BCA Bolt Action AR15

[Barry54]

FBDEAA6A-F8C6-46DA-8688-C812E21B0341.jpg

What an awkward looking shooting position with the optic mount backwards making it more uncomfortable looking.

[Wolfdog91]

FBDEAA6A-F8C6-46DA-8688-C812E21B0341.jpg

What an awkward looking shooting position with the optic mount backwards making it more uncomfortable looking.

Not backwards just the way the Zulus are

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[dverna]

Here I am, looking forward to how the platform shoots and the guy shoots at 50 yards. The dumbing down of shooting marches on.

It is interesting that a caliber swap is feasible on this bolt action. Might be a selling point for some.

I see BCA has complete AR uppers for less than $250. Nearly bought one in .300 BO to play with. Waiting for sales and buying new uppers is a better option for me. ARs are legal to hunt with in MI. I can purchase two uppers for the cost of the bolt AR gun. Adding a .300 BO and 6.5 Grendel to the .223 would cover a lot of shooting needs for $1000 to $1200. I could not find if BCA is selling bolt uppers. Is there a reason or did I miss them?

Separate uppers have the advantage of keeping sights appropriate for each caliber installed and ready. A 4-16 scope on the .223 for little critters, a red dot on the .300 for home defence, shooting subs and plinking, and a 3-9 on the 6.5 for hunting. Add a .30 cal can that can be swapped to each upper. Very versatile.

Thanks for posting the videos Wolfdog.

[Wolfdog91]

https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/bol...te-uppers.html

Probably gonna be a while till they see haut the barreled upper by itself

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[Wolfdog91]

From my post on the subject from over in accurate shooter


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[Barry54]

https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/war...5ed8009f2a5d2b

Years ago I saved this link to the warranty/guarantee for BCA. It used to say that barrels or uppers 16” and longer had a 1 MOA accuracy guarantee. They even accepted a 308 AR Stoner barrel I was unsatisfied with past a year where MidwayUSA was no help once the year was up. They just wanted to see proof of purchase from midwayUSA to make sure I was the original buyer.

I’ve returned several AR 10 barrels to them in the past and they have sent me new barrels. The 6.5 creedmoor barrel again shoots like garbage. I wound up just putting the factory barrel back on and living with the extra weight and length. I believe the initial barrel I bought was around $60 maybe third time would have been a charm, but the 308 barrel was the same. And I’m not whining a $60 barrel wasn’t 1 moa or better. These are 5-6 moa. I finally decided that my cost of testing components outweighs the value of BCA barrels. I should dust off the 6.5 barrel and let one of y’all with a bore scope check it out. I gave the 308 barrel away already.

All that said, I’ve had better luck with their ar 15 barrels. An early 223 W barrel my wife got me is a shooter now. It was a dog initially. I was going to sell it and she overheard me talking and asked if it was the one she bought me for my birthday... So I was guilted into keeping it. Since it’s accuracy was less than satisfying, I let women and children who came out to the farm shoot it so they could experience an ar is not a bad scary rifle. Then one day I noticed it was shooting well! I don’t know how many rounds it took to settle in, but it was probably enough where the ammo costs exceeded the retail price of the barrel from midway for sure. And all this was before I learned the AR Stoner barrels are Bear Creek Arsenal barrels.

Will I buy BCA again? Absolutely. Especially bolt carriers, uppers, handguards and other USA made products that are cheap. Barrels? Meh. Maybe. 338 arc probably. But I’ll be happy with minute of whitetail with that cartridge. A caliber I want great accuracy from? No. From now on I’ll spend the money up front on a “better” brand and save the break in time, expense, headache, and gamble if it will ever perform.

You will know quickly if you buy one of these bad ones. Then it’s up to you to use the 30 day money back option or ride it out for the long haul.

Does anyone want to examine this 6.5 barrel with a borescope?

[dverna]

Barry54, thanks for your post and sharing your experience.

Like I said, I came close to getting one of their .300 BO uppers for about $200, but that little voice said, "If the price is too good to be true, that is normally the case."

Almost anything will shoot good 3 shot groups if you fire a few groups and pick the best. That is what a lot of folks seem to be doing. Ammunition is too expensive (even reloaded ammo), it takes too much time, and shooting groups is boring are the reasons offered.

