So, today I just ordered a fluted 24" LR 308 from a gunbroker auction.  I think I did fairly OK on the price, but that's another issue.  It should get here late next week.  I guess I'm having some strange thoughts tonight about my purchase.

I have never shot one of these but I have always been interested in them.  I guess I'm wanting to hear positive comments from LR 308 owners.  Do you like the gun?  Are you pleased with it's construction, design and performance?  I'm looking at probably another $1500 more I've got to spend to get this thing where I want it and I'm hoping this is a good platform I've chosen.  I've also seen a lot of these for sale (that I've missed out on) in the EE - why are people getting rid of them???  Is this rifle truly capable of bolt-gun performance in the right hands with the right ammo?

Please help my nerves settle.  I'm drinking beer, but it's not helping.

Also, is 6x-24x 50mm too big for 200-400 yards?  

I have the shortie version, the AP4, and I think it is a great platform.

I like it so much, and like what I hear about the long distance capabilities, that I just ordered a GAP built DPMS.  

You have bought a great platform, that out of the box is going to be a hoot.  $1500 in upgrades will be glass and rings?   You might want to think trigger upgrade as well.

If the 6-24x 50 is a Leupold, I might have a 4-14x 50 to trade with you :)  

And no- that isnt too much at those ranges.

I have a 24" LR308, and have no regrets.
It is the tightest, best constructed firearm I own.
1st class in all regards.

I'm with you buddy.hinking
I am pretty new to the snipe scene, as this will be my first rifle, so I can't really tell you if you made a good choice or not. That is for the people who have a clue, not me. Although I heard some of the big wigs saying that anything over a 20" barrel will not give you any advatage, and is not needed. I can't imagine that it would hurt to have it though.

Good luck on your purchase!!

Quoted: So, today I just ordered a fluted 24" LR 308 from a gunbroker auction.  I think I did fairly OK on the price, but that's another issue.  It should get here late next week.  I guess I'm having some strange thoughts tonight about my purchase. I have never shot one of these but I have always been interested in them.  I guess I'm wanting to hear positive comments from LR 308 owners.  Do you like the gun?  Are you pleased with it's construction, design and performance?  I'm looking at probably another $1500 more I've got to spend to get this thing where I want it and I'm hoping this is a good platform I've chosen.  I've also seen a lot of these for sale (that I've missed out on) in the EE - why are people getting rid of them???  Is this rifle truly capable of bolt-gun performance in the right hands with the right ammo? Please help my nerves settle.  I'm drinking beer, but it's not helping. Also, is 6x-24x 50mm too big for 200-400 yards?

only issue is the elevated upper.  replace with an a3 upper if needed, makes scope mounting and irons much easier.  the 6-24x should work fine.  ive found anything over 20x worthless with mirage, so 6-24x would be the best choice.  ive used my scope on 20x from 200-400yds on a regular basis.  i think many sell the 24" upper because it is heavy and long.  the weight does not bother me, but the length is an issue with a suppressor.  mine will easily shoot submoa at 200/300yds with handloads.

Quoted: So, today I just ordered a fluted 24" LR 308 from a gunbroker auction.

I just bought the same exact gun a month ago from the same place. I think mine is great so far. I have only put 80 rds through it, so it's not even broken in yet. I have a 4.5-14x scope on mine but like infsqdldr mentioned your choice should be fine.

Thanks for the input all.  Now I just need to decide on a scope.

I don't want to go all out, but I don't want a POS either.  Tough choices.

That funny feeling ya got will probably stay with ya right up till the first time ya squeeze the trigger....somewhere between the first shot and the time the bolt locks back when the mag is empty,the feeling gets replaced with a GREAT BIG smile...

Save a few bucks for the trigger work....Got a JP Adj in mine...Love it.


308Panther Shooter

Probably one of the most accurate, fun to shoot, reliable and capable weapons out there. I can draw pictures with the LR. A happy face costs about 20 bucks.

By the way, my buddies Rem 700 will outshoot my LR, but he is a far better marksman than I. I can get off 100 accurate rounds to his 10.

I had a panther 308 fluted barrel with JP trigger jop.  I had a US Optics scope mounted with mark 4 rings.  Magpul stock.  I have experience with bolt guns specifically FN SPR that I use for work and rem700.  The DPMS is no where near as accurate and I could not get it to hold under 1 MOA with fed match ammo, which for my taste is unacceptable for a scoped rifle.  Looks good though whiping it out of the case and yo get 10rds of fast.

