gnumadic

OK…so a really long time has passed since I started this thread. I finally cleaned up my workbench, but it was after almost a year and a half. Had a lot going on family and work related. The last two years kinda sucked. NGL. The lower went together great. However, I had an out of spec issue with the upper receiver. The barrel was coming out the end of the handguard to one side…noticeably. Maybe I caused it with too much clamping force with the vise block? Regardless, Aero replaced both the receiver and the handguard. And during the RMA process I bought a Midwest Industries receiver rod. I recommend. I will say the timing on the M5 Atlas barrel nut was a pain—more so than I’ve ever experienced with any handguard. I went through all the shims and had to order more. But I eventually figured it out. Haven't taken her to the range yet, but I am really pleased so far with the result. Thank you all who helped me figure out my first AR308 build.

Haha, you are correct! I use the heater to keep that corner of the garage warm in winter. It's actually working fine last time I checked. Yep, the whole garage needs an enema there's so much crap piled in it. I think the fall project is a storage shed to get the bikes, lawn equipment, and kayaks out of there. But I still think my wife and 4 kids' marginal propensity to consume space has me doomed to fail for the foreseeable future.

This is an older thread but as the OP I wanted to provide an update since I finally have all parts needed for the build. I placed the bulk of the remaining parts orders at the end of April, but due to COVID delays it took almost 4 weeks for some of them to arrive. I'll post another update and range report when the build is complete. Unfortunately, with all of the house projects that were going on my workbench area has become a little cluttered!

The last couple parts for my first AR308 build are in the mail. I began ordering them back at the end of April. Most items shipped within a few days, but one order in particular took 3-weeks to ship (they said due to COVID the warehouse was backed up that much...not sure if it was demand, protocols, or staffing...perhaps a combination of all three). Another vendor took about a week to process my order, too. That said, some shops were shipping same or next day--JoeBobOutfitters being one that really stood out. Lancer L7AWM 10 round magazine from Lanbo's Armory (shipped separately from the main order b/c I forgot to include it...and Landon was nice enough to waive the shipping!). VG6 Epsilon 762 muzzle brake - on sale from Schuyler Arms for $41.25 shipped. Now I just need to clean up my garage workbench area and install my new vise before the work can begin. For this build I upgraded from an old little Craftsman 3 1/2" vise to a 5" Yost ADI vise.

I just ordered the PlastiXrevolution upper/lower vise blocks based on the recommendations in this post. Thanks! I've built several AR-15 patterned rifles and have collected all the tools needed for an AR-308 build--except for a vise block. My Magpul Bev Block won't work of course. I debated getting a reaction rod style device, but I'm not sold on them (except maybe the Midwest Industries rod that locks into both the barrel extension and the top of the receiver). Those are not only expensive, but they're out of stock. I'd rather put the money into a bigger vise.

This is an old topic, but as the OP I wanted to close the loop since I am getting ready to purchase the rest of the parts for my first AR308 build. Thanks again for all the advice. Shortly before the end of last year I ended up buying the Vortex Viper PST Gen II 3-15X44 FFP (MRAD). I just have to choose a mount. I don't think I want a QD mount on this rifle, so i'm probably going to pick up a Warne one-piece skeleton mount. I have a Warne on my 6.5 Grendel and like it. And while I don't think I'll need it, the 20 MOA model comes in tactical grey. That will go well with my color scheme on the build!

I will definitely post pics! Barrel is supposed to come tomorrow, but I probably need to wait several weeks before ordering the rest of the parts...or at least before I begin the actual build process. There are a few honey-do projects that must be completed first. That's my first problem. And the second problem is I'm running out of gun storage! I have the original M4 size of the Atlas S-One on my 6.5 Grendel build. I love the slim feel, but there is not much clearance for a 0.750 gas block. I wish Aero Precision had added just a little more room. It has an SLR GB7 (non-adjustable, set screw) gas block on it and it's tight. It would be hard to fit a clamp-on style or adjustable gas-block in there. However, with the AR308 being a bigger platform the M5 Atlas R-One (and I'm assuming the S-One) looks to have about an additional 0.25" of width over the AR15 version. Vertical space is good, too. I think most gas blocks would be GTG. On a side note, I really like the attachment system on the Atlas series. It's very easy to remove the handguard for cleaning/maintenance.

