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Posted: 4/20/2016 10:39:15 PM EDT
| So my first ar build was a pistol and I had a blast doing it. My next ar build is going to be a precision rifle but I'm not 100% on where to start. I know that the bolt carrier group and upper/Lower have to do with accuracy but I'm intrigued as to how much. I am looking to squeeze .5 moa at 100. I know that im going to need to invest in a good barrel and trigger so that will be another topic. I saw a matched danger close upper lower and bcg, would this be a good starting point or should I do a lower from scratch. All advice and input is appreciated. |
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I agree with others - stick your money where it's most effective. If your receivers physically keep the rifle together and do not impede it's function they're working as much as they can be.
My priorities would be: Barrel - you won't want to re-barrel most likely and this is THE place where the rubber meets the road. Glass - likely your biggest single spend in a long range gun that you DIY. You don't want to buy this twice. Trigger - this is where control lives, obviously - but milspec triggers are cheap so start with a LPK trigger and upgrade if you must. Furniture - it has to fit you and fit you well. If you don't like the comfort level life will suck. That doesn't mean expensive... |
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concur CD Quoted:
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Spend your money on the barrel, good trigger (Gieselle SSA-E, for instance) and glass. I've built tack driving AR's with Rock River and Spikes lowers. Matched lower/uppers are irrelevant. concur CD I agree with the order of priority as well. |
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Start with the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. 20" minimum barrel. The cartridge was designed to use a 24" barrel to maximize velocity, although it will work well at long range with an 18" or even a 16" barrel. I have a 20" and an 18" Grendel. I personally wouldn't build anything shorter, but that's me. You need Grendel magazines and a Grendel bolt that will be headspaced to the barrel extension (all of the barrels I bought came with a matching bolt.) Grendel mags are plentiful, (although AFAIK MagPul doesn't make them yet.) |
| Before I ever got into this I first read a few articles about building AR's. And all said what you are hearing in here: barrel barrel barrel barrel barrel. That is the gun. You don't have to spend 700 either. And to me this is the fun part because there are so many options at very reasonable prices. You don't have to be an expert to understand it either. So enjoy! |
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I have a 20" Grendel, 18" Grendel and everything for a 22" Creedmoor. The 18" feels pretty handy. The 20" is bulky, but I built it that way. It shoots great. The Creedmoor is heavy and has yet to have glass put on it, but it does not seem to be coming out too heavy.
My favorite is the 20" Grendel. The suggestions of concentrating on a barrel first are good suggestions. There are more than a few good brands out there, that have a decent price. If you want to go all out, order a premium to a spec you want. Triggers, if you have any buddies that have some of the brands mentioned see if you can try them. I have had a few Geissele's an AR Gold and an Armalite. The Armalite works well and didn't break the bank. I have it on the 18" right now. The 20" has the AR Gold. I like this trigger's pull, but the bow is real skinny. The Geissele's were all real nice and the Creedmoor now has an SD-E in it. If I was going to switch to one brand, it would be a toss up right now between the AR Gold or Geissele (SSA-E or SD-E). I think I will buy a LaRue MBT to try out as most of the LaRue items I have are pretty well done. I am sure their trigger would be the same. I don't know how soon that will be though. The suggestions for scopes is pretty dead-on as well. A good scope is important and they do cost. The 18" I have now wears the Nikon I started with. It will be changed out at some point. My 20" has a Steiner on it which I really like. I am still determining what to put on the Creedmoor. I had a Vortex Viper that I sold off that I now wish I had kept, it was a nice scope at a good price. I foolishly thought I would not be building another precision rig and sold it. Nightforce makes some nice stuff too. Do a lot of research on this item. As stated they do cost and I would not want to switch this item out in search of the "right" one. My 18" Grendel and Creedmoor are on forged receivers as are my carbines. No issues with them whatsoever. My choice on most of those has been Mega, but I have used lowers from 3 other manufactures. The 20" Grendel is on a Seekins billet set. The fit and finish on the Seekins is great, but so is it on the Mega's. Function wise, all the forged receivers rifles I have work just like the billet. What you decide to spend on the receivers is up to you, but a decent forged set will save you some $$$$'s for the other items mentioned. |
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