Varmint AR-15

[Last Escape Pod]

Anyone ever take a "M4 lookalike" AR-15 and turn it into a varmint rifle? Varmint rifle as in replacing the 16 inch barrel with a heavy barrel? Besides changing the barrel, what would one have to change on an AR-15 to make it varmint style?

I ask because I admire both M4 carbine lookalikes and varmint rifles. I'd like to get one AR-15 and change it between both styles.

[zoomie]

Besides changing the barrel, what would one have to change on an AR-15 to make it varmint style?
Depends on what you consider varmint style. Everything on the AR is easily replaceable.

Are you wanting to rebarrel or build a whole new upper? Changing barrels is not a big deal, but the AR is not typically a switch-barrel design. OTOH, switching uppers is simple and common.

[madcratebuilder]

There's no reason you can't achieve great accuracy with a 14.5-16" barrel. You well sacrifice bullet velocity as the barrel becomes shorter, but not the accuracy.

[Mobuck]

It requires about $50-100 in tools to change out an AR barrel depending on what you have already. If you don't already have a set of tools and a vise, you probably aren't knowledgeable enough to safely make the swap.
While it's possible to make the swap w/o an action clamp, the chance of breaking,twisting, or generally messing up you upper is increased.
There are several ways you can butch the job up but newbie guys claim to do it all the time. I see some of their oops jobs in the shop and get a chuckle at their expense.

[Crow Hunter]

Anyone ever take a "M4 lookalike" AR-15 and turn it into a varmint rifle? Varmint rifle as in replacing the 16 inch barrel with a heavy barrel? Besides changing the barrel, what would one have to change on an AR-15 to make it varmint style?

I ask because I admire both M4 carbine lookalikes and varmint rifles. I'd like to get one AR-15 and change it between both styles.

What kind of varmit hunting are you planning on doing?

P-dogs or some other type of high volume shooting with relatively stationary targets, I would go for the heavy barrel type.

Coyotes or other type of limited shooting/moving targets and alot of walking, I would prefer just the "M4 lookalike" type.

I used to use my Colt 6724 for coyotes. After taking my 6920 one time, I haven't taken the 6724 back. It is too heavy and unwieldy in comparison.

[Art Eatman]

I was thinking mostly a coyote truck gun when I set up my AR. CMMG had a deal for a 1:14 skinny 20" flat-top upper; I got mine with no front sight and stuck it on a Colt lower. A Weaver K4 on top. It shoots just under one MOA.

[emcon5]

Great thing about the AR platform, it is modular.

Just buy or build a new varmint upper, and swap them out depending on the type of shooting you will be doing.

On edit, to clarify: To swap complete upper receiver assemblies, is 2 pins and about 30 seconds.

[boostedtt91]

i have a Rock River 24" A4 Upper AR15 which you could consider a varmint rifle i guess except for its quite heavy, but very accurate

[ms6852]

I would get the A2 stock and a 20 inch bull barrel. I own the rock river arms predator pursuit and with the right ammo it has a 3/4 moa guarantee. I shot a .683 5 shot group with Hornady superformance steel match 55gr ammo at 100 yds. The trigger is sweet too.

[Art Eatman]

If prairie-dogging is on the menu, a heavy barrel makes sense. Lots of shots, lots of heat. But if it's coyotes and such on the agenda, there's no point to the heavy barrel; it's just adding weight that doesn't help anything as to accuracy.

[Hansam]

As others have said it depends on what you want to use the gun for.

Prairie dogs require a heavy barrel with tighter rifling so you can get more accuracy out of the gun. Coyote isn't quite so demanding.

My buddy and I both use AR-15s in 5.56/.223 for coyote. I went with a 16" plain barrel (no grenade launcher indent) for my upper and my buddy went with a 21" heavy barrel on his. His gun is a tack driver that's able to shoot 1" groups at 300 yds in HIS hands. I don't do quite so well with the gun myself. My gun isn't a tack driver - 2" groups at 100yds. Bear in mind though that he has a very expensive 9-24x44 Leupold scope on his rifle and I've got a $50 Tru-Glo reflex sight on mine. What does this mean? Well he can peg coyote out to 500yds while I have trouble at 300yds. Either way we both killed about the same number of them this year.

[trg42wraglefragle]

You mean like this?

http://rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=229&CFID=206204382&CFTOKEN=92972143&jsessionid=f030d4ca13c91370375d

Or this?

http://rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=230&CFID=206204382&CFTOKEN=92972143&jsessionid=f030d4ca13c91370375d