By self hyping I meant people like Nutn' Fancy who spends half his reviews touting how fair and honest he is. You didn't. You stated facts and clearly said what needed to be said and let your review speak for itself. It was a pleasant experience
Its actually a Chinese knock off of an Atlas that I got from ebay. I have the real Atlas as well, which is "better", but unless you are really serious and can afford one, the Chinese one is fine for 1/10th of the price.
The only other rifle with a "quick change" barrel system that I can think of, the XCR, seems to suffer from this same issue in terms of accuracy; it just can't reach and maintain the same level of accuracy as cheaper rifles with a fixed barrel. It's too bad, because both ACR and XCR seem like they'd be great rifles otherwise, but it's hard to justify dropping the money they're asking for on a rifle where I need to take a mallet to the barrel nut, or else put locktite on the bolt holding the barrel in place, just to keep it as accurate as a $600 AR-15. The whole idea of a quick change barrel on a rifle like this seems like a solution in search of a problem to begin with: the fact that these rifles split into an upper and lower means that caliber conversions only take a few seconds anyway if you have an upper in a different caliber, and you don't have to re-zero your optic for the new caliber either. The only other advantage I can think of is that a quick change barrel is easier to clean, but if I have to choose between a rifle that's consistently accurate, and slightly more difficult to clean, versus one that's easier to clean, but can't maintain a consistent level of accuracy, I think that's a pretty obvious choice.
Id love an update on modifying the barrell, I want to love this rifle but I don't think the quick change barrell is necessary and I'm wondering if a gunsmith would be able to install it permanently and more solid.
I had a similar situation with many rifles using Berger bullets,i had 3 inches groups with bullets all over the place (like a collecrtion of flers) I switch to Nosler ,i get nickel size groups on ALL my rifles. If that fails (wich i dout) try a bullet that contains led.What happens,when fired,the led is acting like a fluid,it compresses back in the bullet expanding the sides of the bullet against the barrel helping the contact with the grooves and making it spin more accuratly . Good luck. Bye. Lucien P.S. What the price range of the rifle ?
Good review. Really appreciate the thorough information and investigation. As far as I'm aware, the ACR has always struggled with accuracy. I think the designers need to really push a "tool less" barrel change, crippled the ability for a solid lock up between the barrel extension and the trunnion. The truth is, on a modern firearm any Barrel that is effectively hand tightened is never going to be able to match the tightness of one held in place buy tool apply fasteners. In the case of the ACR, it's a trade-off that might not be worth anything because I doubt anyone seriously is going to run into an urgent needs to swap out there barrels in the middle of an emergency. Magpul would have been better going with a system like the SCAR's
I agree 100 percent. These quick caliber change kits cost the same as another rifle, so it does not make sense to go that way... in North America anyway. I wonder if it might have some sort of appeal in Australia where they are only allowed to have 1 gun per caliber. (as I understand it) Could open some sort of loop hole for them that might make the downside more tolerable.
Good reviews. What bipod are you using? Also, why do you feel the PRS stock should be replaced? I feel like its about the best stock for bench rifles I've used.
Hi Dubya... The bipod is a cheap Chinese product I got from ebay for about $40 it was labeled as Popular Tactical 4.75"-9" QD Extendable Rifle Bipod Picatinny Rail Mount. It's not a bad bipod as long as you lock tight the screws. I couldn't justify $400 for an Atlas.As for the PRS stock... its a good stock but the rifle is not accurate enough to justify the weight. Accuracy is ok but less than I was hoping for considering the high price. That being the case a fully adjustable stock offers no accuracy advantage to me. I did switch it out for the fixed triangular stock and the forend has been switched to the plastic version. To be honest with you, in retrospect, I wish I bought it configured that way instead of paying a long dollar for DMR bells and whistles that just weigh down the rifle.After changing out the stocks, it's still a little on the heavy side, but it is handier to carry and I do like it for inside 300 yards.
I really enjoy your approach to your video format. Very enjoyable videos :) Have you found a solution to the barrel instability? I hate quick barrel change systems, but the mall tactical folk love them. For 3.4k do you think the swiss arms with a 1/7twist is better? Riley
Hi Riley, Thank you for the compliment... I try.Yes, I agree, there’s no good way to change a barrel quickly. I really really like the Swiss Arms rifle but I have no direct experience as to how they shoot. I would certainly not discourage you from it. If there is an advantage to the Busmaster ACR over the Swiss Arms, it’s really the monolithic upper. I’ve been having some fun with co witness flip up sights with red dots, and for practical reasons the concept is really growing on me. For the same reason I have an M+M M10X coming in Feb 2018 that I expect to like very much. If you like the 7.62x39, you might want to take a look at them.
