Going to pick up a new G2 Hunter this afternoon....yay..!...new gun...!

My intention is to remodel it into more of a SASS-type rifle to shoot out to the effective hunting range of a .308 ( what ... maybe 700-yards..?) Want to keep it as light as possible, so scope ( for sure) and (maybe) a bi-pod...?  I see lots of guys cutting the barrel back to 18-inches and adding a brake/flash hider.... what advantage does the shorter barrel offer...? I would think the longer barrel would give longer effective range ..... The carbon fiber forearm looks great and is plenty light.... but no rail for the bi-pod..... so help me build this new toy up to snuff.....! and ...yes... cost IS an object....

Anything else you guys care to offer is appreciated... especially in the scope recommendations..... I keep looking at the Vortex models - but I know there are a LOT of good ones out there...... and I hate to start the HOW MUCH magnification debate, but......... I have a couple of 2.5-10 scopes now but I seem to WANT more power......

I bought a gen 1 Hunter too....I wanted a rifle that had a normal rail height, FA and dust cover, rifle length gas system....the Hunter fit the bill....I think your budget is pretty important to know for good answers. Since you didn't buy a SASS or Recon to start with, I take it you have a budget in mind. And you won't lose much going from 20" to 18"... You might be better off setting that upper aside as a spare and just building a new upper the way you want it instead of wasting your 20" barrel.

I topped mine with a PEPR mount and a Primary Arms mil-dot 4-16x44 (illuminated).

I have no plans to modify the rifle but I am kind of kicking around getting a second upper or a second rifle....and I'm not sure why..  My issues so far has been finding what load it likes in the 165 to 178 range.... My goal is sub-MOA.. No joy so far. My dad just gave me a pound of Varget so that will be my next set of loads. Also, the trigger seemed a little gritty since I bought it. I pulled it out last week and just cleaned up the surfaces with a tooth brush and stone. Felt better when I re-installed it, could be my imagination but I'll see next time I take it out...

Tag for interest....

Well..... I actually did (also) buy a G2 Recon - oddly I got into the Recon cheaper than the Hunter ... because I couldn't find a Hunter anywhere but locally in a big-box store. Apparently with the DPMS production facility move these G2 models aren't being replenished quickly. Anyway - I got yhe Hunter with the idea of "modeling" a SASS with less weight and a more "personal" touch. I like the cleaner lines and won't be hanging a bunch of lights and lasers, etc so don't need the quad-rail.. The LOP feels just right and not that I couldn't spend a few hundred more dollars on it I want to keep those clean simple lines.intact. So now the goal is to get it to shoot accurately and comfortably.......without adding much weight.....

So you are going to...

cut to 18", recrown and add a FH

collapsible stock

Glass....


That's it or are you going to change the rail too? I'll say it again, you're not going to lose much of anything by lopping 2" off the barrel, but the gun is pretty lite to start, why not just add a FH onto as it sits?

Check through the 308 picture thread and see if you see anything you like, might give you some ideas.

I think the most important elements are going to be a good trigger and good optics. No need to cut the barrel in less you really want to. I have an LR308B, which is a heavy 18" barrel with no threading. I sent it to be fluted and threaded. It should take a bit of weight out of it. It is very accurate. I put an AR Gold trigger in mine. Very nice.

There's an AR variants forum FYI
Effective range is well past 1k
I would want 14/15x as a minimum top end on the optics

Frank from Snipers Hide had a video of a 18" at 1k to prove that shorter barrels can hang with the big boys

How is the G2 Recon? I think I might want one, but don't know if I should

The Recon is nice -although compared to the Hunter feels a tad heavy. Especially if you were to carry it a long way like packing into the mountains for a hunt. I haven't done any accuracy shooting yet as it only has 32-rounds through it. I also picked up a G2 MOAR and REALLY like it - probably my favorite of the 3.... but again haven't tested for accuracy.