Quoted: The DPMS is no where near as accurate and I could not get it to hold under 1 MOA with fed match ammo, which for my taste is unacceptable for a scoped rifle.

Yikes, didn't exactly want to hear this.  

You would hear the" not as accurate as I wanted" alot more if everyone would respond. Most just don't answer. Personal opinion?  It's too heavy for anything except range shooting and it's not accurate enough for that.  I took my DPMS bbl off and had a custom 18" fluted bbl made. now it shoots less than .5moa. and is about 5lbs lighter.
Sorry maybe you should try tequila.

Quoted: You would hear the" not as accurate as I wanted" alot more if everyone would respond. Most just don't answer. Personal opinion?  It's too heavy for anything except range shooting and it's not accurate enough for that.  I took my DPMS bbl off and had a custom 18" fluted bbl made. now it shoots less than .5moa. and is about 5lbs lighter. Sorry maybe you should try tequila.

So WTF do people claim this rifle is capable of .5 MOA out of the box?

I just bought more parts for this thing today and the total spent is getting bigger and bigger - I haven't even got the gun yet.

I hope I didn't make a mistake.

i dont know of anyone claiming .5moa real groups.  remember that these are production barrels, not custom.  some will be capable of submoa and others may not.  submoa also depends on shooter, ammo, and conditions.  expecting submoa from a custom rifle is realistic, expecting moa from a production rifle is realistic.  also remember that handloads will shoot better than factory match ammo.

+1 on handloads.  Any brand of stock production match ammo is not necessarily going to provide optimum results in each individual rifle.   This is proven time and time again in published gun reviews where various brands of fodder are used to build the results tables.

So I'm a recent 24" LR-308 rifle owner, and have less than 100 rounds thru mine, mostly break-in with cheap ammo.  Only one smallish workup of stepped handloads thru it so far, the best of which were very sub-MOA.  Hornady 168  BTHPs on top of RL-15.  And this was prior to installing the JP trigger!

How much RL15? I'm using 42gr with 168 Sierra Match Kings @ 2600fps. With this load, I can keep them in the 10ring on a 200yd reduced target @ 100yds with iron sights, sitting. If I sneak a 9, it's my fault.

As far as .5 moa, the m24 sniper system is expected to shoot 1 moa. Each barrel will shoot differently, and there are so many variables involved, without a machine rest and shooting very good consistent loads, it's hard to say a barrel doesn't shoot well. For the price, my 24in shoots as well as I can.

Quoted: Do you like the gun?  Are you pleased with it's construction, design and performance?

Love the gun - it's a damn sight lighter than the AICS 1.5 I had and much handier to shoot from various positions, including sitting and (God forbid) offhand. Construction is very good, but you may or may not get a bank vault fit between the upper and lower. This is no big deal unless you're shooting bench rest - practical accuracy is not affected. In any case, upper/lower fit can be addressed a number of different ways.

Performance-wise, I can shoot to the barrel's limit (about .75MOA) at 100 yards off a solid bench rest, but at 200+ yards prone, I'm the limiting factor. For practical accuracy, no one is going to shoot .5MOA consistently anyway unless you're an Olympic-caliber shot (head over to the Sniper's Hide for a VERY long discussion about this very subject).

Design is pretty straight AR. I added the JP 4# trigger to mine, as well as the extended PRI CH latch to clear my optics. The mags (I only use 10 rounders since I mostly shoot prone) work just fine with no fiddling required. My mags are all less than a year old. I understand the original polymer mags are problematic.

I've also seen a lot of these for sale (that I've missed out on) in the EE - why are people getting rid of them???

I'd think for the same reason anyone gets rid of anything - want to try something new, funding a different build, not enough time to shoot, not enough distance to shoot to the rifle's potential, too expensive to plink with a precision rig, etc, etc. I see lots of AR-10s also cycling through the EE.

Is this rifle truly capable of bolt-gun performance in the right hands with the right ammo?

Fully capable of the same PRACTICAL accuracy. You will not be shooting bugholes like you would with an 18# .308 built by George Gardner around a custom Surgeon action with an Obermeyer barrel bedded in a McMillan A5, then chained to a solid bench-rest rig. Of course, you're also talking about half the money for a DPMS LR-308. And, a 24in barrel will get you out to 1000yds with the right ammo. Oh, and speaking of ammo, working up handloads that shoot accurately in YOUR rifle will get you that last .25MOA of accuracy if you really need it.

