If that’s a new cat. I suggest naming him Eugene. After saint eugene stoner himself. I found a cat at work. Named him that. And he’s the most chill cat ever. I can’t help but think it’s because of his name.
It reminds me of when you go to the flea market and pick up a huge pair of binoculars but when you pick them up they're really light and that tells you everything...
Yeah my sleep quality has improved so much since quitting regular consumption of caffeine. It also helps to not have as much tolerance because now when I actually need it if im getting up really early or whatever it works better and gives me an extra boost instead of just needing it to maintain a baseline.
“I’ve got a frankly heroic amount of caffeine in my system all the time, from when I wake up to when I go to bed.” - I felt this so bad my chest hurts. Or it’s the caffeine, but still.
"Here we have the X-Tac which still seem to be splitting off into 2 separate groups. I wonder if these are like Twix where they have a left bullet and a right bullet" This is the analysis I come here for lmao
One day I would like a solid well magnified optic, but with the only ranges near me being 100 yards, all the magnification in the world doesn't help me see the point of that expense. I'm very jealous of people that have public land.
The one optical quality is only half the other is mechanical quality. And durability. BTW- I used to like Leupold but im segwaying away from them for various reasons. Their MK-AR line was, when they made it, probably the best over all value for the money. I got pissed at them when in 2019 i bought a VX6HD and it was overpriced dog shit for QC. It acted like the intrenal adjustments had been sabotaged at the factory. They did repair it but FFS their fault and wouldn't send a shipping label.😑 2nd issue i buy a VX3HD, the alleged Mk-AR replacement, and the windage knob is plastic! No not polymer but PLASTIC! That MF'er got sold on eBay oh and the reticle shape was piss poor and NCStar quality.😡 Anymore I'm buying older vintage Leupold or new Vortex PST series scopes.
Magnification doesn't just help at >100 yards. Shooting a target that is much smaller than a huge silhouette at 100 yards (i.e. a person actually taking cover) is way easier with magnification. Also, target I.D.
Same dawg where I live is literally the longest drive in the entire country to a national park according to google. Takes me 4+ hours to get to Mark Twain from where I’m at.
But without premium glass that I can't afford how will I see the the old paint cans explode when I shoot them on a pristine hillside range? Clean up your ranges folks, nature will remember when it's swallowing your body and put a little flower on top to remember you by. Cat.
@maxs.6635 yes! Limp dick glass is what I call it. All your expensive Japanese scopes have ED glass (extreme low dispurgent glass) Now china is making ED glass...it's still better than any glass vortex is selling for 800 plus.
@raifsevrence they are not using the ED glass yet. It's "optic quality quartz" . Its still a good glass for most use...it's just still out priced AF for what ya get....and for 90% of civilian use the 1x reigns supreme It is nice to see someone actually trying to make a higher grade of glass to compete.
I think AAC 77gr and 75gr are sleeper rounds. If you have a short 1:7" barrel it is solid enough for the ranges you can be expected to reach out to but also the price has been less elastic than bulk M193 or M855. Remember that at a certain point in upward trending ammo markets it makes more sense to start buying match ammo than inflated range/plinking ammo.
I wish I could have this take. AAC 77 and 75 in various bullets have given me bad groups and a couple malfunctions. My BCM 1:7 only seems to like S&B 77gr, black hills mk262, or standard old M193.
The new vortex venom 3-15x is shockingly good. Like, better than it has the right to be at 350$. With that scope, a 16" BA stainless barrel I got on sale for 140$, and AAC Sabre black tip, I've been super consistent out to 800 yards.
I picked up a used-once 1-6x Sig Tango MSR LPVO for 160. (Made a short with it) The deals can be had if you make friends and/or are patient when buying.
I’ve got a 16” PSA that I’ve got an LPVO on and it does what I need it to most days. I don’t do a lot of long range shooting, but the PSA seems to be accurate for what I do with it
I tried two 5 shot groups (100 yards) with a rifle I get .7 to a little over 1 MOA with Federal GMM 77 gr. I got ar around 1.2 MOA with it. Really good for the price, but a small sample size. The packaging leaves a lot to be desired. The rounds are packed loose in the box and rattle around.
As far as AAC 77gr OTMs being more useful in a shorter barrel I can confirm one thing. Now my 11.5 gun (DD CHF barrel) consistently out shoots my 14.5 (Criterion CORE barrel) with that round. Kinda baffled me when I first shot them back to back in the prone @ 100. Yeah I know the barrel manufacturers, chamberings, and the twist rates are different but the best groups for the 11.5" I have gotten are 3/4" and the 14.5 is 1.2". Glad you mentioned that Hop.
I'm still of the belief that 1:8 twist is insufficient for 77gns which is what the criterions use for their longer barrels. What twist rate was your other barrel out of curiosity?
