AR-15

Im looking at purchasing a ar-15 no familiar at all with these just like to have a fun gun to shoot at the range in my down time... looking to start off somewhat basic.... less expensive the better but dont want to sacrifice quality. Is it cheaper to build your own? Any brands better then other... looking for a model that i can slowly upgrade as the money comes around. Thanks Nick

Any thoughts on the Bushmaster Predator? What would be a GOOD price on a new one?

That's kind of what I was thinking. I planned on putting it on with a detachable mount, and also having a scope for long range shooting (I plan of bringing it out to SD next year to shoot Prairie Dogs). Thanks, WindLaker

Yeah, my red dot is that model. I like it well enough except when I'm trying pinpoint accuracy at longer ranges. For typical fun shooting and for defensive shooting, it's great. Formerly Steve @ G & S

Just got a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport. Fired it for the first time this weekend. I'm LOVIN' it! At 30 yards, kept it in a 3" circle (iron sights). At 80 yards, put up a "Bad Guy" target. First 4 shots... 2 in the chest, 1 in the throat, 1 in the shoulder. There were 6 of us shooting. Almost everyone was able to shoot it accurately. Put about 100 rounds thru it, no misfires, no jams. Swabbed the barrel with some Rem Oil, good to go for the next time out. I paid $625.00 on gunbroker.com. Free shipping, $25.00 fee from a FFL dealer to accept it via UPS. Steve, how do you like that Bushnell Red Dot? IS it the TRS-25? I'm kicking around getting one.

I just put together an AR-15 rifle on a budget, just like the original poster. I used a New Frontiers Armory lower and a DPMS upper, then put a Bushnell Red Dot sight on the rifle. I was hoping for "minute of coyote" accuracy and this combination turned out to be a tack driver. From a bench, I shot a six shot group measuring under 1.125 inches! The entire rifle combination (tax and Tennessee background check included) with 150 rounds of ammo and two thirty round MagPul magazines was only $670.00! The nice thing about my combo is that if I decide I want to upgrade any component, I won't lose any money selling pieces. Formerly Steve @ G & S

After deciding to buy one myself I found BCM rifles almost completely unavailable. So an equal(as it turns out) quality Colt LE6920 found it's way to me. I look forward to breaking it in soon.

I think some of it has to do with the Army pulling the M14's back out of storage and realizing that the 308 is a real stopper compared to a 556 or 6.8. Last I heard the US military had given up all testing on the 6.8. It's a good little round though, it shoots the same weight bullet at roughly the same speed as the 257 Roberts which has been killing deer good for 100 years!

Interesting about the NATO status. Was there a reason why the Army passed on it? Special Forces seemed to be very fond of the cartridge according to a friend who served. Either way and as you said, it does appear to be one of the more popular AR rounds next to the 5.56 and 7.62.

The 6.8 will not become a NATO round. It may, and the key word is MAY, be used a litle bit by US special forces but even that is doubtfull since the Army has already pretty much passed on it. It's a good little round and will be the most popular of the "other AR" chamberings IMHO. Ammo is going to be the cheapest and easiest to get. 7.62x39 is another option but it does not work the best in an AR platform and it's notorious for being picky on magazines. I keep toying with getting another upper in one of the thumper rounds (45 or 50) and if I did it I would probably choose the 450 Bushmaster as ammo is not that hard to get and bullets are standard diameter for reloading. Getting 50 caliber bullets is not something you just go down to the local gun shop for.

I just put together my second AR-15. I wanted one that I could hunt with. My M4 is a .223 and I don't like hunting whitetail with that round. I put the new one together in 6.8 mm SPC. Other than the 7.62x39 mm option, the 6.8 was the next most-common round from what I gathered during my research. I don't reload either (I hope to get into it one day) so some of the other "thumper rounds" were just too expensive. Rumor has it that the 6.8 may be on the bubble as an upcoming NATO round. That will drop the price quickly if that happens. I have had a number of people tell me that I should have gone with the 6.5 Grendel. I didn't see a big enough difference in the ballistics to make that work for me. If I had all of the equipment and experience to reload, I may have considered it as an option.

nick midway has a 5.56-223 dpmsflat top sportical upper on sale for $390.00 shipped. Add a nfa lower reciever from joebobs for about $80.00 and a 6 position dpms stock about $60.00. Figure out what you want for sights (optics or open iron) a magazine or two,some ammo,pin her together and shoot. You can add on anytime with different things,but that should let you know if you have the black gun sickness.....or you will get it-believe me....as I did this and now I have a 7.62x39 upper on the shelf and a spikes lower(on the way)plus a few more odds and ends...luder

Thanks Ditto...that is kind of what I thought, I just wasn't sure as it seems like everyone has a different opinion, etc. It is nice to know that I can just drop it in...it would be a shame to spend the $600-$700 on the new upper and expect it to work right out of the box only to find that I need more stuff when I get to the range. Thanks for the help. On a side note (and not to open up another can of worms), but does anyone have a preferences to the 50 Beo, 450 Bushmaster, 458 SOCOM, 300 AAC Whipser, 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC, or any of the other "Thumper" rds as far as cost/availability of the rounds? I don't reload anything unfortunately, so have to purchase. I see some of them (458 SOCOM) go for upwards of $80 for a box of 20...

madgrad, If you buy a complete upper most all of these are simply popping out two pins and puting the new upper on. Depending on the caliber you chose you might need a new magazine also but generally if you buy a complete upper for one of those calibers they come with the magazine also. So if you want a 50 Beawolf just order a complete upper, some ammo, and go shoot! I know it can be confusing if you're new to AR's but when you get a complete upper it's a simple as changing the barrel on a pump shotgun!

thanks for some of the input. I guess, being new to the AR world, and not wanting to get into a project that is over my head (I am not a gunsmith in anyway), but everything that I am reading says that there is some modifications that need to be made, whether it be to the mags to accept the larger brass, to the milling out the discharge port so the spent brass can exit the receiver, to different bolt faces/carriers to accept the rounds. Are any of these units truely bolt in if I buy the complete upper? Sorry if I am beating this topic to the ground. From what I am reading, kind of sounds like the only one that requires NO modifications are 458 SOCOM.

madgrad, Depending on caliber it can be as easy as just pushing two pins and dropping in a new upper. 308, 243, 7mm08 are not possible on your gun as it requires an AR10 frame and not a AR15 frame. On a 15 frame you could go with 50 Beawolf, 458SOCOM, 450 Busmaster if you wanted a "thumper". You could also go with a 6.8SPC or 6.5 Grindel if you want a more efficient longer range round. And finally you could go with a 300Black Out, 30 Remington AR, or 7.62x39 if you wanted a 30 caliber. Some of these calibers require nothing more than a new upper and some require a new bolt head (easy to replace) and a new magazine. If you are looking for one of the odder calibers don't forget to look into what magazines and ammunition costs for that round. For example 6.8SPC or 300 Black Out are relativly easy to get, use the same magazine and ammo is not to expensive. 50 Beawolf requires a special magazine (about $50 IIRC) and the ammo runs about $2.00 a piece so unless you reload it might not be the best choice. I think my next one will be a 300 Black Out with a 10" barrel but right now I just don't feel like forking out another $1000 for a new 30 caliber suppresor to run on it but it would be cool to be able to shoot a 240gr bullet sub-sonic suppressed.