School the newb *ready to shoot*

[85 Jimmy]

New to the site and new to the .308 AR platform. I'm not new to AR-15's though.

I plan on building a gun soon (hope to have it compeleted before November) and I plan to start with the Mega MA-TEN receiver set. The rifle is being built for play and occasional hunting, but I want to be able reliably shoot out to 1,000+ yards.

I know for the lower receiver I can just use AR-15 parts, but what options are there for barrels, handguards, BCG's etc.? Right now I want to concentrate on putting together a rifle that'll run with no issues, and not break the bank. After it's up and running I'll start looking at glass and a can (after the proper paperwork of course).

[soofley]

i believe for the upper, the only think that's AR15 interchangeable's the dust cover and charging handle latch only. Handguards not interchangeable with AR15 because they are wider than AR15's handguard(correct me if im wrong 308ar gurus!)

as for barrel/handguard. You gotta specify what system you are building(AR10/DPMS/RRA etc...) because some, or most, uses different barrel nut.

BCG is interchangeable but as per .308ar's guide mentioned, DO NOT CHANGE the bolt brand around. But i am anal about this so get stick with what brand caompatible your building  ;D

"However the one thing to keep in mind is you cant interchange the bolts between the different brands of bolt carrier. This means only use an Armalite bolt in an Armalite bolt carrier and a DPMS bolt in a DPMS bolt carrier."

for sure you are build a LR308/SR25 variant right? not an AR10?

[85 Jimmy]

It looks like using the ma-ten receiver I can go which ever route is best, but it looks like I'm going to go the DPMS route and get a FA barrel and BCG together. I'll also get a DPMS barrel nut and probably a troy TRX rail.

I guess my question was what options are out there? Or who are some vendors that supply parts for the .308's. I know about not mixing bolts to carriers, and that these aren't mil-spec like most AR-15's so once you pick a certain type like DPMS or Armalite you have to stick with it.

[washguy]

It looks like using the ma-ten receiver I can go which ever route is best, but it looks like I'm going to go the DPMS route and get a FA barrel and BCG together. I'll also get a DPMS barrel nut and probably a troy TRX rail.

I guess my question was what options are out there? Or who are some vendors that supply parts for the .308's. I know about not mixing bolts to carriers, and that these aren't mil-spec like most AR-15's so once you pick a certain type like DPMS or Armalite you have to stick with it.

Hiya 85  Im currently on my 4th mega build...3 for me and one for my best Bud....  I like rainier arms select barrels or even their match barrels but their barrels are the mid length gas system not rifle length gas tube...so therefore you can cover up the gas block with the rail....and to top it off ive never had ejection probs using the middy gas tube....i like the troy extreme 13.8 rail (comes with barrel nut)....easy to handle and looks good...get a dpms

308 bolt latch.. ar parts kit .  dpms bcg..nice trigger group magpul acs car stock/buffer/spring.low profile gas block/ gas tube....nice muzzle brake...  btw rainier has got all that on the shelf..me I shop around a lil700/800 bucks in glass and you're done....did i forget anything? :)  Wash

[unforgiven]

Welcome from Indiana brother Jimmy, brother Wash got it goin on with the Ma-Ten for sure. ;)

[85 Jimmy]

Well, it looks like its a 14-16 week wait for the receiver set, so if I gather parts while I wait on the receiver I should have everything by the time I get them.

[85 Jimmy]

Will a 18" barrel with a 1:10 twist get me out to 1,000+ yards (depending on ammo)?

[washguy]

Well, it looks like its a 14-16 week wait for the receiver set, so if I gather parts while I wait on the receiver I should have everything by the time I get them.

If you like quad rail types and you like mega you can get one tonite....these are sweet....I just like my gas block covered  and long rails but you can get gas block fold down front sight that looks trick

go here and get er done ..Gwen and her peeps are awesome to work with...so no excuses <lmao>

Wash

http://www.jsesurplus.com/megaarms.aspx

[Matt.Cross]

Will a 18" barrel with a 1:10 twist get me out to 1,000+ yards (depending on ammo)?

In the context of anything besides the satisfying "clang" of a metal target, I wouldn't think you could do it very practically. JMHO though.  :)

[Robocop1051]

Will a 18" barrel with a 1:10 twist get me out to 1,000+ yards (depending on ammo)?

The industry standard school of thought is; 18" to 600 yards, 20" to 800 yards, 22" to 1000 yards.

