Ambush AR

JAT123

New member
Hey guys, newbie here. I am finally looking to buy my first AR, which will be used strictly for hunting. I need some feedback on the Ambush rifles if anyone has experience with them. Thanks in advance.
 
I don't have one, but I can tell you that since they are part of Daniel Defense, they should be very high quality. Daniel defense makes some of the best AR's out.
 
Depends on what you are hunting. Varmint or bigger??
223 is a good varmit with careful selection of bullet and twist rate.
Larger game requires larger caliber and will require different lower (10)
AR/223/5.56 is designed as a close range weapon.
 
Originally Posted By: USMC5810Depends on what you are hunting. Varmint or bigger??
223 is a good varmit with careful selection of bullet and twist rate.
Larger game requires larger caliber and will require different lower (10)
AR/223/5.56 is designed as a close range weapon.


Tell that to the 8pt I killed at 350yds with the lowely .223! You can get all size different uppers with the ar-15 lower...such as the .243 wssm and such that are "appropriate" deer calibers.
 
I am leaning towards the 6.8 at this time. I want to buy an AR that is set up more for hunting from the factory rather than have to buy a lot of different pieces from different sources and build my own. I shoot only factory ammo for now, may get into reloading later. I would rather pay a little more upfront for a better quality gun than to buy a cheaper gun and have to keep upgrading it.
 
lol what are the "alot of different pieces from different sources" are you going to have to buy to upgrade a "cheaper gun"? what are you strictly going to hunt? and what do you call a cheap gun compared to a quality gun?
 
I would be using the gun for several different animals. It doesn't take much reading on here to realize that people are constantly swapping and upgrading parts on their guns for better reliability, better accuracy, or just to have the newest gadget. To me a cheap gun would have a low price off the shelf but would need a few upgrades to perform as well as a higher priced gun off the shelf that already comes with some higher quality parts on it. If anyone has a recommendation on what a top-notch off the shelf hunting AR is, tell me about it.
 
That Ambush is about as top notch as you are going to get. You could also look at Noveske and Larue, they aren't camo, but they are top notch as well.
 
the swapping and upgrading is just cuz we can. the ar platform is so versatile that it is almost an addiction to keep changing it. you get bored with the way it looks, change it lol. but my 700 dollars dpms shoots just as accurate as my buddy's custom built rra. in my honest opinion an ar is an ar period. but to each their own. you will love whatever you get. and i about bet that you can get one that you want, but after a while you will get that itch to change it. but a "cheap" gun will shoot as good as a "top end" one in my opinion. its same thing as buying a chevy tahoe or a cadillac escalade. only difference is the price. just my opinion
 
The Ambush Firearms 5.56 has a twist rate of 7 to 1. But I can't find it stamped on the barrel as it may be hidden under the forearm guard. It's definitely not stamped on the barrel where you can see it easily. But the manual that comes with the gun said it was a 7:1 twist rage.

I'm shooting Remington Point Soft Point type 223 ammo 55 grain bullets and had a few fliers. The points on these Rem PSP bullets are very soft and easily deformed.

Even with a M4 type feed ramp some of my shells didn't feed right. My gun is new and so am I to AR15. I was babying the bolt and not letting it do it's job. I was trying to hold onto the bolt when I released the bolt so as not to hit the shell in the magazine too hard. But I found that only makes the gun feed badly. It's better to just put the magazine in the lower receiver and let to bolt and the bolt release do it's job. But I did do some damage to the tip of a couple of those PSP shells which I think caused some fliers on my targets. Plus it was very windy the day I went to the rifle range.

 
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Quote:AR/223/5.56 is designed as a close range weapon.
...I think that depends on the configuration, barrel, twist rate and ammo choice...

Some turn in some really great 600 yard groups and most are capable of good 300 yard accuracy, or more in the right hands...
And, I guess that depends on your definition of "Close Range"..
tongue_smilie.gif
 
You will add pieces, sooner or later, regardless... take my word for it!

Already you're looking at scope, mounts, sling. Then if you're interested in nuisance animal control, i.e. Hogs and Coyotes, you'll start thinking after dark, then you have to add lights, night vision or thermal sights, might want a bi-pod along the way, etc. etc. etc.


