Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Best AR15 for $1,000.00 - $1,200.00?

Did you buy the Ruger?

No, I hoped to get some feedback before plunking down $1k.

the ruger is a piston gun, unless running suppressed I think the original DI setup is best.

I'd go with a Colt 6920 M4 carbine.

The Ruger SR556 is not going to be a bench gun but they run good. Don't know for sure but it mite be hard to change out the barrel in that upper. If it was me I'd get the Colt or buy from http://www.jsesurplus.com/ar-15.aspx and just have them put it together for you with the parts you want.

+1on the Colt6920.

get a bushmaster varmint special with the 24" stainless barell and 2 stage trigger very accurate shoots moa at 200 yds reliably with factory ammo

Cousin has a bushmaster varminter, we had it punched AI and it does shoot good but throw away the 2 stage trigger that comes with it and get a real 2 stage.

But it ain't light nor handy and won't hold a candle to the 6920 as a do it all gun. I've said it before and I'll say it again, a man can kill anything worth killing with a 1.5 MOA gun at any range the 223 is commonly used for 0-400 yards.

yeah but with the colt it comes with an 8# trigger, if a guy needs to change things out on the colt, is it really a colt anymore, its really a custom at that point.

I don't suggest anyone get a varmint ar 15 UNLESS they are going to shoot colony varmints with it. a 24" varmint ar 15 is going to be one heavy gun.

GW never said his intended use for the gun which I still don't know, real quick for a do it all gun
16-18" hbar of fluted hbar barrel, midwest gen 2 ss rail, RRA or geissele trigger
coyote calling, fluted 20" hbar barrel, with the same rail and trigger as above.
colony varmints 24" bull same rail and trigger options as above.

all I need is a proven barrel in the above examples and uses, if the barrel is good, I will verify its reliable through actual shooting, I don't care what brand the stripped upper or lower are,

The tough part is figuring out exactly what features you want before buying one. Is there any chance you could shoot a couple different configurations friends or shooting buddies have?

From my personal experience while I like the feel of the M4 platform, after three of them I just don't care for the muzzleblast from a 16" barrel. I had a Rock River predator persuit that was both amazingly accurate and really cut down on the muzzle blast but was too nose heavy.

Which lead me to what for me is the best setup which was a gun I assembled based on a WOA SDM barrel. I get the steller accuracy of a match barrel, 20" to cut down the bark and it's fluted so not nose heavy. And you could assemble such a gun for right around $1200 if you didn't get carried away with accessorizing.

So before saying what's the best AR under $1200, you need to figure out what configuration you want. And getting consensus on that will just as tough as sorting out best gun under $1200.

[quote=TWR]Cousin has a bushmaster varminter, we had it punched AI and it does shoot good but throw away the 2 stage trigger that comes with it and get a real 2 stage.

But it ain't light nor handy and won't hold a candle to the 6920 as a do it all gun. I've said it before and I'll say it again, a man can kill anything worth killing with a 1.5 MOA gun at any range the 223 is commonly used for 0-400 yards.

[/quote

yea the second stage is undetectible when your easing back on it she goes off without you knowing you hit the second stage]
it is very heavy but i like it cuz it is rock steady when im resting it on my shooting stix looking a a called coyote and can be shot offhand if you dont have to hold it too long

I think the Ruger is 1-9 but 5.56 chamber. For me not good because I shoot long bullets. I would not be that afraid of it because the resale is probably good. I would trust resale of Ruger, smith,colt over RRA and bushwoman. Buy it and try it!

I seem to manage to kill plenty of coyotes with a Colt chrome lined pencil barrel stuffed into the lightest AR I will use. Oh and off sticks too.

I don't call changing the 6# trigger a custom gun, if so then do the 15 minute trigger job and rock on. I've used plenty of hbar's, bull barrels and custom contours down to pencil barrels. Lighter is better in the real world, it must be, I've never hunted with anyone who's watched me kill coyotes or used my guns and said my guns need to be heavier. But I have been cussed after handing my gun to a partner when climbing a fence, they claim it ain't fair to carry a light gun all day, maybe it ain't. And I've yet to see anyone say they won't shoot out in the field. They just work.

Yea my wife uses the carbon special she doesnt like mine at all. I just like the added fps of the 24" and the extra weight

I seldom walk more that 400 yards to a coyote stand. a coyote calling gun does not need to be super lightweight. I don't want a pencil barrel or an m4 profile barrel. if your changing out the 6920 trigger you can just add that to the cost of the gun. I never said a chrome lined barrel will not shoot a coyotes the truth is if a gun shoots 1.5" its accurate enough to shoot beyond the capability of the 223 in the first place. the nature of chrome lined is that the barrel is machined larger and the chrome coating is supposed to make up the last difference in tolerances. a chrome lining will never be as accurate as bare metal. I am talking chrome in the barrel not bolt carrier.

yep a custom heavy SS barrel from WOA, Wilson, Noveske,etc has to shoot better than a chrome lined pencil barrel. I won't carry one 1/2-1 mile into the woods however.

I wish I didn't have to walk so far but we usually wind up walking 5-10 miles a day, which ain't much but any extra weight adds up. There lies the difference in people's choices and why it's so hard to pick something for someone else. I just hate to read suggestions of varmint type guns needed for coyote hunting when any AR will work fine if the shooter is up it.

I like a light weapon...even if it is just from the house to the truck. I have one heavy barrel AR in the back of the safe.
I have never been in the habit of carrying a pocket full of lead when I walk around. If I don't need it I don't carry it.

me too! when you add a scope, mount,sling, 10rds, cold weather gear + a few layers, zero degreee muck boots to keep your toes warm, fanny pack with odds and ends, flashlight, headlight, sitting pad, binocs, water bottle, powerbar lunch, .45 Auto with 7 rds etc. etc. It's good exercise!

Frankly the 16 inch pencil barrel while loud is real handy.