@ post 44
We are talking the difference of a couple hundred dollars out of >$1000. The OP was talking about spending $1500 on just an upper so I assumed that the extra $200 to get a rifle like a Colt, DD, LMT, or BCM would not break the bank. It is my opinion that if you can afford it, you might as well buy quality the first time so you don't have to upgrade or if you decide to get more serious about shooting, you have a rifle that will be up to the task.
@ post 45
I shoot a lot of 55gr because that is what is available around here and my 1/7 with a RDS will put them all in a 1g paint can at 200 all day long. When I can get my hands on it, I buy the 68gr or 75gr pills because it is a bit more accurate with them and I like them to buck the Wyoming wind. I also keep 75gr Hornady TAP on hand as HD ammo (twist for that purpose really doesn't matter though since any of them will be able to hit a person at hallway distance).
Another thing to keep in mind regarding cost is that some lower tier ARs won't feed WOLF. My brother's Bushmaster and many other BMs and DPMS guns I have seen at the range won't shoot it. The stores around here even warn everyone who is buying it that it probably will not feed in an AR. That isn't a problem with my BCM though. I have put ~300rds of WOLF of all types though it (over the course of about 2-3 weeks) and it never paused (all that with a H buffer and no cleaning). This allows me to buy cheap practice ammo while my brother has to spend another 1-2 dollars a box to get ammo that he can shoot. I know that I don't have the round count to make my opinion as qualified as some others but in 2 months I put ~1000rds down the pipe with no problems so my sample of one works great.
You have a point, some guns are finicky with certain ammo, Bushmaster at one point authorized the use of Wolf ammo on their website (search the support pages under "Wolf ammo" and read about it) and since removed their statement (because of changes made by Wolf that caused underpowered rounds to not cycle the bcg in semi auto). I have a Bushy and use 55gr Wolf FMJ polymer coated bullets, which work fine. I also have a SGW M16 which feeds Wolf , and I never had a problem to date (has a Bravo Co. bcg and a Enidine Hydraulic Buffer (had an H2, changed and now rate of fire is better
, KNS pins (non rotating trigger & sear pins) ). But it doesnt like Barnaul zinc plated 55 or 62 gr soft points AT ALL, will not cycle thru full auto.
But I have to disagree w/all the AR snobs that say Colt, FN or whoever make the only ARs that are dependable and worth buying. I read something on M4Carbine website about Bushy bbls are 4150, but not the good kind of 4150?? I agree with the experts when advising to upgrading the extractor/springs and using reputable mags (the buffer weight is not always an issue with semi auto, especially if you use a full auto bcg in a semi auto rifle).
The cold hammer forged bbls are the latest fad for ARs (it seems), does that mean all others bbls now are shit?? Everybody jumped on the gas piston wagon when that came out, until problems surfaced. I have quite a few1980s-90's pre ban AR15s (Essential Arms, DPMS, Oly, Eagle Arms that have 16 inch bbls (some not even chromed lined)) which have THOUSANDS of rounds thru em, have been owned and used by 5 other people. After I changed springs and bolts, these guns ran well enough for me to hit targets at 100 yds. (not 1, 2 or 3 MOA thought), but I can hit the (trunk) silhouette at 100yds. Just because someone doesnt consider an AR a "Tier 1" doesnt mean its junk or no good.
