Build Recipe 11 - Sig Sauer 716I AR10 Battle Rifle

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Why this one?

An AR10 fills the spot in a gun collection where the AR15 leaves off. The AR10's larger round can hit harder and travel faster and farther before falling off at distance.

  • Bigger & Faster round
  • Travels Further, better accuracy and precision at further distances
  • More stopping power and penetration

The ideal AR10 would be exactly like the AR15 you are used to, but shoots a bigger round. 

Unfortunately in the real world, it doesn't always work out that way. To properly accommodate the larger 7.62x51 round, many parts of the gun must be made bigger to live through the additional abuse of 7.62x51, and longer to maximize the trajectory of the round. This typically makes most AR10's big, heavy, and considerably less desirable to carry around than the average AR15.

But Sig made the 716I light where they could without sacrificing the performance of the gun. 

I have other AR10's and even with your eyes closed, you can definitely tell that someone is handing you an AR10 when you are holding it. The Sig 716I felt more like an AR15 to me when I got a chance to handle it. Its light, and it moves a lot like an AR15 when you're running it. Until you pull the trigger that is (hah). There is no hiding the signature thumb of a 7.62x51 over a 5.56. 

The 716I is the same length as the average AR15 at 16" so it doesn't feel clumsy or unfamiliar when using it like an AR15 either. If you are looking for an "AR15" that can consistently put high energy hits on targets between 500-1000 yards but still be easy to manipulate in closer engagements, the 716I is an appropriate candidate. 

Build Recipe 11 - Sig Sauer 716I AR10 .308 7x62x51 NATO Precision Battle Rifle Build Recipe 11 - Sig Sauer 716I AR10 .308 7x62x51 NATO Precision Battle Rifle
OPTICS

Because this rifle can effectively reach out to distances past 500 yards, you are going to want an optic that makes those shots not feel so challenging. This is where you are going to have to make some decisions on just how far you are going to want to reach out to. Because 600 yard shots are noticeably different than 1000 yard shots and can mean the difference between using a lower power variable optic and a full on rifle scope. 

For this recipe, I made the decision that my target engagements for this rifle would be inside of 700 yards which will allow me to use a Sig 1-10x LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic). With my eyes even the 700 yard shots are going to make me wish I had twice as much magnification, but I will post another recipe for a distance gun with lots of magnification for 700+. So I'm sticking to the plan on this one. 0-700 yards.

The answer to "which scope should I get" will get 10 different answers if you ask 10 different people, but this is how I am justifying my choice for this recipe. This recipe is meant to be bought with a mid-tier budget. There are better optics out there for more money, and there are worse optics out there for less money. The FFP Vortex Razor Gen III 1-10X would provide a better shooting experience but is almost 5x the price. If there is room in the budget for that optic I would choose that one. But if not, I would go with the SFP Sig Sauer Tango MSR 1-10x LPVO for the distance shots. And it's nice that the Sig scope comes with a mount, so thats one less thing to buy.

Even though the LPVO can be dialed back to 1x for engaging closer targets more quickly, I prefer to leave it dialed out to 10x by default and mount an additional 1x pistol red dot in a place that will allow me to use the gun the same way I would normally use an AR15 in closer quarters inside of 100 yards.

For this build, I used a Sig 45 degree canted red dot mount with a Sig Romeo1Pro red dot mounted on it. Red dot selection is another one of those decisions where 10 people may give you 10 different answers, but the Romeo1Pro is a direct bolt on to the canted Sig mount, it has a generously large piece of glass in it, the optic has shake-awake so you don't have to remember to turn it on/off, it has adjustable brightness, and it is physically robust. Some other 1x red dot options I would find totally acceptable in this recipe are the Sig Romeo-X, the Leupold Delta Point Pro, the Holosun SCRS, or the Aimpoint T-2.

One topic that comes up often at this point in the conversation is whether the red dot should be mounted at "12 o'clock" above the scope, or at a 45deg angle off the barrel. I have guns set up both ways and I think the answer depends on which one you will be using more often. My Sig M400 DH3 carbine match gun has a Romeo3XL 1x red dot mounted on top at 12 o'clock because 95% of the shots I have to take with that gun in matches are within 30 yards. So I spend most of the day shooting at close range targets, and I don't want to spend most of the day with the gun rotated. The optic being on top of the scope has never felt like a draw back in competition but it does technically make the overall height of the gun taller. For this recipe I intend for the majority of shots to be made through the scope, and the red dot is to be used for less than half the shots I take with it.

STOCK & HANDGUARD

The stock that comes with the 716I isn't bad but I really like the feel of the B5 SOPMOD's larger cheek well for a gun like this that will be shot from a variety of shooting positions. 

For the hand guard I use an Arisaka Finger Indexer mainly for hand placement consistency and grip, but also to give me a standoff to use when the bipod is not connected. I often use these to push the gun against a window sill, railing, or other cover to stabilize the gun between my shoulder and the cover.

BIPOD

My typical go-to bipod for a long gun is a Harris, but I went with a Magpul in this recipe mainly because I think the lighter weight will mean more for a gun that might have to get used like an AR15 often. The Magpul isn't quite as sturdy as the Harris for long distance precision shooting, but it gets the job done and its light enough that you don't have to take it off when you are shooting from a standing position in closer range engagements. It's also significantly less expensive than the Harris. 

I would say use the Harris if the majority of your shots are going to be long range and precision is more important than weight in your build. Or if you think you might need to be able to deploy both legs quickly at the same time with a single motion. (see the bipod leg lanyard modification for this).

MAGAZINES

The 716I comes with a 20rd Magpul magazine that works great, but depending on what i'm doing, I usually carry some 20 and 25rd Lancer mags as well. They both fit nicely into the same High Speed Gear Taco Mag Pouches I use for my AR15 mags.

Build Recipe 11 - Sig Sauer 716I AR10 .308 7x62x51 NATO Precision Battle Rifle

This recipe ended up being a pretty short list, this gun doesn't need a whole lot to accomplish the goal. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best approach. This recipe can go straight to the range and consistently put shots on targets at distances up to 700 yards without breaking the bank.

If you have any questions, please reach out. We are ready to help.

Sig Sauer 716I Vertx Rifle Bag

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