Can't Decide

[clayton86]

I can't decide what kind of AR to get I was gonna build a varminter type but now I'm getting the new .17 hornet and won't have a need for it. I still want an AR but iv never been a fan of the " tactical" AR I never seen a point for them in the civilian world. I'm starting to have second thoughts on it though it would be kinda nice and fun to have just to rip rounds threw and it's still capable of making some long range shots.

Or I could go the ar10 route wich would be fun as well.

Or there's the ak route as well and make that all "tactical"

I just want some thing fun and reliable cheap to shoot an can be used and not just sit there and look bad arse I want some thing I can take hunting and to the range to blast away with.

What would you guys get still do the varmint/match build or do a "tactical" build and take it in the woods occasionally for some fast coyote shooting.

[Rangerphil]

If you do not plan on hunting alot I would go the tactical route. You can really do alot with those and have just as much fun building the gun as you do shooting it!

[clayton86]

I hunt as much as I fish every day but I already have 2 predator guns and am gonna add a 3rd if I build the AR the varmint style I will have 4 rifles for smoking fox and coyotes.

Iv thought building both and buying a .17 fireball or .17 remington upper for it and swapping it out.

[bigbill]

Why go with an AR??? I seen no need for a high priced gun in 223 for many years. I just was never interested in the 223 round. But when i went to purchase a new springfield armory M1a in 308 for $1,200 at the time i spotted a rack full of the new russian saiga's in 308win with the 16'' barrels for $289. We benchrested the new saiga in 308win using south african 308 ball ammo at 100yds benchrested to see what it could do being built on an ak/akm platform and she shot constantly 1 1/2'' groups with the two of us shooting it. I did go back to the LGS to get a second new saiga in 308 and they were all sold out. But the rack was full of the new saiga's in 223 with 16'' barrels for just $259. There it was staring me in the face a semi auto in 223 for under $300. I made no hesitation of grabbing one and buying it. My point is these new russian saiga's have a battle field proven design and shoot awesome plus they won't break the bank to purchase them. I got an awesome rifle in 308win and in 223rem for under $600. Plus there probably more accurate than i am too. I think the russian saiga will serve any shooter well too. I did pick up some 55gr sp bullets for the saiga in 223 to hunt yotes soon. We need to benchrest them next to see how accurate they are. I like the saiga sporter look too over a tactical look when hunting.

Right now i have a few builds on my bench too. One is a small ring mauser in 308win converted to 7,62x39 russian for my grandson. With the 125gr sp and the 154gr sp bullets aoofered he can hunt varmit and up to deer sized game. I'm also working on a 6,5 mm swede mauser and a 7mm mauser too.

[clayton86]

Why go with an AR??? I seen no need for a high priced gun in 223 for many years. I just was never interested in the 223 round. But when i went to purchase a new springfield armory M1a in 308 for $1,200 at the time i spotted a rack full of the new russian saiga's in 308win with the 16'' barrels for $289. We benchrested the new saiga in 308win using south african 308 ball ammo at 100yds benchrested to see what it could do being built on an ak/akm platform and she shot constantly 1 1/2'' groups with the two of us shooting it. I did go back to the LGS to get a second new saiga in 308 and they were all sold out. But the rack was full of the new saiga's in 223 with 16'' barrels for just $259. There it was staring me in the face a semi auto in 223 for under $300. I made no hesitation of grabbing one and buying it. My point is these new russian saiga's have a battle field proven design and shoot awesome plus they won't break the bank to purchase them. I got an awesome rifle in 308win and in 223rem for under $600. Plus there probably more accurate than i am too. I think the russian saiga will serve any shooter well too. I did pick up some 55gr sp bullets for the saiga in 223 to hunt yotes soon. We need to benchrest them next to see how accurate they are.

Right now i have a few builds on my bench too. One is a small ring mauser in 308win converted to 7,62x39 russian for my grandson. With the 125gr sp and the 154gr sp bullets aoofered he can hunt varmit and up to deer sized game. I'm also working on a 6,5 mm swede mauser and a 7mm mauser too.

1.5" at 100 is horrible I'm sorry that's not a good accurate rifle in my eyes yeah sure it goes bang when ya hit the trigger but that's it. If it's 1.5moa at 100 then at 200 I'll be lucky to hit the kill zone of the game I chase or even the targets I shoot at. I don't have a gun besides slug guns that arnt sub MOA but there d**n close. The AR platform is also battle proven I carry a m4 every single day. I know sks can be accurate but not ad accurate as a AR or variant. On the subject of m1a I would love one of them iv been considering one for a long time there just harder to come by.

[bigbill]

Thats with the orginal iron sights using surplus ammo too?? The guys on the saiga-12 sight are shooting 1/2'' moa's with better quality ammo in there saiga's. I stayed away from the AR's because of there high prices and them jamming. I did pick up a norinco M14 and tricked it out mainly because of its forged receiver and chrome lined bore. The headspace i checked is spot on the low side and i installed the hd op rod spring from wolf and the national match op rod spring guide too. Now she needs to be shot next too.

Back in '94 I purchased a new remington 700 in 338win mag as my new bear rifle. At the range with new winchester super X 225gr ammo she puts two bullets thru the same hole at 100yds benchrested. I do not shoot this rifle that often because its so accurate. To me its 1 rifle out of a million to be that accurate. I may donate it to a local police dept as a SWAT or sniper rifle soon. Maybe she can save someone's life someday.

