Ok, after some contemplation I have decided to jump into the 308 AR arena and need some help deciphering the choices out there. I am not well-versed on these options although I've done a bit of reading around here about these platforms. My goals for this rifle are two-fold- first, I am going to use this as my deer hunting rifle simply to get more time with an AR-type weapon in my hands and get away from my bolt gun for that use. I also want the ability to use rail-mounted IR lasers and illuminators for pig & coyote shooting. Second, I do want to be able to shoot some medium to long distance targets- right now I have access to a maximum range of about 700 yards so that's all I am worried about meeting with this rifle, although any added range would be a bonus for future shooting possibilities.

Now for my considerations and requirements (would love some input here)-

I know that these guns can be heavy and that Larue has the PredatAR series to shave some of that bulk down, but not seeing one of these in person I would be worried about ending up with a "skinny model" type gun that sacrifices performance in the name of saving weight. I have resigned myself to the fact that this gun is going to be heavy and I am not overly concerned about the weight, although since I do plan on carrying this gun in the woods any weight I can save would be beneficial. However, I don't want to sacrifice the durability, accuracy, or usefulness of the gun solely to save weight.

Barrel length- I've read A LOT about this and have heard conflicting stories about what is needed. It sounds like an 18" barrel is a good compromise between overall range and accuracy as well as overall length of the gun, but since the LMT MWS isn't offered in an 18" configuration that would rule that one out and I don't want to discount that one. Where the MWS is appealing to me is the quick barrel change ability, because I could see having both a 16" barrel for battle rifle configuration as well as the 20" for the long range/hunting application. In actuality, most of my hunting shots would be inside 300 yards so I could probably relegate the 16" barrel to hunting duty as well. Something is telling me, however, that the 20" barrel would be useful at those 600 and 700 yard ranges. What say you?

Other than weight & barrel length, the only factors I have found myself comparing as I search for "The Gun" are a rail system and I do want a collapsible stock. I would appreciate any light that could be shed on any other main points on the LMT MWS versus the Larue series of guns. I ended up ruling out an AR10 early on just based upon my gut, which I don't know if that was correct or not. It just seemed to me that the LMT & Larue offerings are a little more up to date and include a few more bells and whistles off the shelf. Unfortunately, the LWRC REPR is outside of my budget but I am not really a fan of that left side charging handle anyway. At this point, I am leaning towards the MWS pending some thoughts from you guys.

I know these "what should I buy" threads come up from time to time and can get a little old, but I have done about as much research as I can on my own and I know that there are a good number of you here that really know these guns. I am not a gun newbie by any stretch of the imagination, but I really am just not familiar with these guns. Any time spent hammering out a reply with some good info for me to consider would be greatly appreciated. I'm only doing one of these 308's and I just don't want to make a mistake.

Thanks, guys....

Someone on M4carbine did a quick side by side impressions thread on the LMT / PreditAR. I own the LMT MWS, really like it, and think it is good value. The monolithic rail lends itself to maximum optics choice... standard rings are fine and no canteliver is needed.

You may have to list each of the categories and assign a weight to each of the factors. If you value barrel change significantly then the choice is clear. I have the factory 16" CL that I am considering turning down to save some weight (I believe the PreditAR comes with a skinnier barrel), a 20" Noveske 6.5 Creedmoor, and am considering a 338 Federal barrel.

You can't go wrong with your listed choices.

I don't see a cause and effect. Probably more MWSs listed because a bunch more have been sold... and they tend not to stay for sale too long. You planning to dump the LMT that you love and pick up the Larue you love more?

My experience is the same.

Thanks for the good info, guys!

I guess to just muddy the waters a little further, is there any reason to consider a POF in the same league as the LMT and the Larue offerings? As I said, I don't want to leave any stone unturned.

Also, everyone has been talking about the PredatAR in this thread, but not the OBR. Please add whatever comments you might have about that one as well, as it is in the running too.

