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Posted: 5/13/2015 1:02:19 AM EDT
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I'm new to the AR world, have loved and own many guns but never an AR. I am a big hunter (deer in this case) and am wanting to build an AR to hunt with. I am thinking that the AR10 (7.62) is going to be best for this. Does anyone have any advice on what parts I might should use? I'm not looking to break the bank on this but am thinking somewhere around the $1500 range. I will probably get a stripped lower and get a better trigger and what not with a better butt stock for accuracy. Don't really need advice on optics yet but where is a good place to start looking for some of these parts?
I've heard good things about the Stag lower and the Spikes. Do they need to be the .308 model? I found this one but wasn't sure if it would work for an AR10 or if it was just for the 15 http://www.upstatearmorygroup.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=188&category_id=38&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2 Would I be better off getting a complete upper? I would rather build it myself but if not I would like it semi completed to where I could still get my hands dirty and learn the platform. I was thinking a Wilson combat barrel and maybe a different rail not sure. Was hoping I could get some solid advice from you fellas on this. |
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Aero precision matched set. $215
Mega 16 or 18" barrel. Or Faxon if you'd like to save some coin. I can't vouch for their 308 barrels but their 223 is good biz. Everything else is preference. Plus I can remember the rest of your post. http://www.schuylerarmsco.com/catalog.ar-10-66-993 Build it from scratch. You'll learn a ton. Get a good trigger. Cmc or geissele. For triggers a ar15 one will work. There are lots of other calibers that are great for deer but you'll want to reload. FWIW I've always used 223 or 300 blk for deer and it's fine. What other guns do you own? Have you researched scopes? And welcome to the site. 
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Check your regs also. You may not be allowed to use a 223 which mean you'll have to move up to a bigger rifle. You can definitely build a nice ar10 for $1500 without a scope or a 223 with scope.
Someone will likely recommend a dpms G2 308. Dig around the site for a bit and come back with any questions you have. 
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| Appreciate the advice! I shoot a Winchester .270 now with one of the higher end Nikon scopes on it for deer hunting. I'm big into skeet shooting and such so I own several Benelli shotguns and have several others. My favorite shotguns are my old Belgium Brownings. I have several that have never been fired. I have several pistols as well, .45 ACP 1911 Taurus is my favorite. I now want to get an AR to add to the collection so I have been doing a lot of reading here on the site to get started. |
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It's getting dicey with parts compatibility in the 308 arena. Everyone is making their own stuff. The two stand-bys were Amralite and DPMS (generation 1 guns) patterned rifles. But there has been a recent explosion in new offerings that are loosely based on one of those patterns. So unless you do a lot of research before you buy, you might just want to find a complete upper or a complete gun. For $1500, you can probably find a factory rifle already set up like you want.
DPMS gen 1 SASS.. Armalite..SASS (be aware of the difference between A & B models) CMMG or Windham too... The DPMS Gen 2 rifles are getting a lot of attention too but they are completely new guns and most if not all of the previous parts are not interchangeable. And if you want a budget gun and want to build.... look at Palmetto State Armory. You would have to get the bulk of your parts from PSA but you could order a rail and dpms pattern barrel that you want to complete the gun. You would probably come in well under your $1500 mark. |
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Ok thanks for the info. I was worried about the compatibility of parts with the .308, everything with the AR15 seems to be a lot more accessible and interchangeable. It might make more sense for me just incase I want to make changes down the road.
The main reason I was looking at the .308 would be for hunting. I don't necessarily do a lot of target shooting or competition shooting but I wanted to build my own gun and kill a deer with it. What would be the best alternative route keeping in mind what I would be using the gun for mainly? |
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Ok thanks for the info. I was worried about the compatibility of parts with the .308, everything with the AR15 seems to be a lot more accessible and interchangeable. It might make more sense for me just incase I want to make changes down the road. The main reason I was looking at the .308 would be for hunting. I don't necessarily do a lot of target shooting or competition shooting but I wanted to build my own gun and kill a deer with it. What would be the best alternative route keeping in mind what I would be using the gun for mainly? Take a look at the 6.8 since you already like the .270 www.68forums.com |
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Man, not many people's first AR build is a .308! Be sure to do your research. It is easy to throw together an AR15 but there is no "standard" for part dimensions in the .308 world. Most fall into one of 2 categories, Armalite and DPMS. DPMS is more common but there is still is a little variation in part dimensions between manufactures. For your price point you can NOT beat Aero Precision's M5 upper/lower combo from Schuyler Arms for $215. I would for sure start with that. Bite the bullet and go ahead and get the Aero Precision LPK (you will throw away the stock trigger later lol). The Aero pivot and takedown pin sizes are a little particular. Buying the Aero kit will save you the $20 for their pins + shipping later. I learned this the hard way ! If you go with the Aero M5 set, I would encourage you to visit my thread on here about my build and what I have learned. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_121/672479_Aero_Precision_M5_Build___Lessons_Learned.html
Good Luck! |
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Ok thanks for the info. I was worried about the compatibility of parts with the .308, everything with the AR15 seems to be a lot more accessible and interchangeable. It might make more sense for me just incase I want to make changes down the road. The main reason I was looking at the .308 would be for hunting. I don't necessarily do a lot of target shooting or competition shooting but I wanted to build my own gun and kill a deer with it. What would be the best alternative route keeping in mind what I would be using the gun for mainly? When I got the 308 AR bug.. I picked up a gen 1 dpms Lite hunter. It has a 20" SS barrel, comes with a 5 rd mag and starts off under 8lbs empty. The gen 2 Lite Hunter comes in about 1/2 lb lighter from what I have read and they offer a 16" barrel too which is even lighter... I'm not a big fan of the G2 concept because of parts compatibility issues but I don't think the G2 is going away... I'm not really pushing you to dpms, just something to look at. There are lots of choices out there. But I am sure weight is an issue if you are going to be humping it through the woods. I just picked up a Palmetto PA10 too. It just showed up and I put it together. The bolt is a little chewed up from test firing and the kit was missing one spring. But it is an 18", no frills 308. I'll see how it stacks up against the dpms when I shoot it. |
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If you are going to build...