Practical Tactical Did you find a way to get more consistently accurate groups with the ACR dmr? I'm with ya, the upper on the ACR is a huge selling point. The m+m m10x is a fantastic rifle, minus the whole distribution debacle on CGN. I just got a type 81 and a cz858 so I'm full to the gills with 7.62. What's your plan for the m10x?
Since these rifles aren’t tack drivers… For the M10X, I’m thinking about an Aimpoint CompM4S red dot with flip up iron sights with a full co witness. For the sights on the ACR, I’m thinking about a SIG Tango 1-4 scope with vertical flip up iron sights and a reflex red dot on a 45 on the right side. www.sigsauer.com/store/tango4-1-4x24-mm.html Since I posted the video I haven’t done anything further to improve consistency. Just accepting it for what it is I suppose. At least the M10X doesn’t have a quick change barrel… maybe one day they will produce a 223.
Practical Tactical I love your content! I'm curious to know why 7.62x39 is a good option for semi auto rifle such as the one you mentioned. I'm new to shooting and have no prior knowledge when it comes to firearms.. yet. :D
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner Luke... I must have missed your message. If you are new to shooting then 223 and 7.62x39 are nice relatively low cost and versatile calibers. The 223 can be used for deer if you have fast twist rifling in the barrel and use heavy bullets. The 7.62x39 is very good for animals up to the size of deer. Both are available in cheap mil surplus ammo or better grades for hunting. The 223 is also used for long range shooting out to 1000 yards with 80 grain bullets and a heavy barreled bolt action rifle. Also recoil is light with both calibers so it's less intimidating than something larger.
Your voice is perfect for reviews! You never say “um”!
Thanks alot for the no nonsense self hypeing review.
I'm not sure what you mean by your comment Thomas. Did you like this review format? What do you mean by self hypeing?
By self hyping I meant people like Nutn' Fancy who spends half his reviews touting how fair and honest he is.
You didn't. You stated facts and clearly said what needed to be said and let your review speak for itself. It was a pleasant experience
That's great to hear Thomas and thank you very much! I really appreciate that.
Good wholesome content
That's a sweet bipod, what kind is it?
Its actually a Chinese knock off of an Atlas that I got from ebay. I have the real Atlas as well, which is "better", but unless you are really serious and can afford one, the Chinese one is fine for 1/10th of the price.
The only other rifle with a "quick change" barrel system that I can think of, the XCR, seems to suffer from this same issue in terms of accuracy; it just can't reach and maintain the same level of accuracy as cheaper rifles with a fixed barrel. It's too bad, because both ACR and XCR seem like they'd be great rifles otherwise, but it's hard to justify dropping the money they're asking for on a rifle where I need to take a mallet to the barrel nut, or else put locktite on the bolt holding the barrel in place, just to keep it as accurate as a $600 AR-15. The whole idea of a quick change barrel on a rifle like this seems like a solution in search of a problem to begin with: the fact that these rifles split into an upper and lower means that caliber conversions only take a few seconds anyway if you have an upper in a different caliber, and you don't have to re-zero your optic for the new caliber either. The only other advantage I can think of is that a quick change barrel is easier to clean, but if I have to choose between a rifle that's consistently accurate, and slightly more difficult to clean, versus one that's easier to clean, but can't maintain a consistent level of accuracy, I think that's a pretty obvious choice.
Id love an update on modifying the barrell, I want to love this rifle but I don't think the quick change barrell is necessary and I'm wondering if a gunsmith would be able to install it permanently and more solid.
They do have after market barrel nuts... Trunnions… That are intended to improve it. I googled it but couldn't find any, but they are out there.
I had a similar situation with many rifles using Berger bullets,i had 3 inches groups with bullets all over the place (like a collecrtion of flers)
I switch to Nosler ,i get nickel size groups on ALL my rifles.
If that fails (wich i dout) try a bullet that contains led.What happens,when fired,the led is acting like a fluid,it compresses back in the bullet expanding the sides of the bullet against the barrel helping
the contact with the grooves and making it spin more accuratly .
Good luck.
Bye.
Lucien
P.S.
What the price range of the rifle ?
Good review. Really appreciate the thorough information and investigation. As far as I'm aware, the ACR has always struggled with accuracy. I think the designers need to really push a "tool less" barrel change, crippled the ability for a solid lock up between the barrel extension and the trunnion.
