View Full Version : Finished another 308
Wasn't sure if this goes in the Beyond or Build section.
This one is coming in @ 7lbs 9oz wo/Optic or Mag. Not too bad. Big bucks to get it that light. Balance is pretty good.
Should definitely be a decent woods rifle for Deer/Elk. My last 308 build came in at over 8.25lbs - this one already handles immensely better.
Hopefully get some range time in the next week.
Eager to see how the Faxon 4150QPQ 16" barrel does!! I'll give a range report as soon as I can.
http://i64.tinypic.com/akhoyd.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/e7kjs4.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/122yt89.jpg
EDIT RANGE REPORT:
Both @ 50yds (when testing a brand new build I try to take as much of me and my eyes out of the equation as possible.)
The left is 5 shots of 168gr FGGM after the barrel was warm, the right target are the very first 5 shots of the brand new cold barrel which were PPU 168gr.
At 50 yards, it looks like the PPU did roughly 7/16 or .437". The FGMM looks to be roughly 5/8 or .625". (Sorry for the tape measure - didn't have any calipers on me)
Not too bad considering factory ammo, and I'm sure a better shooter could do better, not to mentioned a worked up hand load.
It's pretty clear the Faxon 4150 QPQ 16" is easily a subMOA barrel.
LEFT 50yds FGGM 168gr Warm Barrel, RIGHT PPU 168gr Cold Barrel
http://i66.tinypic.com/21nmq2x.jpg
50yds, PPU 168gr .437"
http://i65.tinypic.com/ezj3w8.jpg
50yds, FGMM 168gr .625"
http://i67.tinypic.com/2ni08d1.jpg
Find ManBearPig!
02-07-16, 15:21
That's a very good looking rifle, and 7.9 pounds sounds quite nice as well, from the perspective of actually carrying the thing. :D
I noticed you used Mega components for your .308. I'm actually looking into getting a similar rifle to yours (16 inch "do-it-all" .308 AR), and right now, I'm taking a really hard look at Mega's stuff, especially their new SF-Maten, which is supposed to be only 7.2 pounds (!). The fact they're local to me doesn't hurt things either. So, naturally, I've got a few questions about your experiences with the Mega stuff, if you don't mind me asking.
1.) How much of the rifle utilizes Mega components?
2.) How do you like said Mega components?
3.) Are their any non-Mega components that you chose over potentially using a similar Mega component for the build? If so, why? (Sorry if this question is a bit confusing)
Thanks for any help you can provide. Oh, and do make sure to keep us updated on how the gun shoots once you get some good trigger time with it.
hotrodder636
02-07-16, 15:29
Would you mind tossing a parts list for this thing? Sub 8 lbs is incredible!
FNBP:
Mines 7.5lbs. :-) --lighter if I switched stocks. So the new SF-MATEN is .3 lbs lighter than mine.
Honestly, I would wait and go for the SF-MATEN.
MEGA builds works of art. You'll be starting with a great lightweight platform for not a lot of money.
It will be built crazy tough with the mono design. The GenII 762 system hasn't been in the wild for decades, but at the same time, there hasn't been any operating complaints that I'm aware of either. The SF comes with an adj gas block to further tune the gun, which I put on most all of my builds.
My only complaint is that MEGA has no plans to offer seperate SF-MATEN receivers to build with. I like my own recipe of stuff - barrels for instance. But I'm sure MEGA is doing a great job with it. It looks a little silly, but I wouldn't throw it out of bed.
Would you mind tossing a parts list for this thing? Sub 8 lbs is incredible!
I'm scared to - I might realize what I spent! :eek:
Main things are all V7 parts, including the V7 Ti BCG. The BCG alone is 12.1oz vs. 19.6oz!
The barrel is also a med/lw tapered profile. I could've gotten it lighter with cheaper forged AP U/L recs, but I didn't want to compromise on that part of it. The SMOS MLOK hand guard is one of the first in the wild, and I actually wanted a 12.0, but 13.6 is all it comes in.
Find ManBearPig!
02-07-16, 16:10
FNBP:
Mines 7.5lbs. :-) lighter if I switched stocks. So the new SF-MATEN is .3 lbs lighter than mine.
Honestly, I would wait and go for the SF-MATEN.
MEGA builds works of art. You'll be starting with a great lightweight platform for not a lot of money.
It will be built crazy tough with the mono design. The GenII 762 system hasn't been in the wild for decades, but at the same time, there hasn't been any operating complaints that I'm aware of either. The SF comes with an adj gas block to further tune the gun, which I put on most all of my builds.
