Why do people do it that way?

[themighty9mm]

Back storry...
So I am down to trying to figure out an optic. Got it narrowed down to 2. Aimpoint p.r.o. or eotech 512. I have asked about this before. Aimpoint seems to be the overwhelming suggestion. However after shooting an aimpoint on the range last week (finally found someone who owns something above a wall mart special) and playing with a eotech at a local shop. I really like both. Aimpoint for battery life and eotech for reticle. So decided to go on ahead and make a decision based on looks. As its just a hair above flipping a coin. Unfortunatly at this moment in time, get both, is not in the cards.

On to the point....

Looking through some picture picture threads, I noticed a seemingly overwhelming majority that use forgrips tend to mount them very close to the receiver. (at least as far as I had gone through it, maybe page 40 ish) Even guys with a longer than carbine length rail do it. I thought the idea of a longer than carbine length rail was to enable one to extend the reach of their support hand for a more aggresive hold. With a potential side note of a longer sight radius. It seems those guys would benefeit far more from moving the forgrip further out. Then on the times they need or desire a closer to receiver grip, they could just grab the magwell. Seems to me to make for extra weight and alot of useless rail, with very little gain. 1 step forward , 2 steps back of sorts. So what am I missing? Why do people do it this way? And what if any real gain is there in mounting a forgrip so close to the receiver?
I am by no means an expert and am learning as I am going. This post is by no means ment to hassle or give anyone who does things one way or the other a hard time. Just trying to understand.

[Shokr21]

Did you look at the timestamp of the pictures?

The AR picture thread is very long, the first 40 pages might not be very indicative of how people are setting up their rifles now.

Also, who cares how others are setting up their foregrips? Play with the foregrip to figure out how it works for YOU!

I run mine as far forward as possible, but to each their own.

[sinlessorrow]

the more forward you hold your hand the more control you have. the issue is, not everyone is comfortable that way.

in the end you have to use what works for you, and for some tucked up close in works best, others having their hand at the muzzle works best.

It comes down to user preference in the end.

I have had every foregrip and VFG known to man, at the end of trying all these new fancy ways to hold the rifles i wound up with a vfg close to the receiver

[themighty9mm]

Did you look at the timestamp of the pictures?

The AR picture thread is very long, the first 40 pages might not be very indicative of how people are setting up their rifles now.

Also, who cares how others are setting up their foregrips? Play with the foregrip to figure out how it works for YOU!

I run mine as far forward as possible, but to each their own.

Yes, I understand it is a long on going picture thread.

Just simply wondering if I am missing something... I said as much in my original post. Thus the reason I asked, why do they do it this way? Wondering if there was some beneifeit.
I dunno, perhaps skeletal support of rifle vs muscle support. Maybe people find it easier to manipulate the rifle with a forgrip in that manner. Or maybe simply because they bought it with their hard earned money had to have it on the gun regardless of how usefull. I wasnt asking so much of how I should to it. But why they are. A learn from others type thing. I know how I want it, and know how I do it. But why does the next guy.

[Shokr21]

Fair enough

[a0cake]

One reason you may be seeing VFG's that seem placed too far rearward is this:

For me, a VFG functions as a handstop (and barely even as that) until I'm shooting from a barricade. For regular positions, my hand still grips the forearm / rail as if there were no VFG, although my pinky is butted up against it.

So obviously the VFG can't be placed at the very front of the rail, otherwise I wouldn't be able to grip the rail. The only reason for the VFG (for me) is for extended carry (more comfortable) and barricade support.

So even if I was stuck with a 7'' rail, the VFG still wouldn't be all the way forward. I would grip the rail as far forward as possible, but for me, that necessitates the VFG being a hand-width or so back. I'm sure some people would think "that dude has his VFG too far back," but it's only because they don't understand.

Some people get most of their hand on the VFG but still hook their thumb over of the rail. They're not quite doing the newbish "chicken-choke" on the VFG, but close enough to it that the VFG can be placed at the very front of the rail, as they have no need for extended space in front of it. It's just a different technique that some do quite well with. It's just not for me. So a VFG all the way out front on a 7'' or 9'' rail is basically useless for me (I personally stick with 12'' + anyway).