Building AR for long range

[JAYgs8163]

I built mine using a matched billet upper and lower from Franklin Armory. Krieger 20" 7 twist barrel 223 Wylde, Geisselle DMR trigger adjustable to 2.5 lbs, Young National Match BCG. Shoots in the same hole if I do my job. 7twist shoots the lights and the heavies very well. Spend the money on the barrel, trigger, and BCG. Look at a 6.5 Grendel also as a option if staying with the AR15 platform. Below is the 223 Wylde. I also run a 6.5 Grendel with a 24" barrel that I've shot deer at 400 to 500 yards with running 100 grain loaded rounds.

 

[tuscan]

JP Rifles probably makes among the most accurate gas guns available, and will customize orders. They also own and operate the Blue Steel Ranch where you can get great instruction in how to shoot gas carbines and rifles long range. I have a 223 upper from them and a 308 complete rifle which are both great. Like others have said though, if your shooting is regularly over 500 yards, consider something other than 223. 6mm arc and 6mm creedmoor are much better choices with no noticeable increase in recoil in a gas platform, and tremendous coyote, antelope and deer calibers.

 

[bamban]

If you want to go to 1000 yards, I'd recommend a better LR cartridge than .223. Doing all that work, spending all that money...might as well have a solid plan in place as far as the cartridge before starting. If you still want it to be .224 caliber, look into .224 Valkyrie maybe. Or the 6mm ARC or 6.5 Grendel. Good luck and hope you love it.

You are right about the challenges you are faced with shooting a 223 at 1K. But, it is a lot of fun.

Back in 97 at our state long range championship, the little 223 took this wood against magnums and Palma guns. Rifle had an Obermeyer built by my old friend Bill Wylde, creator of the Wylde reamer.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Just remember that some of the calibers being mentioned will not run in a AR15 platform.

AR10 type platforms (308. 6.5 Creed and 6mm Creed, etc) are a entirely different animal with no MilSpec design. There are a few different platform designs that are NOT interchangeable.

 

[Pauleye]

I agree with the above poster. If you have the change, get a 224 Valkyrie and it is a long range shooter. It fits on an ar15 platform. I have an upper from Uintah It's a bolt, but have another in semi automatic. If you want to use your bolt, try a 22 Nosler. Good luck It's a lot fun

 

[reconrover]

Howdy all. If you are looking at AR's, or considering building and AR for hunting purposes. First item when building your own, is to go for a matching receiver set if possible. This is especially important when building an AR-10 platform, because many uppers and lowers do not match like the AR15 platform, and you will get pretty frustrated trying to get it all to line up. Second is of course going to be the barrel. I have had best results from BlackHole Weaponry(Columbia River Arms). Every single barrel I have gotten from them has delivered top notch results. There are a couple of others like X-Caliber that deliver on their promise of accuracy. Third is the trigger. The drop in cassette triggers are really competitive, Timney is the most consistent, while AR gold is probably the best all around feel. 4th is weight. You can make an AR pretty porky. Pay attention to items that can lighten the load, like titanium components, and carbon fiber handguards, like those available from Brigand Armory. On a matched receiver set in a reasonable price range, Aero Precision does well, with that great Aluminum heat sink barrel nut. 5th: When going through the motions of building, spend a couple of extra bucks on a Superlative Arms adjustable base block. You can really tune the rifle well with that, it is absolutely worth the few extra dollars. 6th: Barrel fit. If the barrel isn't a very tight fit into the receiver, utilize Lock-Tite Green formula #620 (sleeve retainer) (available at Brownells, etc). This one tip will really help tighten up the interface. Oh yes, and don't go cheap on the bolt carrier group. JP

AR-15: I love, absolutely love the 6.5 Grendel, you can get a lot done with it, people are hitting targets at over 1k with them
AR-10: of course 6.5 Creed, but ya know the .260 Remington really sings.
If your going to mess with the 5.56/.223, then yep, just like they mention above, stick with 69 grain bullets and above, 72gr has been the magic for me.

Brigand Arms - Lightweight items
Loctite - Green formula
Syrac Ordnance - adjustable gas block
Blackhole Weaponry - Columbia River Arms - barrels
V-Seven - Ti - lightweight parts
2A armory - lightweight receivers, etc.
AR gold triggers

 

[jpndave]

Certainly you can get the AR platform to reach out but it will never be a bolt gun. I haven't gone to the extent of truing receivers but might try that. The new 6mm ARC is very promising and I have an upper going together now for my AR to add to the 223 Wylde I have now. I like the 73gr ELD-M in the 5.56 as it was designed to be the max mag fed length you can realistically use. There are others out there in a similar position but heavier than that is compromising things and once you have to single feed, what's the point of having a gas gun?

The Magpul assembly block works from the inside rather than clamshell over the top. I like that much better (you do need a spare bolt carrier for it to work or disassemble the one for the rifle). Their action wrench is nicer too.

I like the Aero M4E1 receivers both upper and lower though I'm not sure how much that plays into accuracy. TriggerTech triggers are better than any I have tried, outstanding! Barrels, heavier and more rigid are going to really help on an AR since you always have the gas block and tube along for the ride. I would prefer a 1:7 twist for the Wylde but most are 1:8 and should be more than adequate for any mag fed bullet. In the ARC I'd do a 1:7.5. I prefer the BCM rails with Aero a somewhat close 2nd place. Unless you go to proprietary non-standard attachment at the receiver the BCM is the best (and patented) design that does not spread the rail. Aero uses a wedge that works almost a well. There are a lot of junk rails out there.

