Vortex!
Well-Known Member
I got a couple laughs out of this, I hope you do too.
WIN THIS RIFLE! 6.5 CREEDMOOR LONG-RANGE PRECISION RIFLE
You've mastered the 25-yard line. The 50-yard line holds no challenge for you. Your ten round groups at the 100-yard line are the envy of your local bench rest club. You need a CHALLENGE. Some new arena to test your mettle as a marksman. It's time to reach out, but your little pea shooter of an AR-15 with your 1-6x scope isn't going to get you the silver dollar at a grand.
Well my friend, you are in luck. Below you'll find a list of hand-picked parts and accessories , each one specifically chosen to help you put together a humdinger of a precision rifle that should easily get you to the 1,000-yard line and beyond! Now, as with any build, you can swap out the parts we're suggesting to meet your own personal needs, tastes, and budget. Unlike any other build though, you'll have a chance to win this exact rifle and entirely sidestep having to budget for anything but ammo! Check out the end of this article to find out how.
Now before we get into individual components we've chosen for this build, we should probably start with caliber. The AR platform can be built with a dizzying array of calibers, and the large frame AR-10 is best known for the very capable .308 Winchester or 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges. The old .30 cal is absolutely capable of reaching that fabled 1,000-yard line, but in the 60+ years since it was developed the science of ballistics has advanced. In the long-range game, 6.5 Creedmoor is the new hotness. Introduced originally in 2007, 6.5CM provides shooters with a round that offers similar trajectories and velocities to the powerful .300 Win Mag making for a very flat shooting cartridge that fits in the same short action receivers as .308 Win with the benefit of roughly 30% less felt recoil when compared to the old standby. As if that weren't enough, it makes full use of 6.5mm / .270 caliber bullets, well known for their almost preternatural ability to buck wind and stay on course. Additionally, 6.5 Creedmoor shares much of the same parts as a standard .308 AR-10 like the magazine and bolt face. All you need is an appropriate barrel and you will be ringing steel at the 1,000-yard line in no time. Superior ballistics and parts commonality make 6.5 Creedmoor an easy choice for a precision gas gun build.
THE BARREL - THE HEART OF THE BUILD
Choosing the right caliber for your application is only half the battle. To make the most of it, you need an excellent barrel that will provide the consistency you need. Criterion has built their reputation on their excellent barrels, so they were an easy choice for this build! We settled on their 22" hybrid profile barrel to balance optimal velocity performance of the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge without adding unnecessary weight. This barrel is machined from 416R stainless steel which – without getting too deep into technical jargon – was engineered specifically for competition rifles with qualities that lend itself to great accuracy. This steel is much easier to machine, lap, and button rifle, allowing every dimension to be as precise as possible, while still being extremely hard and resistant to temperature changes. All these attributes combined make for a barrel that is consistently accurate and will last thousands of rounds. The stainless steel finish is sharp looking too. Pinging steel at 1,000 yards is even better when you can look good doing it.
THE RECEIVERS - THE BODY
Some people will tell you that your receivers don't really matter when it comes to building a rifle intended for precision accuracy. Bully to that, I say. Whether it does or doesn't is irrelevant, upper receivers and lower receivers that fit together PROPERLY just objectively feel better and subjectively shoot better. To that end, we went with the Cross Machine Tool .308 billet receiver set. Precision cut from solid 7075-T6 billets, this set of receivers mate together fantastically, with a tensioning screw to take out any chance of rattle. To top it off, these receivers are built to accept DPMS-spec components, making it compatible with all of your favorite parts, accessories, and Magpul's legendary .308 PMAGs.
THE HANDGUARD - THE... HAND? GUARD?
Okay, this metaphor is breaking down a little. On a precision rifle like this, you're likely going to be shooting from a bipod or other support, not using your hand to stabilize the rifle. At any rate, for accessories, sights, and bipod mounting we selected the Cross Machine Tool 15" .308 UHPR Mod 2 handguard with M-LOK slots. Free float handguards offer excellent airflow to help keep your barrel cool, improve barrel harmonics, and drastically reduce Point of Aim / Point of Impact deflection when you load your sling or bipod for stability. Just for kicks, we've tossed in a Magpul bipod.
THE TRIGGER - IT'S IMPORTANT
Timney Triggers are very well known for their quality and selection of fantastic triggers for seemingly almost any firearm on the market. This model, the #670 AR-10 Competition Trigger, is a drop-in solution that installs super easily and offers an incredibly crisp and predictable 4lb break with short reset. This gives you full control to make your shots exactly when you want them. It also features a heavier spring than their standard AR-15 model for reliable ignition with harder primers used in larger-frame rifles. The hybrid trigger shoe gives shooters the best of both worlds, combining the leverage of a straight trigger with the repeatable feel of a curved one.
THE BRAKE - KEEP ON TARGET
We don't want to lose sight of our target once the shot breaks and recoil starts moving the rifle. To that end, we've added the supremely effective VG6 Precision Gamma 6.5 Muzzle brake. 6.5 Creedmoor already offers noticeably reduced felt recoil over .308 Winchester and when combined with the Gamma brake, calling your hits has never been easier, or more comfortable.
THE BCG - SHINY AND AWESOME
The Fail Zero DPMS pattern bolt carrier group is an excellent option for any large frame build. They're live-fire tested, and magnetic particle inspected to ensure each one meets their standards. It has also been treated with Fail Zero's super slick Nickel Boron EXO coating making cleaning and maintenance a breeze and dramatically reducing the necessity of oil or grease for your gun to function reliably. Oh, and it's 100% compatible with 6.5 Creedmoor straight from the box! We've coupled that with the AR-10 version of the Radian Raptor ambidextrous charging handle, so you can rack the BCG with either hand.
THE STOCK - ADJUSTABLE STABILITY
The Magpul Gen3 Precision Rifle Stock offers a full range of adjustment for both length of pull and the cheek riser height without sacrificing one iota of stability. Adjusting the stock is easy thanks to the hardened steel adjustment system, allowing you to custom fit the stock to your shooting position and optic. If that wasn't enough, it also features multiple integrated sling attachment options, and bottom-mounted M-LOK slots to install a monopod at the stock's toe and ditch the shooting bags if you so choose.
THE OPTIC - YOU CAN'T HIT WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE
So you've got a mechanically excellent rifle, it's time to select the glass you're going to run to get the absolute most you can out of it. For this build, we're running our popular SLx6 3-18x50mm first focal plane rifle scope with illuminated ACSS Apollo reticle designed specifically for 6.5 Creedmoor and .224 Valkyrie. Like all our ACSS reticles, the Apollo combines ranging, wind leads, and bullet drop compensation out to a full 1,000 yards in an incredibly intuitive and easy to use package. Our Primary Arms 3-18x first focal plane scopes feature locking, tactical style turrets so once you're zeroed you don't have to worry about bumping the turrets and losing it.
This fantastic scope is mounted in a tough American Defense DELTA quick detach scope mount with 20 MOA of built-in elevation to make reaching out to that thousand yard line even easier. The quick detach system is easily adjustable without tools and returns to zero every time (as long as you put the scope back in the same place every time, which is why those T-marks on the upper come in handy).
Another month, another rifle build in the books! Just like the last two, you've got a chance to win. Hopefully this breakdown of what parts and accessories we chose to make an excellent long-range precision rifle has inspired you for your next build. We had a lot of fun putting this rifle together and we know the winner will be very pleased. Go conquer that 1,000 yard mark! Here's how to win.
