Absolute firearm and hunting newb, checking in

[Thundercat710]

@Thundercat710

First, like I told my brother-in-law, when I got him hooked on guns, "welcome to the illness."

Second, I used to try to dissuade people from "building" (like when I was a kid and "built" a Lego castle) their own AR's, but I now think I was wrong in doing that. If you have the budget for several oopsies, then go for it. The more you get your hands and mind around the components, the more you learn to appreciate guns and I think that's good for a newbie.

Third, as far as your components, it sounds like you are going in the correct direction. The LaRue MBT-2s is, just in my opinion, one of the finest 2-stage AR triggers available. I mean, it is just disgustingly good. I've had good luck with BA barrels and they are reasonably priced. My only suggestion on your barrel is to go with a 1:7 twist if you want to launch the heavier .223 projectiles. With the $ you are saving on the Vortex, pick up some Vortex rings, which are handy because they put the torque specs on the side of the rings, or look into an ADM QD mount.

Fourth, as far as predators in your neck of the woods, there is a solid lion population over there. I'd start with coyotes because you will likely have a higher success rate and, like anything else, the more you win, the more you will like something. However, if you are using any kind of distress/prey call in lion country, pick up a lion tag before you go. Why? Because it's a great insurance policy. You just might call in a lion and I'd hate to see you be stuck with the shoot/no shoot choice and risk being charged with unlawful hunting of big game. I'm not saying anyone who pops a lion without a tag should be prosecuted; I am saying it is a very likely possibility.

Finally, I won't say what I do for a living, but it relates to point four, above. When you are out in the woods, don't just know the hunting rules and regulations. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, which include (and I can't tell you how many clients ignored this advice) exercising your right to remain silent.

Best wishes and, once again, welcome to the illness.

Thanks a ton for the response, I appreciate it!

I went to the local rifle store this afternoon and picked up everything except the barrel and handguard. I'm actually under the budget I was thinking I'd be at by this point, which is awesome.

Aero Upper and lower, saa bcg, the LaRue trigger with a lighter spring swap out, a carbine buffer kit, and magpul stock and grip. They're all put together, pretty straightforward honestly. I did almost send that first takedown spring but got my hand over it just in time, then I decided to be not dumb and used a flathead to hold it in place while i pushed the pin on lol. The back spring hole is threaded with a 4-40 screw which made that one a cinch.

Now I'm really agonizing over what length and brand of barrel I should go with. If you can talk me into 18 or 20 or whatever then I'm all ears

I think it would be incredible to get a mountain lion, absolutely. Just yesterday I found out my neighbor with the vortex scope does a good bit of coyote, I asked him about mountain lions and he said "mostly luck unless you have dogs".

 

[Rock Knocker]

18" 223 is a great start. I think everyone should have a 223, theres endless ammo to find, especially decent priced ammo for plinking and learning to shoot compared to some of the newer higher end cartridges.

I wouldnt over think the barrel profile, keep it light and practical over a heavy bull barrel, I went long and heavy at first then went down to a lighter shorter barrel.

I think Aero Precision M4E1 Enhanced Uppers are worth the money, the barrel and handguard attachment is like 5 times more heavy duty than a milspec AR15 upper. That being said, Ive never seen a milspec upper go bad and they are used everywhere and shoot great.

And at least for a lot of new guys, buying scopes and optics is a pain, spending $1000 on a rifle can be a lot easier at first than spending $1000 on optics but good optics are worth it. Ive never used Diamond Back but ive heard of them and I would expect that scope to be fine but get out and check out some good scopes, they can make the experience a lot better. Some guys say they will spend double on the glass as what they spend on the rifle, I cant argue against that.

 

[Thundercat710]

18" 223 is a great start. I think everyone should have a 223, theres endless ammo to find, especially decent priced ammo for plinking and learning to shoot compared to some of the newer higher end cartridges.

I wouldnt over think the barrel profile, keep it light and practical over a heavy bull barrel, I went long and heavy at first then went down to a lighter shorter barrel.

I think Aero Precision M4E1 Enhanced Uppers are worth the money, the barrel and handguard attachment is like 5 times more heavy duty than a milspec AR15 upper. That being said, Ive never seen a milspec upper go bad and they are used everywhere and shoot great.

And at least for a lot of new guys, buying scopes and optics is a pain, spending $1000 on a rifle can be a lot easier at first than spending $1000 on optics but good optics are worth it. Ive never used Diamond Back but ive heard of them and I would expect that scope to be fine but get out and check out some good scopes, they can make the experience a lot better. Some guys say they will spend double on the glass as what they spend on the rifle, I cant argue against that.

Yeah i got the aero precision upper and lower, seems pretty good

The neighbor selling me the diamondback works for leupold and felt bad that he had already used up all his annual employee discounts by the time I asked him, so he's doing me a solid with the diamondback. He told me to hit him up in December and he'll break me off one of those discounts come next January

 

[alf]

Now I'm really agonizing over what length and brand of barrel I should go with. If you can talk me into 18 or 20 or whatever then I'm all ears

The barrel is the heart & soul of accuracy. Plenty of people get acceptable accuracy with about any brand out there, but you sway the odds in your favor by not rolling the dice by buying quality right out of the gate. I've had a couple Ultra Match barrels from Ranier Arms, which are Shilens, and have shot amazing.

I prefer 20" for mine for the little extra free velocity, but I believe 18" is a good compromise between velocity & portability.

