All:

I have a few questions about my new DPMS GII Hunter in .308.  It is pictured below.

Does anyone have any ideas on what tactical/Safari-like sling will work on this set up?  I can't find any online.

Will the PMAGs, like the one pictured work properly with these DPMS rifles, or do I need to stick only with the DPMS mags?  The PMAG seems to cycle properly with snap caps by hand, but I just got the rifle, and I won't get to shoot it yet for a couple of days.

Many thanks in advance for any answers.







P.S., the bear and moose didn't offer any helpful answers.

I can't help you on the sling.  But yes the pmags will work.

Nice rifle.  I would drill that hand guard out for a QD sling button.

And if you have to use the 5 rd mags for hunting, I think magpul makes them.  The dpms 4 rd mags are easily modded to take a 5th rd.

I have an Remington R25 (first gen) which is a DPMS rig.  Yours DPMS rifle is the same as the new R25.  Yes, it will take the PMags like a champ.  I hunt with my rifle of course and normally use the short DPMS mag because it is just a little less bulky.  I can use a LR20 Pmag if I want, and the only time I use one is if I am looking for pigs, often there are multiple targets.

Can't help with the sling, sorry.

I doubt anything has changed with the Pmags and the GII. The followers on the pmags do not generally push the bolt catch up far enough to solidly engage. Eventually the minimal contact hammers the bolt catch and destroys it, causing the bolt to overrun the catch. You can google for multiple threads/comments about it, but you can test it yourself. Close the bolt, put the empty factory mag in, charge the rifle letting the bolt lock back on it's own. Note how much of the catch engages the bolt lugs. Do the same thing with a pmag. You should see that the pmag hasn't pushed the catch up anywhere near as much as the factory mag.

You can modify the pmag follower to push the catch up further if you like, but the IMI mags do a better job. Only place I know that sells them is these guys Aim Surplus IMI .308 mags

Thanks DVCER.  It seems like my main problem is the rear stock.  I can't find a sling to effectively hook up to the butt stock.  I got a Giles Tactical one, and I could strap it onto the front of the hand guard through the Harris bipod mechanism, and that worked well, but I could not effectively hook it up to the rear.  I may just go with a Safari sling, which will attaché to the bottom of the bipod up front, and I will either have to use a Velcro strap or cord to attach if to the butt.  I am open to better ideas though.

Thanks dyeager535.  I will experiment with that.  I can always use the DPMS mags, of which I have 3 20rd versions, but I wondered if the 25rd PMAGs, as pictured were functional.  

Thanks to everyone else for their useful info.

Hear me out here.

For the front - get an idf band that wraps around the handguard.

One of these

I've got a couple and they are excellent kit.

For the rear - get QD cups for the moe stock.

Here

Then a nice padded sling from BFG or wherever. Set the front up with a mash hook or HK hook and the rear with a QD.

Easy stuff.

So you just want a 2 point sling, like on a standard hunting rifle? That slot on the underside of your stock is for a sling. I believe those are QD spots on the side also, for the push button QD swivels. I was skeptical of the angle of that bottom sling attachment, but it works great on my magpul stock for muzzle up shoulder carry with a usgi silent sling. If you want, you could use a piece of para cord to connect the sling to that slot.

AASG is right, the small hole in the rear is for a QD push button.

Like others have posted the 4 holes in the stock are for QD mounts for a sling.  The part is  https://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=XMAG335&name=Magpul+ACS+QD+Swivel+Mount&groupid=1094.  I use a single point sling on my G2 Hunter, and I like it.
 For the record, I did add an adjustable gas block to mine.  I have to say, it did not make any big change in recoil, and I would not do it again.
 Not sure if all G2 rifles are the same, but mine is just great at 100-200 yards (all my range has).

AS

All:

Many thanks for the helpful information and suggestions.  

I just ordered everything I think I need, including a one-point sling and the Magpul Sling Mount Kit - Type 1; though I can't tell from the description of the kit how it mounts in the butt stock hole or works, but I assume it does.

Thanks AS.  What type(s) of magazine(s) are you using?

You figure out where you want the swivel, then put the cup shaped thing in that hole and there will be a screw that you put in through the opposite side and it kinda pulls the cup into the stock. My stock came with it. That sucks if they didn't include it.

Thanks AASG.  Mercifully, it is fairly cheap, and is supposed to arrive on Wednesday.

Also, does your Hunter like any particular ammo or bullets?