@@Hoplopfheil As you well know Hop, and to quote Jared Reston from Ridgeline Defense 'Every barrel is a special butterfly'. Well I think it was him....nonetheless very true.
The intermittent Nutnfancy references are appreciated; shows respect and self-knowledge Anyone remember analogy pairs in standardized testing? Gen X : Millennial :: TNP : Hop
The Bushnell Engage series are great value optics, I have the 2.5-10x on a very similar "SPR" build with a BA 18" mid barrel. While running AAC 77gr SMKs I had no problem making consistent hits out to 600 yards. Is it nearly as good as my Gen II Razor? No, but at 1/6 the price it performs exactly where it needs to be. Great content as always!
Thanks for always putting out great content and looking out for those on a budget! Dude you should seriously look into doing voice acting and voice overs cause I could literally listen to you narrate just about anything and actually pay attention and learn something! When I listen to other people talking I tend to tune out after awhile but something about your voice just makes me pay attention more! I need my GPS to have the HOP voice lol!Keep up the great work!
Currently I’ve been making a parts list for an spr upper. You and brass are to blame for my current adhd driven madness but I love the journey so far and the experience of learning.
I ended up with a rifle that had a SWFA fixed 12 power scope on it. Super clear glass, but i basically ended up giving it away because i couldn't make it make sense on any of my rifles.
For my budget setup I went with the Monstrum Tactical 1-8 lpvo and a Truglo green dot attached. With mount, scope and green dot ran about $230 including tax +shipping
BCM milspec trigger with JP's enhanced reliability springs took a 7lb trigger to a nice 5-5.5lb trigger. Did this on both of my boy's rifles and it was a great, cheaper upgrade.
Sometimes the solution to shooting far and no zero stop is the same: a sloped mount. With the example of that Engage scope, the product page says it has 50 MOA of elevation adjustment. That means it can go +/-25 MOA from center. If you get a 20 MOA sloped mount, that will change to +45/-5 MOA from center. That means you'll have more MOA to use for dialing longer shots. The web page didn't mention how many MOA you get with one rotation of the knob but assuming it has about 5 turns of adjustment, that would mean 10 MOA per turn. If your zero is aligned with the optical center of the scope on a zero slope mount, it will only have 1/2 a turn below zero when mounted in that 20 MOA sloped mount so when you want to find zero you just bottom out the knob and then dial it up to the first zero. Sloped mounts often cost the same or just a little more than zero slope models so it's an almost zero cost option while a zero stop on a scope always makes it at least a little more expensive. It's better to have both but if you can only have one, get an appropriate sloped mount. There are inappropriate sloped mounts, 30 MOA slope mounts are common but with +/-25 MOA on the Engage scope it might be 5 MOA from zero when the elevation adjustment bottoms out so you can never zero the scope at 50 or 100 yards. So always look at the total elevation adjustment spec, divide by two and get a mount with less slope than that.
@Hop At about the 10:00 minute mark, "... at a funny angle." Where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, it was from the movie "Snatch" and it was Tyrone's excuse for not seeing the "4-ton truck" directly behind the car when he was reversing into a parking space.
I'm strongly of the opinion that the upper half of your rifle is far more important then the lower (excluding a decent trigger). I have several, $50 "blem" BCM (thermo fitted) upper receivers mated to Ballistic advantage barrels. And they are VERY accurate. I higly recomend the BCM "Blem" uppers. I purchased 5 of them and all were fully assembled and new. NO blems at all!
Funnily enough, we had some of those Adventure Meals during some hiking in CO a couple months ago - my daughter had the regular mac and cheese and hated it, but I had the buffalo version and it was pretty decent
I have one of the higher end Ballistic Advantage barrels on a rifle, and it shoots that ADI 69gr stuff under 1moa. I can take it out to 600yds without much difficulty, unless the wind is particularly difficult that day. (The last time I took it out to that distance, I needed to compensate for 15moa of wind drift, or about 5 mil in my Mil subtension scope. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It was a challenge with the changing wind speeds. Still hit more often than not on a 24in gong. It was a fun challenge) They are good barrels for the money, but it did take a few hundred rounds for the barrel to settle in and start making the best groups. I didn't do anything special, not break in process or more frequent cleaning intervals.
A 12.5” with mpvo is more than sufficient for 600 in. I run the vector marksman 4-16 and it is a very good “budget “ option. I don’t have to dial out to 750 with 75gr bthp.
The Diamondback 4-16 is shown briefly in this vid. The turrets are exposed, unlocked, with no zero stops. The glass quality is also not on par with the Bushnell.
The best deal on glass on the planet right now is a Panzer 1-10x FFP with ED glass ....they also just made a 1-6x FFP with ED glass. Im testing both of them on my channel now
I run a 1-6 Strike Eagle 2 on my 18 inch AR 15. Great for 0-300 yards but I’ve been thinking about getting a better scope to really stretch out my gun. Not sure what I want yet but my budget is $400-$500 so I’m shopping around.
