# MSR



## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

I wanted to start a topic about the MSR, otherwise known as the Modern Sporting Rifle....or in all other purposes, the AR-15.

Now I have used all types of rifles. Bolt actions growing up, lever guns and even pump actions. Semi autos were not something I grew up with. My first experience with the AR style rifle came from my time in the Army. My military career started with the M16A3. Open sights, no optics. We learned how to shoot them and shoot them well. Soon we were issues M4A1's. Shorter and just as accurate. However there was an addition of a trijicon acog 4x optic. Handy to say the least.

So his brings me back to the MSR. Try as I may, I can't get away from the AR platform. I find that I am too proficient with them and that the 8 years I spent behind them have built a muscle memory. It's hard to put down a rifle that feels so natural.

I am getting older. The body is torn up from my time in the service, my inability to tell friends "no" when moving and my own demise of doing stupid sh*t. I have a bad hip and a bad shoulder. Recoil doesn't really bother it much. I was finding however, that racking a bolt on a bolt action did not feel good.

Downsizing a collection isn't easy by any means. Some rifles have great memories. But rifles and firearms to me are tools. If you no longer need a certain tool to do a job, pass it along to someone who can put it to use. Cars are made to be driven, not sit in a garage and collect dust. Same goes for rifles just sitting in a safe. The way I see it, I can only shoot one at a time. And there really is no reason to have a bunch of different calibers. So I did some cleaning. Sold a bunch of rifles and made a bunch of money.

The MSR is a good rifle for people who need full adjustment for comfortable shooting in a lightweight platform. That's pretty much what I was looking for. So I bought another AR (even though I told myself I wouldn't ever again at one point). It was your run of the mill basic mil-spec 16" in 5.56

Well lets back up a few steps. Now I sold all of my large caliber rifles. I also sold all of my smaller caliber rifles too. And I drew for deer and elk this year. What would I do without my .300 win mag?

OK, back to the AR. First thing that needed to go was the 16" milspec upper. The A2 front sight and hand guards are great if you want to plink. They do not lend themselves to accurate extended range fire. So the 16" milspec upper came off and was sold. Next the grip and rear stock have to go. The M4 milspec stock is great, if I was in combat...but I am hunting, so comfort is key. Although I don't agree with Magpul's politics (colorado company who left), they make a great product, so the magpul grip and stock were ordered. The heavy combat trigger will stay for now as I told myself if I was going to upgrade the trigger it would be done once. Geissle is the way to go, but that can be saved for.

Back to my hunting dilemma. I looked at what I primarily use my rifles for and what critters I hunt. It was simple. .223/5.56 for the small predators. 6.5 Grendel for the large critters. It took me a awhile to make a choice between 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPCII. But ballistics are ballistics and after reading through all of the arguments, the data doesn't lie. The 6.5 Grendel is ballistically superior to the 6.8. The Grendel also has plenty of power to knock down every big game animal in North America.

Uppers, all you need is uppers. Well the order was placed for 2 uppers. Both uppers are virtually identical other than caliber. The reasoning behind this is that the muscle memory for shooting both will be the same. Both uppers will be 18" 416 Stainless fluted bbls with full length free float m-loc handguards. The 5.56 will boast a 1:7 twist and the 6.6 Grendel will boast a 1:8 twist. Both of these barrels will allow for maximum handling while giving the ability to stabilize heavier projectiles in their perspective calibers. Pics will be posted once all of the items arrive.

Versatility. It says it all. Having the ability to carry multiple uppers in my truck during a hunting trip that take up little space and the ability to quickly change calibers with the push of 2 pins will be a welcome change.

My best success story to date with an AR was a hunting trip with Fishshoot where I shot a coyote in the face at 115 yards.....that rifle was a tack driver...now my brother uses it.

So what have you done with your MSR? Critters you have taken? Shots you have made?