I have two of those rifles.

I modified all of my PMags to allow them to raise the bolt stop to the correct height.

My rifles have the QDS 4 slings.

Ive said before, but my GII Bull worked fine with PMAGs and seemed to be grabbing enough 'meat' on lockback to not be an issue.  But the PMAGs noticably set the bullets a bit lower than my other mags due to the thicker polymer feedlips.  I notched them out just for peace of mind, took roughly 1 minute each with a razor.  Frankly, that should have been part of the PMAG follower design anyway due to potential tolerance stacking.  

Tempting to grab another with the rebate, under $800 for a GII ORC is pretty tempting, wish it came in midlength gas though.

I did what ASky suggested, and there is a significant difference. For example, with an unloaded PMag fully inserted and the bolt locked back, if I push the PMag base slightly forward, the bolt slams shut.  This does not happen with the DPMS mags.  

I will have to see if I can modify my PMags to make them raise the catch more, but I am unsure now how exactly to do that.  

Thanks to everyone for the helpful information.  

I am hoping to sight it in in the next few days.

This will give you an idea what needs done.

I'm sure you could do it by hand, but I'd not want to do that for more than about one lol.

GII pmag mod

Here is one of the threads I was thinking about:

Pmag follower problems

That is mild damage to the catch. I don't see how any GII will have a different result over time unless the catch was re-designed. It will get much worse. The edge will not hold up to the lugs hitting just that part of the catch.

Thanks dyeager535.

I marked one of my PMAGs, and will take the dremel to it shortly.

A single point sling is the last thing you want for this.

I would drill a slot for a QD socket on the handguard up front, so you can use a 2-point quick-adjust sling, or silence a 2-point sling.

I'm going to have to agree here on the single point not being particularly great, depending on what you are going to be doing.

I used the Magpul MS4 the last couple years hunting as a single point because the QD wouldn't fit the front handguard, and I felt the single point would free my hands up. One day I walked 10 miles in the hills, so I do put my time in, and feel I've got a good appreciation for what the single point does well and not well over time, again for what I was doing.

If all I did was stand, and doing other things with my hands, the single point would be fine.

Moving however, the thing swings all over the place, invariably hitting you. End up holding it. No way I can walk even at a normal pace without having my hand on it. So it does nothing for me there. Squat down, barrel into the dirt. (I'm 6'1", and had it tightened up about as close to my neck as was possible) One thing I do like about the single point for hunting was that I could just leave it on in the vehicle...disconnect rifle, put it in its holder. Nothing to get tangled up on the weapon itself.

Now that my QD will fit in the handguard, I intend to try 2 point. There is at least one method of using 2 point that is not the traditional sling-over-shoulder that appears to be pretty decent to get the gun into action while still being pretty solidly slung, not hitting you, etc. Check youtube out for videos on different methods of using a sling with the AR. You'll find a few, and you can see the benefits and disadvantages of each.

Thanks LRRPF52 and dyeager535.

I tend to agree.  I am uncertain whether I can effectively install a QD socket in the one-piece hand guard on my model.  

I have an extra Safari Sling that I like and have used successfully in the past on hunting bolt rifles with which I have hunted and backpacked.

It would fit on the swivel stud on the front either directly on the rifle’s stud or on the one on the Harris pod.  On the back, I would have to either install a stud on the butt or use cordage or something to attach it to the slot on the butt.

I did forget to mention that I took a button head machine screw and used it to mount a quick release socket in place of the sling swivel at the front of the hand guard. So you can use the multi point quick disconnect sling as intended.

The only decent application I have found for single point slings is that they are good for working in and out of vehicles in plainclothes.

Other than that, they have no real beneficial use in the field.

What rebate, and where are you getting these for $800?!?!

The $150 rebate DPMS has going right now, and im sorry, but the rebate SKU list seems to exclude the cheaper AP4 ORC even tho the rebate wording doesnt.  If DPMS would accept that rebate, you could get the AP4 ORC for $783AR.  Now that I look, someone has the Recon for $900 too, so that would be $750 AR.  Theres some deals out there.  Good luck.

one hell of a Bull Moose.

If you are sitting on a pile of surplus 7.62, don't be tempted.  My LRs gag on most of it. SA is the worst, and I think DPMS has some specific warning against it.

My FAL loves it all.

Thanks for the info DVCER.  I have a bunch of 7.62, but I will shoot that out of my little M1A

Thanks nyalaman.

