View Full Version : what is the max range of an ar?
Hi all...
This spring break i am going to be selling all of my paintball equip at shop close to where i live. I am hoping to get at least $300-400(have over 1k invested:mad: ) so with that money i will be buying a lower probably from lmt. my question to you guys is...what is the max range that you'd be able to fire the .223 round accurately? I don't know what to do though as far as an upper...this is where you guys hopefully help.
I originally wanted a .22 upper for general plinking simply because the ammo is so cheap and my gf would be able to fire it for long periods of time without any problems. then i changed my mind to getting a "dedicated" .308 Remington 700 sniper type setup. Then I looked into the ar-10 style but they all confuse the hell out of me and sound far to pricey on a college students budget(to me its not all top-ramen).
So as you can see I'm in quite a bit of a predicament here...what to do? Go with the .223, .22, or the R700? i could always have the gf save up for her own damn plinker! so what is the range of a purpose built long range .223 AR-15? I was on snipercentral.com and they reviewed the RRA Varmint A4 rifle they said that they could extend the rifles range to at least over 300 meters. I will be using this rifle for mainly target shooting and longer range shots and learning the basics of long range shooting I.E: Scope adjustments, breathing... as well as some varmint hunting, this will be my first AR as well So what do you guys think? I am also planning on using a bi-pod on it as well as a good suppressor, we own a couple acres of land where i live and those damn rock squirrels dig holes all over. Sadly the suppressor will have to wait though until i turn twenty one.
A properly trained shooter can effectively fire an AR15 past 600 yards with iron sights. Something right up your alley would be a GSG-5 if you haven't looked into them. A plinker for sure...but Airsoft quality.
A great alternative if you are looking to save some dollars would a CMMG bargain bin rifle. Essentially brand new rifles, just show handling marks for $570 complete. CMMG uppers on DPMS lowers...some show up with CMMG lowers as well. That way you can save up for mags, an optic, and of course ammo.
ah yes CMMG if forgot about those guys. i actually posted a thread a couple months back on their bargain bin rifles but unfortunately I was turned away by these deals by some of the most respectable members on this site. i did look at that plinker though...pretty cool but i think i might want a longer range weapon.
ah yes CMMG if forgot about those guys. i actually posted a thread a couple months back on their bargain bin rifles but unfortunately I was turned away by these deals by some of the most respectable members on this site. i did look at that plinker though...pretty cool but i think i might want a longer range weapon.
That's strange, I've heard nothing but great things about the bargain bins. Anyway, good luck with your search.
thanks again either way. i'm still deciding whether or not to go with a long range built ar or an r700...i think i will save the plinker for a couple years and just get a ruger mkII for that, or after buying my upper for long range use, i might go with a .22 upper from grant(heard bad things about spikes)
thanks again either way. i'm still deciding whether or not to go with a long range built ar or an r700...i think i will save the plinker for a couple years and just get a ruger mkII for that, or after buying my upper for long range use, i might go with a .22 upper from grant(heard bad things about spikes)
Tough choice...combine the two and build an AR10T. If you shop wisely you can build an all Armalite 24" system for about $1200 using OE handguards, trigger, and stock. You'll get sub MOA performance. The tightest reports I've seen were .64 which will rival many entry level bolt guns.
With a match grade AR, about 600yds. You can stretch that further, however I believe 600 to be about the practical limit. It's not accuracy so much as it is wind, and terminal ballistics. Having said that, even an M4 with a good barrel and MK262 ammo, can hit out to 5-600 yards.... I have shot SPR's out to a thousand.
In reality - If you are well trained and use marksman fundamentals, you should be able to "hit" what you can "see".
I scored a direct hit on a 18" gong at 600-yards with my Colt National Match..... Of course I was shooting at the paper target 2 feet to the left, but I acted like I did it on purpose, so it counts - right? :D
ha ha true. thanks for all the replies.i think i might save up for a lower and get me that Remington 700...not sure yet though since the AR will be the semi-automatic version of that which i understand a bit better.
IMO you can't really compare an AR with a bolt gun. They are two entirely different breeds.
I_AM_LEGEND
03-07-08, 13:56
get the AR while you can and you'll be happy you did after the dems get in office and ban them, then buy your R700... I think the AR will get banned a lot sooner before a bolt action does...
03humpalot
03-07-08, 15:54
What makes you think the Dems will let you keep the ones you own now if they do in fact get in office, and then do in fact ban them?
