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Posted: 4/5/2006 10:37:20 AM EDT
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im currently in the market for a nice ar for varminting. the two that i have been looking at so far are the dpms panther bull 24 special and the bushmaster varminter rifle. What other brands/models should i be looking at in the same 1k price range. It would be nice if the one i choose comes with a grip that has the palm swell pad but i can always get a new grip for whichever rifle i choose. also, some of you may suggest building my own but i dont want to do that. thanks, devin |
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capitan-d: When I first started building varminters I got into the cyber show and tell trap and overlooked how I was really going to use it. I think the biggest qualifier is how you intend to use it as a varminter. If your only carrying it a few paces from your vehicle and stealth and visibility aren't a issue then big.long,heavy,shiny barrels look hot the week they are in the vogue but may not contribute as much in actual usage. I won't get into the usual mine is best name brand debates other than sayingI own about all of them and I will no longer own a DPMS period. If you are going to use your varminter for walking things get a lot easier to choose in my mind. Although all hunting boils down to the moment of truth when you pull the trigger you will find you do a lot more walking than trigger pulling with a walking varminter. If thats not true I need to know where you are hunting. This also applies to calling where your frozen ass sets in a snow bank for hours before you pop a cap. You can get in calling positions where balance and ease of swing is the whole ball game. For this use I find a light/medium weight 18" barrel to be ideal. 16" is better but the added noise and potential short gas system issues with it makes an 18" my choice. If carry weight is an issue you don't have to buy a longer,bigger,shiner, more fluted barrel to get good accuracy. Buy the best name brand barrel and have a well known smith put it together to the exact specs you want and you will only cry once. I've spent a small fortune trying to get the entry level stuff to shoot like the high dollar boys and it all boils down to how many times you want to cry because neither avenue is inexpensive. Put your first money in good drop in trigger like a CM or JP and buy the rest of the bling later. Here is the battery I use in my back yard. L-R 6.8SPC,6.5G,204,260  |
Nice!, can you post more close up pics? |
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as far as weight and stealth goes...neither matters. ive been doing a little research and it seems dpms' customer service sucks and thats important to me so that kicks them out. i basicly want a rifle that is easy on the eyes and shoots one bad ass group at 100 yds. i want it to have the ability to shoot much longer ranges but dont have any long ranges here in des moines iowa. im leaning twards the rra varmint m4 with the 24inch barrel. do you know if they can flute those barrels? i really like those enlarged trigger guards they use, stylish and functional. i think i do like the looks of the bushmaster a little bit better but theres just something about the name 'bushmaster' that i dont like. its a stupid reasion to not choose it but the little things matter to me. as far as accuracy goes...the rra and bushy be neck-n-neck? devo |
That's one badass rifle. I love those Magpul stocksq |
| my fulton armory upper on a bushy lower http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g291/jensathomewfiggy2/alexfiggyguns/gunsmaller.jpg |
Ugashikbob, It is pleasant to see someone who is experienced at Varmint rifles. Questions please... Which manufacturer did you use for the .204 barrel? Did it have a matched bolt? Is this your preferred PD gun, or what do you use it for? What is purpose of the .260? I'm not familiar with it. Thanks in advance. |
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http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/JBTJ/100_1354.jpg Bushmaster Varminter, very accurate ammo with my handloads. |
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PrarieRat: The 204 upper was built by John at WOA with a PacNor barrel and believe nothing other than a standard 223 bolt with the proper headspacing is required. In my case I provided a JP carrier and LMT enhanced bolt because of reliability potential and ease of cleaning. Neither piece of bling reflect when the ejection port cover is closed. I use if for fox mostly since PD's are scarce in the remote area of Alaska where I live. The 6.8,6.5Grendel and 260 are all used for wolf hunting where what I wanted was more smoke than a .223 in a AR frame. My first shot is always better when I know I have another 19 to go. The 260 which is a 308 case necked to 6.5mm in a AR10 frame smokes the other two in everything but carry weight and price. Wolf hunting is a lot of walking and lot of sitting without much trigger pulling. That is why I got away from the shiny stuff that excells in show and tell. If you hump a few miles and set for hours only to be busted because your bling barrel looks like it doesn't belong then you may want to look at other options. You will also find out the accuracy return on a fat barrel vs a lighter one may be questionable but there is no doubt about the extra weight when you hump it and swing it from tight positions. Mine are probably unusual requirements and your usuage my dictate other options. |
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