Who has built a "long range" AR15?

[oli700]

CMC 3.5lbs flat trigger. Any thoughts/experience on those items?

Its all that.
For long shooting, if you like single stage its great.
It really shines in fast shooting though. I actually took it out of my long gun and put it in my short gun.
Its almost telepathic, and it will take everyone who shoots it by surprise on the first shot. I have gotten used to it , it still occasionally surprises me on the break .
Double taps, lightning fast, barrier drills lightning fast......on a shot timer I got off 7 rounds in .98 seconds

 

[AirResq]

Aero is having a sale on hand guards this weekend. I ordered one, so I now have the lower, enhanced upper, and handguard for my build. Looking at Rainier's 18" Ultramatch barrel. Also a CMC 3.5lbs flat trigger. Any thoughts/experience on those items?

I completed my first .223 build last year. I went with a 16"
RA Ultramatch barrel (1-8), Geissele SD-E trigger. Fulton side charging upper (something different) with Young Mfg NM BCG, Samson handguard, and a YHM lower. I hobbled myself a bit with the shorter barrel (couldn't make myself wait for an 18" to come in), but the 16" works great. I've been loading my own for a while now, and found a couple of loads for the 69 gr. SMK that are consistently outstanding.

 

[oli700]

69gr hpbt are just winners , mine shoots Nosler better but it's an excellent weight and design for 556

 

[oli700]

you build a decent distance rig and think "cool ! done !"but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to the "ammo quest".... if you reload

 

[AirResq]

Yes, that can turn into quite the quest depending on your expectations. I've set a goal of .5 MOA at 100 yds. I shoot five shot groups after fouling and always seem to have one "flyer" that keeps me from achieving it. I continue to work on the biggest variable, myself. Not complaining. Still having fun, and that's what it's all about.

 

[oli700]

Yes, that can turn into quite the quest depending on your expectations. I've set a goal of .5 MOA at 100 yds. I shoot five shot groups after fouling and always seem to have one "flyer" that keeps me from achieving it. I continue to work on the biggest variable, myself. Not complaining. Still having fun, and that's what it's all about.

you pulled thought straight from my head......'cept I caught myself being more frustrated than smiling a few times

this should speak volumes to you

 

[AirResq]

I feel your pain. This pic is common for my best loads of R15 and Varget. This one came close, but no cigar. The flyer will come at any time during the string. I'm measuring each charge, brass is same brand and shot count, bullets are from same box/lot (same with powder). Brass is trimmed +\- .002 of. nominal. Again, looking at myself now. I haven't gone past mag length on the COAL. If I wanted to do that I would have bought a bolt action.

 

[oli700]

lol, it would appear we are like peas and carrots

 

[mjbskwim]

So you 2 going to use some Nosler or lapua brass? Then the neck thickness is the same all the way around.
May be all you need for that flyer
Or get a neck trimmer

 

[oli700]

the real problem its the idiot behind the trigger

 

[countryboy865]

Ive got an 18" HBAR and 500 yards is about max id want to shoot it out to. I think the 5.56 is to light of a bullet for longer rangs than that. Plus the bullet drops considerably around the 500 meter mark.

 

[oli700]

Ive got an 18" HBAR and 500 yards is about max id want to shoot it out to. I think the 5.56 is to light of a bullet for longer rangs than that. Plus the bullet drops considerably around the 500 meter mark.

In the quest for a reliably penetrating round for the AR platform the Army demanded a round to penetrate a GI steel pot helmet , through and through , at 600 meters.
They were successful and designated the round M855 loaded with a SS109 projectile, 62gr @ 3000+ FPS....with iron sights, repeatable

 

[countryboy865]

Theres a recent thread on m4carbine.net that shows a diagram of M855 dropping considerably at 500 meters. I would post the diagram but im on my phone.

 

[oli700]

oh no doubt it does but its easy to compensate for it.......I even have a scope that takes all th math out of it and is calibrated for 556 NATO out to 800 yards.
I don't know if I trust the lethality at 800 yards but it will make it and a decent placed shot will probably do its job against personnel, for which it was designed

 

[oli700]

One of the best wind days shooting I had in a while..

had a 5 to 10 right to left cross wind so it moved 556

Best part of the day was impressing the BR shooters.