My budget spr is a palmetto upper, an aero lower, and a strike eagle 1-6. All together about 1k spent on it. Maybe one day when I'm better I'll horde better ammo have a better barrel and optic on it and a trigger too. For now it's good enough for me and the distances I have to work with. If I miss its not the rifle or ammos fault....I mean yea it's the rifle I swear the sun was in my eyes too
I was surprised that I was able to take my 11.5 with 75gr AAC and 1-6 out to 3&400yds for the first time with first and consistent impacts on 8in plates with a rather cheap PSA upper and some really lucky guessing using 4dof
I was debating to myself if it was better to do an illuminated scope vs saving money and getting an unilluminated scope and stacking a cheap red dot. Binden vs stacked dot more or less
That's also my impression of the SWFA 10x, I have one on my NRL-22 rifle but an unlocked-turret, fixed-power, non-illuminated scope isn't something I'd pick for hunting or tactical use.
So...I started stocking 75gr (it shot slightly better than the 77gr in my setup) after getting a fairly emphatic recommendation from someone who has been there/done that. Besides being more accurate (as you know), yes, it apparently does have significantly more effect on target, especially at medium-long ranges. Yes, I realize I'm some dude on the internet talking about what some other dude said. But trust me because I say so.
I would like to see you review PSA’s budget AR15’s and talk about if you can use them in a defensive context. Since their is debate over if they are good enough to rely on them.
I wonder if I'd prefer a budget AR SPR to have semi auto or a mag fed bolt gun like the Ruger American Ranch for the increased precision. Especially given the various barrel lengths and calibers available for negligible price difference on something like the Ruger American.
Heavier 77gr projectiles carry their momentum further.. So the drop off is a little slower.. So you'll need less hold overs.. but the main thing it helps is when you're shooting out past the transonic zone.. So if you're not pushing your shots out to the very limits-- you don't really need the expensive/ heavy rounds. They do well in a 1/7 twist.. but for an ultimate budget SPR.. you're better off with 1/8 or even 1/9 twist and stick with the lighter stuff; It's cheaper and does well on those barrels-- granted, your transonic zone will be a little shorter. But most won't even shoot out that far anyway
You and brass facts need to get into 6arc, been hunting with it for the last few years and it’s such a great “spr” cartridge. You’ll have to get into reloading though as it’s hard to find… at least up here in AK
Try primary arms, and watch for the sales. I snagged a really good lpvo for 200..... And I've never been disappointed with their quality. Their acss reticle and versions of are phenomenal.
I haven't had good luck with the AAC 77gr OTM. I get about 1.75MOA with it at best. The same is true of their 75gr load. The AAC 77gr SMK OTM on the other hand has performed very well in two of my uppers. The problem is it is always sold out. I have been using cheap Bushnell scopes for a few years on a couple of my ARs they are nothing special, but I have one of their Full Field IV scopes that I've swapped on and off a ton of uppers. It has at least 800 rds of .308 on a WAY over gassed 16" upper along with a bunch of way over gassed 7.62x39. It hadn't died to recoil so that's something...
You let the cat 🐈 out of the bag, and I can't find the Bushnell Engage scope in FFP or illuminated reticle. I'm guessing that it is a discontinued model? I guess I'll go look and see what Primary Arms has that is similar? Thanks for the great vid!
Did you consider shimming the barrel extension with .001 stainless shim stock? I did this with a 16” BA pencil barrel and have been pleased with the accuracy. 1-1 1/4” groups at 100yds with Fed 55gr SP and Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6.
Just an FYI.... The AAC 77gr Sierra Match King ammo will produce a repeatable 5 shot group at 100yds of 0.6 MOA out of my Criterion barrel. The stuff you used was around 1.18 MOA. You may want to try a box for S&G's.
Another little trick to better grouping is to stop aiming at the very center of a bullseye.. it's too vague.. Aim at the very top edge of the bullseye; that gives you a very precise edge to focus your aim on consistently. Always try to aim smaller
I'm running a $20 vintage Weaver 4X Marksman steel tube on a $36 DeezNutz freedom reaper, damaged packaging from amazon discount. I can't imagine paying more than $56 for an optic.
Psa fn chf barrel, blem lower, psa match trigger/polished mil spec, swfa fixed power / pa slx w/ crosshair, use utg and ozark brand stuff where appropriate. No laser or red dot. This will get you a sub 2 moa rifle with 55gr
Biggest issue I’ve ran into with the recent cheap optics I’ve tried (diamondback 3-9x and sig buckmaster 3-12) has been white out when the suns on your face. Otherwise image quality has been pretty impressive for the price and they’re generally adequate for the intended purpose but the white out is rage inducing. Anyone run into that issue with these?
