I made my decision. Going to go with the R-15 from Remington in a .223

Going to top it with a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 SF
with the Nikoplex reticle

Good choice?

Thanks for all the help with gun choice, caliber, and optics.

I am Addicted to this web site!

I also just relized I forgot a "d" in my profile name!!

Hopefully I am a better shot than speller!

Thats a neat rifle and you will have a ton of fun with it.
Just a tad more advice if I might.
Make sure the trigger is nice and don't compromise. If it is too heavy or creepy get a trigger job done or an aftermarket put in.
Replace the grip with one that fills the web of your hand so that your trigger finger indexes correctly on the last pad of your finger.
And use scope mounts that are high enough, and even cant your scope just a fraction to the right so that you are not having to crank your face over the cheek piece.
Just a tic will be plenty and will make a lot of difference sometimes.
Oh and don't go in for the lighter , faster bullets.
Speed does not kill like advertised, the light 40 and even 50 grainers will shoot faster but are not as sure of a killer as a 55 grain or even heavier.
Your going to lose some speed anyway with the shorter barrels and semi auto, and your going to want all the thump you can get for those longer shots and bad angled hits.
Sight it in an inch high at a hundred and you most likely can pull dead center of most any coyote at any range your going to be shooting.
Have fun and go to whacking them!

Addicted,
If you noticed I added the extra d.
Hope you enjoy your r-15.
I typically try to be very positive in my posts, but considering your two other posts on the varmint hunting forum I am surprised you picked the r-15. If I'm not mistaken, r-15's are running around $1,200 retail. Add the scope you are talking about at $450, and you are up to $1,650. In bolt configuraton or encore you can have two or even three rifles for what you'll pay to get into an r-15. With a scope it will probably weigh in at 9 lbs plus, thus not a walking varminter.
I once built what I called my "coyote rifle". I wanted a rifle that I could make quicker follow up shots than with a bolt gun. It was a stag lower, national match two stage trigger, free floating hogue foreend and stock, rockriver arms 18" bull barrell in 223 wylde chamber. Yes, it would put 10 shots in an inch at 100 yds as fast as you could get back on target and pull the trigger. It was stolen out of my truck and I have not replaced it. Reasons why, it was not functional on a bench due to the clip. It was heavy. I do much of my hunting on an atv. It was not enjoyable to sling and carry. Here where I hunt I don't get many 100 yd plus shots on coyotes where I miss and need to follow up with two or three quick shots on a running quarry. Your situation may be different.
Respectfully submitted for your consideration
GWB

GWB,

I have done a bunch of looking and when my fiance said she was going to throw a $500 into the gun it made me think seriously about the
r-15. The gun weighs a little over 7# once scoped I think you wil be right on the money.

I shot the r-15 and liked it but thought it was a little more than I wanted to spend.

I will consider your thoughts, as I am a beginner at predator huting.

Thanks for everything

Now GWB, you know that everyone needs at least one AR-15. Why not get it when your intended is going to pony up the extra dollars?!? He can continue to fill his safe as he goes with the rest of the necessary weaponry!!

Addicted-Ditto on the above comments. Do get a trigger job done on it or replace the trigger.

I topped my predator AR with a 3-9x40 Monarch. I am a big Monarch fan.

.......oh, and a word of advice, don't ask about your choice of a rilfe, outfitter, scope, etc. after you have made your purchase. It is too late then. Frequently you will not like the answers and start second guessing.

I will look forward to seeing some "field" shots with the new rig.

Good Hunting,

Bob

Addicted,
Let me know about what you think about the rifle after you have sighted it in and shot it a few times, I am thinking about getting one myself.

Thanks,
Ben

Again thanks for all the info. I am excited about getting the gun. I will let you guys know how things go.