Specs on the Ambush 6.8 SPCII show a 1:11 rate of twist and 18 inch barrel. Gun is manufactured by Daniel Defense.

https://ambushfirearms.com/shop/rifles/ambush-6-8-spcii.html
 
You are right about the 6.8 Ambush having a 11:1 twist rate but the Ambush in 5.56 has a 7:1 twist rate.


Do you guys know if you cay put the Ambush 6.8 upper on the 5.56's lower? Or it that not possible due to the big difference in the bullet size?
 
You should call Daniel Defense and see if you can take a tour of their plant. I called and they said if I was down that way that they would let me tour their plant.

I've got the Ambush in 5.56 caliber.

It's got a great two stage Geissele trigger. Mine is the Real Tree AP camo job. The barrel is cold hammer forged and it made out of 4150 type steel and it given a salt bath and has a thin layer coating on the steel that makes it more resistant to rust. The salt bath is suppose to make it last longer than a chrome lined barrel. The bath is cyanide and nitrogen.

The 5.56 has an 18" long barrel. It's got a Magpul collapsible stock on the end and comes with a long picatinny rail on the top. And there are three other short Picatinney rails that can be mounted to the barrel's shroud with some mounting screws that comes with the rifle.

I've shot mine at 100 yards and 200 yards and it will hit a coyote ok. I didn't get sub MOA groups but the ammo I used was not the best that Remington makes and it was very windy the day I was shooting.

I think it will shoot pretty good with the right ammo. Perhaps a lighter bullet in 53 grains vs. 55 grain may improve the stability of the bullet in flight when using the faster 7:1 twist rate.

I shot some Rem 223 Accutip V bullets in 55 grain size and they grouped better with my neighbors AR 15. That gun was never fired by him. It was the first time I had fired my Ambush since I got it last Thursday Nov 7th. I could not shoot it until Saturday though. I should have shot it again on Sunday but I had some other things to do instead. I only put about 20 rounds though it so far.

At 200 yards I was hitting inside the first circle outside the bulls eye on the Bigger Shoot-N-C targets. I think that's about a 3" diameter circle where the bulls eye is a 1" red circle. But like I said it was gusting up to 25 MPH with steady winds from 15 mph. I think that the winds swirling over the back stop and roof of the target area was pushing the bullets off the target at 200 yards. I had most of the shots inside the 1" bulls eye at 100 yards.

I put a Nikon M-233 4x16x42 scope with the 600 BDC reticle on it.
 
I've had some more time to shoot the Ambush Firearms AR15. It's extremely more accurate and precise when it's strapped down in a DFT lead sled and using heavier/longer bullets. The 1/7 twist rate is better at stabilizing heavier/longer bullets. Which is maybe why the lighter weight bullets 55 grain were not shooting as well as my neighbors less expensive 1:9 twist rate High Standard AR 15 that he let me shoot a while back.

I've been shooting some of the heavier 5.56 62 grain FMJ American Eagle Bullets and also some 5.56 55 grain FMJ American Eagle Bullets. I just got the heavier bullets and need to shoot with the lead sled to see how well they group and how accurate they are. I'm setup with my HHS1 EOTech right now for the 55 grain FMJ bullets. I might have to make a few adjustments on the EOTech to shoot the 64 grain bullets more accurately.

I got a couple of new pistols and have been shooting them a lot more than the AR15 these days. But I did shoot the AR15 the last time I went to the range. But I didn't use the lead sled and used a Caldwell Shooting Bag instead and only used one bag if memory is right. And I was only shooting at the 50 yard ranges. I actually had not planned to shoot the AR15 that day but still brought it along with me just in case the pistol range was full. But I didn't pack the Lead Sled or didn't fool with it that day.

I guess I need to get back up to the range and put the AR15 though it's paces with the lead sled and the heavier bullets. I bought these bullets Case of 120 because they were on sale cheap. I figure I can use them to just target practice with. What I really need to do is shoot some even heavier grain bullets. I think that maybe the 1:7 twist is better with the heavier bullets from what I remember reading. But I've yet to prove that theory to myself. So I'm not really sure right now. I was doing some research today about 4150 type steel and it brought me back to this thread and one of my earlier 2014 post. So I figured I'd add a little bit more info on the Ambush Firearm AR15 today.
 
