AR shooting

[hondo1892]

Weather was warm and I was feeling a little better today. So I grabbed my AR that I put together from PSA parts and went to the farm. I fired about thirty rounds through it lickety split. Only the second time I've had it out and still haven't really sited it in. I've been shooting at a steel plate that's about 8"x10" at about fifty yards. I'm impressed by the little 55 grain bullet and how much damage it does to the steel plate. But the AR does little for me. I like to rip a few rounds off really fast once every ten years or so and this rifle will do that. However the AR platform does not excite me in the least. I'd rather be shooting a 73 Winchester or one of my flintlocks any day over an AR. Just don't know what all these kids see in these things. I do like my Colt 1911 commander and love shooting it, but semi auto rifles do not get my juices flowing. I don't plan on sending it down the road but it will not get much shooting time either. It does go bang every time you pull the trigger and has fed everything I put in it so far. But that's not saying much with as few rounds that I've shot in it. But a day shooting anything is better than not shooting. Need to get some 44 specials loaded so I can get the Ruger flat top out next trip.

[M. M. Wright]

Yes Sir, it sure beats not shooting. Like you the platform doesn't excite me very much unless it's a 308 but then I have a FAL for that.

Much prefer to burn the black in cowboy guns.

[AJMD429]

They are fun in different ways.

Think of automobiles as an analogy:

The 1969 Shelby Mustang might be your favorite, but you might appreciate the lines of a 1933 Duesenberg even more. Your favorite car for practical commuting to work might be a Honda Civic, but the vehicle you feel most at-ease with is your beat up Ford pickup.

The AR-15 would probably compare to the Civic - practical, efficient, reliable, but not the one that excites you.

If it boiled down to "practical", I'd probably just own an AR-15, a Glock, and my 375 Ruger Alaskan. Between those three there isn't anything I really need to shoot that I'd not be able to shoot plenty well, including the less-likely, but most-important self-defense and home-protection roles.

Thankfully, few of us are so broke we have to settle for just 'practical', or in such unsafe areas that we can't make do with less 'tactical' firearms when we need to use them for home protection or self defense.

I'm fascinated by the mechanics and engineering of pretty much ALL guns, so the mechanism of an AR is intriguing. IF the Ruger Mini-14 were as accurate and as 'modular' I would probably prefer that over an AR though - NOT because of the wood-and-blued-steel factor, because mine is stainless with a synthetic folding stock - but because the mechanism and parts-count is simpler and I think more robust.

[Malamute]

I go off and on about them. I get one, shoot it a while, then end up selling it. I do enjoy shooting them, but not ripping rounds off. When I used to hunt small game/rabbits/jacks a lot, they made great shooters for that, and were pretty cheap to shoot, even if not reloading. I've been somewhat surprised at how well they shoot overall, and at distance in particular. The A-2s have excellent iron sights, and range adjust out to 800 yards. Its simple to hit the 600 yard plate with irons, and fun to plink out to 900 or so yards. with a relatively cheap scope they shoot a bit better. One of the earlier Colt SP-1s I had would do about 6-7 for 10 on prairie dogs @300 yards scoped off the hood of the truck. Id like one day to have a truly good scope and free float fore end, good trigger, and perhaps a high grade barrel. I'd like to shoot steel and groups at longer distances, say 300-900/1000 yards.

Other than that, I enjoy older stuff in general.

[OldWin]

AR's are fun to shoot in their own way, but like you I get more enjoyment and satisfaction from shooting an old 92 or 73 with shells I loaded and bullets I cast.
I still marvel at how effective those old rifles are from so long ago.

[sore shoulder]

Well the beauty of it is you can slow it down and do the same thing you do with your levers. Work up a load it favors, get some 5 round mags and see what it will do. If your chosen bullet doesn't like the twist rate you can easily swap out the barrel. You can even load bullets longer than the magazine and put a magazine well block in it and load it by hand one at a time. 90gr bullets from a 1/8 or 1/7 twist will do amazing things. So will 40 gr bullets from a 1/12 twist pushing 4000 fps. The real kicker is you can have both on just one receiver using two uppers that can even share the same bolt carrier group. Then there's the myriad of calibers available. They make great plinkers for friends and family with cheap ammo just like any .22. They are just handy and fun imo and can perform almost any task needed. The Swiss Army knife of guns.

[Sixgun]

Those things will grow on you once you see their capability. Three years ago you could not give me one and now I own 4....all Colts with the 1-7 twist. The 69 gr. Sierra Matchking with a dose of RL-15 will bust clay birds (or very close) all day out to 500 meters.

Yea...let em rip. Those guns were made to do that.----6

[hondo1892]

I don't know if these things will grow on me or not. They do have their uses for sure. I may put a scope on it just to but my daughter prefers open over glass. So that's how it's set up now.

[jdad]

Yes they grow on you. I have 2 Noveskes. 18" SPR and a 14.5" carbine.

[Sixgun]

If your AR is a flattop it's a no brainer to mount a scope with a quick detachable mount and flip up sights. You and your daughter can enjoy the gun together. Takes about 2 seconds (not really but not much longer) to pop it on and off and still hold zero.

I prefer a scope and a middle of the road tactical Nikon .223 is my choice.----6

[sore shoulder]

If it's not a flat top you can still put an easily removable scope on it using a carry handle mount. A.R.M.S. being the ONLY acceptable choice.

[Griff]

yep, just about 3-½ years ago I didn't have one either, now I have 3. one set up as a long range varmiter. 1" groups on paper @ 200 yards and easily on target out beyond 400! I'd also much rather play with my lever guns... but sometimes, a bit semi-auto sin is pleasurable.

[AJMD429]

If I go egg-shootin' (whenever we find a nest of neglected chicken eggs that are half rotten we set them up on the hundred yard line and make bets about who will hit one first), I will be much more likely to take my 18" scoped AR than any of my leverguns, unless it's an all-levergun match.

However, I will likely have more fun if it is an all-levergun match.

[OldWin]

I did buy a 300BO upper for my 6920 so I could hunt with it if I decided to.
I gotta say, that thing is fun to shoot. I was surprised how a cartidge that looks that stupid could shoot so good.

[OldWin]

Double, sorry.

[hayabusa]

I like the 223 AR, also like the 7.62x39 upper on it.
But I really like shooting the 50 Beowulf upper at Deer with it.
Oh yes I like the AR type carbines or is it rifles? All of the uppers I own have 16" Bbls.

hayabusa

[Old Ironsights]

I'm in the "interesting, but ultimately boring" camp.

Accurate, but boring. And I hate direct impingement.

But I had one, shot it a fair bit, then sold it. After the Army I could just never cotton to owning one.

I have an HK91 clone for an MBR and my .357 Rossi for "intermediate range". One more caliber is one more too many at this point.