That being said... A 16" barrel will reach 1,000 yards, but it will lack the velocity to do much once it gets there. That will also attribute to a loss of accuracy.

I believe, if you buy from a reputable barrel company (ie; Satern, Rock Creek, Lothar Walther, Criterion, Kreiger, etc.) you will get a lot more out of your barrel than you expect. A shorter bull barrel (.936+) will out perform a longer barrel of the same contour, out to it's maximum range. For example, my .308 is a 17" heavy contour (.875) stainless steel Satern with 1:10 twist, and a carbon fiber wrap. I will put that barrel up against any other barrels of similar design out to 600, maybe even 800, yards.

That being said, if your ultimate goal is to ring steel at 1,000 yards, I would look towards a decent 20" heavy or bull barrel. If you're dead set on the 18" you will definitely need a bull barrel... Either way, those bastards are HEAVY chunks of steel and should run in the $500-$600 range.

[85 Jimmy]

I looked at the monolithics and don't really want to do a quad rail on this gun, I have one on my ar-15.

The only time I'd go to 1,000 yards would be trying to hit steel. I'd never try hunting anything that far away.

[85 Jimmy]

The industry standard school of thought is; 18" to 600 yards, 20" to 800 yards, 22" to 1000 yards.

That being said... A 16" barrel will reach 1,000 yards, but it will lack the velocity to do much once it gets there. That will also attribute to a loss of accuracy.

I believe, if you buy from a reputable barrel company (ie; Satern, Rock Creek, Lothar Walther, Criterion, Kreiger, etc.) you will get a lot more out of your barrel than you expect. A shorter bull barrel (.936+) will out perform a longer barrel of the same contour, out to it's maximum range. For example, my .308 is a 17" heavy contour (.875) stainless steel Satern with 1:10 twist, and a carbon fiber wrap. I will put that barrel up against any other barrels of similar design out to 600, maybe even 800, yards.

That being said, if your ultimate goal is to ring steel at 1,000 yards, I would look towards a decent 20" heavy or bull barrel. If you're dead set on the 18" you will definitely need a bull barrel... Either way, those bastards are HEAVY chunks of steel and should run in the $500-$600 range.

I was actually really planning on the 20" heavy barrel, but was just curious if I could get that far with an 18" and save alittle weight.

I'm not going to try and make this gun as light as I possibly can, but I don't want it to be miserable to carry around either.

[85 Jimmy]

I was watching "the art of the precision rifle" a while back and those guys were pushing a .308 in the AR platform out to a mile. So I know it can be done, but I don't think they go over the specs of that rifle and I don't have an endless budget like they do.

[survivalshop]

308 upper parts are 308 specific , the dust cover is longer & the charging handle.

You can use AR 15 trigger groups in the lower, but the pivot & disassembly pins are 308 specific.

Buffers & springs are 308 specific , but some AR 15 heavy buffers can be used on a culpable stock configuration. Rifle receiver extension will need 308 specific buffer & spring.

As far as the barrel is concerned & range , it all depends on the Barrel ( manufacturer ), ammo , GLASS ( scope ) & of course , the shooter , on what you can hit & how far .

As far as what a 16" barrel can do @ 1000 yrds , I would not want to be down there to find out .

[Jgun]

This has already been stated by the other posters, but, I think that you'd do well to decide how important accuracy at 1000M is to you vs how often you expect to be shooting out to 800 and less. Bottom line, when your looking to build a gun to shoot accurately at 1000, your starting to get into the area where the the things you might want to do, Heavy/long barrels, heavier fixed stocks, high magnification, large/heavy optics, make the gun less versitile. I think that there are people out there that can do amazing things with an average rifle, but if Your planning to shoot, and hunt, at shorter distances predominantly, with just occasional 1K meter steel shooting, I'd opt to build the gun for the other stuff and just see how well you can do with a high power optic. I'd vote for an 18" barrel over the 20", unless you plan to be shooting Plus 800M more than minus 800. I just got a 20" barrel in the mail today, and it's sold as a varmint/tactical barrel, which means that it's a heavy (but not bull barrel) profile, and I have to tell you, this is a HEAVY barrel. One thing I like about it though, is that the front isn't as large OD as other heavy profile barrels Ive seen, so I'm hoping that the weight won't feel like it's way out front, once I get it mounted.

