Wanting to Build a really lightweight HUNTING AR....

[gdun67]

Hey INGO!! figured id come here for some advice again.
I am looking at building TWO different lightweight AR builds. I do plan on running suppressors on both of them. One of my biggest issues so far is that they will be BIG BORE AR style rifles.
the first one will be for myself. and im wanting a 450 Bushmaster AR pistol.. i am leaning towards a Windham Weaponry 9" 450 barrel...
the second one will be for my daughter and i plan on doing a 350LEGEND AR pistol. Leaning towards a 10.5" Faxon gunner barrel....

what other parts can i have that could reduce weight? Is there a good handguard that is really lightweight but still comfortable?
any lower or upper recommendations?

 

[Squid556]

Hey INGO!! figured id come here for some advice again.
I am looking at building TWO different lightweight AR builds. I do plan on running suppressors on both of them. One of my biggest issues so far is that they will be BIG BORE AR style rifles.
the first one will be for myself. and im wanting a 450 Bushmaster AR pistol.. i am leaning towards a Windham Weaponry 9" 450 barrel...
the second one will be for my daughter and i plan on doing a 350LEGEND AR pistol. Leaning towards a 10.5" Faxon gunner barrel....

what other parts can i have that could reduce weight? Is there a good handguard that is really lightweight but still comfortable?
any lower or upper recommendations?

I’ve got the Faxon Gunner in a 14.5” 5.56. Can’t say enough good things about that product. Matched up with a steel low profile gas block, and two piece BCM polymer hand guards. MFT minimalist stock. Everything else is pretty normal. Rifle weights 5 lbs, minus optics.

Barrel is going to be your best place to trim weight, then hand guard, then gas block. Also pay attention to you optic, that can have a huge impact on weight. Biggest thing is cutting down in forward end weight, it has a multiplying effect. Wouldn’t recommend messing with BCG or buffer. Id keep those stock.

 

[Tactically Fat]

If you want a super light suppressor - look into Rex Silentium. Provided, of course, you don't already have them.

They'll custom make you one for the .450. https://rexsilentium.com/MG-X-p158377277

 

[DDadams]

Lightweight handguard / upper / lower you can't go wrong with V Sevens products.

Another handguard I'm really liking is the Aero Precision Atlas S-One. It's extremely lightweight for the price point too.

 

[gdun67]

I’ve got the Faxon Gunner in a 14.5” 5.56. Can’t say enough good things about that product. Matched up with a steel low profile gas block, and two piece BCM polymer hand guards. MFT minimalist stock. Everything else is pretty normal. Rifle weights 5 lbs, minus optics.

Barrel is going to be your best place to trim weight, then hand guard, then gas block. Also pay attention to you optic, that can have a huge impact on weight. Biggest thing is cutting down in forward end weight, it has a multiplying effect. Wouldn’t recommend messing with BCG or buffer. Id keep those stock.

I have 2 Faxon Gunner barrels and absolutely love them!
Unfortunately they do not offer a "gunner" or pencil/ lightweight 450bushmaster in pistol barrel......at least that i can find.

i have a 450bm rifle and use a cheap Polymer ATI lower on it and have had no issues out of it, but have heard that i shouldnt put a polymer lower on a big bore rifle.

 

[two70]

Hey INGO!! figured id come here for some advice again.
I am looking at building TWO different lightweight AR builds. I do plan on running suppressors on both of them. One of my biggest issues so far is that they will be BIG BORE AR style rifles.
the first one will be for myself. and im wanting a 450 Bushmaster AR pistol.. i am leaning towards a Windham Weaponry 9" 450 barrel...
the second one will be for my daughter and i plan on doing a 350LEGEND AR pistol. Leaning towards a 10.5" Faxon gunner barrel....

what other parts can i have that could reduce weight? Is there a good handguard that is really lightweight but still comfortable?
any lower or upper recommendations?

