Sam H
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Post by Sam H on Mar 20, 2011 2:50:23 GMT
Ok I'd said I'd never take photos of my guns and put them up on the net. Well this one is purposefully taken not showing a serial and not showing really anything else but the gun and some mags along with a few rounds for aesthetics. First off let me say that this rifle REALLY did only cost me $10 (no trades, credits etc. Really only $10) - and some gas money to drive a total of 180miles (round trip x 2) to get it home. Oh yes and some taxes come tax time next year too. That said I'll show give you the specs and show off the rifle. Maker:DPMS Model: LR-308 Chamber: .308 Winchester Action: Gas Operated Direct Impingement Lower: Milled from a solid billet of 6061-T6 aluminum Upper:Thick walled, extruded from 7129-T5 Aluminum(no dust cover or shell deflector) with high mount picatinny rail Barrel: 24" free floating 416 SS bull barrel, 6 groove RH 1:10 twist Forearm: Standard length ribbed free float tube. Optics: Dark Ops 4-16x44 Mil-Dot Scope Weight: Empty - 11.20 lbs. (not including scope) OAL: 43.5" I haven't shot it yet. Just got it home today and mounted the scope on it. I'll be taking it to the range tomorrow to sight in and see how it shoots. So for now I'm just happy as can be! EDIT: Forgot to add photo! Attachments:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2011 3:05:33 GMT
Any details on the optics? How sharp is the glass, is the image clear from the edge of the field of view to the center, are the adjustments clear and precise, can you bottom out the adjustment and wind it back without messing up the scope? Also please let me know if they return to zero during adjustment while shooting.
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Post by whitefeathers on Mar 20, 2011 3:06:03 GMT
Best $10 you spent today wasnt it? :lol:
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Mar 20, 2011 3:23:19 GMT
The scope is a scope I already had on hand and so far I'm quite pleased with it. The image is quite clear with just a tiny smidge of discernible defraction at the very edge of the field of vision. The adjustments are clear although not super precise only being 1/4" per click at 100yds. I have bottomed it out and dialed it all the way back without messing it up. It has a little mechanism on it that allows you to "set" zero and return to that set after adjusting for shooting variables.
Frankly I'd say that for the money I probably would have been better off purchasing another brand like a Nikon or Leupold for clearer optics. As for accuracy of the scope its worked well for me on other high power rifles so I wouldn't expect any less on this rifle. Really I wanted a true mil-dot scope to play with. Thus far I haven't been disappointed with it and if one were looking for a reliable mil-dot scope that will hold a set zero and be able to return to it after adjusting during shooting its not a bad choice. If one were looking for an accurate long range target scope or an accurate long range hunting rifle there is better to be found for the money I think.
Whitefeathers: Yep! This is the best $10 I've spent in a LONG time. The fact that its brand spanking new from DPMS to the FFL then to me makes it even better. Of course now I'm not exactly looking forward the recommended break-in procedure that DPMS recommends though...
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Post by Stromlo_Swords_USA on Mar 20, 2011 3:53:46 GMT
Nice one Sam!
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Post by Major, Cory J on Mar 20, 2011 4:27:33 GMT
couple questions....
HOW?!?! And do they have any more!?
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Post by Bogus on Mar 20, 2011 4:29:28 GMT
Indeed. I thought about getting a rifle with my tax refund...this would make it easy!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2011 8:04:07 GMT
Thanks for the rundown Sam H. Congrats on an awesome deal also. cheers
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Mar 20, 2011 13:24:05 GMT
Alright I suppose I should tell you guys how I got the rifle for $10.
About a month ago I had gone to a gun show and came to a table that was held by the Friends of the NRA. They were selling raffle tickets to try and raise money for various NRA causes. Recently I'd not contributed anything to fundraisers due to money constraints at home but something told me I should purchase a ticket or two. So $10 later I had two little blue tickets for their raffle. There were a handful of firearms and a few other prizes (outdoor gear, gift certificates etc.) and while I'd never won anything of real value before in such raffles I purchased these tickets anyway.