Also, is 6x-24x 50mm too big for 200-400 yards?

I'd say so. The biggest problem will be mirage if you crank up the magnification to above 15-17x. For your ranges, I'd say a good 10x or 12x would be all you'd need.

Finally, here's my LR-308 with a 22in barrel and a Nikon Tactical 4-16x50 mildot scope.

Quoted: Quoted: Do you like the gun?  Are you pleased with it's construction, design and performance? Love the gun - it's a damn sight lighter than the AICS 1.5 I had and much handier to shoot from various positions, including sitting and (God forbid) offhand. Construction is very good, but you may or may not get a bank vault fit between the upper and lower. This is no big deal unless you're shooting bench rest - practical accuracy is not affected. In any case, upper/lower fit can be addressed a number of different ways. Performance-wise, I can shoot to the barrel's limit (about .75MOA) at 100 yards off a solid bench rest, but at 200+ yards prone, I'm the limiting factor. For practical accuracy, no one is going to shoot .5MOA consistently anyway unless you're an Olympic-caliber shot (head over to the Sniper's Hide for a VERY long discussion about this very subject). Design is pretty straight AR. I added the JP 4# trigger to mine, as well as the extended PRI CH latch to clear my optics. The mags (I only use 10 rounders since I mostly shoot prone) work just fine with no fiddling required. My mags are all less than a year old. I understand the original polymer mags are problematic. I've also seen a lot of these for sale (that I've missed out on) in the EE - why are people getting rid of them??? I'd think for the same reason anyone gets rid of anything - want to try something new, funding a different build, not enough time to shoot, not enough distance to shoot to the rifle's potential, too expensive to plink with a precision rig, etc, etc. I see lots of AR-10s also cycling through the EE. Is this rifle truly capable of bolt-gun performance in the right hands with the right ammo? Fully capable of the same PRACTICAL accuracy. You will not be shooting bugholes like you would with an 18# .308 built by George Gardner around a custom Surgeon action with an Obermeyer barrel bedded in a McMillan A5, then chained to a solid bench-rest rig. Of course, you're also talking about half the money for a DPMS LR-308. And, a 24in barrel will get you out to 1000yds with the right ammo. Oh, and speaking of ammo, working up handloads that shoot accurately in YOUR rifle will get you that last .25MOA of accuracy if you really need it. Also, is 6x-24x 50mm too big for 200-400 yards? I'd say so. The biggest problem will be mirage if you crank up the magnification to above 15-17x. For your ranges, I'd say a good 10x or 12x would be all you'd need. Finally, here's my LR-308 with a 22in barrel and a Nikon Tactical 4-16x50 mildot scope. www.visuality.com/personal/dpms/lr308_lt.jpg

VMP,
thank you for that post - VERY helpful and informative.  Beautiful, beautiful LR by the way.  UPS says my gun's going to be here Friday - I've got my JP trigger, PRS stock, 2 10rd mags, and some other stuff comin' too.  Still gotta get my glass (still deciding what to get) - I'll probably take this weekend to break in the barrel and next weekend(weather providing totest her out (should have glass by then.)

Thanks again.

Quoted: How much RL15? I'm using 42gr with 168 Sierra Match Kings @ 2600fps. With this load, I can keep them in the 10ring on a 200yd reduced target @ 100yds with iron sights, sitting. If I sneak a 9, it's my fault.

mine will hold the ten at 200 and 300 as well, sometimes one or two nines.  im using 180gr matchkings, but the 175gr are almost as good.  im using varget.  i get cratering so i use a cws to bring the pressures down a little.  