Addicted

Look closely at your scope and mount choices, I bet that you can get it scoped for far less money and weight and have a rifle that is still in the 8.5 range.
I saved a little walkingaround weight on my Bushmaster with a Leupold 2x7 rifleman and the tall open see through mounts to help keep weight down.
These are not hard kicking bruisers, you don't need mounts that look like they were milled out a tank anxle,,, and they are relatively short distance rifles so you don't really need more magnification than about 5 to 7 power for the distances you will be shooting.
In fact if you went even lighter and bought an old fixed 6 power you would be far better off in my opinion.
I think that the AR is a great choice, especially today, in fact if you can buy two..
I love my silly little black rifle, it shoots fabulous, is a joy to pack on my quad or in the truck seat as I go around the ranch.
I shot another feral dog yesterday morning as he ran across a pasture with it.
I had a little trouble getting dialed into it at first and missed some shots. It was not until I replaced the trigger and canted my scope that I really started to get with it.
In fact I have shot the last 4 coyotes and three dogs on the run, or at least on the move and it is proving to be a deadly little tool.

Addicted,
I did not mean to rain on your parade or be negative. Go for it. I just happen to be a blue steel and wood guy that drools over just about any bolt gun, and sometimes that clouds my objectivity. Bob has some good points in his post, Definately give consideration to the upgrading the trigger. You'll definately be able to get off 2nd or 3rd shots at fleeing 'yotes should you happen to miss on the first shot.
Good fortune to you and post pix of your groups and kills
GWB

..... Not that I have much experience yet , but I think the AR is a great platform .. I would very much like one in 6.5 Grendell , 2 actually , one 18" and one 24" . But the 223 is a pretty standardized round that works well .....

I will certainly post some results.

quote:

Originally posted by Adicted:
I made my decision. Going to go with the R-15 from Remington in a .223

Going to top it with a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 SF
with the Nikoplex reticle

Good choice?


Thanks for all the help with gun choice, caliber, and optics.

I am Addicted to this web site!

I also just relized I forgot a "d" in my profile name!!

Hopefully I am a better shot than speller!

I went to Remington's web site but could not find what rate of twist the barrel is. Do you know?

yup - fine choice - only thing you may want to add is a better trigger. chip mccormick or timney perhaps mine seems to prefer the 60-63 grain bullets

1 in 9" in the .223

1 in 12" in the .204

-Butch

trigger job?

Is that something I can do or am I going to have to take it to my gunsmith?

The twist rate I believe is 1x9.

It is stamped on the barrel, and I will have to look at it to be sure.

I replaced the trigger with a timney and the grip with a magpull. Have a 3-14 leupold with VH reticle. It shoots the 50gr Vmax bullet ~ 1 inch 100yds.

Also have a RR predator that I am developing reloads for, and will be shooting them through the R15 to see if they shoot the same. So far both guns like 26.5gr H335 with 50gr Vmax. RR groups are a touch better ~ 3/4 inch.

You can do the timney yourself.

The RR two stage match trigger is the best out of the box that I have experinced in the AR platform. I am comparing that to a Jewel match that I have in a colt.

I haven't tried putting that in a gun myself.

I'm curious which trigger might come in the R-15 since Cerebrus owns Bushmaster, DPMS, Rem and others. Same company.

If it's the Bushy 2-stage NM trigger, get rid of it ASAP and buy a tuned Rock River trigger from John Holliger at White Oak Precision. The Bushy trigger WILL fail eventually, either doubling or refusing to fire.

Good luck! With an AR system, you have flexibility matched by few others, and accuracy that's hard to beat.

Mark

Millett also makes a dandy extra-high AR-15 Rings, I used them with a Mueller 4-16 scope with excellent results.

I have three AR's now, don't own a bolt rifle in .223. The bull barreled AR will shoot under .5 for five shots and quick followups, not as much for misses but for multiple coyotes. You can often run into four or five at a time this time of year as they are breeding .

quote:

Originally posted by redial:
I'm curious which trigger might come in the R-15 since Cerebrus owns Bushmaster, DPMS, Rem and others. Same company.

If it's the Bushy 2-stage NM trigger, get rid of it ASAP and buy a tuned Rock River trigger from John Holliger at White Oak Precision. The Bushy trigger WILL fail eventually, either doubling or refusing to fire.

Good luck! With an AR system, you have flexibility matched by few others, and accuracy that's hard to beat.

Mark

I installed a RRA 2-stage NM trigger on my Bushmaster. Took me 20 min.
Shoots very well once you get used to the 2-stage pull. Cut my groups nearly in half based on solely the factory Bushy trigger and the RRA.

Funny, people who don't shoot a lot seem to adapt to it much quicker than people who do.