Friday night (around 2200hrs) I got a call from a number I didn't recognize and was asked for by name by a man I didn't recognize. I normally don't get calls after 2100hrs so this was unusual and was almost inclined not to answer it. I did though and was inform that I had won a firearm and needed to drive to their location NOW to fill out the appropriate tax forms. I informed this man that I was a little more than 1 hr drive from is location however he insisted that I go. I hopped in the truck thinking this was some elaborate hoax but went anyway. Upon arrival (shortly after 2300hrs) I found that they were just wrapping up their banquet and I walked in. After showing ID and my ticket stub I was informed I'd won the grand prize of the evening and sadly the FFL had to leave and he took the firearm with him for safe keeping. I needed to fill out the claim form and the federal tax form that night so I had proof that I was the rightful owner of the rifle. Then in the morning I could drive to the FFL (another hour drive one way) to pick up the rifle after a NICS check. Well I filled out the forms and took my carbon copies home.
The next morning I drove to the FFL (mind you he was out in the middle of the stix and his "shop" was a small barn hidden behind a cove of trees so it made it difficult to find him) and went through the rigamarole of picking up the rifle. After about 30min I was walking out of his shop, the proud owner of a new LR-308 by DPMS.
Sadly friends there are no more to be had but you should check or local area. I think in the future I'll be more willing to purchase raffle tickets with the chance of getting more firearms.
Good luck to anyone else who might try this.
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Post by KaOsBlaKbLaDe on Mar 20, 2011 19:08:39 GMT
Congratz!! I think your gonna like the DPMS. I dont have a .308, but bught a few of the panther bull .223s. I managed to get all my receivers with the recession for the auto sear before they changed them. I love em!! I have never had a single problem whatsoever after thousands of rounds. I was really impressed with the DPMS and since getting them, i've let my bushies go, and all I have besides the DPMS's is my colt AR-15. Congratulations again and enjoy!!!!
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Post by ShooterMike on Mar 21, 2011 15:57:08 GMT
Congratz Sam. I have a newish LR-308 and I love it. So far, it seems to run everything I have fed it and it hits a LOT harder than any .223/5.56 AR. I think you'll really like this one.
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Post by KaOsBlaKbLaDe on Mar 21, 2011 18:07:30 GMT
Sam, you gonna post a write up after you get a chance to touch a few off?? I'd love to have a .308 and mike's right it's gonna make a .223 look like a plinker.
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Apr 8, 2011 1:06:40 GMT
Ok so you asked for a bit of a write up and here it is. I must admit I'm not very good with the whole review thing so it won't be much of one and there won't be many pictures but here goes: (Disclaimer: I was and still am sick with an upper respiratory infection that makes me weak and cough constantly. I was trying to shoot between coughing spells which impeded in my concentration. Despite that I think I did fairly well... probably couldn't have done much better in good health.)
DPMS LR-308 (the girl in the background is my 12yr old daughter plinking with my AR with a .22LR upper on it)
Details are already listed at in the original post. Ammunition: Factory loaded Federal Power-Shok 180gr SP Range conditions: 37 degrees F. cloudy with a 7 - 10 mph wind from the SE. Shooting direction: Due south Shooting position: Benched off sandbags. Range report after having shot 150 rds through it. The barrel isn't even fully broken in yet but I figure after this amount of rounds the gun will have come close to what its ending accuracy will be. 20 rds were sent downrange in total.
Targets were 1 at 100yds and 2 at 200yds. Each target was 24" in diameter.
Here is the 100yd target.
I purposely sighted in the scope a little high. Bear in mind that the black diamond in the middle is 2" across. The solid orange circle around it is 4" in diameter. If I hold the mil-dot scope at 1 dot above the crosshairs one center I find that I can hold nearly center out to 200yds and still hit close to center of the target. Disregard holes in the backstop - those were there before I stuck my targets on them.
Here is the 200yd target.
Note how its shooting closer to center. My grouping has grown - but then my grouping at 100yds wasn't exactly good either.
