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For a good mid price upper the Rock River will do.
I have a Rock River Bull Barrel upper that shot 0.6 and 0.5 MOA 10 shot groups during a ammo test I did a few months ago (HSM 69 grain Match shot those groups). I think the rifle could actually have done better but I didn't have great support on the butt of the rifle (heartbeat showed clearly on the crosshairs moving). I am not sure how much better one can get with an AR and factory loaded ammo but 1/2 MOA seems pretty darn good to me. Perhaps a Kreiger barrel or one of those carbon wrapped barrels could do a bit better, but at quite a bit over your budget. Honestly, not many people can consistently shoot .5MOA anyway so it may serve little purpose for you to get a rifle that can do it.
I am sure there are many other uppers that will shoot just as well as my Rock River but you almost certainly won't be sorry with the Rock River. By the way, it may seem counter intuitive but the shorter barrel would be likely to shoot more accurately (though with less muzzle velocity). Also, if you intent to do range shooting only I would go for the bull barrel, not the heavy barrel. The heavier the barrel the less less it is going to move during the shot, the key to really great accuracy. Of course, you will have to find some nice ammo, or find a load that you can make yourself, to get anywhere near the capability of the rifle. I got groups as big as 3 MOA plus with my Rock River when shooting certain loads, but only the HSM did around .5 MOA. I didn't test Federal Match or Black Hills yet but I hear that both are excellent. I have used Federal Match in my .308 LR, and it was the most accurate of anything I tried.
I have a Rock River Bull Barrel upper that shot 0.6 and 0.5 MOA 10 shot groups during a ammo test I did a few months ago (HSM 69 grain Match shot those groups). I think the rifle could actually have done better but I didn't have great support on the butt of the rifle (heartbeat showed clearly on the crosshairs moving). I am not sure how much better one can get with an AR and factory loaded ammo but 1/2 MOA seems pretty darn good to me. Perhaps a Kreiger barrel or one of those carbon wrapped barrels could do a bit better, but at quite a bit over your budget. Honestly, not many people can consistently shoot .5MOA anyway so it may serve little purpose for you to get a rifle that can do it.
I am sure there are many other uppers that will shoot just as well as my Rock River but you almost certainly won't be sorry with the Rock River. By the way, it may seem counter intuitive but the shorter barrel would be likely to shoot more accurately (though with less muzzle velocity). Also, if you intent to do range shooting only I would go for the bull barrel, not the heavy barrel. The heavier the barrel the less less it is going to move during the shot, the key to really great accuracy. Of course, you will have to find some nice ammo, or find a load that you can make yourself, to get anywhere near the capability of the rifle. I got groups as big as 3 MOA plus with my Rock River when shooting certain loads, but only the HSM did around .5 MOA. I didn't test Federal Match or Black Hills yet but I hear that both are excellent. I have used Federal Match in my .308 LR, and it was the most accurate of anything I tried.
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