The essence of this category are guns in the “easily affordable” arena. All these guns, however, performed well and, in many cases, would give higher priced guns a run for their money. With that being said, let’s get a look at the competitors. First up is the Faxon Sentry...
Next up to bat was the Rock River ATH Carbine V2. This release from Rock River is built with a focus on precision, long-range performance. More specifically it is designed for those who enjoy pursuing varmints. The gun has many nice features, but the heart of it is the...
Our next contender is a new kid on the block, the NS15 from North Star Arms. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, North Star Arms is the AR division of the well-known minigun manufacturer Profense. Because of that connection they have a state-of-the-art facility and a team with decades of experience....
Contender number four is the IWI Zion 15. It’s not exactly a brand-new rifle, but one that regularly comes up in conversations and in classes. IWI has built a great reputation for themselves with their other guns, including the Tavor. The Zion-15 is simply the next logical step in...
The last rifle in our blaster cage match was the PSA. Palmetto State Armory is one of the largest companies on Earth for AR parts. They made their fortune by providing parts and kits at an affordable price. This also leads me to an important point. Many people are...
Only 0.75 points behind, the Sig Sauer Tread lived up to its name as a good value, and for $1,399 you get a great AR-10 with a nice trigger, an ambidextrous safety, and upgraded grip and stock.
When it came to the .308s, they were all excellent rifles. The POF Rogue came in second and was an evaluator favorite for its light weight and lack of recoil, thanks to an effective muzzle brake.
Top honor in the .308 category went to the Rock River Arms BT3 Select Target rifle. It produced the best accuracy overall and had the highest-rated trigger, the Rock River Two Stage. Heavier than the other two .308 competitors, it was softer to shoot and controllable. Fit and finish...
Scoring consisted of Aesthetics, Ergonomics, Sights, Trigger Control, Recoil, Reloading Ease, Accuracy, Reliability and Value/Price Point. Three was the mean, so if it worked it was a three, if it scored higher or lower it either had an issue or excelled. Given the lack of iron sights these days,...