Those sounds like interesting builds. Shaving weight on ARs is not something I spend much time thinking about, especially on pistol builds, however, it seems to me that your choice of sights/optics will have more to do with the final weight than anything else you do. If you don't need/want magnification then a RDS is an easy choice. If you do need/want magnification, that will definitely increase the total weight significantly. I'm not sure if any prisms have enough eye relief to be viable on a pistol or not but most of them are lighter than scopes would be.

 

[gdun67]

Lightweight handguard / upper / lower you can't go wrong with V Sevens products.

Another handguard I'm really liking is the Aero Precision Atlas S-One. It's extremely lightweight for the price point too.

What lightweight handguard besides the Aero Atlas S-One do you like ?
do you know if my upper reciever needs to be a "XL" model for the 450bm? because i have 1 aero enhanced upper but wasnt sure if i could use that or not.
and holy crap those V Sevens products are pricyyyyyy

 

[gdun67]

Those sounds like interesting builds. Shaving weight on ARs is not something I spend much time thinking about, especially on pistol builds, however, it seems to me that your choice of sights/optics will have more to do with the final weight than anything else you do. If you don't need/want magnification then a RDS is an easy choice. If you do need/want magnification, that will definitely increase the total weight significantly. I'm not sure if any prisms have enough eye relief to be viable on a pistol or not but most of them are lighter than scopes would be.

Hate the style or not....but we often do Deer Drives, and i walk about 10-12miles per day when deer hunting...so thats the whole reason im wanting lightweight. even when im not doing deer drives i hunt about 3 miles from my truck and i already have enough heavy items with my treestand and gear..

i have 1 AR pistol now ( that is not very lightweight ) that has a Vortex Strike eagle 1-6 and im a fan of it.... i like having the option of low magnification up to 6x.... but if you had a lightweight 1-6 scope option i would be open

 

[DDadams]

What lightweight handguard besides the Aero Atlas S-One do you like ?
do you know if my upper reciever needs to be a "XL" model for the 450bm? because i have 1 aero enhanced upper but wasnt sure if i could use that or not.
and holy crap those V Sevens products are pricyyyyyy

It depends on the upper honestly. For example from Aero I know 458 socom builds need their XL upper.

But V Seven has a subsidiary company named Dark Hour Defense and their uppers are just 'regular' but are sized for 458 ejection ports.

I'd clarify with the company you want to go with.

The products from V Seven are pricey, absolutely, but this is one of those times where you do get what you pay for so.. it just depends how much you want to shave weight. Their titanium bcg I'm using saves nearly 6 ounces. But it's about $440. Everything they sell has a lifetime warranty - even their barrels, which are stainless steel - and they don't care what the round count is. If you shoot the barrel out and it's beyond MOA accuracy they will just give you a new one.

If you end up wanting that other bcg and you want me to bring my V Seven build with so you can see just how light you can go let me know.


And for handguards - the Atlas S-One really cannot be beat for the weight / $ / material durability / quality.

It's about as light as you can get without using magnesium (which I never would personally) or carbon fiber and for being 1/3 of the price of a V Seven or Smoke Composites CF.

There's a point of diminishing returns with everything, weight being a big one.

I love this forum and the people here but I've realized through searching for other lightweight builds or threads in general that INGO isn't really the place for lightweight ARs. Especially BCGs. To many here they guarantee you that if you don't have a 100% mil spec bcg you have 0% reliability.

My V Seven build runs everything. Steel included as I just found out. I have a friend with 2 lightweight 5.56's and a 308 that probably run better than many factory ARs.

Another fun part of using a lightweight bcg (especially that 2A one suppressed) is that you can use a buffer weight with the weights removed. Save even more.

I use other forums for lightweight builds now. Just my personal experience.