if you havent seen it yet

Quoted: Quoted: Do you like the gun?  Are you pleased with it's construction, design and performance? Love the gun - it's a damn sight lighter than the AICS 1.5 I had and much handier to shoot from various positions, including sitting and (God forbid) offhand. Construction is very good, but you may or may not get a bank vault fit between the upper and lower. This is no big deal unless you're shooting bench rest - practical accuracy is not affected. In any case, upper/lower fit can be addressed a number of different ways. Performance-wise, I can shoot to the barrel's limit (about .75MOA) at 100 yards off a solid bench rest, but at 200+ yards prone, I'm the limiting factor. For practical accuracy, no one is going to shoot .5MOA consistently anyway unless you're an Olympic-caliber shot (head over to the Sniper's Hide for a VERY long discussion about this very subject). Design is pretty straight AR. I added the JP 4# trigger to mine, as well as the extended PRI CH latch to clear my optics. The mags (I only use 10 rounders since I mostly shoot prone) work just fine with no fiddling required. My mags are all less than a year old. I understand the original polymer mags are problematic. I've also seen a lot of these for sale (that I've missed out on) in the EE - why are people getting rid of them??? I'd think for the same reason anyone gets rid of anything - want to try something new, funding a different build, not enough time to shoot, not enough distance to shoot to the rifle's potential, too expensive to plink with a precision rig, etc, etc. I see lots of AR-10s also cycling through the EE. Is this rifle truly capable of bolt-gun performance in the right hands with the right ammo? Fully capable of the same PRACTICAL accuracy. You will not be shooting bugholes like you would with an 18# .308 built by George Gardner around a custom Surgeon action with an Obermeyer barrel bedded in a McMillan A5, then chained to a solid bench-rest rig. Of course, you're also talking about half the money for a DPMS LR-308. And, a 24in barrel will get you out to 1000yds with the right ammo. Oh, and speaking of ammo, working up handloads that shoot accurately in YOUR rifle will get you that last .25MOA of accuracy if you really need it. Also, is 6x-24x 50mm too big for 200-400 yards? I'd say so. The biggest problem will be mirage if you crank up the magnification to above 15-17x. For your ranges, I'd say a good 10x or 12x would be all you'd need. Finally, here's my LR-308 with a 22in barrel and a Nikon Tactical 4-16x50 mildot scope. www.visuality.com/personal/dpms/lr308_lt.jpg

That looks like a cut down 24" fluted. I'm in the process of getting/waiting for my DPMS which is a 24" fluted as well. I'mm planning on having it cut down to 20" for use with my can.

Quoted: That looks like a cut down 24" fluted. I'm in the process of getting/waiting for my DPMS which is a 24" fluted as well. I'mm planning on having it cut down to 20" for use with my can.

Yes, that is a fluted 24" barrel cut down to 22" and threaded for the muzzle device. No effect on accuracy, as far as I can tell.

I find it very satisfying to shoot. The barrel is more accurate than I will ever be. In fact, it is probably my all time fav!

The big advantage is the semi auto feature. Also, the feel is very nice, with a pistol grip and some recoil absorbsion. The right ammo gives it a very smooth feel and sound. Very refined, if that can be said about a rifle.

The LR is nothing like my M44, which goes BLAM in a nasty sort of way, the M44 has a huge fireball about half the time and makes everyone come over to see just what it is that I am shooting.

cujet

Quoted: Quoted: That looks like a cut down 24" fluted. I'm in the process of getting/waiting for my DPMS which is a 24" fluted as well. I'mm planning on having it cut down to 20" for use with my can. Yes, that is a fluted 24" barrel cut down to 22" and threaded for the muzzle device. No effect on accuracy, as far as I can tell.

Can you please take a few detailed photos of the end of the barrel with the flash hider off if you get a chance. I'd like to see how much of a shoulder there will be if the flutes are chamfered further back on the barrel. If I do that will I have enough of a shoulder for the suppressor? What do you have it threaded as........ pitch and such?

Thanks

Quoted: Can you please take a few detailed photos of the end of the barrel with the flash hider off if you get a chance. I'd like to see how much of a shoulder there will be if the flutes are chamfered further back on the barrel. If I do that will I have enough of a shoulder for the suppressor? What do you have it threaded as........ pitch and such? Thanks

Threaded 5/8x24. I'll take some pics when I get back into town next week.

Thanks............

I recently purchased a DPMS LR308 myself and could not be happier! I have 30 rounds of Hornady TAP 110gr through it so far. My last group of the day was less than .750".  I have found TAP to be very accurate in all of the other rifles I have had. So a big factor is the ammo. However, the LR308 is as accurate (in my hands) as my Steyr CISM.  I still have the factory trigger in the LR, waiting on a Chip McCormick. I don't think I can bring my groups much tighter, but it will be a bit more enjoyable to shoot with the new trigger. I think the DPMS is a fine rifle and very capable of sub moa accuracy.