A 1:7 should shoot all of the .224 bullets just fine. However, as you probably already know, barrels like what they like. Each barrel will like a particular bullet and load better than others. Some folks blame the rifle for inaccuracy, when they should be looking to the scope. If you are looking for 1/2 MOA you can't use a scope that was designed for MOH (minute of human). Good luck in your hunt for the perfect bullet.

Tom
 
Originally Posted By: Coyotehunter_ I'm setup with my HHS1 EOTech right now

Originally Posted By: MGYSGT If you are looking for 1/2 MOA you can't use a scope that was designed for MOH (minute of human).

so true
 
Which is why I have the Nikon M-223 for longer ranges.

The EOTech is mostly for 100 yards and under. But with magnification (G33) the EXPS3-4 is pretty accurate and precise for field work. It's not a precision shooting competition setup guys. That was not what I bought it for. I was just fooling around to see how accurate the AR15 could be potentially when held properly every time. Thus the Lead Sled and trying different size bullets to see which one shoots best. It's easier to test the rifle at the range where more factors can be controlled vs. shooting moving targets out in the field.

My main problem is my repaired eye sight. I've under gone tree different eye operations in the past 5 months. Two operations on my left eye and one on my right eye to correct some vision problems. The left eye still needs another 7 months to heal up fully. And the right eye still have some astigmatism in my near vision but the far vision has improved tremendously. I no longer have to wear eye glasses to drive or see long range. But I require reading glasses of varying strengths to see the computer and to read text up close. So therefore until my left eye is fully healed I have to wait until I get the eye doctor to prescribe some bifocal reading glasses for up close type work. Until then I have to carry two pair of reading glasses. One for really up close reading of text on labels in the grocery store etc and another pair for seeing at about arms length. The latter is for working with the computer monitor and seeing the front sight better when shooting a pistol. Fortunately the EOTECH laser sight is focused at the focal plane of the target out at a distance and I see it well.

The red dot inside the EOTech is 1 moa in size at all distances. So it only covers 1" at 100 yards Approximately. And 2" at 200 yards. Which allows me to shoot pretty accurately at 100 to 200 yards when using the lead sled to hold the rifle perfectly still and on target. That's good enough to bring down a coyote at 100 yards free wheeling the rifle.

PS: Actually when I said I was setup with the EOTech what I meant is that I can put the EOTech on the Picatinny rail and it's ready to go as it's a quick connect type setup. The same can be said for the Nikon Scope. I can take the EOTech off the rail and add the Nikon's RRA cantilevered Scope holder on the rail and tighten it's knobs down with a big bladed Craftsman screw Driver and it's good to go also. Both systems will hold their zero pretty much.

The main thing that causes different point of impacts when I shoot at the range is the distance I'm shooting and the bullets and of course the wind. The Lead Sled takes away most of the human errors. And the trigger is a Geissele Trigger so that really helps having a very smooth two stage trigger that breaks with 2.5 lbs on the second stage. Ambush Firearms did it right the first time.

When I don't have the EOTech or the Nikon on the rifle ( most of the time I take the off and store them away in a safe place)_the Magpul Back up sights are ready to flip up and be used in a few seconds. I had to re-zero the other two optics systems after adding the back Magpul site as it made the EOTech and the RRA scope holder move up forwards on the Picatinny rail. That changed the POI on both those optical systems until I re-zeroed them both at the range in the new position on the rail.
 
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You will not be disappointed in the Ambush Firearms AR. Now getting ammo for the 6.8 might be a slight problem or not. I'm not sure. I don't really look for it on the shelf when I go shopping much. But a couple of times I tried to find it on the shelf and could not find any.

Now I've seen some 300 black out ammo on the shelf at Ganger Mountain in Evansville, IN where I shop.

I myself went with the 5.56 cal but know that some day I may want to get one of the other uppers such as the 6.8 or the 300 black out that Ambush Firearms makes for my AR rifle.

I'd recommend looking around to find out what type of ammo is available for you to buy. If you can't find it locally then look to see if you can buy ammo of your choice online before buying the gun.
 


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