# New Predator rifle in the AR flavor



## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Built myself a new rifle using one of my 18" fluted uppers chambered in 223 Wylde with one of our NiB BCGs and Syrac adjustable gas block so the gas can be tuned the proper way and then utilized the lower from my 6.8. I went with a YHM can, ADM optic mount and a Vortex Viper HST 4-16 power optic i the mil/mil variety.

While the power on the riflescope is a little higher than I normally like to hunt with I figured this can serve double duty as a good practice rifle for reaching out a little further without breaking the bank on ammo.


















Brett C. 
IronworksTactical.com - owner


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Looks like a sweet setup Ironworks. :thumbsup:

awprint:


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

I'll post up a range report once I get a chance to get some trigger time in on it.

Brett C. 
IronworksTactical.com - owner


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Looks real nice I must say.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Looks good. We look forward to the report.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Sweet... and i am not a big fan or ar's. i shot a short barrel ar yeas ago, and my ears are still ringing.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

thats a sweet looking rifle

i love the AR platform


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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Sweet!!! Want my shipping address????????


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

Good looking evil black gun I love the two I have look forword to the range report


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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Wait a second....is that the one obama talks about with the "1000 bullet assault clips"?

BAN IT!


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Indiana Jones said:


> Wait a second....is that the one obama talks about with the "1000 bullet assault clips"?
> 
> BAN IT!


Hahah nah I specialize in hunting rifles. 10rd mag is plenty for me. But those bullets explode into lots of little bullets like an ICBM!! Er wait....

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## Agney5 (Sep 28, 2013)

Pretty dang sharp, I would love to have the option of a can. You do your own barrels if so what are you using for blanks?


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Agney5 said:


> Pretty dang sharp, I would love to have the option of a can. You do your own barrels if so what are you using for blanks?


For 6.8s we only use AR15Performance (ARP) barrels.

For 5.56 (223wylde) I use ARP or Odin Works barrels. But if you prefer I can order BHW or Rainier (Match or Ultra Match line only).

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## A10hunter (Jan 30, 2013)

Beautiful work, I had to wipe the droll of my keybored. I want a can so bad, another reason I hate living here. But, when I get the money saved up I will get a hold of you for a 6.8 upper.


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## choclabs (Dec 29, 2012)

Brett,

Yea, I'm order #1085, 6.8 complete upper. And I love seeing these pictures of your upper in .223/556. Your comments re: practice round that is affordable is understandable at face value, but it implies that the .223/556 is not a lethal round for hunting esp. pigs and deer. I was previously of a similar opinion, however after reading hundreds of webpages in forums about the documented internal ballistics performance that has been posted by "skypup" with the .223/556 rounds absolutely making again hundreds of one shot kills, I am now reformed of opinion.

His are easy to find on the web in forums if one posts a web search for skypup and .223 or skypup hogs etc. In summary, he owns well over 1,000 acres of prime N Florida somewhat nearing the panhandle area. For over 4-5 years now he has been writting in great detail about what he is shooting in his SIG 516 and posting pictures with write ups about post mortem effect of the different rounds. He started with 75 gr hollow points and some of his favorite factory rounds were the Hornady Superformance .556 TAC rounds. He began re-loading and used these type bullets for around a year or so. Next he moved on to using the Barnes solid bullets in factory ammo then in reloads. He has pictures of many 250lbs and larger hogs dispatched with one shot kills. Many of his pictures include skinned animals with entry and exit wounds. Skypup is very prolific with his keyboard time and has posted his progression with all manners of NV equipment to the point that he has worked with TNVC and FLIR as a beta testing facility for their latest generation products. He has hosted their representatives to come down to his place and actually hunt with their products. As follow-up he writes long detailed postings with pics and video included to just how the products performed in real life hunt conditions.