My only complaint is that MEGA has no plans to offer seperate SF-MATEN receivers to build with. I like my own recipe of stuff - barrels for instance. But I'm sure MEGA is doing a great job with it. It looks a little silly, but I wouldn't throw it out of bed.
So I take it you like the Mega stuff? :p
I was at Ranier Arms yesterday, and I started talking to the guys their about Mega stuff. What I took away from it is that they're what you would expect from a high end weapons company- the only thing that people ever complain about is the price. I was also told about a batch of .308 AR precision rifles that Ranier had built for a local SWAT team, with 16 inch Ranier match barrels and Mega receiver sets. Apparently, the SWAT guys where getting first round hits at some serious distances - if I remember correctly, it was 800 yards to be exact. Seeing as that if you want to shoot farther than that regularly, you probably ought to be using a different cartridge than .308 anyways, I consider that performance very good.
Also, I believe the reason Mega isn't offering the SF-Maten as a separate, receiver only set is because Mega has built so much of it from the ground up, and they have very specific design goals for the rifle. By selling it as a complete rifle, they can ensure that the end users are getting a rifle that embodies exactly what Mega intended their SF-Maten receivers to be used for. At least, that's my theory, I of course, could be totally wrong. However, I was also discussing this with the Ranier Arms guys as well. The SF-Maten is also Mega's first complete rifle ever, and that's actually very important to recognize. Apparently, and I did not know this before, their is a big legal difference between selling just firearm receivers, and selling complete guns. Basically, selling a complete firearm is a huge step up from selling just the receivers alone as Mega has done in the past. The fact that Mega has decided to go ahead and only offer this as a complete rifle (which means they also had to go through the hurdles of becoming a firearms manufacturer, instead of just a firearms components manufacture as they had been in the past) probably means they have a good reason for only selling this as a completed rifle.
But, still, it would be nice of Mega to sell a "stripper" SF-Maten, with everything that's proprietary to the rifle included, and nothing else, so people could just drop in their preferred equipment to complete the rifle, and be ready to go.
^^^
Big fan of MEGA since the beginning. Got a lot of low SN forged recs long before their billet stuff ever hit.
Great post and agree on all of it. I talked with Jason a few times before SHOT and I could smell something brewing when I asked him if he was going to adopt the DPMS GenII platform. He couldn't divulge any details, per se, but I knew this rifle was coming. Another reason to not offer GenII-based rec sets is there's literally no parts out there. And certainly no proven parts. The GenII BCG is a different beast and I don't even think you can buy one off the shelf from DPMS. So MEGA wouldn't sell a single SF rec set unless they had an ample supply of BCGs, Bolts, Spare Parts etc etc to sell. I don't think they want to be that model quite yet. It's a timing thing.
FaxonNathan
02-09-16, 12:33
Great looking rifle!
I've been very impressed with the Mega Machine receiver sets. Their billet work is truly world-class, as well as aesthetically pleasing.
The SF-MATEN is going to be the 7.62 NATO auto-loader to beat when looking at high quality and lightweight. Their price point is actually very low for the customer base that would normally buy that level of rifle, which makes it more accessible to the masses.
Here's a 6.5 Creedmoor MATEN I Cerakoted and did some troubleshooting on for a friend.
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j422/LRRPF52/1433606592044_zpsdbfkcjew.jpg
Range report added in OP.
Find ManBearPig!
02-27-16, 21:38
Range report added in OP.
Considering what you have there a semi-automatic rifle that weighs in under 8 pounds, and can rapidly and easily dump 25 rounds of .308 out of a single magazine, I'd say that accuracy is pretty damn good. :D
Also, what optic are you running on the rifle? I've been trying to find a modern .308 AR optic that falls somewhere between a dedicated precision scope and a 1x, Short Dot style variable power, and I'm discovering that I'm not sure it exist. Basically, I'm looking for an updated version of the Nightforce 2.5-10 NXS... but I don't think their is anything out there like that right now.
It's a MK4 2.5-8 Ill. TMR. I like it and it's kinda the last of the Leupys before things start getting real big and heavy. I'm sure there's better, more updated glass out there, but at some sort of compromise it seems.
I personally wouldn't want any less magnification on this rifle, and it's 8x is actually 8.7x.
Find ManBearPig!
02-28-16, 03:39
It's a MK4 2.5-8 Ill. TMR. I like it and it's kinda the last of the Leupys before things start getting real big and heavy. I'm sure there's better, more updated glass out there, but at some sort of compromise it seems.