I'd be pretty tempted to buy this one if it's in your budget:

Rainier Arms Ultramatch MOD2 .223 Wylde AR-15 Barrel - 18\\\

Satisfaction Guarantee We are so confident in our barrels that we offer a 100% money back guarantee within 90 days of purchase. If our barrels don’t meet or exceed your expectations, for any reason, return it for a full refund.

www.rainierarms.com

 

[Thundercat710]

The barrel is the heart & soul of accuracy. Plenty of people get acceptable accuracy with about any brand out there, but you sway the odds in your favor by not rolling the dice by buying quality right out of the gate. I've had a couple Ultra Match barrels from Ranier Arms, which are Shilens, and have shot amazing.

I prefer 20" for mine for the little extra free velocity, but I believe 18" is a good compromise between velocity & portability.

I'd be pretty tempted to buy this one if it's in your budget:

Rainier Arms Ultramatch MOD2 .223 Wylde AR-15 Barrel - 18\\\

Satisfaction Guarantee We are so confident in our barrels that we offer a 100% money back guarantee within 90 days of purchase. If our barrels don’t meet or exceed your expectations, for any reason, return it for a full refund.

www.rainierarms.com

That's so funny, I was just looking at Rainier Arms today. Since I'm coming in under what my original plan was on the rest of the kit i think I'm going to go with them.

 

[WMFerguson]

Thanks a ton for the response, I appreciate it!

I went to the local rifle store this afternoon and picked up everything except the barrel and handguard. I'm actually under the budget I was thinking I'd be at by this point, which is awesome.

Aero Upper and lower, saa bcg, the LaRue trigger with a lighter spring swap out, a carbine buffer kit, and magpul stock and grip. They're all put together, pretty straightforward honestly. I did almost send that first takedown spring but got my hand over it just in time, then I decided to be not dumb and used a flathead to hold it in place while i pushed the pin on lol. The back spring hole is threaded with a 4-40 screw which made that one a cinch.

Now I'm really agonizing over what length and brand of barrel I should go with. If you can talk me into 18 or 20 or whatever then I'm all ears

I think it would be incredible to get a mountain lion, absolutely. Just yesterday I found out my neighbor with the vortex scope does a good bit of coyote, I asked him about mountain lions and he said "mostly luck unless you have dogs".

Aero makes good stuff. Their handguards are good. But, if you are as mentally challenged as I am, the S-ONE cane be a PITA to time. Regarding the detent for the takedown pin in front of the mag well, a credit card works well to keep the detent in place as you slide the pin. Once you compress the spring with the detent and cred card, you can use a powerful neo magnet to keep the detent in the recess. Also, when you install your gas block, you can dimple the barrel for your set screws, by getting a cheapo spring loaded punch at Harbor Freight.

I think Alf and Rock Knocker are spot on with their barrel assessments. My additional 2 cents: put function first and let that be your guiding principle. In other words, if you can't decide on 18 vs 20 and barrel profile, picture your hiking distance, terrain and cover (shot distance), average firing schedule, and vehicle/transport situation.

There are guys on here who have called in more lions than I have. I've only called in two (that I know of), but it's easier than it sounds; it sounds impossible. .223 will do the trick and do it well. 7mag at 10 yards will do it, but....yeah. I would respectfully disagree with your friend on the luck aspect. I couldn't win a drawing if I were the only entrant and there were only one ticket.

 

[BrianID]

A 223 wylde with a is a good choice for your 1st build. The problem with building AR's is that it becomes addictive and you will want to build another one before long. Create a budget for the gun before you build it because it isn't difficult to drop $2000+ on a build. Keep the 1st build simple and cheap because you will probably find things that you don't like about it and start planning a future build.

Areo upper and lower are a good affordable choice. Spending more on the upper or lower isn't going to have any significant impact on function or accuracy. You may already know this but the lower receiver is the only part that you need to go through an FFL with. Unless Oregon has some dumb laws I'm not aware of, all the other parts can be purchased online and shipped to your front door.

As others mentioned, find friends that have ARs that you can shoot. Go to different gun stores and handle some the of the ARs they have on the shelf as well. Try to decide if you want a lighter weight AR or if you prefer a heavier gun. I have a heavy AR (12-13lbs ??) in 223 wylde and 22" JP barrel. It is probably my favorite gun for calling coyotes. It is a pain to pack around but it shoots great and follow up shots are easy with minimal recoil due to the heavy gun with a smaller cartridge.

If you want a lighter gun, you might be happier with a 16" barrel. If you don't mind a longer/heavier gun, you might choose a 22" or 24" barrel. I have a couple JP barrels that shoot great and even a cheap AR stoner barrel that shoots well. If accuracy is a top priority, then spending extra $$ on a barrel might be worth it to you. If $$ isn't an issue, you could also put a JP silent capture spring instead of a cheap spring in the buffer tube. Midway has them on sale for around $92.

 

[bohunr]

wilson combat 20 inch 223 wylde super sniper barrel and for an extra 42.00 you can have it armor tuff coated in the color of your choice

BARREL, .223 WYLDE, SUPER SNIPER, 20", FLUTED, STAINLESS, GLASS BEAD, 1-8

Experience the precision of Wilson Combat's Super Sniper stainless barrel. This 20" barrel is designed for the .223 Wylde chamber, providing shooters with an exceptional option when accurate long range results are required.

wilsoncombat.com