REVIEWS
Les Baer Ultimate AR Super Varmint Rifle
This tackdriving .204 represents prairie dog potential in a self-loading package
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| MAKER: | Les Baer Custom Inc. |
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| ACTION: | Gas-Operated Auto |
| CALIBER: | .204 Ruger (as tested ) .223 |
| BARREL LENGTH: | 18, 20, 22, 24 inches |
| WEIGHT: | 13 Pounds, 2 ounces (w/ scope and bipod) |
| SIGHTS: | None; Picatinny rail provided |
| STOCK: | Synthetic (checkered alloy handguard) |
| FINISH: | Baer Cote black |
| PRICE: | $1,998 to $3,075 (w/ Leupold Vari-X III 8.5-25x50 Long Range scope) |
Les Baer Specification Chart
The catalog entry is a mouthful--hyperbole, that is--until you see and shoot this AR. Les Baer is noted for the accuracy of his guns, both the AR rifle series and his full stable of 1911 pistols. The Super Varmint Rifle doesn't disappoint.
My first five-shot group miked .70 of an inch. Subsequent strings showed this rifle capable of the half-minute precision Les Baer claims. One four-shot cluster hid easily under a .45-caliber bullet, but a flier kept the group from matching proof targets, with one-holers measuring less than .30 of an inch, center to center.
The SVR's performance derives in part from the tight tolerances and superior parts finish. You see it on the outside in flat surfaces and near-seamless fit. You feel it when you ease the bolt open and hear it when a round chambers--schhhink--as if you'd released the slide on a match-grade 1911. No play, no spring echoes. To compare that sound with the jangle of an entry-level AR-15, as I did, is to rev a BMW motorcycle next to a lawnmower. The SVR seems lighter than it is, and its refined grip and handguard make shooting easier.
Contributing to its accuracy is a heavy 416-R stainless barrel. Cut-rifled and air-gauged, it's available in two-inch increments from 18 to 24 inches. The test rifle featured the long tube, which I prefer. It was chambered in .204 Ruger. Yep: Besides .223, you can also order this varminter in .204. A note inside the generously padded case (included) stresses that the chamber is cut for Hornady ammo only--a precaution that allows for tight tolerances in regard to chamber dimensions.
The trigger is a two-stage Jewell with lots of take-up but a smooth and consistent let-off that averaged two pounds, 14 ounces. It's part of a long list of standard features; all but the trigger included the Les Baer Custom tag: forged and machined upper and lower receivers, with or without forward assist; Picatinny rail; chromed National Match carrier and extractor; titanium firing pin; custom grip for more right-hand support; all-weather Baer Coat finish on metal parts except barrel (add it there if you wish); aluminum gas block with Picatinny top; slotted, free-floating handguard with adjustable handstop; and target swivel.
Also included is a bipod that impresses me for its simplicity and easy operation. Snap it onto the stud, and adjust the legs for height. Close the legs, and they swivel easily upward to lie out of the way parallel to the barrel. And there's enough play in the bipod's base to let you tweak the rifle's position on uneven ground.
The test rifle came with two five-round magazines. Loading them was easy, and they snapped into place readily. The release button expelled them without a hitch. Chambering the first round, I experienced no hang-ups. Succeeding cartridges fed and ejected smoothly every time. You don't expect snafus with expensive rifles, but not all are as reliable as the Les Baer SVR.
Actually, the SRV isn't as costly as you may think. The base rifle lists for less than $2,000. A couple of rifle/scope packages are available, including a $3,075 option that includes the sight I used: a Leupold 8.5-25x50mm Vari-X III Long Range scope with a side-mounted focus dial. Attached with Les Baer rings to the rifle's Picatinny rail, it proved an excellent choice. I fired the bulk of my groups at 20X. Given the heft of this rifle and the mild recoil of the .204, prairie dog enthusiasts can watch the results of their shots even at high magnification.
For many bolt-action traditionalists, it can still be tough to see an AR as a rifle for precision shooting, with a barrel that will drill dime-size groups and a trigger that can justify a "match" label. If you favor bolt rifles with fine walnut, well, you won't find them at Les Baer's shop anytime soon. But if performance is what you're after, you'd best take a look at the SVR before you bet the mortgage that your pet bolt-action varminter will outshoot any gas gun.
A note on the .204 cartridge: When I first fired prototype rifles bored to this round, I put little stock in it. Who needs a .204 when you have a .22-250 or a Swift? Grudgingly, I've come to admit that the .204 kicks less than the hot .22s and outperforms the .223. It's remarkably wind-resistant, as I found shooting a subminute group with the SVR at 600 yards. I'm not entertained by the mayhem caused by high-speed projectiles smacking small rodents, so reduced rifle hop matters less to me than to some. But there's no question that the .204 Ruger is fast, flat and deadly--and a great pleasure to shoot.