Leupold actually sells a compact 3-18x tactical riflescope that (somehow) manages to only weigh only 23.6 ounces while being fully featured with illumination and locking zero stop turrets. It also cost over 3K... Still, I bet it's a hell of a compact precision .308 AR scope for anyone who's willing to drop the cash on one. Combined with one of those new, expensive super light Geissele scope mounts, which is supposed to be around 5.5 ounces, you're looking at a 1.8 pound total optic setup that will take you as far out as the .308 can realistically go. Did I mention this was an expensive setup? Because this is an expensive setup. As in, "you can have this scope setup, or you can have a brand new SR-25" expensive.
I guess if you want an ultra lightweight, durable, compact, relatively affordable magnified optic, the only real choice is still an ACOG.
I personally wouldn't want any less magnification on this rifle, and it's 8x is actually 8.7x.
I'm sort of conflicted on how much zoom is the "right amount" for a precision .308 AR. On one hand, the bigger, higher zoom scopes tend to be physically larger, significantly heavier, and less useful close up. On the other hand, they offer a lot more precision, and it seems like a shame to have such an accurate rifle, with a round that can reach out a good distance, and not have the appropriate optic to take advantage of that. I guess the easiest (though certainly not the cheapest) option is still just to have more than one optic for your rifle, mounted on QD mounts so that you can swap them around as needed.
Still, I have hope. With all the recent and continual advancements in rifle optics, I don't really think we are that far off from a "perfect general purpose" .308 AR optic coming to the market. It will probably be stupid expensive at first, but eventually, the prices will come down. I wonder what the semi-automatic .308 market will look like 10 years from now?
I never built this lightweight 16" rifle with the intention of going much beyond 350-400yds. That's been the goal all along and that why I chose the optic I did, years ago. I wanted glass clearer than the 3x9 Patrol and a better reticle, but similar magnification. This fit the bill along with keeping the weight down, which was the 2nd priority. This will be slung and carried when I hunt for Elk/Deer. And technically, this same rifle in an earlier configuration has done just that, successfully. It was just a heavy bastage! Amazing what 1lb can do when you're carrying it in the woods.
If I wanted a true precision rig, which I have built in the past, I'd have gone a completely difference direction. Big, heavy, high-mag glass, 20"+ heavy barrel etc. possibly not even 308.
I'd rather multiple mission-specific rigs than a jack of all, master of none.
That is a very, very nice build.
I like the handguard. It's like a NSR, but in M-Lok and for the .308.
I am looking for a handguard for my Armalite AR-10A, and wonder if that would be compatible with it.
Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for with the handguard. Super slim but strong as heck - just like the NSRs. I also prefer a 3,6,9 vs a 7-sided as it gets even slimmer.
The SMOS rail and barrel nut only fit DPMS high profile uppers/threads.
Phire Phite
03-04-16, 21:51
Leupold actually sells a compact 3-18x tactical riflescope that (somehow) manages to only weigh only 23.6 ounces while being fully featured with illumination and locking zero stop turrets. It also cost over 3K... Still, I bet it's a hell of a compact precision .308 AR scope for anyone who's willing to drop the cash on one. Combined with one of those new, expensive super light Geissele scope mounts, which is supposed to be around 5.5 ounces, you're looking at a 1.8 pound total optic setup that will take you as far out as the .308 can realistically go. Did I mention this was an expensive setup? Because this is an expensive setup. As in, "you can have this scope setup, or you can have a brand new SR-25" expensive.
I guess if you want an ultra lightweight, durable, compact, relatively affordable magnified optic, the only real choice is still an ACOG.
I'm sort of conflicted on how much zoom is the "right amount" for a precision .308 AR. On one hand, the bigger, higher zoom scopes tend to be physically larger, significantly heavier, and less useful close up. On the other hand, they offer a lot more precision, and it seems like a shame to have such an accurate rifle, with a round that can reach out a good distance, and not have the appropriate optic to take advantage of that. I guess the easiest (though certainly not the cheapest) option is still just to have more than one optic for your rifle, mounted on QD mounts so that you can swap them around as needed.
Still, I have hope. With all the recent and continual advancements in rifle optics, I don't really think we are that far off from a "perfect general purpose" .308 AR optic coming to the market. It will probably be stupid expensive at first, but eventually, the prices will come down. I wonder what the semi-automatic .308 market will look like 10 years from now?
That Mark 6 is one of my "gots ta own someday" scopes. There are though, while still not what some might call cheap at $1200, the vx-6 models. I think the 2-12 is close to the perfect scope, and it's 16.8 oz.
Phire Phite
03-05-16, 09:55
http://swfa.com/VX-6-C3457.aspx
Here's all of them.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-vx-6.html
You can also get the cds on some of them. Give Leopold your cartridge info and they make custom turrets for you.
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