HMX-1

I would NOT recommend Bushmaster unless you're just buying parts from them. I had to send mine in for warranty work; they overtighten the barrel nut which warped the barrel index pin and I was shooting 26 clicks left and still couldn't hit a target at 50 yards. And I mean I couldn't hit the target, as in hitting paper.

Sent it in, 4 weeks later I got it back with a damaged barrel nut. It looked like someone used a pipe wrench on it! I called them on it and they offered to "fix" it, but I declined .... I told them I shouldn't have to wait another 4 weeks for their gross negligence and it should have been checked better prior to it being sent back to me.

Honestly you can build a decent AR from parts for under $800. It won't be mil-spec, but you should still easily get 2 inch groups at 100 yards. If you want mil-spec then look at Noveske, but you're also looking at a $2400 price tag, too.



Kris

staarma

My opinion is to buy the Stag and don't look back. Once you have the rifle, you can learn how to take it down and see what it's all about. Then, when you want to build a 16" version (and you will ) you can build one from parts that's mil-spec for under $1000 easily. You will be bitten by the bug just like these trucks. I trained with my first black rifle in 1986 with an M-16 A2 20" rifle in basic training in the Army and haven't looked back. My 10 year old son and I just built his first using a Stag upper in 6.8 SPC II with an LMT BCG, TI lower, Daniel Defense LPK and a Rock River 2 stage trigger using MagPul furniture. The Stag barrel and upper were quite good in quality in my opinion.

patdaly

That is a good price, and likely a fine weapon.

I call BS on their 1/2" MOA guarantee though. It PROBABLY will do it, with the correct ammo and the correct shooter, but only a few makers would I believe a 1/2" MOA guarantee and Stag isn't one of them. It would be more believable with a 1" MOA guarantee. Believe it or not, 1" MOA isn't all that easy to hold with a production semi automatic, and way more than accurate enough to hunt with a .223.

To begin with, I think the Stag is a good choice, and as you get into it, will provide a good lower to play with other calibers ( uppers ).

Rpainter

Interesting I also have been looking at the rock river and DPMS website. Been looking at the 20" barrel in 5.56 round and/or maybe a 24" barrel in .308 Never ends.

patdaly

Look at the J&T site for a 20" 6.5 Grendel upper, superior ballistics to a .308 and fits an AR15 receiver.

Do you load yet?

Rpainter

Went yesterday and talked to a shop that deals in military firearms and they told me that dollar for dollar a factory weapon the rock river guns are the best. but he called rock river and they told him to expect at least a 10 to 12 week wait before delivery WOW!!!!!!!!

staarma

CMT or Continental Machine and Tool make all of the common parts for most tier 2 guns like RRA and Stag so it comes down to assembly and production. I can honestly say after building several of both that I see no difference between Stag and RRA. I have had problems with two Bushmaster rifles one being a canted front sight and the other being the chrome finish on the inside of the chamber flaking off. They gladly took both rifles back and fixed the canted sight and replaced the other. I can't complain about their policy on that. DPMS in my opinion is not worth comparing with these rifles at all. I consider it to be a third tier weapon. It's cheap and serves a purpose though and that's just fine for some. J&T, Double Star and Black Rifle Inc. are pretty much all the same rifle. They make great stuff too but most do custom builds out of those parts. I own a J&T upper that sits on a combo of lots of other parts. It runs great and has caused me no issues at all. In fact it is one of my favorites.

If it were me I would have already bought the Stag and had about 200 rounds through it already and probably a few coyotes by now too.

04ctd

what would you consider to be tier one? the Colts? A buddy had a match grade a while back I liked, but i dilly-dally'ed too long, and he sold it. been thinking about one since...

Redleg

Don't buy into Colt ever being without defect. That's why government agencies spend money on armorers...

staarma

Noveske, Sabre Defense, LMT, LaRue, JP Enterprises to name a few. You can more than double the price for what you're looking for though and in my opinion they aren't worth it for what we do with them. You can build a quality rifle with a lot of tier 1 parts for a lot less than a complete firearm off the shelf in tier 1. I don't believe Colt to be worthy of tier 1 anymore. In their day I feel they were but the same guys who make stuff for all of the lower tier weapons make them for Colt too. Colt may have tighter tolerances and better quality control but in the end it's the same parts.

All of this is my matter of opinion. I'm in no way an expert. I've built a lot of rifles and shot a lot of rifles and have a lot of good friends in the custom rifle making business and have drawn a lot of my own conclusions with all of this info.

Don M

I just got a new CZ 550 in 22-250 for the yotes around here. We have been using a 22 Hornet, but they are starting to hang up out a bit further now. Getting call shy and getting more nocturnal. The Hornet is runnin' outta steam about 200 and most of the shots are getting 300 plus this late year. The bobcats are going goofy too. We nearly ran one over a few days ago when we could still drive around here. lol That thing about cats and 9 lives is real!!!! I had a cat run 900 plus yards on me after a perfect boiler shot from the Hornet at 40 feet.

And the crazy hogs are over runnin' the creeks and new winter wheat so I stepped up a tad in power with the 22-250. This also gave me a chance to give the Hornet to my 12 year son a little early. He is chompin' at the bit to get it. I have lost count on the totals of yotes and hogs the past two years, but it is a number nearing my entire 6 member family ages combined.

This brings me to the AR stuff. I have a bunch of AR's and the ability to swap uppers and get nearly any caliber you want is really neat. 223 or 204 Ruger or 450 Bushy (a great hog cal for sure) or whatever caliber you like. But I am a bolt gun guy when it comes to hunting on most days. Just a quirk a guess. Actually I like rimfires and shotguns the most, but they are not gonna cut it at 300 yards/ LOL

I cant wait to see what you get. Post up some photos.

Rpainter

I have narrowed it down to two guns lol either the rock river arms Predator pursuit with the 20" NM grade barrel or the 24" varmint in a 1:8 twist competition barrel. Both can be had for 1050 plus tax. The bad is that RRA is almost 3 months behind on orders. The lady yesterday told me Mid may for delivery if I decide this week.

patdaly

LOL, I know we aren't supposed to, but have you checked out GunBroker.com?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=214584363

Might be worth a look if you want a genuine RRA quicker.

annabelle

Just build one.......fun and educational at least.

GHerrmann

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...=5&output=html

Perhaps this info. will help you and others.

Ipicked up a S&W M&P15x two weeks ago. I'm very happy with it. Last weekend I put about 250rnds downrange. It was so darn windy it would rock you back and forth. Hard to hit anything in that type of weather.

A friend of my son's showed up, he bought a new DPMS. After about 15 rnds it locked up. He took it back to the dealer and they opened it up. The man came back and told him " ya need to lube these to get them to run ".He was running the rifle dry from the factory.