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

i own five different MSR's

all are exactly as they left the factory that made,with the addition of optics on the ones that were flat top optic ready rifles,ones that came with site still have just the sites on them and no optics added

all are in the .223/5.56 caliber except for one which is 300 blackout

i used my RRA .223 for deer hunting last year,got it sighted in using the fusion msr ammo

free hand groups at 100yds were under .75" with a 3x optic.

it was the first year i hunted way up in northern mn for deer(about 50 miles south of canada)

seen only one buck and let him walk

only because he was so damn big,and i knew i just didnt have enough gun for that monster


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I've got two MSRs both are flat tops and sport 18" barrels and collapsible stocks, both 1-8 twist one standard mil-spec finish, the other sportsS/S tube, one standard hand guard the SS barrel wears a free floated aluminum. Both 5.56. I'm going to remove the scope from one and replace it with a red dot type optic as my wife is right handed and nearly blind in her right eye so the scope is difficult for her. I bought both of them by selling used brass I picked up in the desert back when they were cheap and brass was scarce. The only thing I've hunted with them are predators. They work fine but I prefer my bolt guns or the Ruger#1.


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

SGB, it's nice to see Minnesota finally got their heads up out their backsides and changed centerfire minimum to .220 instead of .23.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

texaspredatorhunter said:


> SGB, it's nice to see Minnesota finally got their heads up out their backsides and changed centerfire minimum to .220 instead of .23.


i agree.

got stopped by a C.O. last year while deer hunting.he looked at my rifle and asked how i liked it for hunting deer. i told him first year trying it for deer so i would find out. he then asked if i felt confident being able to take one with the .223 caliber,so i replied that i did as long as it was an average sized deer. but that buck that i passed on was far from average and the biggest damn deer i have seen in my life.

one must know the limitations of the skills and their tools.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

"A mans got to know his limitations "


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## Steve D (Feb 5, 2016)

No need to worry about the size of the deer if using a 60 grain Hornady V-max. All 5 I have shot dropped within 25 yds. of the hit.

Good thing because they don't leave much of a blood trail due to internal damage and no or small exit hole. Longest shot was 225 yards.


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## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

Here in Colorado, big game need to be taken with .24 cal or larger and there is also a minimum energy requirement too. No .223 for us to use on deer. .243 or larger. Hence why I decided to go with a 6.5 Grendel.


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## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

Steve D said:


> No need to worry about the size of the deer if using a 60 grain Hornady V-max. All 5 I have shot dropped within 25 yds. of the hit.
> 
> Good thing because they don't leave much of a blood trail due to internal damage and no or small exit hole. Longest shot was 225 yards.


I can see how you get away with hunting deer there with a .223...those deer are the size of a large dog. I'm originally from PA, and yeah...deer on the east coast are tiny compared to what we have here in CO.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

You ain't seen tiny deer until you've hunted southern AZ or Mexico. Coues deer bucks are about 100 pounds on the hoof. They do have extremely nice racks though.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

I owned a .223/5.56 for a year. Shot Blue Box Black Hills Ammo in 52 grain match out of it. Was a very accurate rifle and a Timney trigger helped that big time.

My problem was when a heard of Neb or Iowa yotes came in with a few past 175 yards, you could hear them go ouch and they kept going. I saw similar effects with .22WSM and ,17WSM. So I dumped it for the old reliable, .22-250 and 6mm. Now I can't complain as what I lost in fur I made back in the resale of the rifle.

For me it wasn't large enough for plains type yotes at " distance". Great on crows however.

Guess the military thoughts are true to form with .556...wound the enemy and slow them down at long range and give the troops reliable weapon for urban close range combat. Works I guess as most guys are lousy pistol shots in urban battles. (Yes I am one, if its not scoped, bad eyes)

MY 2 pennies worth!


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## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

I have re-thought my plans a little. Was thinking of buying a .223 upper, but I think I am going to stick with the 6.5 Grendel upper for everything, that should stop them good. But I can honestly say that I have never had a coyote walk away from a .223, as long as I did my job with good shot placement.


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

I'm beating myself up debating the 223 Wylde and 6.5gren. I'm really liking the 123 and 129-130gr ballistics of the 6.5. 24" pipe cooking at 2350ish will do a number and have less wind drift than the 308 in a lighter platform with still enough gas left behind to expand a quality bullet at 500.


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