All I'm saying is that when one takes the time to properly place shots on large pigs with a HI-perf .223 or 556 round, pigs drop dead. This includes some shots taken through the thick shield of boar hogs. I encourage anyone that reads this post and believes that they are under gunned if hunting hogs with a .223/556 then they are probably selling themselves short. Just take a little time and search out the internet for the "skypup" alias and you will see for yourself just what he has spent so many long hours documenting in writting and photographic evidence. I know that after spending 10's of hours reading his posts and replies on his threads, that I am convinced bullet selection and shot placement are very lethal combinations on big hogs, oh yea, little ones too. Do not go there if you are not prepared to get totally envious of the latest FLIR technology that he is using. He also has recorded his progression from using LED spotting and kill shot flashlights to NV to state of the art FLIR + NV combinations.


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## zacii (Oct 28, 2014)

That's a nice looking AR. What's your reasoning for going with the Wylde?

I've been following Skypup's anti-hog adventures for some time. His results with a 70 grain TSX bullet shows the .223/5.56 in another light.

I could provide a link, but I didn't know if it's against the rules here to link to another forum.


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Oh choclabs I never meant that. It's just so much affordable a round to send down range then my 6.8 or 300wm. I've been using this rifle exclusively for coyotes and other varmints. It's extremely lethal. I'd expect the title ensured that but I apologize if it was misleading

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## choclabs (Dec 29, 2012)

Brett - With all that you do to support hunting and hunters ther is never a needfor you to offer an apology to me. However I may have come down too strong in what I was sharing. I am certain that you have many more AR rounds sent downrange tha me and probably always will.

My naivitewith the Ar and .223 is showing in my posting as I was for way too long convinced that the .223 was substandard for large hogs and marginal for deer. That is why about 3 years ago I initiated my research on the terminal ballistics results of hunting with .223. I was wrong with my opinion and spent many hours learning how wrong that I was. When I bought my wife our first AR my thinking was coyotes and smaller only.

My goal in hunting is for one shot quick kills. I have way more of these than otherwise but still have that objective every time I shootat an animal. All I was trying to do is share a tremendous amount of accurate terminal ballistics information that has been posted for anyone that is interested.

YES indeed more affordable range time is a good thing for all.

I apologize to you if you took my posting as trying to school you on hunting with the .223. That was not my intention at all, but I can easily see how that could be interpreted.

However I am interested in seeing your posting to the question of why you chose the Wylde chamber.


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Ironworks said:


> Oh choclabs I never meant that. It's just so much affordable a round to send down range then my 6.8 or 300wm. I've been using this rifle exclusively for coyotes and other varmints. It's extremely lethal. I'd expect the title ensured that but I apologize if it was misleading
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The Wylde chamber is inherently more accurate than the 5.56 and unlike the 223 chamber allows the use of either .223 or 5.56 ammo.



choclabs said:


> Brett - With all that you do to support hunting and hunters ther is never a needfor you to offer an apology to me. However I may have come down too strong in what I was sharing. I am certain that you have many more AR rounds sent downrange tha me and probably always will.
> 
> My naivitewith the Ar and .223 is showing in my posting as I was for way too long convinced that the .223 was substandard for large hogs and marginal for deer. That is why about 3 years ago I initiated my research on the terminal ballistics results of hunting with .223. I was wrong with my opinion and spent many hours learning how wrong that I was. When I bought my wife our first AR my thinking was coyotes and smaller only.
> 
> ...


Choc I still don't like the 223 for hogs. Sure shot placement is key but if once you shoot the first jog in a 30 pig sounder those nice little accurate shots go out the window as you're trying to lay down 3-4 more pigs who are sprinting for cover in a not so straight line. That is where the beefier 6.8 has a huge advantage. I've watched a lot of ppl kill their first pig and shoot and do very little to the rest of the pigs who run into the bushes and possibly die later using 223. I will continue to run the 6.8 for pigs and deer exclusively but the 223 is more then enough for coyotes cats and other such varmints. Plus a lot less money to shoot for practice with. There are just a lot of times perfect precision shot placement isn't reasonable so more horsepower wins the day.

Fyi I don't disagree that 223 with a good bullet isn't more than sufficient for deer with a good accurate shot I just like the ability of the 6.8 more for deer.