I get that it's a joke. I have a 24" BCA pre-Covid 6.5 Grendel with a (Botach Tactical) Sun Armament 10-40x56 and a 3oz second stage trigger (don't recall what madman made it). With Hornady Frontier 123gr, it's .5moa consistently. With Druid Hills Armory 140gr ELD-M, it's one hole more often than not. From the cheapest possible rifle with a PRS stock and a military overrun cheap optic on clearance, probably made for the Afghan police or military
"Is it good?" "It's hot...and it's ready."
🍕😍
Hahahahaha
I get a stomach ache every time I eat Little Caesers
Sure, but its five bucks.
HAIL CAESAR
Ave Little Caesar!
So that's what Socko looks like without his tux.
I like your new sunglasses. Orange is your color
Come for guns, stay for Socko.
socko light mode
If that’s a new cat. I suggest naming him Eugene. After saint eugene stoner himself. I found a cat at work. Named him that. And he’s the most chill cat ever. I can’t help but think it’s because of his name.
@@JBsX39 no, it's socko without a tux
The best response to "is the glass any good" is... "It's better than plastic"
"it's better than iron"
“It’s better than wood”
It reminds me of when you go to the flea market and pick up a huge pair of binoculars but when you pick them up they're really light and that tells you everything...
I'm always impressed with all the AR theory-crafting you whip up for your cat videos.
"It's just one long panic attack"
That's why I quit the caffeine man it was really messing with my ability to relax and go to sleep
Yeah my sleep quality has improved so much since quitting regular consumption of caffeine. It also helps to not have as much tolerance because now when I actually need it if im getting up really early or whatever it works better and gives me an extra boost instead of just needing it to maintain a baseline.
Get some theanine
found the guy without adhd
@@raifsevrence you are so wrong. My adhd has literally determined my career prospects
@@Alexanderofthe9th sample size of one says there is still consumption and tolerance aspects which must be considered. check. that's reasonable.
11:00 "I wonder if these are like twix, they have a left bullet and a right bullet" I died
Red dot magnifier mentioned. I am here.
Go away we're talking about SCOPES
Reno.. Still waiting on those 7.62 BCA firing pin upgrades. :)
Come on broski
@@calholliI threw the BCA uppers in the trash where they belong. They don’t deserve a THIRD failed range attempt lol.
@@RenoMay dang... African children could have eaten those rifles
Bushnell seems to do decent duty at providing decent returns at decent prices.
Decent.
I have an older Bushnell, nothing special, but no complaints over 15+ years.
I got a used 1-6 Bushnell and is actually has really good eye box and eye relief. It's 1x is also super good.
Longest kill I ever had was on an antelope at 660 with a 280 Ackley that had an old Bushy on it.
"Bare with any wind noise in the background." Were you paying tribute to Paul Harrell with that delivery?
“I already knew all this stuff because it took place in the past.”
Pure. Wisdom.
“I’ve got a frankly heroic amount of caffeine in my system all the time, from when I wake up to when I go to bed.” - I felt this so bad my chest hurts. Or it’s the caffeine, but still.
"Here we have the X-Tac which still seem to be splitting off into 2 separate groups. I wonder if these are like Twix where they have a left bullet and a right bullet"
This is the analysis I come here for lmao
One day I would like a solid well magnified optic, but with the only ranges near me being 100 yards, all the magnification in the world doesn't help me see the point of that expense. I'm very jealous of people that have public land.
The one optical quality is only half the other is mechanical quality.
And durability.
BTW- I used to like Leupold but im segwaying away from them for various reasons. Their MK-AR line was, when they made it, probably the best over all value for the money.
I got pissed at them when in 2019 i bought a VX6HD and it was overpriced dog shit for QC. It acted like the intrenal adjustments had been sabotaged at the factory. They did repair it but FFS their fault and wouldn't send a shipping label.😑
2nd issue i buy a VX3HD, the alleged Mk-AR replacement, and the windage knob is plastic! No not polymer but PLASTIC!
That MF'er got sold on eBay oh and the reticle shape was piss poor and NCStar quality.😡
Anymore I'm buying older vintage Leupold or new Vortex PST series scopes.
Magnification doesn't just help at >100 yards. Shooting a target that is much smaller than a huge silhouette at 100 yards (i.e. a person actually taking cover) is way easier with magnification. Also, target I.D.
Only 100 yards, that sucks, but they print and sell tiny targets for a reason. It's fun and it'll also make you a better shooter too.
Same dawg where I live is literally the longest drive in the entire country to a national park according to google. Takes me 4+ hours to get to Mark Twain from where I’m at.
Yay for budget builds! Also, I enjoy all the Nutnfancyisms.