Completely agree...while I've bought many things on Ebay, I try my best to verify the vendor and make sure it's not something at a price that's too good to be true. Caveat emptor!

Sorry for not being more specific...there's at least one open box Kestrel "Sportsman" 5700 for sale on Ebay right now, but it comes with the bag and accessories. Your original suggestion was to pick up the Bushnell DMR II scope/Kestrel 5700 Sportman bundle and sell the Kestrel (if I didn't want it). That's why I was referencing Ebay. I was looking to see if anyone else was selling "new" but open box ballistic weather meters. The $1049 deal from Cameraland is free shipping and no tax. And the standalone scope from them is selling at $999.99 (lowest I've seen it). So providing I could get more than $50 for the Kestrel, then I would be getting ahead. Could I sell it high enough to match the sale price of the Vortex (and not have to deal with the hassle)? Maybe not. And the more I think about it either the Vortex or the Athlon scope might be a better suited scope. Completely side question about one-piece scope mounts and AR-10 platforms. Do most people run cantilevered/offset scope mounts, or would a one-piece mount with no offset be preferable? I was thinking that with the extra flat-top space the latter might work.

I thought Dvor.com was a subscription marketplace owned by Optics Planet? Are you saying it might be coming from a reseller instead of OP?

I keep debating the Bushnell DMR II. If I could successfully sell the Kestrel then it would net out to a really great deal. There's at least one new/open box for sale on Ebay, but it does have the bag and accessories. I also read a review of the DMR, but there isn't a ton of info out there. I'm just wondering if it's too much scope for what I'm intending. In the meantime, Dvor.com has a 5 day Vortex sale going on. I can pick up the Viper PST Gen II 3-15x44 for $669.

Thanks, I ordered an Aero Precision M5 LPK minus FCG/Grip (Primary Arms had them on sale). LOL...not a problem! It was quite entertaining.

That's kind of why I settled on the UBR2. Beyond the design of having a consistent cheek weld regardless of extension length, I felt like the added weight would help with the heavier (although fluted) barrel. I have an 18" Faxon barrel, designed by the 6.5 Grendel forum guy, that has more of the weight concentrated near the chamber end of the barrel. It feels lighter and swings better than my 16" SPR 5.56 build.

Thanks for the confirmation and parts! I've seen some folks lavish praise on the Heavy Buffers. Is the expense worth it?

Is there something about the Aero lower parts kit that would make it more compatible with their receiver set, versus say the CMMG kit? I understand the CMMG is "Compatible with CMMG Mk3 Lowers and most LR308 type lowers," so I suppose there's no guarantee it'll work with the Aero M5 (but both are DPMS patterned?). I have already purchased the barrel from Ballistic Advantage directly on their Black Friday sale. Sadly, they still haven't shipped it. I did the same with the receiver set--direct from Aero--and got it last week.

Wow, that scope is a beast! It may be a little heavy for lugging around the woods hunting. Then again, while it's 34 oz the Vortex is 28 oz...only a third of a pound difference. I wonder what the Sportsman model of the Kestrel could sell for on Ebay? It says they are new but don't come in the retail packaging.