 

[two70]

Hate the style or not....but we often do Deer Drives, and i walk about 10-12miles per day when deer hunting...so thats the whole reason im wanting lightweight. even when im not doing deer drives i hunt about 3 miles from my truck and i already have enough heavy items with my treestand and gear..

i have 1 AR pistol now ( that is not very lightweight ) that has a Vortex Strike eagle 1-6 and im a fan of it.... i like having the option of low magnification up to 6x.... but if you had a lightweight 1-6 scope option i would be open

I'm not aware of any LPVO that wouldn't weigh at least a pound or more. You could probably find a fixed power scope that weighs less but probably not a whole lot less. The Primary Arms 3X prism comes in at just under half a pound and might be a good option if you plan on using a brace.

 

[bwframe]

...i have 1 AR pistol now ( that is not very lightweight ) that has a Vortex Strike eagle 1-6 and im a fan of it.... i like having the option of low magnification up to 6x.... but if you had a lightweight 1-6 scope option i would be open...

I was pretty proud of my built 300BLK pistol. Handed it to an older buddy and he immediately started talking about how heavy it was. I loved the Vortex LPVO, but no denying how heavy is. The weight is more concentrated in the short pistol.

I sprung for one of these. Relatively new to the market and getting some decent reviews. Certainly lighter and smaller. Juries still out, I've only dryfired mine.

Primary Arms SLx 3X MicroPrism™ Scope - Red Illuminated ACSS Raptor Reticle - 7.62x39 / .300 BLK - Yard

DetailsThis Primary Arms MicroPrism is part of the SLx optics line. SLx optics built their reputation for innovation, reliability, and value. All SLx optics undergo rigorous field-testing during development to best serve you in any environment.The SLx 3x MicroPrism is an all-new advanced optical...

www.primaryarms.com

 

[DDadams]

I was pretty proud of my built 300BLK pistol. Handed it to an older buddy and he immediately started talking about how heavy it was. I loved the Vortex LPVO, but no denying how heavy is. The weight is more concentrated in the short pistol.

I sprung for one of these. Relatively new to the market and getting some decent reviews. Certainly lighter and smaller. Juries still out, I've only dryfired mine.

Primary Arms SLx 3X MicroPrism™ Scope - Red Illuminated ACSS Raptor Reticle - 7.62x39 / .300 BLK - Yard

DetailsThis Primary Arms MicroPrism is part of the SLx optics line. SLx optics built their reputation for innovation, reliability, and value. All SLx optics undergo rigorous field-testing during development to best serve you in any environment.The SLx 3x MicroPrism is an all-new advanced optical...

www.primaryarms.com

The acss reticle is undeniably one of the best on the market. I have the 1x Prism and am going to get the 5x for my lightweight build and just put a red dot on the top to save some weight off the magnifier + prism combo.

The 3x itself is great but I don't think they make it in green so for me it's a no go

Edit:

For lightweight a good bit below the 1lbs mark the Leupold VX3 HD 1.5-5 weighs 10.1 ounces as well.

 

[two70]

The acss reticle is undeniably one of the best on the market. I have the 1x Prism and am going to get the 5x for my lightweight build and just put a red dot on the top to save some weight off the magnifier + prism combo.

The 3x itself is great but I don't think they make it in green so for me it's a no go

Edit:

For lightweight a good bit below the 1lbs mark the Leupold VX3 HD 1.5-5 weighs 10.1 ounces as well.

The VX3 with the mount/rings added will be back up close to a lb. but the few extra ounces are probably well worth the added performance over a Prism.

 

[DDadams]

The VX3 with the mount/rings added will be back up close to a lb. but the few extra ounces are probably well worth the added performance over a Prism.

Yeah, still though that's 6 or so ounces less than many scopes before that's all factored in.

 

[roscott]

What a great thread!

Check out Brigand Arms if you want to save weight on the rail. Pretty pricey though.

Good recommendations for Leupold scopes. They make some ideal options for what you’re thinking. I run a 2-7x33 VXR on my do-it-all AR. If you’re not swapping day/night optics, consider an Aero Precision ultralight mount. 3oz iirc.