A DPMS pattern lower and parts kit is probably the way to start.... Then just find a complete DPMS pattern upper that has the features you want....be aware of rail heights and slick-side uppers when you order...but as long as you are ordering something that says DPMS pattern then you should be gtg... |
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Here's my build from random parts.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_121/668604_New_Aero_Mega_build___DONE__PICS_IN_OP_.html |
| I would highly recommend building an ar15 first. It doesn't have to be 223 as long as it's a small frame. There are a lot of cartridges that fit in an AR that will hunt most NA game nicely, 6.8 spc, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39, 300 blk. I'm not saying it can't be done but there is a lot to learn and the more you research the more questions you'll have that will mean more research. It's hard enough to figure it out on an ar15, but add in the compatibility issues of a 308 AR and your asking for a headache. Once you have all the right parts assembly is easy and the same for both. And after you have your first one built they won't seem so complicated. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't assemble a 308 ar without any problems, you can you just have to do your homework. |
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Here's my build from random parts. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_121/668604_New_Aero_Mega_build___DONE__PICS_IN_OP_.html Looks great! I want your bipod 
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Looks great! I want your bipod Quoted:
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Here's my build from random parts. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_121/668604_New_Aero_Mega_build___DONE__PICS_IN_OP_.html Looks great! I want your bipod Totally worth it. And to the comment above. If you're going to stray from the 223 you might as well go to whatever caliber you'd like. No sense staying away from 308 if you're going to the 6.8/6.5 etc. you can run into any number of issues when moving to a wildcat. Personally I'd say build a 223 first. But if it's just for hunting and you know what you want you should be happy with a ar10. 
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But isn't the first rule that there is no | That thing is sweet! I'm thinking my best bet may be to build the AR15 first and learn from that. I have a feeling that this could get addicting so I plan on building a few. Maybe I'll start with the AR15 and on the next one go the .308 route. That being said what would some of yall recommend as far as companies to buy from? Will I be able to interchange rounds if I don't like the .223 at first? I mainly hunt with a .270 now so I feel like dropping to the .223 is kind of a downgrade in a sense of power at least. |
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For alittle motivation pics are always nice.
I bought this, a CMMG: 
And built it this way: 
I bought this, well because it was a Larue. Always wanted one. 
My first complete build, 300 BLK pistol, have a Cyclone suppressor for it too. The optics were just put on to see what it looked like. Probably will get an Aimpoint for it. 
My current build, 308. Have Rainier Arms match barrel and SLR ultra lite rails, will go on this weekend. 
I came to realize it wont end. Just gets better as I learn whats out there, and my wants are pretty great. Take the plunge, take a chance, build one. |
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That thing is sweet! I'm thinking my best bet may be to build the AR15 first and learn from that. I have a feeling that this could get addicting so I plan on building a few. Maybe I'll start with the AR15 and on the next one go the .308 route. That being said what would some of yall recommend as far as companies to buy from? Will I be able to interchange rounds if I don't like the .223 at first? I mainly hunt with a .270 now so I feel like dropping to the .223 is kind of a downgrade in a sense of power at least. The daily deals from Palmetto State Armory are hard to beat...... |
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For alittle motivation pics are always nice. I bought this, a CMMG: http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt96/fmkenner/DSCF0348.jpg And built it this way: http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt96/fmkenner/pic1_zpsd45dcad9.jpg I bought this, well because it was a Larue. Always wanted one. http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt96/fmkenner/stealth_zpsd4e597bd.jpg My first complete build, 300 BLK pistol, have a Cyclone suppressor for it too. The optics were just put on to see what it looked like. Probably will get an Aimpoint for it. http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt96/fmkenner/photo3_zps0ed4117d.jpg My current build, 308. Have Rainier Arms match barrel and SLR ultra lite rails, will go on this weekend. http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt96/fmkenner/308%20build_zpscdxscmwo.jpg I came to realize it wont end. Just gets better as I learn whats out there, and my wants are pretty great. Take the plunge, take a chance, build one. Those are some pretty sweet guns buddy! Appreciate you posting those, definitely only gives me the fever worse. I think I am going to try and build if for nothing else a solid learning experience. |
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