Having said all that, a .300 BO upper that delivers a true 2 MOA with jacketed bullets (average of four 5 shot groups) would interest me and serve my needs/desires. But nobody shoots enough rounds to do that kind of accuracy testing. Like they said....

https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervie...37&FORM=WRVORC

[popper]

Like this? Cast @ 50 from AR BO.
CCF_000057.jpg
and a rabbit @ 100 with jacketed. BOs are accurate.
rabbit 100 16x.jpg
Blew the head off an armadillo Christmas nite again 100 yds.
But yes, my concern with the bolt AR is OOB shot. Now it somebody made a normal bolt action with AR barrel attachment?

[Barry54]

Barry54, thanks for your post and sharing your experience.

Like I said, I came close to getting one of their .300 BO uppers for about $200, but that little voice said, "If the price is too good to be true, that is normally the case."

Almost anything will shoot good 3 shot groups if you fire a few groups and pick the best. That is what a lot of folks seem to be doing. Ammunition is too expensive (even reloaded ammo), it takes too much time, and shooting groups is boring are the reasons offered.

Having said all that, a .300 BO upper that delivers a true 2 MOA with jacketed bullets (average of four 5 shot groups) would interest me and serve my needs/desires. But nobody shoots enough rounds to do that kind of accuracy testing. Like they said....

https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervie...37&FORM=WRVORC

Is there a particular bullet or two you’re interested in? If I’ve got them I could try some groups to see how well a BCA 300 bo can do.
Want them fed through the magazine like real world conditions?
What powder would you try or can you get?

I don’t move fast, so it will be next year before I begin the challenge.

[dverna]

Is there a particular bullet or two you’re interested in? If I’ve got them I could try some groups to see how well a BCA 300 bo can do.
Want them fed through the magazine like real world conditions?
What powder would you try or can you get?

I don’t move fast, so it will be next year before I begin the challenge.

Very generous offer.

One of our members is running QL for me on 110 and 125 gr varmint bullets in a .308 to get 1900-2300 fps. Looking at Green Dot, Unique, Long Shot and Lil’Gun powders as I have a good supply of them. I have a spare and accurate .308 to do the testing.

If I get an accurate load I will buy a .30 cal suppressor and see how unwieldy the gun is. There is a shop not to far from me that will cut the barrel to 16 1/4” and thread it for $225 if I elect to go with a shorter setup. That is the path I am on now.

I am an accuracy nut. Don’t mind spending money to get there…within reason.

I have a RRA AR that is 1 MOA and has a heavy 20” barrel. Great accuracy but a bit too heavy. I could cut it down and put a suppressor on it but hate to screw it up.

A SBR in .300 BO interests me. I cannot legally buy one of the cheap short barrel uppers BCA has on sale until I get ATF approval. So, playing with .308 makes the most sense for now.


Again appreciate the offer.

[steve urquell]

Very generous offer.

One of our members is running QL for me on 110 and 125 gr varmint bullets in a .308 to get 1900-2300 fps. Looking at Green Dot, Unique, Long Shot and Lil’Gun powders as I have a good supply of them. I have a spare and accurate .308 to do the testing.

If I get an accurate load I will buy a .30 cal suppressor and see how unwieldy the gun is. There is a shop not to far from me that will cut the barrel to 16 1/4” and thread it for $225 if I elect to go with a shorter setup. That is the path I am on now.

I am an accuracy nut. Don’t mind spending money to get there…within reason.

I have a RRA AR that is 1 MOA and has a heavy 20” barrel. Great accuracy but a bit too heavy. I could cut it down and put a suppressor on it but hate to screw it up.

A SBR in .300 BO interests me. I cannot legally buy one of the cheap short barrel uppers BCA has on sale until I get ATF approval. So, playing with .308 makes the most sense for now.


Again appreciate the offer.

You don't have to do a registered SBR if you only mount a pistol brace on it. It is considered a pistol. I have a 5" barrel AR9mm with a pistol brace. No NFA registration needed.

[popper]

10.5" KAK barrel and pistol brace works well. Makes a nice 'truck' gun.

[mcdaniel.mac]

The BCA looks like a copy of the Uintah designs a couple years back.