Hi, Like many on this section of the forum I'm in the process of building my first AR308. I've done four AR15 platform builds (5.56, 6.5 Grendel, and .300 BLK). For this build I picked up a few parts on Black Friday, but I don't plan on any additional purchases until early spring (too many house projects to finish first). Below is my parts list. I am sharing it in case there is any feedback around compatibility. After a bunch of research, I think I've chosen the right buffer length and spring combo for the UBR extension tube (i.e., A5 length). In other words, I would remove the spacer from the UBR and use a standard AR15 3.25" H3 carbine buffer instead of a DPMS patterned 2.5" .308 buffer--since the extended buffer tube is 0.75" longer than a standard carbine buffer tube. And if I wanted a heavier buffer than the 5.4 oz H3 buffer, I could go with the Heavy Buffers 8.5 oz XH Carbine Buffer/Spring set (a little pricier at $140). The only other part I'm not 100% on is the gas tube. I've also read where, because of lack of standards between manufacturers, it might not be long enough and cause short stroking. Upper/ Lower Component Description MSRP Sale Price Disc % Tax + Ship Total Vendor Bought Both Receiver Set Aero Precision M5 Receiver Set $287.98 $169.99 -40.97% $13.60 $183.59 Aero Precision Y Upper Handguard Aero Precision M5 Atlas R-One 15" Handguard - Black $209.99 $114.99 -45.24% $9.89 $124.88 Arm or Ally Y Upper Barrel 18" .308 Heavy Profile Rifle Length Fluted AR 308 Barrel, Premium Series $320.00 $224.00 -30.00% $0.00 $224.00 Ballistic Advantage Y Upper BCG Toolcraft AR10 Nickel Boron Bolt Carrier Group $249.99 $154.99 -38.00% $13.33 $168.32 Arm or Ally Lower Stock MAGPUL UBR GEN 2 ADJ STK - Grey (A5 receiver tube) $199.95 $152.01 -23.98% $10.00 $162.01 Lanbo's Upper Gas Block SLR Rifleworks Sentry 7 Set Screw Adjustable Gas Block - .750 (.450" Set Screw Spacing) $119.99 $95.00 -20.83% $7.85 $102.85 Right to Bear Lower Trigger LaRue Tactical MBT-2S Trigger $99.00 $80.00 -19.19% $0.00 $80.00 LaRue Upper Charging Handle Radian Weapons Raptor-LT, 7.62MM, For AR10/SR25, Grey Finish $71.20 $57.43 -19.34% $0.00 $57.43 Lanbo's Lower Buffer Luth-AR Triple Tungsten H3 Buffer, For AR Rifles CS-T3 (carbine length) $52.63 $37.10 -29.51% $0.00 $37.10 Lanbo's Lower Lower Parts Kit CMMG Lower Receiver Parts Kit, 308 Win, Without Grip/Fire Control Group $49.95 $38.66 -22.60% $0.00 $38.66 Lanbo's Lower Safety RADIAN TALON SFTY SLCTR 2 LEVER BLK $47.45 $38.28 -19.33% $0.00 $38.28 Lanbo's Lower Grip Magpul MOE-K2 Pistol Grip - Stealth Gray $19.90 $12.87 -35.33% $0.00 $12.87 Lanbo's Upper Gas Tube Spike's Tactical Rifle Length Gas Tube, Black Nitride Finish SUGT0M4 $14.40 $12.47 -13.40% $0.00 $12.47 Lanbo's Upper Forward Assist Luth-AR Forward Assist Assembly $11.23 $8.75 -22.08% $0.00 $8.75 Lanbo's Upper Dust Cover Ejection Port Dust Cover, Black Armor-Tuff®, .308 WIN $10.95 $10.95 0.00% $0.00 $10.95 Wilson Combat Upper Muzzle Brake .308 Standard barrel thread protector 5/8 x 24 thread Stainless 5/8 long #3134 $9.99 $9.99 0.00% $0.00 $9.99 Down Range Lower Buffer Spring Luth-AR Rifle Buffer Spring, .308/7.62NATO, Fits A2 Rifle Length Receiver Extension $6.53 $5.78 -11.49% $0.00 $5.78 Lanbo's 0.00% $0.00 $0.00 Total $1,781.13 $1,223.26 -31.32% $54.67 $1,277.93

