems geared more towards price than quality. And it is cheaper than the sass. The sass offers a Remington fluted SS bull barrel that seems of much higher quality.

 

In earlier years the DPMS brand has been proven as sub-par quality control and softer metal receivers. But this in reality is generally thanks to the 5.56/223 rifles. At the beginning dpms was a smaller company that was geared more toward price than anything else and had a huge demand that seemed hard to fill. This I imagine is what caused their CQ problems. Only recently Remington purchased DPMS and the SASS came from that union. The sass rifle actually started as Remington's entry into the military trials (rsass). The rifle didn't end up getting the number one spot. But it was amung the top 3 from what I hear with lwrc and lmtimc offerings. After that the rifle design was given to dpms to mass produce and sell to civilians. Lucky us. Though it hasn't been a best seller mostly due to the stigma following dpms, it is reviewed by its owners in very high regard. People have posted 1000y moa targets and I've seen a sass in action at my local range. I was impressed.

 

I have never on the other hand seen or fired a RRA weapon and have but one friend that owns one in 5.56 (a caliber I have very little interest in outside the tavor thanks to my AK already filling the close-mid range gap in my shooting capability)

 

Any info any of you have good or bad about either of these guns or any mentioned or not would be greatly appreciated and will contribute to my next firearm purchase.

And please... Lets not start thrashing the brands we don't like and spitting on other guys rifles here. This is simply an information quest.

 

"What would you get with the allotted finds?" Is the question really. Not in need of "dpms only makes crap blah blah blah." Unless you own one and have put a few hundred rounds at least through it I don't consider you an expert on it and your negative biased comments will be ignored.

I do not want a flame war here.

Please and thanks where due and don't worry about response length as the more information the better.

And M1A/M14 guys... Sorry but the guns not what I'm looking for right now. To get the accuracy that ar-10s posess out of the box I'd need to spend minimum 1500 to get the gun and another 800 for the EBR kit. Not to mention shipping tax and FFL fees where do.

The SASS at $2200. Is literally "raising the roof" of my spending limit. Specifically because I have to keep a lawyer handy in case this purchase threatens divorce lol.

Basically AR-10s... Which one?

Thanks again in advance.

 

-RaZ

 

Ps. Sorry for the length of this and I blame you not if you give up half way through... I'm tired as hell and I tend to ramble on under these conditions.

[Spacehog 2,218]

If you can find one, also consider a CMMG Custom .308. CDNN carried these a couple of years ago for $1395. I picked one up at a LGS on consignment for 1300 about 18 months ago. Very accurate and well built:

 

 

 

It has a 18" fluted bull barrel with a 1:10 twist for heavier grain bullets, and a true flat top. Side rail and underneath rail pieces can be removed or added to personal liking. Obviously if you plan on shooting out to the distances you mention above, youwill want to add a base with additional MOA.

 

The gun comes standard with the Magpul PRS stock, which I really like and fits me well, but some may not care for it. It is heavy, and really lends itself more to benchrest shooting. With a loaded 20 round magazine and a Nikon M308 scope (added after the pic) it weighs around 16lbs.

 

I cannot speak to shooting out past 200 yards, as that is the limitation of my range, but it is definitely < 1 MOA out to that distance. I have shot sub MOA 5 round groups with factory Federal 168gr SMKs, 175 gr 7.62 x 51 SMKs, and believe it or not Remington Corelokt 150 grain hunting rounds. If you find one, give it a look. You might be able to find one under 2K.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Spacehog

[Ronin38 2,117]

How about an M1A? Sorry, I don't know the prices on them these days... Probably through the roof like everything else, though.

If you find one for a good price with the wood stock, you can get aftermarket stocks for them.

 

I have the M1A Scout model, love it!

Edited March 26, 2013 by Ronin38

[RED333 1,025]

ARs suck,

 

 

 

sorry, I could not help my self.

I know there a LOT people that do like them, just not my thing.

THIS IS

[cguiro 29]

Ptr91 baby

 

Ptr91 baby

[saiganov_raz 11]

Yeah the g3 and m1a are both within my range but the m1a like I said above for a stock that will add the type of accuracy I want (the accuracy that AR10s all generally have) costs an additional $700. Taking it out of my price range. The G3 is the heaviest of the bunch and unless heavily modified isn't as accurate as the other 2. Though its rugged durability is above the other 2. I have weighed out these options before. I have landed in the AR10 catagory. I love AKs too! My favorite guns I have right now are my S762 and my mosin nagant sniper. I am a functionality based buyer but I also have a collector hair up my ass and I want some variety. Eventually I will probably own a G3 an M1A and an AR10. I've just decided that the AR10 style is going to be the next gun I purchase.

So don't think I'm an AR-guy! I just wanna have a collection that varies more than just overseas guns. As it stands all of my guns are foreign-made besides my Ruger p95. My 1911 was designed here but it's a RIA made in the Philippines.

 

And thanks for the CMMG vote! I know of the company I just didn't even think of them when considering this. I didn't even know they made a 308. Matter of fact that gun of yours looks like its their version of the SASS. That barrel is ridiculously similar if not the same thing. Beautiful gun man!