See they aren't much on AR's at the ol 600 yard bench but they are so friendly and welcoming that its all good.
So during the BS session I ask if its ok to go prone, they say sure with a little chuckle.

Then they see the rifle and the little scope. "only 6 power!" I let 'em pass it around "well, OK?" I explain the role of the scope and get a nod, most of them are retired vets "its a fighting scope" , "yep" I say.

So they take my boy down to the pit and show him how to run the target.....going down they tell him they see a few AR's with a lot bigger scopes than mine and they have a hard time, especially in the wind....

As I shoot my son said they started asking about my training and couldn't believe I wasn't out of the military with all the hits I was getting, what a compliment, one is an old Marine.
After it all they all congratulated me and said it was probably some of the best AR shooting they have seen.

Here are some shots of today, the target doesn't look like much, and to some it isn't but to me this is awesome for a windy day and a 1-6X at 600 yards...

there isn't any real grouping done today just single shots, in the wind, they pull it down mark it and hoist it back up

first here is the scope 1-6x ACSS


the old Camp White mechanism for hoisting targets, wind flag


the range, targets at the base of the grassy/oak ridge


the "competition" lol yeah its a huge NF



the image in my head



the target, not one off paper, first shot is the little white patch, also was alternating between 77gr and 69 gr HPBT so their POI was different ....all done on Kentucky Windage and a MILSPEC trigger



forgive the giddiness its just I built the gun, loaded the ammo and all, spent the day with my son so I am on cloud 9!

 

[B5Ben]

What are your impressions of the primary arms ACSS reticle? I have been considering that in the FFP 4-14x scope.

 

[oli700]

What are your impressions of the primary arms ACSS reticle? I have been considering that in the FFP 4-14x scope.

for the money really sweet.

to get this out of the way the glass is acceptable. low light tells the tale of the glass but it is fully good enough

the beauty is the reticle. Dimitri at PA designed it and calibrated it over two years. It works, if you can judge wind.

you must reload, or buy, the proper velocity for the drops to work

I have been using PA stuff here and there for about 7 years now, never had anything go bad. CS is not even of thi world, if CS is important to you PA is at the top of the heap

so what you will notice
glass is acceptable but low light gets darker....that being said I did a night shoot with it and the only target indicators were a single light stick hovering over a LBS of tannerite at un known yards varing from 100 to 40. 20 targets in all and I did not miss one, zero illumination but I had the reticle lit up on 4

eye relief is ok. At one power its great , at 6x its there but not forgiving......same story with the eye box

The ranging tig on the right is money. Tested it against real people at various heights and it was within 10 or so yards of my laser range finder

I would not hesitate to get a 4-14 ACSS......but don't expect top shelf glass, do expect to get many battle accurate hit before anyone else on the line

 

[Portaledgepete]

Thanks for the low down on that optic. I have been seriously considering picking one up for my lightweight 16" AR. This weekend I think I'll order it up.

 

[oli700]

Thanks for the low down on that optic. I have been seriously considering picking one up for my lightweight 16" AR. This weekend I think I'll order it up.

copy, know this though, its not light and it is big for a 1-6, the bell is huge and not all BUIS fit under it
Make sure to get the most cantilever extended base you can if you shoot NTCH or close.
If you like your head farther back toward the butt then you can get away with a normal extended cantilever......just don't get a standard mount with no cantilever to it unless you don't mind a cheek weld right around the butt plate and expect to keep all the mount on the upper receiver

ETA: the reticle is designed around certain velocities. and there are tables that Dimitri has that will tell you how to adjust for a 16" barrel.......Military and NATO velocities are based off of 20" barrels so it isn't an exact match for a 16".....it just works for my 18, I have to dial 1 moa high for the 77gr HPBT as opposed to lower weight. He can send you a table to tell you the moa adjustments you will have to do for the BDC

 

[B5Ben]

I would be putting this on an AR10 w/18" barrel. Its actually my second option as I just ordered another bushnell AR 4.5-18 scope for super cheap. From the ballistic research I have done I think I can use the BDC with a 200 yard zero on a 308. We will see. If it doesn't go so well this will be next.