[washguy]

Jimmy    Dont forget to allow in your budget for a great optic...prolly in the $1500 to $ 2000 range at least and good spotting scope to see marks at 1000...ive got an expensive spotting scope and im lucky to see hits at five hundred...hmmmm wait a sec...I dont even think there is a spotting scope that could see a hit. .On the clang of metal...heck  the ping at 500 is not that loud....we go shoot 500 at least twice a month and the ping aint that loud...of course I cant hear thunder either <lmao>...tannerite is your friend then....Booom ....wait a sec....at a 1000 the 308 bullet might not even have enough energy to set the tannerite off ? <dontknow>  so heres my take "for get bout it" on the 1000 yard rifle....build a nice weapon and of course 500 yds shouldnt be a prob on steel ...and you dont need a gun bearer to tote  the weapon for you...unless of course you are Shaq sized...there I said it...somebody had to <munch>  Wash

[85 Jimmy]

Alright, so where are yall getting yall's parts? Straight from the vendor or a middle man like brownells?

[washguy]

Alright, so where are yall getting yall's parts? Straight from the vendor or a middle man like brownells?

Hey Jimmy  I get mine from the mfg,vendors middlemen like brownells. a lil bit a this a lil bit of that. The advertisers here are great too! As you said  mega lowers might be months and months or maybe not if you know where to look.Just this morning jse had the upper/lower set for sale....gone now it was up for bout three days! I like tracking down impossible parts <thumbsup>Wash

[washguy]

Here you go  black rain forged upper lower

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=295128937    Wash

[85 Jimmy]

Alright, I placed my order with branson1369 for my receiver set. Now is it a good idea to start collecting parts even though I won't be able to put it together to see if they fit? Can I put a list of parts together over the next few days and y'all tell me is they'll work on the MA-TEN receivers before I buy them?

[washguy]

Hi Jimmy    sounds like a plan to me <thumbsup>

Wash

[Jgun]

The only complaint I ever recall hearing about assembling a gun based on a Mega receiver, was one member that said he had trouble getting his trigger pins to fit, but I think it may have been his lack of experience, and not a receiver issue. I think that you would do well to figure out what parts you want in your gun and get them ordered. That way they will all start rolling in and hopefully, you'll be ready to put it all together the day your receiver set arrives. That's the fun part that all of us look forward to. Usually, (for me) I'm buying parts and adding them to the receiver  as they arrive, and I've usually got a an almost complete gun that's waiting for one remaining vital component to arrive in order to be finished. If you could order, and have all of your parts in hand when your receiver set arrives, you will avoid the frustration of looking at a non functional,almost complete rifle for an extended period of time.

[washguy]

Alright, I placed my order with branson1369 for my receiver set. Now is it a good idea to start collecting parts even though I won't be able to put it together to see if they fit? Can I put a list of parts together over the next few days and y'all tell me is they'll work on the MA-TEN receivers before I buy them?

[/quot

This could be it    WASH

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_120/1014624_WTS__Krieger__308__SPR_barrel_Dpms.html

[gunner1]

I saw that over there. Shileen makes good barrels. I'm pretty sure that Rainier Arms uses Shileen blanks for their barrels. I have the Rainier Arms 20" Ultra Match. With the receivers, barrel, TRX Extreme BattleRail, Fulton Armory bolt/carrier, A1 stock kit, and SJC Titan muzzle brake and NO SIGHTS I'm right at EXACTLY 10 pounds. Just keep that in the back of your mind- 308 AR's get heavy quickly! The next part beside the barrel I'd buy if I was you would be the bolt/carier. The supply usually dries up FAST- especially if you want a chromed set. What's the ETA for your receiver set?

[85 Jimmy]

I saw that over there. Shileen makes good barrels. I'm pretty sure that Rainier Arms uses Shileen blanks for their barrels. I have the Rainier Arms 20" Ultra Match. With the receivers, barrel, TRX Extreme BattleRail, Fulton Armory bolt/carrier, A1 stock kit, and SJC Titan muzzle brake and NO SIGHTS I'm right at EXACTLY 10 pounds. Just keep that in the back of your mind- 308 AR's get heavy quickly! The next part beside the barrel I'd buy if I was you would be the bolt/carier. The supply usually dries up FAST- especially if you want a chromed set. What's the ETA for your receiver set?

The ETA on the receiver set is 14-16 weeks, so I should have plenty of time to get everything in order before they get here. I know I probably could have got it sooner from somewhere else, but I like the idea of supporting the guys that are willing to help out whatever board I'm on (whether it's guns or trucks).