AR Builds Show Them Off!

[Cab]

Looking to build a rifle for around $1000 should I go simple for the lower and spend most of the money on the upper and optics?

[emac]

Looking to build a rifle for around $1000 should I go simple for the lower and spend most of the money on the upper and optics?

Barrel and optics

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[Yondering]

Yes, spend it on barrel and optics, as well as a decent trigger and handguard. As long as the lower functions and has the features you want, it doesn't really matter much; spending extra money there is only worthwhile if it's just something you like. The balance and fit of the whole rifle as a package IMO is also a lot more important than the lower receiver.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I don't have an AR.  There's a funny looking black rifle in my safe, but every time I ask it what it is, it self-identifies as a single shot bolt action.

[Cab]

I don't have an AR.  There's a funny looking black rifle in my safe, but every time I ask it what it is, it self-identifies as a single shot bolt action.

  that just made my day.

[Yondering]

I don't have an AR.  There's a funny looking black rifle in my safe, but every time I ask it what it is, it self-identifies as a single shot bolt action.

A bunch of mine claim they are straight pull bolt actions. Like the one in that first pic I posted for example.

[Alchase]

Could be interesting to see hunting builds. I've only ever really seen tactical setups as I don't know anyone personally that hunts with an AR.

I do. Unfortunately I do more AR building than hunting, so I've got several built for hunting that I've never actually hunted with. When I did hunt this fall, my son and I used a couple of the others that were not built as hunting guns, go figure. (He used my 9" 300 Blk pistol, I used the 12.5" 6.5 Grendel SBR shown below.)

Here are some pics. This first one is a 30 cal wildcat similar to the 30 American, using a 20" re-purposed Ruger 30/06 stainless sporter weight barrel and other light weight components. It weighs a bit under 7.5 lb.




This one is the 12.5" 6.5 Grendel SBR I hunted with this fall (without the light attached). The 129 ABLR worked great on one southern whitetail doe, but didn't shoot any other big game with it. I built this one a couple years ago before 12.5" Grendel barrels became popular, and it quickly became my favorite AR.




These two are matching 5.56 and 308 carbines. I haven't hunted big game with either one of these. The 5.56 is a "recce" pattern that I've shot a lot, and the 308 is there mostly just because I wanted one.

Love the color of your Grendel!

[Yondering]

Thanks. Say it with Krylon! 

[carpsniperg2]

I don’t post many pics anymore. Yet I’ll share one.
Here is a sika my 6.5 Grendel made short work of a few days ago.
123sst heart shot. Chunks of heart and lungs in the blood trail. Pretty tough deer!

[Dan-o]

No fair!!!!
I want to shoot a deer with my Grendel)

That looks fun!

[carpsniperg2]

It was a blast! LOL haha
I have to rack my brain think I have shot big game with 300blk/6x45/6.5G/243wssm and in the AR10 308 and 7mm-08.

If I get a wild hair I might share a pic of the new monsters in the works of being born muhahaha

[Dan-o]

It was a blast! LOL haha
I have to rack my brain think I have shot big game with 300blk/6x45/6.5G/243wssm and in the AR10 308 and 7mm-08.

If I get a wild hair I might share a pic of the new monsters in the works of being born muhahaha

DO IT!

[Alchase]

Thanks. Say it with Krylon! 

Krylon Seriously?

Can you post instructions on how you did that?

That is a cool paint job, I figured it was dipped, LOL

[Alchase]

It was a blast! LOL haha
I have to rack my brain think I have shot big game with 300blk/6x45/6.5G/243wssm and in the AR10 308 and 7mm-08.

If I get a wild hair I might share a pic of the new monsters in the works of being born muhahaha

DO IT!

Please Mister, more please, 

[Yondering]

Thanks. Say it with Krylon! 

Krylon Seriously?

Can you post instructions on how you did that?

That is a cool paint job, I figured it was dipped, LOL

yeah, I'm fond of using Krylon on ARs for camo jobs; it's easy to remove if I want to go back, and it's plenty durable enough for it's purpose. Usually the sharp edges start to get worn, but that actually helps the camo look anyway.

As for instructions, I don't have a series of pics documenting it, but could take some next time I paint one. It's all freehand though, and seems like each one comes out a little different.
I use the Krylon "camo paint" colors for this; they are ultra flat and are part of the Fusion line so they work well on plastic like grips and stocks. Lots of good greys, browns, and greens to choose from. The general procedure goes something like this:

- Tape off everything important. Scope lenses (I'll use Butler Creek caps instead of tape if I have them), turrets, and the barrel muzzle all need protection, most everything else gets painted.
- For a desert camo, I usually start with a base layer of sand color, and then add random patches of darker browns and greys.
- Use something for stencils on the darker colors to break up the pattern. I like the tool wrap mesh, it gives sort of a snake-skin pattern, and have some tool box drawer liner material that makes interesting patterns too. Lots of different things can work there. With the mesh, sometimes I'll spray a patch of grey over the mesh, then shift the mesh slightly and spray some dark brown; that can make a pretty good pattern like scales or rattlesnake skin.

Ferns, leaves, grass etc all work well as stencils too if you're going for a local forest camo pattern.