I still watch all Nutnfancy's stuff.. He's great
But without premium glass that I can't afford how will I see the the old paint cans explode when I shoot them on a pristine hillside range?
Clean up your ranges folks, nature will remember when it's swallowing your body and put a little flower on top to remember you by.
Cat.
With a Panzer ED glass 1-10x FFP 😂 they can be had for under 200, that's the best ED glass deal on the planet right now
@@mobilegamersunite Erectile Dysfunction glass?
@maxs.6635 yes! Limp dick glass is what I call it. All your expensive Japanese scopes have ED glass (extreme low dispurgent glass)
Now china is making ED glass...it's still better than any glass vortex is selling for 800 plus.
@@mobilegamersunite as if vortex isn't selling the same chinese made products everybody else is
@raifsevrence they are not using the ED glass yet. It's "optic quality quartz" . Its still a good glass for most use...it's just still out priced AF for what ya get....and for 90% of civilian use the 1x reigns supreme
It is nice to see someone actually trying to make a higher grade of glass to compete.
I think AAC 77gr and 75gr are sleeper rounds. If you have a short 1:7" barrel it is solid enough for the ranges you can be expected to reach out to but also the price has been less elastic than bulk M193 or M855.
Remember that at a certain point in upward trending ammo markets it makes more sense to start buying match ammo than inflated range/plinking ammo.
Awesome thinking right there!🤘🏼
I wish I could have this take. AAC 77 and 75 in various bullets have given me bad groups and a couple malfunctions. My BCM 1:7 only seems to like S&B 77gr, black hills mk262, or standard old M193.
@@intenttoattack2907 I have had great luck in my KAK 11.5". Cheap ammo must need a cheap upper lol.
"You're a person"
Thats mighty presumptuous of you Hop.
I believe strongly in your humanity.
The new vortex venom 3-15x is shockingly good. Like, better than it has the right to be at 350$. With that scope, a 16" BA stainless barrel I got on sale for 140$, and AAC Sabre black tip, I've been super consistent out to 800 yards.
I just got one for my 6.5 Grendel, I really like it so far.
Where can I get that for $350?
@@isaiahsears4660 they've been going on sale off and on. I paid 350 and got a rangefinder for free from Midway.
@@isaiahsears4660 they go on sale off and on. I paid 350$ and got a free rangefinder with purchase from Midway.
@Hoplopfheil A video on that scope and that caliber would be much appreciated
I picked up a used-once 1-6x Sig Tango MSR LPVO for 160. (Made a short with it)
The deals can be had if you make friends and/or are patient when buying.
I’ve got a 16” PSA that I’ve got an LPVO on and it does what I need it to most days. I don’t do a lot of long range shooting, but the PSA seems to be accurate for what I do with it
The AAC 77gr feels more like a fighting load, than a precision load.
I tried two 5 shot groups (100 yards) with a rifle I get .7 to a little over 1 MOA with Federal GMM 77 gr. I got ar around 1.2 MOA with it. Really good for the price, but a small sample size.
The packaging leaves a lot to be desired. The rounds are packed loose in the box and rattle around.
That ammo shot poorly out of my 18" 1:7 twist but surprisingly thier "Black tip" 55grain is excellent for me.
I found the 75 gr to be surprisingly accurate tbh
As far as AAC 77gr OTMs being more useful in a shorter barrel I can confirm one thing. Now my 11.5 gun (DD CHF barrel) consistently out shoots my 14.5 (Criterion CORE barrel) with that round. Kinda baffled me when I first shot them back to back in the prone @ 100. Yeah I know the barrel manufacturers, chamberings, and the twist rates are different but the best groups for the 11.5" I have gotten are 3/4" and the 14.5 is 1.2". Glad you mentioned that Hop.
I'm still of the belief that 1:8 twist is insufficient for 77gns which is what the criterions use for their longer barrels. What twist rate was your other barrel out of curiosity?
@@muffins4tots
Hey man,
Well yeah this will just confirm your belief. The 11.5 barrel is a 1/7.
@@jacksman7Thanks for letting me know!
@@muffins4tots My best results with 77gr ammo has been in 1:8 barrels... but that's just my weird anecdote. :)
@@Hoplopfheil
As you well know Hop, and to quote Jared Reston from Ridgeline Defense 'Every barrel is a special butterfly'. Well I think it was him....nonetheless very true.
The intermittent Nutnfancy references are appreciated; shows respect and self-knowledge
Anyone remember analogy pairs in standardized testing? Gen X : Millennial :: TNP : Hop
Nutnfancy would dig this rifle.
6:37
it's me,
I just dropped Nightforce money
Hey babe, another reason to hate Tarburz just dropped!
Same. The atacr 1-8 is almost worth it? So I keep telling myself
@@aaa3d473I try to keep telling myself it’s NOT worth it.🤣🤣
0:46 OH I BET YOU THINK YOUR JIST SOOOO COOL DOONG THAT ONE HANDED STUFF! well. your right.