Been looking a little closer at the Gen 2 version of this one. I like the reticle a little more than the Vortex (slightly less cluttered at the center aiming point). It seems to be ideal for my purposes. Of course, the street price is also comparable to the PST Gen 2...around $799.99. Everything I'm reading seems to indicate the Ares BTR is one of the nicest scopes to come out of China--closing in perhaps on the Philippine made scopes--but for equal cost it's hard to not choose the one with the longer track record. Yours has been rock solid so far? The only thing I still like on the PA over the Athlon and the Vortex are the push button-locking turrets. That's a very nice option to have on a scope used for hunting.

Thanks again for your help. I decided to pass on any scope at this time. I won't finish my AR308 build until the spring anyway. I've got the Aero receiver set and hand guard already. I'm waiting for Ballistic Advantage to ship the barrel. But the rest of the parts need to wait until I finish a few house projects. If I build another rifle before those projects, then I'll have more than reticle decisions to worry about! That'll give me plenty of time for some more research, check other sales/closeouts, etc. What I liked about that GLx scope was 1) made in the Philippines, 2) the zero-lock turrets (similar to Leupold's); 3) and overall construction/design (e.g., I like having the illumination controls coupled with the parallax knob). And while I don't really do any night shooting, I think it's the horseshoe on the R-Grid 2B that I dislike more than the rest of the reticle not being illuminated. It seems more geared toward fast target acquisition at low power and less for precision shooting. If the 4-16x50FFP came with the Athena reticle I'd probably grab it, but that's only available on the 6-24 GLx model. I had contacted PA about the GLx discount ($479.99 from $799.99), because the same scope was listed on Optics Planet as discontinued by the manufacturer. The guy said there was a trademark disallowed by the patent office, so they were closing them out and will be re-branding them in the new year (with the same internals). There was also an additional 12% off sale, so it would have been $422.39. That's almost half off the MSRP. But with tax and shipping I was at $469.76...and then I started thinking about what price I could perhaps get something like a Vortex PST Gen II 3-15x44FFP (e.g., Optics Planet...$809 with a $100 gift card and free shipping). Now we're only talking a difference of about $240--not chump change but when you're already spending close to $500 it makes me stop and think. Plus the Vortex has a reticle I like, a very good reputation/warranty, and if I wait I may even do better on price in the next 5-6 months. Or I may look further into some other brands, like Athlon for example. Here is the Vortex reticle:

98Z5V, thank you for your reply! You didn't talk me out of something, but provided very helpful information. I do think the center only illumination is a little bit of a drawback (although most of my hunting is likely to fall under MPBR). A pricier model I was looking at is the Vortex PST Gen II 3-15x44 FFP scope, which like the Athlon has the whole grid illuminated. I have the 1-6x24 scope from the same Vortex line and love it. If I do go with one of the PA scopes, I think the R-Grid would make the most sense of the two. More versatile in terms of .308 loads and other calibers. Of course, I could always look longer at the Athlon scopes or maybe just bite the bullet on the Vortex.

I am looking for a scope for my in-progress AR308 build. It will be used first for hunting and second for dipping my toes in the long range shooting waters. Primary Arms currently has their Gold series (GLx) scopes at a great discount. I am honing in on the 4-16x50 FFP model, but can’t decide between the two reticle options: 1) ACSS HUD DMR .308, and 2) R-Grid 2B. Curious if anyone has any experience with both reticles and could provide thoughts on the intended purpose? The latter seems more versatile while the former is dialed in with caliber specific BDC marks. That said, my hunting loads are likely to be more in the 150gr range versus the 168-175gr that the HUD scope is calibrated for. Thanks!

Hi, just joined the .308AR forum because I’m in the process of building my first AR308 rifle. I have done several AR15 builds in various calibers (5.56, .300 BLK, and 6.5G). Looking forward to learning more from this community (and hopefully someday contributing)!