On assembling a Varmint Weapon; Rifle, Mount, Optics

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve decided to try and put together a single ‘gun of choice’ for ranch use, something with capabilities that’ll allow me to pursue two undesirables present, prairie dogs and coyotes. In the past I’ve used a separate rifle for each, both smaller caliber centerfire but primarily with very different optics and weights. However, I believe that a single platform can be made to accommodate them both, this in a .223. Further, equipped with both a main and side mounted scope the optimal acquisition of each can be achieved, this covering a very flexible range of conditions. Also, as opposed to a bolt action I want a semi-auto so as to cause the least interruption on multi shot sequences.

While I’ve never been a ‘black gun’ kind of guy, it’s transition to and application for this kind of hunting really seems near perfect. After a bit of research; Bushmaster, Remington, Colt, etc, I’ve decided on the Rock River Arms LAR-15. Some of my shooting will be bench but a good bit will be in a Ghillie suit walking in for a fair distance, so weight’s a factor too as long as no accuracy is compromised. They make a Predator Pursuit model, 20” heavy match, bead blasted, stainless with 1:8 twist that keeps the rifle itself at 8.1 lbs. The Wylie chamber will take .223 or 5.56 and the receiver has a standard Picatinny rail.

My main scope should be good for anything from 500 yards down to 100, a Leopold VX-3 6.5-20x50 Long Range with the varmint reticle, 30 mm tube. It’ll be on a LaRue Tactical SPR Mount.

For close in coyotes, and we do sometimes call them to 50 yards, there will also be the Burris FastFire II Red Dot on the front right with a LaRue LT 137 J Mount. When done it should look very similar structurally, just slightly shorter and lighter, than that at the bottom of this page. The stock, grip and forend tube will also be in Hogue green

My issue is that while I’ve bought and sighted in a lot of ‘packaged’ guns, I’ve never assembled the rifle, mount and scope(s) myself before. They either came with or I had the supplier take them to bore sight. I’m looking for advice from those who have experience with this, even pointing to good online instructions would be appreciated. And of course the “gotchas”, can’t forget them. I figure nothing beats becoming intimately familiar with your rig since problems encountered in the brush are either fixed there or the hunt’s over.

Probably my biggest concern going in blind is how to get your scope so close to zero’d that the dials can then fine tune it. How can a securely seated mount and scope be manipulated to achieve this? What mechanisms will I employ to ‘point’ that won’t interfere with making it secure and immovable? If I’m framing a door or window I can use shims but I don’t recall reading anything resembling that so far.

The scopes and mounts are in hand but because of an RRA backlog it’ll be a bit before the gun itself gets here, but any help you can give toward a successful preparation and install will be much appreciated. Thanks!

2

It must be very light in weight, and it must have a short barrel. (Yes, that’s a pity.) And lastly, there must be a silencer and of course a telescopic sight. You’ll probably want to go for a head shot. You might get the chance for a second shot, but I doubt it. In any event, you’ll need a silencer to escape. In that case, you’d better have explosive bullets. (Mercury - it’s much cleaner.)

For transporting the rifle, you should have a series of hollow aluminium tubes that screw together.

3

I’ve been using a laser bore sighter on various scopes and red dot sights with a great deal of success. That should get you in the ballpark.

Midway USA or Brownell’s will have everything you need to mount your scopes and sights.

I have a Fastfire II on a Ruger Mk II and like it a lot. Supressor too.

4

The melon is not a varmint!

5

Seconding the Burris Fastfire II, mine is mounted on my Ruger Mk II slab-side. Great little sight.

6

That’s great to hear about the Burris. This’ll be my first fast acquisition type scope and it had come highly recommended, thankfully now even more so.

I’m going to pick up a cartridge-style laser to bore sight. What puzzles me though is do you just securely seat your mount and then your scope and then make whatever adjustment are necessary with the scope’s dials or are there mechanisms in place to coarsely allign it as necessary during the marriage process?

7

Not being judgmental, but I’ve found a collie to be an effective anti-coyote weapon. Mine didn’t even need to be outdoors; a single “I hate fucking coyotes” bark through the front window was enough to send them scurrying to the next county, saying, “Sorry, ma’am. I shan’t trouble you again.” But coyotes are between-meal-snacks compared with what collies were raised to kill.

Plinking prairie dogs sounds like fun, like Whack-A-Mole.

8

You’ve been around here long enough to know better than that…

9

Well, if my cockers were still alive, and if we had prairie dogs instead of squirrels, I’d let them have the fun. I don’t think my Westie crosses are big enough, but I’m sure they’d love to try.

10

Lieu, I think you’re overthinking the process.

A trip to a gunsmith with a boresight or purchaseone, and you’ll be on paper at 100 yards and can walk it out from there.
I do like that J-mount. I’ll keep it in mind for my next build. A lot of guys will use flip-up sights or a red dot on a 45 degree cant, so you just rotate the rifle to the left & pick up the dot up close.

Having the kit with you is handy if you bump or drop your gun in the field.

Of course I always recommend a supressor to keep the general noise down, but check your local laws; some places allow them, some don’t. It’s funny, but many European countries require them so’s ya don’t bother the neighbors.

The best you can get IMHO is an AAC M4-2000. Depending on where you are, you should be able to pick one up for 850 or so.

If no one is near you, call Major Malfunction & he’ll help out.

Either way, post some pix when she’s put together.

For around the house, I have these. Well, mine have different scopes on them, but you get the idea. I’m too tired to go get mine out & do a photo shoot right now!

And while I do like a semi-auto as much as anyone, I always get tickled to death to see a .308that’s quieter than a 4 year old talking nearby… skip to 1:30!