The truth is, on a modern firearm any Barrel that is effectively hand tightened is never going to be able to match the tightness of one held in place buy tool apply fasteners. In the case of the ACR, it's a trade-off that might not be worth anything because I doubt anyone seriously is going to run into an urgent needs to swap out there barrels in the middle of an emergency. Magpul would have been better going with a system like the SCAR's
I agree 100 percent. These quick caliber change kits cost the same as another rifle, so it does not make sense to go that way... in North America anyway. I wonder if it might have some sort of appeal in Australia where they are only allowed to have 1 gun per caliber. (as I understand it) Could open some sort of loop hole for them that might make the downside more tolerable.
Great review
Good reviews. What bipod are you using? Also, why do you feel the PRS stock should be replaced? I feel like its about the best stock for bench rifles I've used.
Hi Dubya... The bipod is a cheap Chinese product I got from ebay for about $40 it was labeled as Popular Tactical 4.75"-9" QD Extendable Rifle Bipod Picatinny Rail Mount. It's not a bad bipod as long as you lock tight the screws. I couldn't justify $400 for an Atlas.As for the PRS stock... its a good stock but the rifle is not accurate enough to justify the weight. Accuracy is ok but less than I was hoping for considering the high price. That being the case a fully adjustable stock offers no accuracy advantage to me. I did switch it out for the fixed triangular stock and the forend has been switched to the plastic version. To be honest with you, in retrospect, I wish I bought it configured that way instead of paying a long dollar for DMR bells and whistles that just weigh down the rifle.After changing out the stocks, it's still a little on the heavy side, but it is handier to carry and I do like it for inside 300 yards.
How do you close the gas on a ACR?
I really enjoy your approach to your video format. Very enjoyable videos :)
Have you found a solution to the barrel instability?
I hate quick barrel change systems, but the mall tactical folk love them.
For 3.4k do you think the swiss arms with a 1/7twist is better?
Riley
Hi Riley,
Thank you for the compliment... I try.Yes, I agree, there’s no good way to change a barrel quickly.
I really really like the Swiss Arms rifle but I have no direct experience as to how they shoot. I would certainly not discourage you from it.
If there is an advantage to the Busmaster ACR over the Swiss Arms, it’s really the monolithic upper.
I’ve been having some fun with co witness flip up sights with red dots, and for practical reasons the concept is really growing on me. For the same reason I have an M+M M10X coming in Feb 2018 that I expect to like very much. If you like the 7.62x39, you might want to
take a look at them.
Practical Tactical
Did you find a way to get more consistently accurate groups with the ACR dmr?
I'm with ya, the upper on the ACR is a huge selling point.
The m+m m10x is a fantastic rifle, minus the whole distribution debacle on CGN. I just got a type 81 and a cz858 so I'm full to the gills with 7.62.
What's your plan for the m10x?
Since these rifles aren’t tack drivers…
For the M10X, I’m thinking about an Aimpoint CompM4S red dot with
flip up iron sights with a full co witness.
For the sights on the ACR, I’m thinking about a SIG Tango
1-4 scope with vertical flip up iron sights and a reflex red dot on a 45 on the
right side.
www.sigsauer.com/store/tango4-1-4x24-mm.html
Since I posted the video I haven’t done anything further to
improve consistency. Just accepting it for what it is I suppose.
At least the M10X doesn’t have a quick change barrel… maybe
one day they will produce a 223.
Practical Tactical I love your content! I'm curious to know why 7.62x39 is a good option for semi auto rifle such as the one you mentioned. I'm new to shooting and have no prior knowledge when it comes to firearms.. yet. :D
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner Luke... I must have missed your message. If you are new to shooting then 223 and 7.62x39 are nice relatively low cost and versatile calibers. The 223 can be used for deer if you have fast twist rifling in the barrel and use heavy bullets. The 7.62x39 is very good for animals up to the size of deer. Both are available in cheap mil surplus ammo or better grades for hunting. The 223 is also used for long range shooting out to 1000 yards with 80 grain bullets and a heavy barreled bolt action rifle. Also recoil is light with both calibers so it's less intimidating than something larger.
Mine shoots 1.5 all day with wolf gold or super refined hand loads it’s a military rifle not a dmr
I guess I've been lucky. Mine with 18" DMR barrel shoots 5/8" groups at 100 yards consistently with Black Hills 77gr OTM.
That’s really good I bet I could get mine down with a good load work up