Is an AR the right choice for me?

[jazzplayer9]

I'll get to the point, i want a multi purpose firearm.

-I need to be able to use it whitetail and mountain goat hunting,
-I need it to be reasonably affordable (also taking ammo into consideration, reloading is possible in the future) preferably the gun would be under $750
-i need it to be 110% reliable in a defense situation (if i'm going to spend more than $500 on a firearm it better be reliable for defense) this also means i'd prefer a shorter barrel and lighter weight while still maintaining hunting accuracy out to about 100 yards
-As i have no experience assembling firearms i would need a book or manual of some form to walk me through it
-and lastly i need it to be legal for me as a civilian to own and use.

notes on what I've researched:
-As seen in the title, i understand the AR may not be the way to go
-I've heard mixed reviews of DPMS
-I've only heard that Remington's AR models are really stiff and tend to jam
I am ignorant as to building an AR myself

thank you in advance for any and all help or advice
-jazzplayer9

[cce1302]

sounds ok to me. an A2 is pretty inexpensive and is plenty accurate to 100 yds even with iron sights. .223 is fine for whitetail and goats. They are plenty reliable unless you fill them with mud or never clean them.

Do you live in the US? They are legal here. I think some states put some stupid restrictions on stuff like threaded barrels, but I live in Indiana, so they don't care.

Do you want one?
a) Yes
b) No


If you picked a), then buy one.

[jazzplayer9]

Would you mind educating me? I have no Idea what you are referring to when you say "A2" any links you could give me would be much appreciated,
thanks
-jazzplayer9

[WKshooter]

From reading your post, you put the hunting aspect at the top of your list...I would say "no" to an AR and go look for a decent lightweight bolt action rifle with a variable scope. Would recommend a .338 type caliber for single shot kills and for SD incase you run into a bear on your way up to the upper terrain.

[cce1302]

IMO, the A2 has the right balance of simplicity and ergonomics. full-length buttstock, attached carry handle, 20" barrel.



Most people (me included) don't need rails, scopes, collapsible stocks, and crap like that. the rifle pictured above handles and shoots well.

Could be that I just spent a lot of time with the M16A2 and I'm prejudiced against the A4 and M4 versions because they're not balanced as well. I carried all 3 at different times.

[cce1302]

Originally Posted by WKshooter

From reading your post, you put the hunting aspect at the top of your list...I would say "no" to an AR and go look for a decent lightweight bolt action rifle with a variable scope. Would recommend a .338 type caliber for single shot kills and for SD incase you run into a bear on your way up to the upper terrain.

I guess I'd agree with your point that the AR is not the "ultimate" hunting rifle, but it is a heck of a lot better for hunting than a .338 bolt action is for defense, which is the other capacity it needs to fill.

[cce1302]

you might want to check out a Stag Model 1

Stag Arms

it's more compact than my A2, and has iron sights, but if you wanted to put a 1-4 scope on for hunting that wouldn't be a bad idea. You could keep the iron sights on for defense.

[WKshooter]

Originally Posted by cce1302

I guess I'd agree with your point that the AR is not the "ultimate" hunting rifle, but it is a heck of a lot better for hunting than a .338 bolt action is for defense, which is the other capacity it needs to fill.

When the OP mentioned "goat" hunting, it made me think about the last time I was up past the timberline. The mountain slopes are barren with a lot of wind shear from the winds coming down and across the canyons. The heavier bullets seem to work best for shots 300 to 500 yards. The guide I was with told me when we see one to "pin" its shoulders so it wouldn't drop over a cliff from a wound. So I guess, the OP may have too broad of range of needs.

FWIW...I never got a shot at a goat, all the ones we saw didn't make the measurements..

[jazzplayer9]

thanks for the replies all, as far as bolt action rifles go I am borrowing my dads ruger 30-06 but it does not satisfy the defense need, since it's a short term loan i'd prefer the one buy fix all =) as far as caliber goes, i've never shot anything other than 243 win. and 30-06 is the 223 really reliable for one shot kill on a white tail buck? (i only ever shoot inside of 150 yards, stalk hunting rather than stand or blind hunting)

again, thank you all for the replies,

jazzplayer9

[KP Ling]

I personally would not hunt animals as large or larger than deer and goats with a .223. Not to say it can't be done ethically or that .223 is absolutely bad for medium sized animals but larger, more powerful rounds give you more range and their increased power translates into a larger margin of error in accuracy that will still produce an ethical kill.

Why not an AR-10? It's an AR upscaled to fire .308 instead of .223. Beyond your hunting requirements, I say for the other things you need a rifle then an AR in .223 is a good choice. Don't worry about your skills building one if you want to save money. There are tons of resources and people on the net you will hold your hand through the process if you decide to go that route.