I bet you think your SO COOL with your really nice scope filming rig and your turret tracking target :C
The biting sarcasm puts a spring in my step!!
The Bushnell Engage series are great value optics, I have the 2.5-10x on a very similar "SPR" build with a BA 18" mid barrel. While running AAC 77gr SMKs I had no problem making consistent hits out to 600 yards. Is it nearly as good as my Gen II Razor? No, but at 1/6 the price it performs exactly where it needs to be. Great content as always!
3:30 bushnell offers some of the best value in the entire optic space.
Leapers UTG 3-12 compact riflescopes work great, they have mildots and I use them out to 1000 no problem with my 20” 5.56 and 308 AR’s.
Thanks for always putting out great content and looking out for those on a budget! Dude you should seriously look into doing voice acting and voice overs cause I could literally listen to you narrate just about anything and actually pay attention and learn something! When I listen to other people talking I tend to tune out after awhile but something about your voice just makes me pay attention more! I need my GPS to have the HOP voice lol!Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the videos Hop 🫡
Btw, loved your grandfather in the original Hawaii Five-O. McGarrett was legendary 👍🏼
I miss a fixed 10x! M3A never did me wrong. BDC caps and less worry about water intrusion get me hot-n-bothered in the downstairs region.
I can confirm. When I went the Universal Studios Tour I saw a filming studio with word “Hop” on the side
I loved it when he shit jelly beans
Love the KITTY
It is amazing how good that you can build on a budget: Aero, Ballistic Adv., Schmid trigger
Currently I’ve been making a parts list for an spr upper. You and brass are to blame for my current adhd driven madness but I love the journey so far and the experience of learning.
I ended up with a rifle that had a SWFA fixed 12 power scope on it. Super clear glass, but i basically ended up giving it away because i couldn't make it make sense on any of my rifles.
Nutnfancy is the goat. Thanks hop for reviews of stuff regular folks can afford.
For my budget setup I went with the Monstrum Tactical 1-8 lpvo and a Truglo green dot attached. With mount, scope and green dot ran about $230 including tax +shipping
BCM milspec trigger with JP's enhanced reliability springs took a 7lb trigger to a nice 5-5.5lb trigger. Did this on both of my boy's rifles and it was a great, cheaper upgrade.
cool video Hop, too bad you weren't actually outside.
Eh it's always either too hot or too cold out there.
Sometimes the solution to shooting far and no zero stop is the same: a sloped mount.
With the example of that Engage scope, the product page says it has 50 MOA of elevation adjustment. That means it can go +/-25 MOA from center. If you get a 20 MOA sloped mount, that will change to +45/-5 MOA from center.
That means you'll have more MOA to use for dialing longer shots.
The web page didn't mention how many MOA you get with one rotation of the knob but assuming it has about 5 turns of adjustment, that would mean 10 MOA per turn. If your zero is aligned with the optical center of the scope on a zero slope mount, it will only have 1/2 a turn below zero when mounted in that 20 MOA sloped mount so when you want to find zero you just bottom out the knob and then dial it up to the first zero.
Sloped mounts often cost the same or just a little more than zero slope models so it's an almost zero cost option while a zero stop on a scope always makes it at least a little more expensive.
It's better to have both but if you can only have one, get an appropriate sloped mount.
There are inappropriate sloped mounts, 30 MOA slope mounts are common but with +/-25 MOA on the Engage scope it might be 5 MOA from zero when the elevation adjustment bottoms out so you can never zero the scope at 50 or 100 yards. So always look at the total elevation adjustment spec, divide by two and get a mount with less slope than that.
@Hop At about the 10:00 minute mark, "... at a funny angle." Where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, it was from the movie "Snatch" and it was Tyrone's excuse for not seeing the "4-ton truck" directly behind the car when he was reversing into a parking space.
I'm strongly of the opinion that the upper half of your rifle is far more important then the lower (excluding a decent trigger). I have several, $50 "blem" BCM (thermo fitted) upper receivers mated to Ballistic advantage barrels. And they are VERY accurate. I higly recomend the BCM "Blem" uppers. I purchased 5 of them and all were fully assembled and new. NO blems at all!
Funnily enough, we had some of those Adventure Meals during some hiking in CO a couple months ago - my daughter had the regular mac and cheese and hated it, but I had the buffalo version and it was pretty decent
Make a handgaurd tier list like you did for magpul stonks 🎉
Bold Prediction: He would put the ALG EMR in S Tier. Too bad theyve only restarted production of the 15" and 10.5", I need a 13" dammit.
The ALG rails are indeed the shit. I have 4 of them. I just with the new ones went 3, 6, 9 for mounting. For the price, i still may but a new one.