 

Yeah the g3 and m1a are both within my range but the m1a like I said above for a stock that will add the type of accuracy I want (the accuracy that AR10s all generally have) costs an additional $700. Taking it out of my price range. The G3 is the heaviest of the bunch and unless heavily modified isn't as accurate as the other 2. Though its rugged durability is above the other 2. I have weighed out these options before. I have landed in the AR10 catagory. I love AKs too! My favorite guns I have right now are my S762 and my mosin nagant sniper. I am a functionality based buyer but I also have a collector hair up my ass and I want some variety. Eventually I will probably own a G3 an M1A and an AR10. I've just decided that the AR10 style is going to be the next gun I purchase.

So don't think I'm an AR-guy! I just wanna have a collection that varies more than just overseas guns. As it stands all of my guns are foreign-made besides my Ruger p95. My 1911 was designed here but it's a RIA made in the Philippines.

 

And thanks for the CMMG vote! I know of the company I just didn't even think of them when considering this. I didn't even know they made a 308. Matter of fact that gun of yours looks like its their version of the SASS. That barrel is ridiculously similar if not the same thing. Beautiful gun man!

[TYBOY 33]

I have a DPMS 308AP4. I have around a 1000 rounds through her. I run a Eotech 552 on her currently and use it as a "if SHTF" in my Suburbia then I could pretty much hit anything on my street. I love this gun. I dont shoot at targets past 100 yards, so long range accuracy is unknown. I ran quality Federal in it for the first 200 rounds and then switched to the wolf steel cased ammo. It loves that Wolf ammo and eats it up. I did however try out some Braziliian brass cased ammo (after 800 rounds of wolf steel) and when it fired, one got stuck in the chamber and the extractor pulled off a chunk of the brass trying to extract it. I had to pop it out with a cleaning rod. This was due to my lack of cleaning and the carbon deposits left behing by the steel ammo I was running. When the brass expanded, it got stuck due to the expansion of brass vs steel. I have Not been to the range since then and tried the brass, but I would think it is fine now. That is a whole other heavily debated topic anyway. Other than that the gun has never had any issues. I would not hesitate to buy another in any caliber. Love DPMS products.

Edited March 30, 2013 by FORDGUY

[Vulcan 14]

I have an LR308 AP4 also. Great platform- perhaps around 200 rounds through it thus far. No issues from the LR whatsoever!

 

 

Ideally, I'd have a dedicated 20" upper set up for optics- and then swap the 16" and 20" as situations dictate. That's a benefit from the AR platform- you can swap out uppers and run the FCG with something else.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Vulcan

[Sdustin 578]

Not to repeat but im not 100% but I'd think a m1a national match would as accurate as an out of the box ar15. I'd think it would do better than a regular ar10 without a freefloat system. And I think it would do that without that ugly ass stock you speak of.

 

Ar10 not ar15. Sorry.

[magsite20 1,664]

AR with a 6.5 Grendel upper makes an excellent long range shooter. You can still use the same lower for a bunch of other calibers too.

Edited April 2, 2013 by 20-Mags

[sccritterkiller 473]

What ever you get make sure the barrel is free floated....I built up a mut AR in 308...shoots great but it does have a free float quad rail on it.

am

[saiganov_raz 11]

Again, I am looking at AR10 style rifles pretty much exclusively. I do like the the scar heavys and m1a's are sweet ass guns but I'm looking into ar10s. I already have the m1a in mind that ill get if and when this Obama shit-face decides to leave our guns and rights the hell alone.

I want to hear from people with AR10s. My question is that of price vs accuracy.

Thanks dpms guys for chiming in. The AP4 is one of the dpms models I looked at and though it has close to everything I want they generally come in 16" bbl. and I'd like the velocity of at least an 18" bbl.

though the action and general mechanics of the sass model and the ap4 (and most of the dpms lr family) are pretty much the same, I want a gun that is pretty much how I want it right out of the box. The SASS model has the trigger I want in it and it has one of the best barrels available from dpms. In quality anyway, I kinda wish it was a 20"-24" ss fluted bull barrel. Not an 18" but I'm sure it'll be lighter and offer excellent accuracy for as much velocity as an 18" can push.

If anybody has one or has shot one I'm also looking at the Remington R-25 I think it is. Only problem I see with that one is its chambered in 308 not 7.62x51. Which is a decently big concern for me as I'd want the variable ammo choices. But if you guys have one and have plenty accuracy and reliability with the 308 only models let me know. How much do you weigh the use of 7.62 NATO?

Let me know. I so far am leaning pretty heavily towards the dpms sass but the lmt mws also seem good. Just to be in my price range I have to get a 16" skinny bbl and absolutely base options. And from what I hear when you get the base option lmt rifles the barrels are generally whatever they can get for the cheapest. Which is not great. And the sass has a bad-boy of a barrel standard.

Idk. Just keep the info coming. I hope someone with an sass chimes in here as I really wanna see what they think of it.

Also an unrelated side-note. Archangel mosin nagant stock... F**kin crazy! Detatchable magazine free-float and adjustable length of pull and cheek piece. Might have to grab one. Sounds like it'll accurizes the crap out of a mosin.

Might have to mod one of my old Russian gals. I'm thinking a nice yet affordable fixed power scope (~4x), archangel stock, trigger job and a good muzzle device might turn the ol' b!*c# into a nice shooter.

Anybody else seen this stock and locked their lips?