Best bang for your buck

[Pizza N Beer]

I recently turned 18 and have enlisted in the marine corps, and have been really interested in buying my own AR. I am looking for a rifle that has the accuracy for long range (300yds) yet the ability to be used in close quarters.
Most of the weapons i have now are hunting rifles which has been passed down through my family.
I know of many people who have AR-15's and talk great things about them, but ive only shot one once.
Is the bushmaster the best AR out there? or are there other great rifles.

Thanks, Josh

[PatrioticGuru]

The AR-15 is nice but i Perfer the Ruggedness of Russian weapons. Plus .223 ammo that the AR-15 fires is getting to be pretty pricey. I would go with a company called ARSENAL they make the best ak-74s and 47s around in my opinion. The Ak-74 of theirs can hit a 8x8 inch target at 300 yards so its pretty damn good accuracy from an Ak (personal experience) and ammuntion is very cheap it fires the 5.45.X39 which you can buy in bulk 1000 round ammo cands fro around 250 bucks. Its a quality gun with cheap ammo and good accuracy , i couldnt think of anything else id spend my cash on. The ak-74 is called the Arsenal SGL 31.
Im Joining the USMC this summer bro,im going in to be a 0321 Force Recon.


Alex,
HOORAH

[recurveman]

Well you have a few things to consider. Firstly 300 meters is actually an intermediate rage and not really long range. I would be willing to guess that MOST AR's no matter the make or model will be able to hit targets out to 300. So any basic Ar (M4 variant) would be able to accomplish a 300 yard shot as well as being good for CQB type situations. Bushmaster makes a good basic model that would suit well for that type of thing. Also as the guy above said, a modern AK variant (it does depend on the make) is also able to make that kind of of shot and ammo is a lot cheaper. It seems like you are looking for just a fun gun and something that you can just blast around with. The AK would probably suit you best due to the fact that it can take a beating. its cheap to shoot and more recently it has a lot of upgrades that you can put on it (m4 style stock, etc...)

However if you are looking for something that is truly more long range (600+ meters) then you are going to be looking at a different class of weapon. Bushmaster again makes the cheapest in this line. The basic one is the DCM model which is used for the Presidents 100 and similar competitions. Those are going to be in the $1,200 range and will be considerably heavier due to a bull barrel and will also have a 1x8rh twist so that it can handle a heavier grain bullet.

[Jefrova]

I know there were some weird changes to buying assault weapons after 911. I know you have to prove your citizenship, but do you have to be over 21 to own an assault rifle similar to owing a pistol. It might just be a state law, but I know in Virginia you have to be 21 to own a pistol.

[Benda]

Damn you guys are lucky that you can purchase weapons like that. Unless your specially licensed or in law enforcement or the military, self loading weapons are very restricted/banned.

In Australia, access to firearms is limited to persons with a genuine need. This includes government and police, sporting shooters with valid membership of an approved club, recreational shooters or hunters that produce proof of permission from a landowner, primary producers, pest controllers and bona fide collectors. All governments have agreed that self-protection is not a genuine need.

[Sarnesr]

There are a lot of things to think about if you want an AR. The platform comes in 2 primary systems. Standard gas operated (like the military uses) and piston system (like the AK series weapons). Each has its pros and cons. Then there is caliber. Your basics are .223 (5.56 NATO), 6.8, 6.5 Grendel, and .308 (7.62 NATO). There are a few companies that make then in hunting calibers, hell there is even a model chambered for the .17 HMR.
Then there is barrell length, extra add ons, sights VS scopes. the list goes on and on. Figure out what you want to use it for, target, hunting, SHTF, defense etc. That will help you decide on length, cal, extras

[recurveman]

I know there were some weird changes to buying assault weapons after 911. I know you have to prove your citizenship, but do you have to be over 21 to own an assault rifle similar to owing a pistol. It might just be a state law, but I know in Virginia you have to be 21 to own a pistol.

Actually there were no new laws put into place after 911 on a federal level. As far as state is concerned i cannot speak for any state except Michigan. Currently there is no federal law restricting the sale of an "assault rifle" to over 18 with valid ID. Different states have different laws on these types of weapons like california. They do not allow them at all unless you are police or military. As far as pistols, again i can only speak for michigan. In this state you can legally own and carry a pistol at the age of 18. However, you cannot legally buy one until you are 21. Meaning that if daddy sold you his 45 for a buck then you can legally own it but if you want to buy it from the store you have to be 21. Also you are legally able to carry it concealed assuming you have taken the required classes and have attained the CPL. Open carry is also unrestricted as long as the pistol is registered and the individual carrying it is 18 or older.

[goinloco1]

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[death2mooj]

300 yards is nothing for an ar15 to hit. Get one barreled in 5.56 nato not just .223, there is a difference in chamber pressures between the two rounds. You can fire 223 out of 556 but vice versa can screw stuff up down the road. It will be stamped on the top of the barrel. Don't worry about ruggedness, it's a personal weapon and you should be taking care of your weapons not burrying them in mud just to show that it will shoot... ak's are horrible when it comes to accuracy, they are fun to shoot but they feel as cheap as they are. I wouldnt want to use any rifle for cq in my house, only because I wouldn't want a round going through the target - wall - and into a family member.

Stag makes a pretty good low price ar, you could probably pick one up for around 800 or less if you shop for used.