With the ability to access parts and accessories to make an accurate AR, I really think a lot of varmint killers are missing the boat if they don't have ony. Custom options are almost endless, from hifgh top uppers, fantastic triggers drop stocks, heavy match barrels, etc. Also you can build a different upper w/ smaller or shorter barrel and put a diffeent scope for different purpose and now you have two guns. My AR wears a Kreiger 1-13 stainless barrel chambers by Compass Lake (Frank White) and will punch bug holes at 100 yards. It won't shoot with custom bench guns, but it will outshoot most production rifles. Sdakota prairie dog shoots revealed it as a menace to them critters. One year it consumed 1200 rounds in about 4 days. At about 80% success rate, thats some pd devastation. I think that most people don't realize the accuracy factor not to mention the firepower you can have with one of these. Without taking your eye out of the scope you can move from one pd to the next to the next. In a virgin pd town I've shot several dens of pd's 1 dog every couple seconds for 3-4 mounds.

Cav, I got to agree with you on this. The AR platform is one heck of a great varmit rifle. Mine is a Colt Delta 24" with a 1 in 9 twist, and a Leupold Mk4 16X. The Jewel trigger makes shooting precisely a real no brainer. I've taken Pdogs to 1106 with it, and the bug holes are easy. I would go with the slower twist next barrel and the 55 grain BT's problbly. Curious as to what bullet you use? Mostly for the long range I use the Hornady A-MAX 75 grain with Varget or IMR 4064 at about 2750 ft/sec's.

My buddy has a H-bar that shoots under.5. We find that we use why too much ammo with it . Matter of fact we use lots of ammo with the bolt guns.

A AR can be lots of fun.

I put an IOR Valdada 4x "tactical" on my short barreled Bushmaster. It is superb with barnaul 62 gr. hollowpoints. Use it for ground hogs. Have not had any shots yet past 200 yards. Amazing what the AR platform can accomplish.

I have a Rock River varmit with a 24" barrel, and all I can say is WOW!

It will shoot under 3/4 with Black Hills ammo, and is probably capable of better than that.

People are just biased agains the black guns until they own one.

My 20" Hbar with a 1 in 9 loves the 45 grain Winchester white box ammo. It will shot sub 1/2" off the bench. All it takes with an AR is a freefloat handguard and you are ready to rock.

I shoot squirrels and jacks with a buddy who swears by bolt guns. He says "Them automatics ain't never as ackerit as a bolt gun." We were out shooting and I'd brought along my AR just to verify its sighting. I shot a group of three into a 3/4" circle from 105 yards against a stiff quartering wind of maybe 12-15 mph. I shot off a shaky rest with a reduced-power spring set-- no Jewell trigger for me (yet). My buddy subsequently confirmed "tackdriver" status onto my rifle, which is a hogde-podge of parts collected over the years at gunshows and via mail-order. 3/4" may not satisfy you guys, but the jacks we shot that afternoon didn't gripe about it too much.

My load is 23.0 grains of Accurate 2200 Data Powder (from 1998) in any military or commercial case and I use Hornady V-max bullets in the 50-grain offering for jacks and squippels. Mine has a 24" stainless, .936" diameter barrel; 1:8 twist; fluted; free-float handguard; muzzle brake; flat top upper; 8-32X scope; low-power spring set; buttstock extension adapter; 3.25-pound lead slug in the buttstock and one of those Choate Machine and Tool buttstocks with the hook on it. It does alright...