So after a coyote hunt last week where I lugged my absolutely wonderful yet wholly woods-inappropriate Cooper Phoenix in Tac 20 (26" Varmint barrel) through the hills of Land Between the Lakes, KY, I QUICKLY decided that I needed not only a coyote appropriate caliber (the Tac 20 fills that niche very nicely), but a coyote appropriate rifle. My Cooper, wonderful as it is, is just too damn big and heavy for lugging through the woods.
I had originally thought about getting an upper chambered in Tac 20 (since I already have all of the reloading gear), but after discovering that getting one would be both difficult and very expensive, I decided to get a factory rifle.
Minute of coyote at close range (here in the east, shots further than 60 or 75 yards are few and far between) is my goal, and any factory rifle should be able to give me that without issue.
But I didn't want another bolt action. I have plenty of those, and I wanted something to dispatch multiple targets in short order, so that meant a semi-auto. I also didn't want 223 as I have one of those, and though it would work as a coyote gun, it too is pretty heavy with the tactical handguards and grip-pod and whatnot.
So I went on the search. I scoured various AR manufacturers and just didn't find anything I liked all that much. Most everything was too heavy, or had a long barrel and I was bummed.
Then I remembered that Remington makes an AR hunting rifle. As a bonus, I wouldn't even have to paint it myself as it's already all camoed out. So I looked at them and not only do they make a hunting AR, but a varmint-specific version of it (R-15 VTR). It more than exceeds my weight requirements partially due to its all aluminum upper and lower as well as it's pencil thin, fluted barrel (6.25 pounds), barrel length (18"), and caliber (204 Ruger). I read around and there wasn't very much negative print about it on the internet, and the price is certainly reasonable. This was it. This was the one.
So I again started to scour the internet for a good deal. Luck has it that the famous Buds Gun Shop (of budsgunshop.com fame) is local for me, and they also had it at the best price I could find (short of buying used). So I pulled the proverbial trigger and ordered it.
Unfortunately, for some reason it takes them 3-4 days to get something from their warehouse to the store. When they had it they would let me know.
Today I get the call.
So I'm excited as most of us are when a new gun is getting ready to be in the household fold. I get in the car to trudge through the snow to Buds.
I get there and the guy brings out a brand new box. Completely sealed from the factory. I'm stoked.
Then he pulls out the hard case from the box opens it up and hands it to me. I scour the surface to make sure that there aren't any horrible scratches or dings and a basic functionality check.
The bolt stop works. Check.
The mag release works. Check.
etc etc
Everything seems to function correctly.
Then as I'm about to pass it back I decide to check the barrel markings.
223 Remington.
"This ain't the right one", I tell him. "What?" says he. This is a 223 and I ordered a 204 Ruger.
He looks at the box. It is clearly marked 204 Ruger with an 18" barrel, yet inside it has a 223 Remington.
Fuck.
Now I have to wait until next week to get a newly ordered one.
Remington. Get your shit together. If you have a box that says 204 Ruger, make sure you put a 204 Ruger inside of it.
I had originally thought about getting an upper chambered in Tac 20 (since I already have all of the reloading gear), but after discovering that getting one would be both difficult and very expensive, I decided to get a factory rifle.
Minute of coyote at close range (here in the east, shots further than 60 or 75 yards are few and far between) is my goal, and any factory rifle should be able to give me that without issue.
But I didn't want another bolt action. I have plenty of those, and I wanted something to dispatch multiple targets in short order, so that meant a semi-auto. I also didn't want 223 as I have one of those, and though it would work as a coyote gun, it too is pretty heavy with the tactical handguards and grip-pod and whatnot.
So I went on the search. I scoured various AR manufacturers and just didn't find anything I liked all that much. Most everything was too heavy, or had a long barrel and I was bummed.
Then I remembered that Remington makes an AR hunting rifle. As a bonus, I wouldn't even have to paint it myself as it's already all camoed out. So I looked at them and not only do they make a hunting AR, but a varmint-specific version of it (R-15 VTR). It more than exceeds my weight requirements partially due to its all aluminum upper and lower as well as it's pencil thin, fluted barrel (6.25 pounds), barrel length (18"), and caliber (204 Ruger). I read around and there wasn't very much negative print about it on the internet, and the price is certainly reasonable. This was it. This was the one.
So I again started to scour the internet for a good deal. Luck has it that the famous Buds Gun Shop (of budsgunshop.com fame) is local for me, and they also had it at the best price I could find (short of buying used). So I pulled the proverbial trigger and ordered it.
Unfortunately, for some reason it takes them 3-4 days to get something from their warehouse to the store. When they had it they would let me know.
Today I get the call.
So I'm excited as most of us are when a new gun is getting ready to be in the household fold. I get in the car to trudge through the snow to Buds.
I get there and the guy brings out a brand new box. Completely sealed from the factory. I'm stoked.
Then he pulls out the hard case from the box opens it up and hands it to me. I scour the surface to make sure that there aren't any horrible scratches or dings and a basic functionality check.
The bolt stop works. Check.
The mag release works. Check.
etc etc
Everything seems to function correctly.
Then as I'm about to pass it back I decide to check the barrel markings.
223 Remington.
"This ain't the right one", I tell him. "What?" says he. This is a 223 and I ordered a 204 Ruger.
He looks at the box. It is clearly marked 204 Ruger with an 18" barrel, yet inside it has a 223 Remington.
Fuck.
Now I have to wait until next week to get a newly ordered one.
Remington. Get your shit together. If you have a box that says 204 Ruger, make sure you put a 204 Ruger inside of it.