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## choclabs (Dec 29, 2012)

Brett - I very much look forward to you introducing me to the 6.8 world just as soon as my handguard arrives to complete my upper. I absoultely agree with you that when one is afield with the goal of erradicationand population control, then bigger is better. And I also agree that proper shot placement is not always available, that is when I refuse a shot. Since I am the one who cleans and prepares all of my meat for our family, then I am very critical of myself and my wife if I get tasked with dressing out a gut shot animal.

Yes I do understand and support the erradication of feral hogs and that larger projectiles prevent shocked animals from continuing their escape. I also know that under those circumstances most of us will strive to make a follow up kill shot as soon as possible. So once I shift my perspective from hunter mode to depredation control I fully concur with the larger caliber strategy. I would also post a premise that surgical removal by use of NV technology and suppressors might reduce the shock to the hogs of the loud retort and confusion resulting from the intensity of the blast. This would result in additional good shots to make more kills.

However that is just a theory since I have never hunted with NV equipment nor suppressors. I'm just thinking about the conditioned response that these hogs would get from multiple non-suppressed blasts would be to scramble. Probably there comes a time in population density that no matter what you do you will not be able to run them off.


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

We use NV and suppressors all the time. They run just as much and with great gusto only difference is they don't know which way to run as the report location is masked so we get lucky and some run towards us for more shots.

Pigs are not like deer. We shoot them head neck boiler room and are happy with it. Then we pull the backstraps in the field and drive on since we kill so many. Occasionally also pull the hid quarters never even gutting the animal. Like you said eradication is a huge part of that but we still meat hunt them as well.

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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Ironworks said:


> We use NV and suppressors all the time. They run just as much and with great gusto only difference is they don't know which way to run as the report location is masked so we get lucky and some run towards us for more shots.
> 
> Pigs are not like deer. We shoot them head neck boiler room and are happy with it. Then we pull the backstraps in the field and drive on since we kill so many. Occasionally also pull the hid quarters never even gutting the animal. Like you said eradication is a huge part of that but we still meat hunt them as well.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That sounds like nothing but 100% pure fun. Color me envious!!!!!!! I have 2 AR rifles set up for cans but haven't found the money (or patience) to buy one yet. I need to change that.

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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Short said:


> Good luck changing that......


ATF is 4.5 months now for stuff with a trust. Jordan at the gunshop just got his back for his .308 can. I can handle 4.5 hell even 6 months but when it was at 11...forget it. Im gonna set up a trust to bypass CLEO sign off and save at least a few weeks. Might order the YHM can next week when I get paid. 

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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Short said:


> $100-$300 to start your trust
> $200 for your suppressor tax stamp
> and at least $900 for a good suppressor and you can't order your can until you have your trust set up and the $200 to send in, per Jordan.
> 
> ...


Im going to start hooking behind the Black Steer in Loveland.

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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

Short said:


> $100-$300 to start your trust
> $200 for your suppressor tax stamp
> and at least $900 for a good suppressor and you can't order your can until you have your trust set up and the $200 to send in, per Jordan.
> 
> ...


Im going to start hooking behind the Black Steer in Loveland.

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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Short said:


> $100-$300 to start your trust
> 
> $200 for your suppressor tax stamp
> 
> ...


i would just take that money and buy me another nice AR instead


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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Why? Can only shoot one at a time. I'd rather have the can. This all coming from the guy who wants you to buy is rifles lol.

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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

I don't buy guns just to hunt with. I collect firearms of all types and militaria of all types. A suppressor is definitely on my "very soon" list.

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## Ironworks (Feb 21, 2014)

Short said:


> Yep. Can always use another rifle. Suppressor is way down the list and isn't needed to hunt anything. But hey, if we all had bottomless pockets full of cash like Ironworks, yeah I guess we might have a suppressor.


Not bottomless pockets. Paid for a suppressor and SOT that I use on both 6.8 and 5.56. I budget by having one well built lower the way I want and swap uppers. I hunt with guys that have way nicer gear than me and I own and operate a shop that builds custom hunting ARs.



Short said:


> I mean, don't get me wrong, I would love to have a suppressor.....and maybe I will..... :thumbsup:


You'll be hooked if you do.

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