I am looking to purchase an AR-15 in .223 for "punching holes in paper" and praire dog shooting. I want something that should be extremely accurate. Any suggestions? Thanks
Posts: 115 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: 20 January 2008
For out-of-the-box value accuracy: Stag Arms Model 6. Stag claim .5MOA with premium ammo. Mine will do .75 MOA with Federal XM brown box ammo. I haven't used premium ammo yet. My reloads with 55 and 62 gn projectiles with mixed mil and commercial brass group the same.
It's got a great big 1 in 8 24" stainless bull barrel, and soaks up plenty of heat. It's got a 5.56 NATO chamber. The trigger is reasonably nice as well. The rifle is just heavy enough to stay on target during recoil.
You could probably do a similar or custom "build" with like accuracy, but you wouldn't have a lifetime warranty.
The Colt HBAR will also shoot sub MOA. At least mine does! Peter.
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You mention both targets and PD's and depending on range, would opt for quality barrel of no more than 9 twist and personally prefer the 8 twist for using the 69-80grain bullet weights. Some say their 9's will shoot the 55gr fine, but if you are going to reach out there near or at the 600yd range, you will need the heavier bullet which the 8 twist will handle fine. As long as the lower is of mil spec., quality fit and finish so to speak, I would concern myself more with the upper quality. Armalite offers some fine shooting uppers for a reasonable price. Might consider buying good stripped lower and then you can enjoy the assembly project and put whatever upper you want. There are som high quality triggers out there and they are pricey, but I would opt for a Jewell for moderate pricing and good quality. Most 15's I have been around will shoot right along with a bolt gun w/ good loads. Firing lines at Perry, Oak Ridge, Quantico, etc. are full of 15's both Service Rifle class and Match Rifle class and do very well.
Posts: 1328 | Location: West Virginia | Registered: 19 January 2009
Are you interested in an optics platform or service rifle configuration?
All of these details would be required to accurately assist you in selecting an AR....
Example: If NRA/CMP HP (200-300-600 yards or reduced course variations 100-300 yards) you'll need either a service rifle (AR15A2 with as issued sights and configuration). The Service set up will have to have a 20 inch barrel, free floated standard handguards and stock looks.
For NRA Match rifle, a flattop with free floated Handguard and a set of micrometer sights, front and rear. For both SR and MR HP, I would recommend at 1:8 twist high quality Wylde or CLE chambered barrel since you'll have to toss 75-80 grainers at 600 yards (nothing lighter will reliably get in the balck and stay there-wind will kill you). The match rifle can be any barrel length (many MR shooters have 24 inch barrels and a barrel extension-bloop tube- to extend the sight radius even farther out).
For dogs, where you'll want to use ligher bullets, 45-60 grains SP/HP, a flatop with optics and a 1:9-1:12 heavy barrel, 20-24 inches will do fine for 300 yards or so.
If you want pure accuracy go LesBaer, Wilson Combat -- but they have much tighter chambers. Means less reliability with different loads and as I understand it they are 223 only.
Before you go to that extreme I would seriously look at a RockRiver 18" SPR SS 1/8 which will usually shoot .75MOA and cost a lot less.
BUT I feel the best option for your price range would be a NOVESKE N4 14.5 upper. If non LE/MIL U will have to have the flash supresosr (Vortex recommended) pinned. Mine is a .5 to .75 5 shot group shooter from the bench with about 5 different boolits using VARGET and A2330. NOVESKE is the bomb. PacNor makes their barrels.
Originally posted by bwoodie: I am looking to purchase an AR-15 in .223 for "punching holes in paper" and praire dog shooting. I want something that should be extremely accurate. Any suggestions? Thanks
I suggest a $600 bolt rifle...if you fire a $3000 AR at a cyclic rate higher than what you can do with a boltgun, the barrel is going to get very hot and your accuracy will go away very quickly. In other words, as far as very accurate target rifles are concerned, you can't fire a semi-auto any faster than a boltgun without losing accuracy. It doesn't matter who makes the barrel or how expensive it is, it's going to get hot and your groups will open up. That is my experience.