The wait was long hut I have two straight-pull uppers and BCGs from Lantac. The newrr version is still useable as a DI BCG as well, so I will likely end up using a cheap locking adjustable gas block like a Wojtek and just screw it shut.

Personally on an AR, the straight pull is stupid-quick. Not semiauto quick, but whether you use your middle finger on the trigger or you practice karate-chopping the charging handle with the back of your hand, it’s almost as quick as a 92 from the shoulder.

Couple other thoughts: BCA is the harbor freight of AR15s if harbor freight also repeatedly got raided by ICE for hiring people off the books. They don’t make quality ARs in general. Natty Light is another appropriate comparison but if say 1 in 100 natty lite cans sold was just vinegar. Oops. They do the same stuff many of the cheap-cheap-cheap makers do like run the chamber reamers too fast and too long (tight chambers a la DPMS), using drop-shipped chinesium for the rails, charging handles, etc. i’ve had no dealings with Uintah to compare, but I know that for the premium I paid for a Lantac upper and BCG I’m getting parts that I know will fit well with the rail and barrel I have in mind. If I had the tools could I maybe put lipstick on a bear? Maybe.

i understand some people object to the AR ergos, however I will say that the one huge benefit to the AR upper for a bolt action is the lower. STANAG pattern mags are cheap and reliable. A 10rd plastic mag for my Howa 1500 mini costs 3x what a 10, 20, or even 40rd PMag does. Double true if as mentioned you have a registered SBR (or for a laugh, nothing stops you from putting it on a registered machinegun lower ) then even $600-800 for a bolt-action upper is saving you $200 and the wait time for a new stamp. I also have the parts to rebarrel an AR upper but don’t have the tools to rebarrel just any bolt action, and more people have AR vive blocks than a barrel wrench.

Its a neat idea and I hope someone with a better reputation copies it. I’m not surprised to read about the missing safety features.

If I grt time this weekend I’ll try to post some tatgets from my straight pull guns.if not you might be stuck with just pictures.

[Dantiff2]

Very generous offer.

One of our members is running QL for me on 110 and 125 gr varmint bullets in a .308 to get 1900-2300 fps. Looking at Green Dot, Unique, Long Shot and Lil’Gun powders as I have a good supply of them. I have a spare and accurate .308 to do the testing.

If I get an accurate load I will buy a .30 cal suppressor and see how unwieldy the gun is. There is a shop not to far from me that will cut the barrel to 16 1/4” and thread it for $225 if I elect to go with a shorter setup. That is the path I am on now.

I am an accuracy nut. Don’t mind spending money to get there…within reason.

I have a RRA AR that is 1 MOA and has a heavy 20” barrel. Great accuracy but a bit too heavy. I could cut it down and put a suppressor on it but hate to screw it up.

A SBR in .300 BO interests me. I cannot legally buy one of the cheap short barrel uppers BCA has on sale until I get ATF approval. So, playing with .308 makes the most sense for now.


Again appreciate the offer.

You’ll have to look because I believe Silencer Central does barrel threading for 99$ and handles shipping both directions.

[mcdaniel.mac]

Very generous offer.

One of our members is running QL for me on 110 and 125 gr varmint bullets in a .308 to get 1900-2300 fps. Looking at Green Dot, Unique, Long Shot and Lil’Gun powders as I have a good supply of them. I have a spare and accurate .308 to do the testing.

If I get an accurate load I will buy a .30 cal suppressor and see how unwieldy the gun is. There is a shop not to far from me that will cut the barrel to 16 1/4” and thread it for $225 if I elect to go with a shorter setup. That is the path I am on now.

I am an accuracy nut. Don’t mind spending money to get there…within reason.

I have a RRA AR that is 1 MOA and has a heavy 20” barrel. Great accuracy but a bit too heavy. I could cut it down and put a suppressor on it but hate to screw it up.

A SBR in .300 BO interests me. I cannot legally buy one of the cheap short barrel uppers BCA has on sale until I get ATF approval. So, playing with .308 makes the most sense for now.


Again appreciate the offer.