From what I've found, the thing that SUCKS about all these rifles is availability right now. I guess my timing blows because of the political/gun scare right now- I am just a gun enthusiast who happens to be in the market for a gun at the wrong time.

There is a ~2lb weight difference between the PredetAR and LMT according to my scale. For a bench gun weight doesn't matter but for hunters and run and gun it does. And its not only the weight but the balance. The LMT is more front heavy. I found the LW50 barrel to be more accurate than the rock barrel, however I haven't got the barrel absurdly hot.

Both are awesome rifles with pros and cons. I just feel the PredetAR covers more area and has less cons.

This is not only my experience..my friends who have shot it all have similar impressions about the recoil but ymmv. As I said I am not trying to fanboi the LMT but give my experience. Recoil is a hard thing to quantify on the interwebs and subject to individual perception. All of the rifle choices that started this thread are great ...simple as that. I own the LMT and can give my impressions and have had the opportunity to compare it the predatAR. I'd love to shoot the Scar 17 and OBR too. Bottom line is that there some great options for a "modern" .308 rifle right now unlike 5 years ago.

Agreed. I'd still have the LMT if I hadnt decided to build a custom gun to suit my niche; I've shot the SCAR and its fantastic. Didnt care for the charging handle but nothings perfect. Now I just need to get my hands on a Colt 901 and a set of AX762 receivers and I'll be set.

larue makes a nice rifle but i went with the LMT, i just think it offers a lot more to the shooter.

while the predatar is lighter than the LMT, that can be made up by having the barrel reprofiled and swapping the LMT sopmod for a CTR
i can have both a lightweight 16 inch barrel and a 20 inch precision barrel,larue doesnt offer spare uppers or QD barrels
i have the option of picking up a spare barrel in 308,260,6.5, 338 fed to taylor the gun to my needs
i can form 1 it and pick up a 13.5 barrel

with the Larue, you get what you get, your stuck with what ever configuration you chose, they make a great rifle, just dont feel that for my needs, a 16 inch barrel will suit all of my needs, i want a 14.5 and a SS 20 inch 308 for to suit me for close range stuff all the way out to 1000

LMT has done a great job of putting out a weapon that you can really set up as you need.

9mmCarbine,

I'm in the same boat - as I too am looking at the 308 ARs and have decided on the LMT. Where should I look to purchase in Florida?

Thanks,

That is simply not true. You can re-profile the MWS barrel and swap to a CTR, but the bulk of the weight of the MWS comes from the barrel capture assembly. Unless someone re-sleeves the barrel extension where the chassis clamps the barrel with titanium or something significantly lighter than steel, you are not going to be able to shed much weight. From what I've seen people have shed about .5lbs from re-profiling the barrel - which isn't worth it considering possible barrel harmonic/stress relief issues.

The MWS is an excellent DMR/bench rifle. However from a weight/balance/ run and gun standpoint it is not going to compete with a PredetAR 7.62 no matter what you do to it. The MWS better compares/competes with the OBR 7.62 than the PredetAR. The PredetAR is better compared to the SR25 EMC/ECC than the MWS.

I like my MWS because I bought it used for an awesome price and I plan on swapping out calibers/barrel lengths - however with the 7.62, much like the 5.56 MRP, most people never swap the barrels out - so the biggest selling point of the MWS (over it's competitors) is lost for most people.

The MWS is a jack of all trades (or at least has the ability to be by the end user) but a master of none. I think the plethora of used ones on the EE make them excellent value purchases at ~$2000. At the current MSRP, I think they are overpriced and the LaRue products (either the PredetAR or OBR) depending on your needs are better purchases. I own a MWS and can admit as much - at equal price points the LaRue products are better. The SR25 EMC/ECC and it's versatility blows everyone out of the water, but at $5000 it most certainly should and I don't really consider it when talking about the LMT and OBR/PredetAR because of it's outrageous price.

/Thread

This guy has got it...

Just my .02 - watch the EE. Many LMT's come up for sale, with low round counts for excellent prices.