Now is not the best time to try and assemble one though I get the urge. Parts are stupid to find. I have some pretty serious backorders going with Faxon among others. I really like their barrels for a somewhat sane price point. I had a super custom made but one of the best AR barrel fitters out there for my personal gun and I am going to sell it and run a Faxon after inspection with my borescope. Plus the Faxon is nitride inside and out, win/win. Hopefully that backorder shows soon!

 

[tacomHQ]

We regularly demo 500yd - 600yd hits when using our AR15--- given the ammo the gun likes-- stock POF. Our main focus is the optics being able to go CQB to 500 yds instantly with any "red dot" or any optic. In this case the optic is the unit in front of the scope -- Alpha TARAC. We build those custom to any gun allowing an instant switch to a second point blank range.
It gets interesting when we get to a larger weapon like a 6.5Creed or the .260Rem pictured. We demo a 100yd round than an instant 1000yd round on a man size target. To clarify- we don't demo- the operators are the shooters. A fun note: we were demoing with a sniper team and ran the 100yd impact and jumped to the 1000-- guys in the pit at the 1000-- he shoots three rounds... the pit guy comes back over the radio "you just dropped a 3" group". Made the shooters day, year, still talks about it.
Lucky --- a bit.
Do we consistently engage man size guys at 1000'yds-- every time we go out for demos. We have engaged 1500yd targets regularly- as long as we can see splash. Will the guns shoot sub 3/8moa-- "yes". With factory ammo and more than likely more than one type. Several top manufacturers will produce AR's with these capabilities.
We do press in every extension into the upper. Switch over to a Savage style nut system. Run a "very" adjustable gas block. Of course our barrel. We choose the stiffest upper we can find. I would run our AR10 against most bolt guns.

 

[Gater]

call John Hollager at white oak armory he is putting out some pretty accurate ARs I have one and it shoots better than I can

 

[223kid]

Wow! Sounds like you fellas worked hard to get some accuracy. I merely bought a 1:9 24" barrel, Machined my 80% lower, don't even remember whose upper it is. Assembled the upper. Installed a good trigger from AR15 triggers(AR15-triggers.com) in the Buckeye, best trigger there is in my opinion and he won't break the bank.
Mine loves 69 gr Sierra matchkings , will shoot up to 77gr. bullets. Farthest so far is a 632 yard ground hog. It will go farther ,no doubt . Cost of the build (pre pandemic prices) under $800.00

 

[ae7v]

Well I agree with most of the statements here and have tried up all my receivers which helps significantly. I have only done a few of the undersized receivers for customers none for myself. As far as a different caliber for LR, I would sink alot into the 224 Valkyrie as I know Sierra had a bit of trouble with the 90gr SMK and they did not work well, I do beleive they have since corrected the issue and I wouldn't think in this time and age that there are any in stock anywhere. But I would do a Grendal or ARC, even a 6mm Hager. I mean there is a bunch of better suited cartridges out there just look at some of the ones that are offered from 6mmar.com as an example.

 

[Pro2A]

What are the things you do to build an accurate AR in 223 for long range 300-1000yds. I have never messed with AR's only bolt guns. Thinking 8 twist for 77-85gr bullets.

Are you building an AR because you need to put rapid follow up rounds on target? Guessing probably not, your position is probably not being over run......at least yet. Or, just because you want an AR platform? No wrong rationale, if it meets your preference. The action movement and the gas system....DI or piston......contacting/adding weight to the barrel accounts for most of the AR inaccuracy compared to a bolt gun.....build pieces being of equal quality. Where I and friends just want an AR instead of a traditional bolt gun, I have several times made a straight pull AR bolt gun. Two options: 1) where I want to eliminate action motion for accuracy (and noise reduction), but also want to be able to fire semi-auto on occasion, I run an adjustable gas block....usually only ON/OFF. On for semi-auto; OFF for bolt accuracy/quietness. 2) For bolt only....never semi....I eliminate the gas system/gas block weight/contact for true free float barrel. I like a custom barrel without the gas port machined....always only bolt option. For this always bolt option, I like a side charging upper/bolt carrier design...ala Alexander Arms or others. For bolt/semi flexibility, I run either the side charger or the traditional AR charging handle. The side charger is much more convenient and faster for self spotting impacts. Without the action motion and barrel contacts, the accuracy becomes the shooter, the build pieces quality, the ammo consistency, and the particular cartridge's ballistics determining the "long range" accuracy......like a true bolt gun. At longer range, especially with a straight pull bolt, shooter can run bolt and get back on target to pick up vapor trail and impacts for self correction, especially with low .223 recoil. And, I prefer the 7-twist for the heavier bullets......a little fast for 55gr; 8-twist for 62gr. For me, 1000yds with 223 is a really more of a fire-for-effect fun crap shoot in sub-sonic territory. Today, there are much, much better cartridges available beyond 500-800yds in AR platform. Especially if you might ever intend to reload for maximum accuracy. Just a really, really old geezer's thoughts. YMMV.

 

[zach_destroys]

You should try some CFE223 with the 77 SMK you will get more velocity than StaBALL 6.5.

I do have a most of a can sitting here. Should get me pretty close to replicating the army's mk262.

 

[zach_destroys]

I built mine using a matched billet upper and lower from Franklin Armory. Krieger 20" 7 twist barrel 223 Wylde, Geisselle DMR trigger adjustable to 2.5 lbs, Young National Match BCG. Shoots in the same hole if I do my job. 7twist shoots the lights and the heavies very well. Spend the money on the barrel, trigger, and BCG. Look at a 6.5 Grendel also as a option if staying with the AR15 platform. Below is the 223 Wylde. I also run a 6.5 Grendel with a 24" barrel that I've shot deer at 400 to 500 yards with running 100 grain loaded rounds. View attachment 267276

What stock is that?