Brutal,

I'd say the best companies are Bushmaster, Colt and Rock River. The Rock River's that I've seen are very nice but pretty pricey. I've had three of them over the years and I would say if you intend to shoot at ranges beyond 400 yards you're going to need a target model with a heavy barrel. So any AR that is made for long distance wouldn't be all that great for self defense. From a self defense perspective you'd want the smallest AR possible, the shorty. Thereby decreasing accuracy. Also if you plan on hunting deer and bear you'll need to get a non .223 rifle.

I have one for sale or trade in the Classifieds but it is a shorty.

Tom