Cutting that one up and getting it 40 miles down river to the pick up point, including a 1/4-mile portage (through a swamp) with one other person was the hardest thing I ever have done while not wearing a Marine uniform.

I finally got to go to the range today, and took the DPMS.  

I shot 80 rounds through it and sighted it in.

I shot 20 rounds apiece of the Barnes 168gr TTSX ammo and the Nosler 165gr BT ammo.  Both shot fairly well, about an inch average at 100yds.  They both had about the same point of impact.

Then, I switched to the Barnes 130gr TTSX ammo, and shot 40 rounds of that.  I don’t know if it was me, the ammo, or the barrel settling in, but I got a little better groups with that—around .75” to 1”.  This surprised me a bit, because, since the barrel has a 1:10 twist, I thought it would shoot the heavier stuff a bit tighter.  Barnes rates it with a MV of 3,125fps.  I figure it may be 100fps to 200fps slower out of my 20” barrel, but I will have to chrono it, when I can get to some private land.  

All-in-all, I was satisfied with the results.  I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night due to an expected work emergency, which could bode better for my next outing.  So, I’ll clean it up, and try again later.  Maybe, as it breaks in, it will do even better, but it’s already within my accuracy requirements for a rifle that I probably won’t shoot at game beyond 300yds, if that.  Other than that, I will just play around with it and keep a few magazines full in case my neighborhood gets attacked by a North Korean rifle platoon.  

One note, I had a two instances with one of the DPMS mags (the only ones I used) where the bolt returned to an empty chamber with at least one round still in the mag.  That was concerning, but I switched magazines, and it never happened again.  I don’t know if it is the magazine or something else.  I will keep my eye on that.  

I bought a single/double point convertible sling.  For now, until I can figure out how to make a QD mount up front, I have it set up as a single point.  Unless I put the Safari sling on it.

Congratulations on a good outing.

Here's what I did with my Magpul QDS sling. I set the rifle up so that it connects on the stock, at the front and rear, on both sides. I have the MS4 Dual QD Gen2 sling, and an additional MS1-MS4 adapter. I also put one of the Type 1 QS sling mounts in place of the original sling swivel at the front of the handguard, using button head machine screw. The rifle also has a gas block mount Troy flip up iron BUS (on a steel YHM railed gas block), which has two QD sling attachment points, one on either side. I prefer not to use them, I do not like anything mounted to a barrel that puts tension on it.

I'm actually setting up my second GII Lite Hunter the same way, after we shorten and thread the barrel. The sling system is super versatile set up in this manner, the rifles can be slung various ways for hunting, as well as for tactical and competition use. I really like the versatility, I can see all of my AR platform rifles ending up with this set up. It's not cheap having two ambidextrous points on the stock plus the handguard point, but it is handy. With four rifles, I plan on having two slings, one for each pair, plus the MS1-MS4 adapter on each of the rifles.

cowboyinblack, many thanks for your extremely helpful comments.  

I am trying to figure out how to implement these suggestions.  

I don't want to burden you further, but, if you have any pics of your setup, I would be very grateful.

Either way, best regards and thanks.

I need a Recon upper. Where are the Recon's selling for $900? Thanks.

For my G2 Hunter I've got Pmags, DPMS metal and IWI(Israeli Weapon Ind). My hands down favorite is the IWI and AIM Surplus is where I've gotten them.

On accuracy testing a new .308 I use Fed Gold Match 168gr. I haven't seen a rifle yet that didn't show its potential with that ammo. Had my rifle a good 3 years and still love it's balance/handling. I was waiting for DPMS to actually get a 6.5 caliber on the shelves but gave up. Over the winter I bought a custom barrel extension so a good gunsmith can add any caliber on to it.

Did end up putting an adjustable gas block on it as it was overgassed, a common issue with .308 AR's.

Looks like you missed the boat.  Typically when rebates in guns drop you have about a week to get the pre-rebate price with the rebate, after which the retailers get wise and raise the price to pad their profits.  Lowest im seeing now is $1200.

I feel ya, I missed getting a Shield for under $200AR, retailers have jacked the price up so they are like $250-$300AR now.  Theyre gonna be crying when they cant move the stuff off their shelves in a few months.

Keep an eye out towards the end of June, some retailers might be smart enough to drop prices to clear shelves before the rebate ends.

Thanks Hickok.

I will try the IWI mags and the 168gr Fed. GM ammo.  

Can you tell me which adjustable gas block you used?