Theyre so ugly tho
I have one of the higher end Ballistic Advantage barrels on a rifle, and it shoots that ADI 69gr stuff under 1moa. I can take it out to 600yds without much difficulty, unless the wind is particularly difficult that day. (The last time I took it out to that distance, I needed to compensate for 15moa of wind drift, or about 5 mil in my Mil subtension scope. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It was a challenge with the changing wind speeds. Still hit more often than not on a 24in gong. It was a fun challenge)
They are good barrels for the money, but it did take a few hundred rounds for the barrel to settle in and start making the best groups. I didn't do anything special, not break in process or more frequent cleaning intervals.
Im personally a right x-tac kinda guy, but I'll use a left if need be
Gold thanks Hop!
But according to the internet, everyone shoots sub-MOA out of their SPRs so my 16” BA shooting 1-2 inch groups with AAC 77gr OTM is TRASH.
A 12.5” with mpvo is more than sufficient for 600 in. I run the vector marksman 4-16 and it is a very good “budget “ option. I don’t have to dial out to 750 with 75gr bthp.
It's so refreshing to hear the truth. Love this video. 👍
I'm curious why the Burris over the Vortex Diamondback series? Those have always been my best bang for buck magnified choice.
The Diamondback 4-16 is shown briefly in this vid. The turrets are exposed, unlocked, with no zero stops. The glass quality is also not on par with the Bushnell.
Dope. I like this idea. Thank, Hop.
The best deal on glass on the planet right now is a Panzer 1-10x FFP with ED glass ....they also just made a 1-6x FFP with ED glass. Im testing both of them on my channel now
My gun loves the Sig 77 OTM , getting 1/2 MOA out to 300. I’m sure it’ll do greater distance but I need a bigger scope.
I love seeing the guy at the range with the 500 dollar AR with the 1500 optic!
Great video Hop!
I run a 1-6 Strike Eagle 2 on my 18 inch AR 15. Great for 0-300 yards but I’ve been thinking about getting a better scope to really stretch out my gun. Not sure what I want yet but my budget is $400-$500 so I’m shopping around.
Good stuff as always, Hop.💪🏻
My budget spr is a palmetto upper, an aero lower, and a strike eagle 1-6. All together about 1k spent on it. Maybe one day when I'm better I'll horde better ammo have a better barrel and optic on it and a trigger too. For now it's good enough for me and the distances I have to work with. If I miss its not the rifle or ammos fault....I mean yea it's the rifle I swear the sun was in my eyes too
Okay seriously 1:03 where do you find places like this to shoot?
The Wild West
I was surprised that I was able to take my 11.5 with 75gr AAC and 1-6 out to 3&400yds for the first time with first and consistent impacts on 8in plates with a rather cheap PSA upper and some really lucky guessing using 4dof
I was debating to myself if it was better to do an illuminated scope vs saving money and getting an unilluminated scope and stacking a cheap red dot. Binden vs stacked dot more or less
That's also my impression of the SWFA 10x, I have one on my NRL-22 rifle but an unlocked-turret, fixed-power, non-illuminated scope isn't something I'd pick for hunting or tactical use.
Send me it and ill use it
RIP swfa. They were my go to LGS but closed shop to focus on their scopes apparently.
So...I started stocking 75gr (it shot slightly better than the 77gr in my setup) after getting a fairly emphatic recommendation from someone who has been there/done that. Besides being more accurate (as you know), yes, it apparently does have significantly more effect on target, especially at medium-long ranges.
Yes, I realize I'm some dude on the internet talking about what some other dude said. But trust me because I say so.
I would like to see you review PSA’s budget AR15’s and talk about if you can use them in a defensive context. Since their is debate over if they are good enough to rely on them.
I wonder if I'd prefer a budget AR SPR to have semi auto or a mag fed bolt gun like the Ruger American Ranch for the increased precision. Especially given the various barrel lengths and calibers available for negligible price difference on something like the Ruger American.
Heavier 77gr projectiles carry their momentum further.. So the drop off is a little slower.. So you'll need less hold overs.. but the main thing it helps is when you're shooting out past the transonic zone.. So if you're not pushing your shots out to the very limits-- you don't really need the expensive/ heavy rounds. They do well in a 1/7 twist.. but for an ultimate budget SPR.. you're better off with 1/8 or even 1/9 twist and stick with the lighter stuff; It's cheaper and does well on those barrels-- granted, your transonic zone will be a little shorter. But most won't even shoot out that far anyway
Nutnfancy mentioned!
You and brass facts need to get into 6arc, been hunting with it for the last few years and it’s such a great “spr” cartridge. You’ll have to get into reloading though as it’s hard to find… at least up here in AK
I just wanna say as a "poor." I really love my bushnell stuff. Gonna try their customer support for a stripped riser! But I've heard it's pretty good.
