AR15s For Hunting – Europe vs USA
I was recently involved in a test of more than ten AR15s for hunting, including a number of brands from both Europe and the USA. To fire guns with free ammo and let others know what you think about them is always great fun, and this occasion was no exception. The testing involved both shooting in an indoor cinema and outdoors. The good thing with the cinema was that due to the low light, it was difficult to see what kind of brand and rifle I was using, to avoid any bias to a particular brand.
The AR-15 @ TFB:
Think before you buy
In some countries, the Government restricts the number of guns you can own, but regardless here’s some general advice from my side. Don’t just buy the cheapest rifle to fill your gun safe. Take care of your hunting rifle collection and choose the right rifle—one that really suits you! Also, keep an open mind that the AR platform might not be the best solution for your specific needs. Bolt-actions can be quite nice as well, and in some hunting parties, the AR-15 might not be as welcome – or at all.
A good friend of mine rushed to buy an AR-15 as soon as he could, without seeking better advice (mine, for instance). Now he’s stuck with a rifle that’s extremely front-heavy and has the longest, non-adjustable stock on the market. Did I mention he’s rather short? Modifying his rifle to fit him properly is certainly possible, but it will cost him thousands. He’s in the middle of that process right now, and it’s not going that well. I guess one day, after all his rebuilds, he’ll know his rifle really well and have tons of AR furniture left to sell on the secondhand market.
In many countries, especially in Europe, buying and selling firearms requires permits and involves a lot of bureaucracy. Do what you can to expand your budget and invest in something solid—something you will actually use and rely on. A hunting rifle you look forward to shooting. The gun(s) gathering dust in the back of your safe isn’t going to bring you any joy, or not as much joy anyway.
Shooting in a tunnel to check the accuracy. There’s no wind to mess things up, but firearms with compensators are quite unpleasant to shoot here.
The Patriot Brown from LWRCI is a really nice finish color, and the ambidextrous controls feel just right.
Other brands included Andro Corp, CMMG, DAR Germany, Grand Power, Schmeisser and Smith & Wesson.
I didn’t know at the time, but I was handed the rifles in alphabetic order, from Andro Corp to Smith & Wesson.
My choice in the premium segment, and the overall winner, was the LWRCI DI Target & Varmint. The only thing I didn’t like was the sound from the spring in the buffer, and it’s more than twice as expensive as some of the other rifles. In the overall/budget segment, the Ruger AR-556 MPR was hard to beat, with a great price, accuracy and a trigger that behaved very close to LWRCI’s. I guess the U.S.-made rifles beat the European ones this time but to each their own.