Here's another target at 200yd that was shot by my daughter with the LR-308. Not bad for being 12yrs old I think. The first shot was pretty good. Then she got scared of the rifle afterwards and started opening up her pattern. I think there was at least one shot that didn't land on paper.
Over all I think this is a very nice rifle. For being an autoloader I think it shoots quite well and consistently. Even right out of the box it only took 10rds to zero it in at 100yds. After that it was all just fine tuning the scope to figure out drop rates etc for this weight bullet and just fun burning up ammo to try and break in the barrel.
Recoil on this rifle is definitely heavier than a 5.56 but honestly its not bad at all. It feels more like a straight push back to me and the muzzle doesn't flip much at all - especially compared to other 30 caliber rifles I've owned and/or shot. I was considering sending the barrel off to ADCO to have them thread the barrel for a muzzle brake although I don't think its really necessary. I'd put one on more for aesthetics than anything really.
I'd have shot more but we ran out of time (my daughter had to head up to the lodge for Hunter's Education) so I packed up and called it a night for shooting. Besides I was at the end of my endurance level for being on the range - being sick and all.
I'd say that for $10 this was a fantastic investment! Now to save up money to tune the trigger of this thing... its got the typical creepy heavy pull of a mil-spec AR. In an AR-15 that's not so bad but I'd like to lighten the pull of this rifle and make it break crisply. I was thinking of just spending the money on this and purchasing one of the JP Match trigger sets... From what I've read the trigger sets for AR-15s should just drop right into this thing too. Do you guys have any suggestions for increasing accuracy or is this about the best I can expect from this rifle?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2011 3:09:31 GMT
Personally, I always practice the basic fundamentals over and over. Chances are you are already aware but here goes. Breath control, trigger squeeze, sight picture, follow through, recoil impulse wash rinse and repeat. I take a deep breath in and as I begin to let it out I gently begin squeezing the trigger with the meatiest part of my index finger as straight back as possible and try to let the trigger surprise me each time while not moving the rifle at all. I always try to maintain the clearest and most even scope picture I can, as the rifle goes off I try not to move the rifle with my body at all and just let the recoil ride the rifle back a bit then gently push the rifle back in to position and start over again.
On the mechanical side you might double check your scope mounts or switch scopes and see if that makes a difference. After shooting the rifle make it safe, empty and check chamber and put it on safe then carefully inspect the muzzle end and make sure the gas marks surrounding the crown are even on all sides, there should be even powder burn lines extending from the bore to the terminus of the crown "hard to describe" but these can be tell tale signs of a bad crown if the burn marks are not even.
Make sure you are not touching the magazine or putting pressure on it while you shoot. Perhaps the barrel simply needs a break in period of shooting and cleaning to finish smoothing it out. You might also try 160/170 grain ammo, perhaps it is simply a fluke and does not do well with a certain load.
My ideas anyway, I hope you get to feeling better.
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Apr 8, 2011 13:43:04 GMT
I do practice the fundamentals however its difficult to maintain that when you're racked with coughing fits every other breath. When I'm in better form I do shoot a bit better... and with my Win Mod 70 in .308 I can shoot 2" groups at 200yd consistently when not sick. Of course I have a better scope for that gun (which was also professionally mounted) AND its a bolt gun vs. a gas operated autoloader. On really good days I can put out 1" groups with that particular rifle at 200yd.
While I attribute some of the scattered grouping from the LR-308 to being sick I think it might have something to do with the scope too - the poor thing's been pretty heavily abused in its short lifetime with me. Aside from that the LR-308 is the first rifle I've ever owned and its entirely possible that what I've heard is true - autoloaders are just not as accurate as a bolt gun. Yes according to most accounds 170rds through the rifle is far from being broken in. While DPMS recommends that you run around 250 through it with regular cleanings every 10 rounds to break in the barrel I've read on various forums that its best to run 500 or more rounds through it with regular cleaning between mags. Thus far that is what I'm doing and hoping that afterwards the accuracy will be better.
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