If I may be so bold as to correct a common misconception:

There is no law or ATF rule that prohibits you from ordering as many short AR uppers as you want. I’m wagering you’ve been told that having AR rifles and a pistol/SBR length upper can get you charged with “constructive intent” and if that’s the case I can tell you that person was also misinformed. “Constructive intent” is not a charge at all, its a legal fiction wherein evidence is used to *construct* the accused perpetrator(s)’s intention. For example, if I were a DEA cop and I stop you with a rolled joint in your hand, a lighter, a CD marked “weed-smoking mix-tape”, a pound if marijuana flower in 1g bags, and a sheet of paper marked “customers” with a list of names and weights in grams, I have a lot of evidence and I have you (a fictional you, dressed like Jimmy Buffett if you’ll indulge my creative vision) in possession of a pound of weed. I can though construct from the paper and the baggies and the lighter and the joint that you also intended to consume the marijuana and to sell it. In short, it’s the way that tou demonstrate that someone was intending to commit a crime to a court.

The NFA version can exist. I know a gentleman of ill judgement who liked to put stocks on the .22 pistols he bought - GSG and ISSC lookalike stuff. He angered someone who sent ATF video and they popped him for constructing unregistered SBRs. They used the video as well as marks showing that the stocks and the plastic guns had similar wear.

You of course do not intend to break the law, and for that I commend you! However you can take the intermediate step of building a pistol. You can use a regular AR buffer tube with a brace, order a $15 smooth pistol tube, whatever you so desire. At that time you can measure your pistol with the upper attached and *crucially* make sure that your measurements of overall length are correct before you submit the form.

Alternatively if you’re building from a lower you don’t need to use until the stamp comes back, order the upper and make your measurements but leave the lower stripped, or at least without it’s buffer tube installed. When you submit your application, print a copy of the submitted eform and rubber band that around the upper and lower. Not only does removing the buffer tube (or leaving the lower stripped) ensure that you cannot be construed as making a rifle, wrapping the stamp around it is as close to irrefutable proof as one can get that you intended to and were merely waiting on the government to approve your application, fully complying with the law.

I’m a proud parent of more than two dozen tax stamps and I encourage people to take the leap armed with the most correct information. As we sit, the brace ban is injuncted and ATF is prohibited from attempting to enforce it. As luck would have it, I missed out on a free tax stamps because of the injunction and have ti apply tax paid now. If you want to shoot with a brace, I’d say give it a shot. Worst that can happen is you have to apply for a stamp later, and you might even get it tax-free!

Assuming weather holds, i’ll post some groups from my Howa. Its a 8” in the JTAC Elf Owl chassis in 300blk. I haven’t quite dialed in my handloads, but I’ve been getting between 0.50” and 0.75” at 50yd with factory 147gr. I don’t have an AR in .300 blk but my 12.5” 6.5 Grendel will print 1.5MOA with Hornady Black 123gr factory loads. I haven’t tried 5x5 with the Barnes TSX i load for it though.

All that to say ARs can be that accurate if you mate a quality barrel to a quality upper. BCM uppers have been good to me, the heat-fit versions with a Criterion barrel and a freefloated foreend is a winner. A friend built a “mini-mk12” that will ring the 12” gong at 500yd throwing 77gr smk’s from a 12.5” match barrel.I don’t know that BCA will get you there.

[dverna]

If I may be so bold as to correct a common misconception:

There is no law or ATF rule that prohibits you from ordering as many short AR uppers as you want. I’m wagering you’ve been told that having AR rifles and a pistol/SBR length upper can get you charged with “constructive intent” and if that’s the case I can tell you that person was also misinformed. “Constructive intent” is not a charge at all, its a legal fiction wherein evidence is used to *construct* the accused perpetrator(s)’s intention. For example, if I were a DEA cop and I stop you with a rolled joint in your hand, a lighter, a CD marked “weed-smoking mix-tape”, a pound if marijuana flower in 1g bags, and a sheet of paper marked “customers” with a list of names and weights in grams, I have a lot of evidence and I have you (a fictional you, dressed like Jimmy Buffett if you’ll indulge my creative vision) in possession of a pound of weed. I can though construct from the paper and the baggies and the lighter and the joint that you also intended to consume the marijuana and to sell it. In short, it’s the way that tou demonstrate that someone was intending to commit a crime to a court.

