FightLite SCR
Update: I had originally built this rifle for use with .350 Legend, but I couldn't get it to work, so I am going to try building a new .300 HAM'R upper instead.
I built this AR-15 around the FightLite SCR lower receiver and the .350 Legend cartridge. I intended to use this for hunting feral hogs, but it could also be used for deer hunting.
My one sighting of feral hog involved nearly a dozen of them. It seems to me that if I were going to hunt feral hog, I would want a semi-automatic rifle with good magazine capacity. Missouri no longer allows feral hog hunting on public land, but there are still other opportunities.
I had weighed several options, and then Winchester announced the new .350 Legend cartridge. I knew right away that it would work in an AR-15, and indeed CMMG announced the next day that they would have rifles and uppers.
It's an odd cartridge, and it remains to be seen whether I will be able to reload for it. Winchester will be making a few types of ammunition, but the 180 gr. Power-Point seems like the best option for hog.
Winchester announced the .350 Legend, a long, straight-walled, rimless case that clearly targets the AR-15 market. Winchester is offering it in a bolt action, and CMMG has it in an AR-15 rifle. It offers ballistics close to the .35 Remington. Five or six different loadings, potentially including a 180 gr. Hog Special. Also a 265 grain subsonic. The head diameter is the same as .223 Remington, but it has a slightly larger body diameter, so it will want caliber-specific magazines.
| Overall Length: | 37½" |
|---|---|
| Weight: | |
| Magazines: | 5-rd, 10-rd, and 20-rd Stainless Steel CMMG |
Upper
| Caliber: | .350 Legend |
|---|---|
| Barrel: | Wilson Combat 16" Recon Tactical .740" Profile, Six Groove 1:15 RH, Button Rifled |
| Receiver: | Aero Precision AR-15, w/o Forward Assist |
| BCG: | FightLite SCR Bolt Carrier |
| Muzzle Attachment: | Wilson Combat Thread Protector, 5/8"x24 .740" Stainless |
| Handguard: | Boyd's "Pepper" laminated hardwood |
| Optic: | Burris MTAC 1.5-6x42mm Riflescope w/Ballistic AR reticle |
| Charging Handle: | Radian Raptor Ambidextrous |
Lower
| Trigger: | FightLite SCR trigger ... weight? |
|---|---|
| Rear Stock: | Boyd's "Pepper" laminated hardwood w/butt pad |
I purchased the FightLite SCR lower receiver assembly, and all the subsequent parts for the rest of the rifle, in 2023.
Status
The rifle is fully assembled.
However, it doesn't feed properly with anything. It strips the next cartridge off the magazine, but it gets bound up and fails to feed into the chamber. The upper works fine on my Bushmaster lower, and the lower works fine with my Bushmaster upper.
I have decided to cut bait and do something else with this rifle. I will put a more standard handguard on the .350 Legend upper, and either sell it or just keep it for no particular purpose.
Then, I will build a new upper in a caliber more likely to function in the SCR. Some bottleneck cartridge with a .378 head diameter that would be useful for something in a "hunting" rifle shape. It would have to be something that doesn't need to be highly precise, since the barrel won't be free-floated.
I have decided on the .300 HAM'R, and I have ordered the first parts to build a .300 HAM'R Upper.
Optics
I have a Burris MTAC 1.5-6x42mm Riflescope with the Ballistic AR reticle (200439).
Ammunition
The one factory load that appeals to me for hog hunting is the Winchester 180 gr. Super X cartridge.
Federal also makes two 180 soft point cartridges. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two. Different bullets, but different how? Neither option appears to be as blunt as the Winchester Super-X.
There are a variety of factory loads that are probably fine for deer hunting.
Handloads
I have a complete set of reloading dies for this cartridge, but no components.
Since this is a semi-automatic rifle that will eject brass far and wide, a lifetime supply of brass is like 500 pieces.