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02-07-2010, 08:59 PM
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Barrel Length in the AR Platform
I am looking at getting a match rifle upper for my AR15, The longest regular barrel available is 26". If I am trying to squeak the last bit of long range performance out of the .223 with the heaviest bullets and fastest twist rifling do I gain anything by going to a 30" barrel like the Palma guys do with the .308 or is it just comparing apples to oranges.
Thanks,
Dwight
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Veritas et Humanitas
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02-07-2010, 09:32 PM
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Are you shooting in a specific class? Service rifles are 20" barrels, and will group well at 600 yards with iron sights. These folks make excellent uppers White Oak Precision get the pinned rear sight if you shoot iron sights.
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02-07-2010, 09:41 PM
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I was planning on going to White Oak Armament for one of their spacegun uppers. I'm thinking of 80 grain Bergers wiith Varget powder.
Any scope ideas? What hight rings should I get for shooting prone off a bypod? It does not have to match any particular rules as I live off the edge of the earth.
Dwight
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02-07-2010, 09:50 PM
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Sorry, I shoot iron sights. They don't allow bipods either. You should invest a first rate 2 stage trigger, like a Geiselle. And you probably need to weight the stock and forestock. DPMS sell guns configured sort of the way you are describing. DPMS: AR-15 Rifles, Parts and Accessories.
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02-07-2010, 09:58 PM
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Scope ideas - I like the Leupold scopes.
I recently purchased a Bushnell Elite 4200 in 6 - 24 power.
That is a good range for all around shooting.
I like it as much as the Leupold.
As far as the rings, depends on the size of the scope - 40mm, 50mm, etc.
Last edited by cobra44; 02-07-2010 at 10:19 PM.
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02-08-2010, 12:25 AM
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A 30 inch barrel is probably overkill in a .223 cartridge. At some point, the majority of the powder is burned and you start losing velocity. Once the bullet is spinning at the barrel twist, an extra 4, 8, or 10 inches of barrel doesn't make it spin more-better.
The real benefit from longer barrels is damping the harmonics, but the same thing can be achieved on shorter barrels by turning it into a bull barrel, or adding a vibration dampener (usually a weight rubber donut, sometimes a muzzle device, a la the Mini-14 Target). Tuning the barrel by adjusting the dampening will eke out those last fractions of minutes of accuracy.
All that said, a 20- or 24-inch AR, heavy- or bull-barrel, at a 1/8 or 1/7 twist will be a shooter out to 500-600 yards with proper bullets and careful handloading.
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02-08-2010, 12:46 AM
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I have a Rock River upper on a Bushmaster lower. The upper has a 24" varmint barrel with a 1:8 twist. It likes 69gr Black Hills ammo. I shoot 10 shots in under 3/4" at 100 yds. I shot 10 rounds at 260 yds (that was all we had) in to just over 2" from a rest. I have a Jard single stage trigger. and a 6.5-20 Simmons Scope. I do not shoot at much longer ranges so the scope is more than adequate. For longer ranges than 300 yds, I would get a better scope.
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02-08-2010, 01:14 AM
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The most fun you can have with an AR is with a standard A2 configuration with 20" tube, and iron sights - at 600yards! Forget about scopes and bipods, just add some weight under the handguard and in the butt stock, pull the sling tight around your bicep, press your nose against the charge handle, breathe and squeeze the trigger.
Once you realize you can actually hit the black on the target it won't take long to get consistent at putting shots into the 10 ring. The smile on your face will last a long time.
Mark
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