The NFA version can exist. I know a gentleman of ill judgement who liked to put stocks on the .22 pistols he bought - GSG and ISSC lookalike stuff. He angered someone who sent ATF video and they popped him for constructing unregistered SBRs. They used the video as well as marks showing that the stocks and the plastic guns had similar wear.

You of course do not intend to break the law, and for that I commend you! However you can take the intermediate step of building a pistol. You can use a regular AR buffer tube with a brace, order a $15 smooth pistol tube, whatever you so desire. At that time you can measure your pistol with the upper attached and *crucially* make sure that your measurements of overall length are correct before you submit the form.

Alternatively if you’re building from a lower you don’t need to use until the stamp comes back, order the upper and make your measurements but leave the lower stripped, or at least without it’s buffer tube installed. When you submit your application, print a copy of the submitted eform and rubber band that around the upper and lower. Not only does removing the buffer tube (or leaving the lower stripped) ensure that you cannot be construed as making a rifle, wrapping the stamp around it is as close to irrefutable proof as one can get that you intended to and were merely waiting on the government to approve your application, fully complying with the law.

I’m a proud parent of more than two dozen tax stamps and I encourage people to take the leap armed with the most correct information. As we sit, the brace ban is injuncted and ATF is prohibited from attempting to enforce it. As luck would have it, I missed out on a free tax stamps because of the injunction and have ti apply tax paid now. If you want to shoot with a brace, I’d say give it a shot. Worst that can happen is you have to apply for a stamp later, and you might even get it tax-free!

Assuming weather holds, i’ll post some groups from my Howa. Its a 8” in the JTAC Elf Owl chassis in 300blk. I haven’t quite dialed in my handloads, but I’ve been getting between 0.50” and 0.75” at 50yd with factory 147gr. I don’t have an AR in .300 blk but my 12.5” 6.5 Grendel will print 1.5MOA with Hornady Black 123gr factory loads. I haven’t tried 5x5 with the Barnes TSX i load for it though.

All that to say ARs can be that accurate if you mate a quality barrel to a quality upper. BCM uppers have been good to me, the heat-fit versions with a Criterion barrel and a freefloated foreend is a winner. A friend built a “mini-mk12” that will ring the 12” gong at 500yd throwing 77gr smk’s from a 12.5” match barrel.I don’t know that BCA will get you there.

Thank you for taking the time to post this. Very informative.

I would love to see a picture and accuracy results at 100 yards of your Howa. I have a Howa in .223 and was looking at one in 7.63x39 or .350 as a candidate for an SBR. It seems they no longer chamber it in .300 BO, but could look for used one.

[BK7saum]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. Very informative.

I would love to see a picture and accuracy results at 100 yards of your Howa. I have a Howa in .223 and was looking at one in 7.63x39 or .350 as a candidate for an SBR. It seems they no longer chamber it in .300 BO, but could look for used one.

Don,

They currently are making/importing the How mini 300 BLK.


https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/...l-mini-action/

I have two, one is a NIB barreled action from several years ago and a second that I put a stock on and my daughters and I have used for deer and pigs. 125 noslers supersonic are deadly on whitetails and feral hogs. Exits are the norm. I have only recovered 2 bullets from whitetails.

Sorry for the thread drift.

[dverna]

Don,

They currently are making/importing the How mini 300 BLK.


https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/...l-mini-action/

I have two, one is a NIB barreled action from several years ago and a second that I put a stock on and my daughters and I have used for deer and pigs. 125 noslers supersonic are deadly on whitetails and feral hogs. Exits are the norm. I have only recovered 2 bullets from whitetails.

Sorry for the thread drift.

Don't be sorry. It is not too bad a drift. AR caliber in a bolt action...LOL

Anyway, that is very interesting. Howa does not show it either as a rifle or barreled action in their 2024 catalogue. The .300BO is about ideal for what I am looking for in a 150 yard critter gun if it will shoot the 110 varmint bullets accurately.

[mcdaniel.mac]

I haven't forgotten this thread! Our local club has been closed most of my days off due to ice on the roads down to the shooting pits. Hoping the wind is less heinous this weekend for our workday - I need my recoil therapy.

[T_Williams]

20250110_100214.jpgfinally had some time to put my build together. All it cost me was a leg injury to get me out of work.

5.7x28 8" barrel