[clayton86]

The AR jamming is lack of a clean rifle and or crappy mags. My m4 ha been used and abused by who ever had it befor me and iv put an easy 30k or more rounds threw it 20k were blanks the worst thing ad most likely to jam. The only issue iv had was my cheap green mags not feeding and a simple smack on it frees it up a it feeds ad extracts flawlessly never an issue.

I don't doubt the sigas accuracy I have a cheap marlin Xs7 .243 that shoots .307" groups all day long at 100yds and opens to roughly .5" at 200 and 300yds is about a inch but my 3x9 looses it's oomph out that far and I have a hard time getting the same poa with it.

Personally I like the AR platform misty because it's what in used to what I use every day in the army unless I'm feeling frisky and pick up a saw or 240. I like the .223 because it's cheap ad plentiful for decent ammo and brass and reloading componits are cheap. It also is very customizable I can get my tactical then buy a 6.8 or .458socom or even get my .17rem upper for it knock the two pins slap the new upper on and rock out same trigger same cheek stock weld everything the same kinda like having a TC encore(my other gun I'm gonna buy if my fatherinlaw doesn't give me his g2 pistol first)

[bigbill]

I have to be honest at first i never owned an ak nor ever wanted one let alone in 223. But the brand new russian izmash saiga is a untouched brand new semi auto rifle right from the same company who manufactures the ak and akm's. I didn't wnt someone's butcherd rework that i have seen in the past. Right out of the box the saiga feels very rough but when i lubed it with moly its a completely different rifle. It becomes very smooth in operation even by hand. Adding some moly on the trigger sear makes it feel like an expensive trigger job was done on it too. I use moly to lube all my guns.

Since i got my foot in the door sort of speak with my first M14 down the road i may go for more american designed rifles. I got the norinco m14 for under $400. How could i pass that up. They say they shoot great too. If it shoots the way they say they do I may set it up for 1,000yds. I been looking at a millet scope for it.

The scope i put on my 700 in 338wm has the BDC out to 500yds, thats the bullet drop compisation with no error out to 500yds its adjustable once we know the range. I'm thinking since its a 1 holer at 100yds she maybe able to shyoot farther than 500yds.

[clayton86]

I love the m14(m1a1) I'd buy one in a heart beat if they wernt so expensive and hard to find. The siagas just arnt my cup of tea I guess iv never liked em. My father in law loves em but he doesn't have one he just talks that he wants one but claims there to expensive he's still living in the 60s prices with EVERYTHING thinks everything should be cheap an also hold it's value hence why his truck is still for sale because he asks the sticker price from 12 years ago with 80k on it lol buts that's here nor there. I'm thinking I may just buy a pre ban lower stripped and make it a project that will take time to complete that way it's unique and built around me and I can make it tactical and target/varmint with just changing uppers. Reason for the pre ban is here in ny we adopted the AWB and I don't feel like having all the stock welded or pinned and be able to have it threaded barrel along with the stock pile of 30rnd mags I have can be used.

[RyneB]

I have a WASR-10 AK and i love it. Its cheaper to buy, cheaper ammo, and funner to shoot than my AR IMHO. It came with a Tapco T6 adjustable stock. The only thing i did was install a pistol grip, a Tapco muzzle brake, and a Tapco butt pad. I can get 20 rounds of Russian Tulamo for under $5. I have several 48 round mags, and 6 30 round mags. Even with the cheap ammo and iron sights, its still surprisingly accurate, and i am far from a marksmen. My brother in law and one of my buddies i shoot with have ARs. When we are shooting, they always want to shoot my AK. My only negative with the WASR is the d**n dust cover is a pain to get back on after you take it off to clean. Iv done some filing, and thats helped a little.

[boystcroix]

There are a ton of parts and accesories for AR's , but I suggest getting a piston driven over direct gas if you can afford to do so.

[clayton86]

There are a ton of parts and accesories for AR's , but I suggest getting a piston driven over direct gas if you can afford to do so.

No need for them piston systems in the civilian world no one will ever fire enough to ever get full use outa one. Also it will make the gun less accurate because u have all that movement ahead of the bullet instead of having the whole thing still till the bullet gets to the last bit of the barrel and by the time the gas moves that bolt the bullet has left the barrel. Which is why standard ARs are winning competitions over piston driven m14s and like rifles.

[Catt]

You should look into the .22 Cal ARs

If you want a coyote gun look the ballistics of the Ruger .204

[Mountain Angler]

You should look into the .22 Cal ARs

If you want a coyote gun look the ballistics of the Ruger .204

I coyote hunt I suggest .223 which they are chambered in but the dogs are tough so .223 is the best for that job.

[clayton86]

It needs to be fur friendly on fox over the yote. I drop yotes with a .17hmr out to 150yds so the .17 hornet will be plenty. The ar will most likely be a ground hog gun or coyote gun if I know coyotes are gonna answer over a fox but we have more reds then yotes it seems.

[Catt]

Farmers & Ranchers around here shot coyotes with .22 Mag's

The .17 exploded in popularity until everyone realized wind played havoc with the tiny bullets.

There is a video on youtube of Jed Spieser killing a coyote at 502 yrs with a .204

[clayton86]

if its windy i use the the .243 75gr