I’ve also found a good carry sling to make a huge difference. Carrying at the low ready is a must for drives or jump shooting pigs, and a sling can put a lot of the weight on your shoulders instead of your arms. Magpul really nailed it with their MS3/MS4. I really like the QD version, especially paired with a rail that has a QD slot right in front of the receiver.

Finally, why 450 and 350? Are you hunting public? Nothing wrong with those calibers, but 30 cal cans are much more available and usually lighter. Why not just do both guns in Grendel or 6.8? Better ballistics for sure.

 

[bwframe]

...I’ve also found a good carry sling to make a huge difference. Carrying at the low ready is a must for drives or jump shooting pigs, and a sling can put a lot of the weight on your shoulders instead of your arms. Magpul really nailed it with their MS3/MS4. I really like the QD version, especially paired with a rail that has a QD slot right in front of the receiver...

Every long gun must have a sling. I run MS4 slings also. Hard to beat the versatility.

It doesn't cost much, if any extra, to spec out parts for your build with a variety of QD mounting spots. I like QD mounts on both ends of the rail, along with stock mounts. End plate QD mount allows the option to switch the MS4 into a single point.


.

 

[gdun67]

What a great thread!

Check out Brigand Arms if you want to save weight on the rail. Pretty pricey though.

Good recommendations for Leupold scopes. They make some ideal options for what you’re thinking. I run a 2-7x33 VXR on my do-it-all AR. If you’re not swapping day/night optics, consider an Aero Precision ultralight mount. 3oz iirc.

I’ve also found a good carry sling to make a huge difference. Carrying at the low ready is a must for drives or jump shooting pigs, and a sling can put a lot of the weight on your shoulders instead of your arms. Magpul really nailed it with their MS3/MS4. I really like the QD version, especially paired with a rail that has a QD slot right in front of the receiver.

Finally, why 450 and 350? Are you hunting public? Nothing wrong with those calibers, but 30 cal cans are much more available and usually lighter. Why not just do both guns in Grendel or 6.8? Better ballistics for sure.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my leupold scopes. I run FireDots on 75% of my rifles. I'm currently in the market for a low magnification firedot. Probably just like the one you use 2-7x33
Slings are a must! I usually only use 2 point slings. Adds stability when I shoulder my rifle.

Hmmm...the question on why 350/450....
Tough to answer lol. Yes I am hunting a lot of public land. And when I do so, I usually hike in as far as possible.
I have tons of 350/450 ammo.
And I am pretty unfamiliar with other options.
A 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 have really nice ballistics in a pistol setup ?



Sorry for going MIA group. I was up in Maine on a bear hunt!
Shot me a really nice one........with a 450bushmaster pistol

 

[roscott]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my leupold scopes. I run FireDots on 75% of my rifles. I'm currently in the market for a low magnification firedot. Probably just like the one you use 2-7x33
Slings are a must! I usually only use 2 point slings. Adds stability when I shoulder my rifle.

Hmmm...the question on why 350/450....
Tough to answer lol. Yes I am hunting a lot of public land. And when I do so, I usually hike in as far as possible.
I have tons of 350/450 ammo.
And I am pretty unfamiliar with other options.
A 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 have really nice ballistics in a pistol setup ?



Sorry for going MIA group. I was up in Maine on a bear hunt!
Shot me a really nice one........with a 450bushmaster pistol

Great looking bear! What length barrel on the 450? What kind of gun?

To give some basic info and answer some of your PM questions:

6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC are both great rounds with excellent ballistics. Grendel ballistics are nearly a match for .308 (although less energy) but both the 6.5 and 6.8 will fit in an AR15 platform, which makes them great hunting options.

Both do very well in short barrels, and suppress well. Neither are good subsonic options, but subsonic hunting is tough as you’ll have very poor ballistics and need a very large grain weight to have significant energy. A 200 grain subsonic bullet will have about the same energy as .45ACP, which is pretty weak for hunting.

Either of those options will have less energy than your 450, but will carry it much better and with a flatter trajectory.