By Steve Felgenhauer
Las Vegas, NV –-(Ammoland.com)- When isn’t an AR just another AR?
For the past few years, I’ve been trying to warm up to the AR as a hunting rifle. I shoot a lot of them, both for my job as a gunsmith and for enjoyment, but in its current form the AR chambered in 223 length cartridges is as inviting as bathing while wearing socks.
The 308 type ARs show promise, but with the extra heft, I am in no hurry to rush right out and buy one, at least not until I buy a gym membership and start a weight training program. A heavy rifle is a pleasure to shoot on the range, but when hunting, you carry them much more than you shoot them.
I stayed content with my bolt actions until recently when AR manufacturer Olympic Arms changed ARs as we know them.
Olympic Ultimate Magnum AR Rifle
The Olympic Ultimate Magnum AR or UMAR is all rifle; from the 24-inch stainless steel barrel to its A2 style buttstock; in between is pure unadulterated shooting pleasure.
What makes this rifle different? The AR is capable of chambering the .22-50 Remington for starters. This is accomplished by an extended magazine well design which allows the use of longer overall length cartridges — think heavier, longer bullets with high ballistic coefficients.
I’m not sure how much attention an AR chambered in 22-250 will gather in the tactical world, but from a varmint or predator hunters’ viewpoint, the UMAR chambered in the .22-250 Remington might be the world’s most perfect rifle. The UMAR is also chambered in the WSSM family cartridges and the .300 OSSM cartridges and the extended magazine well will allow these calibers to accept longer heavier bullets.
Finally, shooters of the AR are freed from the confines of overall length in a standard magazine. The hand-loading AR shooter can seat the bullets to the desired length without having to worry about overall cartridge length, therefore, making a legitimate big game rifle on the AR-15 platform.
The UMAR features 7075 T6 aluminum forged receivers machined by Olympic; the upper receiver boasts a Picatinny flat top rail, Olympic Arms predator style handguard, and an A2 style buttstock. The Ace –FX skeleton stock is just one of the many options available on the UMAR. The gas block also features a Picatinny mount for affixing lights or other accessories.
The heavy match grade bull barrel is made of 416 stainless steel and a fluted model is also offered.
The UMAR utilizes a custom magazine with feed ramps machined in the magazine rather than relying on the barrel extension as the feed ramp. A five-round aluminum billet magazine is included with each rifle.
The proprietary lower receiver design will accept mil-spec uppers and corresponding magazines to make the UMAR one of the most versatile rifles available.
Visit Olympic Arms at www.olyarms.com.
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