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Posted: 5/25/2014 4:03:32 PM EDT
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I'm toying with the idea (which means I'll have one in 6 months or so) of a lightweight AR 308 for hogs and such. I already have a couple of shorty M14s and a GAP 10, but I'm looking for something a LOT lighter than the GAP and easier to scope (plus a little lighter) than the M14s.
I've looked at the S&W M&P10s, and they look great, but the propietary parts and lack of spares turns me off. The DPMS Recon doesn't yield enough weight savings over the GAP. So I'm wondering if there's a turnkey out there I'm missing, or what I can expect weight wise out of a lightweight build. I'm looking for light weight (8 pounds with scope/mag would be great), probably 18" bbl (or maybe 16"). I'll want it to be close to MOA with match ammo, and I'm not really looking for another $3k rifle. I'll shoot it both suppressed and unsuppressed. And I want it to use SR25 mags. The other option is going to a Grendel, but I'm not seeing enough weight savings to justify stocking a new caliber. I already have enough 308 to last a couple of lifetimes, then there's mags, etc. So what did you go with, why, and what would you do different? And yes, I'm sorry, I'm sure this has been hashed and rehashed, but I couldn't find anything recent, and new products are coming out all the time, so please forgive me for starting a new thread. |
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I have a 16" LR308 that I use for deer hunting. I am looking for something lighter to carry and that is easier to swing.
Have you seen these? DPMS GII I was thinking about switching to a 6.8, but the GII AP4 is over a pound lighter than the older model and seemingly have many other advantages. Might be worth checking out. The GII's start at $1500 and go up from there. |
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I'm not sure you're going to hit that low of a weight with optics and mag and barely without. The AR10 platform is just heavier, the DPMS Gen II and the M&P10 are the two lightest that I know of but you aren't going to get that light, especially loaded.
You can get there with an AR15 platform and the Grendel is a great choice. I've read of several people going that route lately for the weight savings while maintaining plenty of power. I have a Grendel although it's not set up to be lightweight, I could very easily get it down to weight with a few swaps of furniture. You could go with a 16" barrel and be at your target weight with wise choices in parts. You could go even shorter and use a permanent flash hider or an SBR and have what would be, in my opinion, a perfect hog/deer/.....rifle. I absolutely love my Grendel....I think, in the process of writing this, I just decided I want a lightweight, compact Grendel in addition to my long range 6.5G AR. It really is the best of both worlds...the lightweight of the AR15 platform and the power of a larger high performance cartridge. Dang...I really want one now. |
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Thanks for the heads up on the DPMS GII. I've spent some time with a friend's Recon, but I didn't realize they had the lighter AP4. The Recon is a hog.
The Wyndham is an option, I like that it has less proprietary parts, but it's half a pound heavier, and I have no idea how they shoot. One of the big draws of the S&W is the 5r bbl. From what I've read, they all shoot well, and some are great. Has anyone shot either the Wyndham or the AP4? Surely there's someone out there who built their own? |
| If you want higher quality, it seems to me that the LaRue PredatAR is the only lightweight option. 7.75 pounds...still a 1/2 pound heavier than the GII AP4 though. Thinking about placing an order for one. Still going to be nearly a 10 pound gun with optics though. :( |
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