Time For a NM AR?

wanderinwalker · Sep 4, 2003

Okay, here's the deal. Went to a 300 yard practice shoot tonight and "played" with my dad's new M-15 NM. Using some reloads I cooked up the other day, I proceeded to shoot a 190-4X on the simulated 600 yard target. (So I've had a full summer to practice this, and...?)

Now I've been wanting to get into Highpower competition in the next year or so. Between college and work schedule, I will find a way to fit in a few macthes. The question is, should I save the $$ for my own AR, convince my father to sell me his, or think about a 3rd option (other than stealing dad's for matches)?

Oh yeah, and all of those who agree with my thinking that I need an AR, could you give advice/personal experiences with the various brands? (I know that the Armalite is nice, but I'm afraid walking to the gunshop and plunking down $1500 is a little steep for me. College student, ya know...)

Mannlicher · Sep 4, 2003

Wanderin, it sure sounds like the time is right

Jaeger · Sep 5, 2003

I recently bought an Olympic Arms Service Match rifle. It is every bit as good if not better than the Bushmaster CMP rifles I had been looking at.

The fit between the upper and lower are the tightest I've seen. The trigger is very good. It has one of their stainless broach cut barrels with the 1/8" twist. The barrel barely fouls and is VERY easy to clean.

Accuracy so far has been very good. Sub moa has been the rule. It seems to be tightening up as it breaks in.

It also has 1/4 moa match sights and a NM float tube.

The rifle was under $900 NIB. I love this one and will not hesitate to purchase from Olympic again.

Gary G23 · Sep 5, 2003

http://www.rockriverarms.com/national_match_a2_-_cmp_legal.htm

Swampy · Sep 5, 2003

wanderinwalker,

Around these parts the AR of choice for X-course shooting is made by Rock River. The "out of the box" Rock River DCM AR will score you X's all day long if you do your part. The price is right too.

Shooter and Gunsmith John Holliger does primo upgrades to Rock River DCM AR's, bringing them up a notch by tightening things and tweaking them all around. A bit more expensive than the basic RR, but worth it if you are at the top of your game and are scrounging every single point.

Lately too it seems that DPMS is making a name for themselves as a good DCM AR without breaking the bank.

Re Bushy's..... The Bushy DCM AR is a decent rifle, but around here, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, the guys who have bought them have had to replace the Bushy two stage trigger after about 500-700 rounds. The trigger just up and "goes South" with no warning. Sometimes this happens in the middle of a match. You should hear the cussin'....

All these guys have replaced the Bushy trigger with either a Jewel or a Rock River....

Best of luck in your decision,
Swampy

Steve Smith · Sep 5, 2003

I echo Swampy's first, second and fourth paragraphs (Rock River, John Holliger, and Bushmaster triggers)

I shot a RRA for a year and a half before having Holliger go over it and build it up to a custom gun, and at the same time I had him build a custom from the ground up so I'd have a primary and a backup. The new gun became the primary of course (I kept the year old barrel on the RRA so I could use it as a rattle Battle gun). John does great work. Of course, there is practically nothing wrong with the box stock RRA and it is really the best factory offering on the market today. If you know a "friendly" dealer, you should be able to get one for under $900 when all is said and done. Be sure to order the upper and lower seperately.

BTW, good shooting. Now, do it again and do it better.

wanderinwalker · Sep 5, 2003

Thanks all for the responses. I have good relations with the local Oly Arms dealer (if you can call 40 miles away local), and actually just about every gun shop in the area here!

And Swampy and Mr. Smith, I have heard about a gentleman around these parts dealing in the RRA. Can't recall his name, but I seem to recall that it is an Internet deal.

Mr. Smith, NEXT Thursday I will do it again, and do it better. But I need to make more ammo. The funny part to this story is that the 20 rounds I used last night were the first 20 69gr SMK I have ever loaded. I would have been happy to have just held the paper with a first-try load! Knowing that it will hold 10/X as long as I do my part is icing on the cake.

FWIW, the load is 24gr of W748 (.5gr below book max), WSR primers, Federal match cases and the aformentioned 69gr Sierra Matchking loaded to 2.25" OAL.

Steve Smith · Sep 5, 2003

Hard to make a good AR shoot anything poorly.

Have you shot position rifle before? Most folks can't come close to 190 for a year or so.

(in Yoda voice) "Shows great promise this one does..MMMMM!"

wanderinwalker · Sep 5, 2003

Ah-ha, Mr. Smith sees my dirty little secret!

Yes sir, I have shot position before. This is my second season of these 300 yard prone shoots. We run every Thursday from June-August/September. I'm not as religious about attending as others, but I make it frequently. Prior to this AR, I had been using an old 03A3. After much fiddling, I had improved my consistency into the 180s with it. I have also attended 2 Highpower macthes (about 4-5 years ago, I was 14 or 15), which I fired X-course with an M-1 Garand.

And might I mention, that at the tender age of 9 I had alot of coaching from a smallbore instructor and got to "practice" 3-4 times with the 15-18 year olds on the smallbore team.

Great promise? Yeah, I've heard that one before...

Time For a NM AR?

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