Try primary arms, and watch for the sales. I snagged a really good lpvo for 200.....
And I've never been disappointed with their quality.
Their acss reticle and versions of are phenomenal.
Heroic amount of caffeine- hell yeah brother
Can premium glass make the trash pile look any better?!
The answer might surprise you!
Bushnell's Match Pro series is pretty good for the money, from what I hear.
I haven't had good luck with the AAC 77gr OTM. I get about 1.75MOA with it at best. The same is true of their 75gr load. The AAC 77gr SMK OTM on the other hand has performed very well in two of my uppers. The problem is it is always sold out. I have been using cheap Bushnell scopes for a few years on a couple of my ARs they are nothing special, but I have one of their Full Field IV scopes that I've swapped on and off a ton of uppers. It has at least 800 rds of .308 on a WAY over gassed 16" upper along with a bunch of way over gassed 7.62x39. It hadn't died to recoil so that's something...
Arken. The budget scope for an spr is the arken lh 4-16 vpr mil reticle. That scope is insane for 250 bucks
You let the cat 🐈 out of the bag, and I can't find the Bushnell Engage scope in FFP or illuminated reticle. I'm guessing that it is a discontinued model? I guess I'll go look and see what Primary Arms has that is similar? Thanks for the great vid!
I have a Colt AR-15 A4 that grouped 1.5” at 100yrds with PMC XTAC. sooooo, maybe I’ll try this idea out on a Milspec 20-incher.
I had to cover my SWFA 12x and 10x’s eyes and ears for this video.
Hes just wrong its ok
Did you consider shimming the barrel extension with .001 stainless shim stock? I did this with a 16” BA pencil barrel and have been pleased with the accuracy. 1-1 1/4” groups at 100yds with Fed 55gr SP and Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6.
I took 5 rock chucks in one outing with this setup and ranges from 140-210yds.
Just an FYI.... The AAC 77gr Sierra Match King ammo will produce a repeatable 5 shot group at 100yds of 0.6 MOA out of my Criterion barrel. The stuff you used was around 1.18 MOA. You may want to try a box for S&G's.
Good to know.🤔
Well done
Using a vortex 4-16 MRAD on my dmr build it us great though just checked price and they have gotten crazy in the last couple years.
I’m more of a right Twix bullet guy, unless it’s a pistol then I’m a low left Twix bullet guy 😂
1:35 instructions unclear I built a riflespeed dissapator as my first ar even though i can't buy a suppressor here
Very nice hop
I got some of that adi for mad cheap. Something about their packaging needing to be changed. Seems to shoot very well
Another little trick to better grouping is to stop aiming at the very center of a bullseye.. it's too vague.. Aim at the very top edge of the bullseye; that gives you a very precise edge to focus your aim on consistently. Always try to aim smaller
Sadly, it appears the FFP version has been discontinued and is not available anywhere I could find.
I'm running a $20 vintage Weaver 4X Marksman steel tube on a $36 DeezNutz freedom reaper, damaged packaging from amazon discount. I can't imagine paying more than $56 for an optic.
I like this idea much better than an lpvo. That has a nice looking reticle for 300 bucks.
Buy a BCM 18” upper, slap on a Primary Arms GLX 2.5-10x scope and you got your ideal SPR for reasonable cost.
Totally agree!
18" ruger mpr with optic and bipod. Done
That one handed shot 🥵
We need a poverty tier SPR build. Tasco with a SeeAll and an Amazon flashlight
Agreed. A ground-up Special Poverty Rifle build.
Psa fn chf barrel, blem lower, psa match trigger/polished mil spec, swfa fixed power / pa slx w/ crosshair, use utg and ozark brand stuff where appropriate. No laser or red dot.
This will get you a sub 2 moa rifle with 55gr
@@LDR1100RS 😂 Yes haha
@@flopus7 hey hey hey my UTG 3x magnified flip over for my eoTech is crazy good glass quality!!
I may be poor but I still have standards.
Biggest issue I’ve ran into with the recent cheap optics I’ve tried (diamondback 3-9x and sig buckmaster 3-12) has been white out when the suns on your face. Otherwise image quality has been pretty impressive for the price and they’re generally adequate for the intended purpose but the white out is rage inducing. Anyone run into that issue with these?
I get that it's a joke.
I have a 24" BCA pre-Covid 6.5 Grendel with a (Botach Tactical) Sun Armament 10-40x56 and a 3oz second stage trigger (don't recall what madman made it).
With Hornady Frontier 123gr, it's .5moa consistently.
With Druid Hills Armory 140gr ELD-M, it's one hole more often than not.
From the cheapest possible rifle with a PRS stock and a military overrun cheap optic on clearance, probably made for the Afghan police or military
Dude have you checked out the UTG Accusync offset scope mount with the piggyback attachment that they also sell? Pretty good value for me.