Im getting sick of you damned naysayers crying like little schoolgirls about the so called inevitable banning of our weapons. GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
The whole reason we have the friggin 2A is so the government CANT take the friggin things. Am i the only asshole around here who realizes this?
ya i think i will go with the ar. i will still be able to take some good long range shots with it. probably not more than two hundred yds. thanks for all the help
randyman_ar
03-07-08, 16:35
What makes you think the Dems will let you keep the ones you own now if they do in fact get in office, and then do in fact ban them?
Im getting sick of you damned naysayers crying like little schoolgirls about the so called inevitable banning of our weapons. GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
The whole reason we have the friggin 2A is so the government CANT take the friggin things. Am i the only asshole around here who realizes this?
Well said!!!
I_AM_LEGEND
03-07-08, 17:10
I did do something about it, I voted straight Republican, they're not worried about my guns...
What makes you think the Dems will let you keep the ones you own now if they do in fact get in office, and then do in fact ban them?
precedent for one.
the fact that taking away private property would be far more difficult and meet with far more resistance for another.
Im getting sick of you damned naysayers crying like little schoolgirls about the so called inevitable banning of our weapons. GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
i dont see how stating what appears to be very possible is "crying like little schoolgirls".
....and who says those speaking on it,arent also doing all they can to avoid it?
ya i think i will go with the ar. i will still be able to take some good long range shots with it. probably not more than two hundred yds. thanks for all the help
I sort of went through the same process you are going through when deciding which one I wanted more...a R700 in .308 or an AR in 5.56. I wound up going with the AR for now. As others have stated, if you do your job, you should be able to make hits out to 600 yards with an AR in 5.56 fairly reliably. For me, 600 yards is a long way. I have daydreams about shooting eggs at 1000 yards with a .308 precision rifle, but in reality I doubt I will ever be able to make that kind of shot, and I doubt even more that I will ever need to be able to make that kind of shot. For me, looking at it from a practical standpoint, a good AR should be able to do everything I need it to do and it will be a long time before I will be able to outshoot it. That made my decision pretty easy. I will still probably end up with a nice bolt action precision rifle one day but right now I'm more focused on becoming proficient with my more practical carbine. IMO, YMMV, WWJD, etc. :D
The issue with building a precision rifle for me is finding a range that backs out to 1000 yards or even 600 yards in NY :mad:
yes, i am going to try learning the basics of long range shooting with the ar and then probably move to a bolt action rifle. as far as practicality the ar is still on top as i'd be able to go to a range and just fire off as fast as i could if i wanted while a bolt action i would have to take my time and shoot with precision. i doubt i'd do much fast shooting with the ar though unless i had the .22 conversion:D
What makes you think the Dems will let you keep the ones you own now if they do in fact get in office, and then do in fact ban them?
Im getting sick of you damned naysayers crying like little schoolgirls about the so called inevitable banning of our weapons. GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
The whole reason we have the friggin 2A is so the government CANT take the friggin things. Am i the only asshole around here who realizes this?
is all the morons talking about burying all their shit..Hell if they come to take'em its time to use it. He who dies with the most blacksuits in the front yard wins..
EXACTLY!!! I like your thinking
Combat_Diver
03-08-08, 01:29
After you learn the basic fundementals of shooting and applying them, 500-600yds/m is realistic with iron sights. I do believe the USMC shoots out to 600yds with their M16 at that distance. When I first recieved the new M16A2 back in 87' we would shoot them out to 600 yds on the known distance range. Wind calling is the trickest part. That was with irons and M855 62 gr FMJ at E type shillouetes. Have also competied at All Army Matches with the M16A2 and M4A1 with Mk262 ammo out to 500yds with irons and counting Xs.
One of the harder things to do is being able to indentifiy your target at long range. Optics are benifical and esp. at small targets like ground hogs. I would get an AR and a good 22LR rifle.
CD
ya i was originally thinking of getting myself a .22 or the .17 hmr but the bullets just dont have enough weight to travel considerable distances. so thats why i stepped up to the ar, plus the customization of the ar is what i love as well. and also, if i needed to use it as a self defense weapon it would have more knock down power than the .22 and to be honest with you, its been such a long time since shooting a big bore rifle(compared to the .22) that even a two hundred yard shot is considered my top goal, cant even imagine the six hundred with iron sights. the last time that i shot a large rifle was years back and my dads 30-06:p
Derek_Connor
03-08-08, 13:17
For me, with a magnified optic (atleast 4x), the max range is approx 700 yards (shooter dependent)
But for the AR itself, my SS Lilja shooting 55grain keeps the bullet supersonic 710 yards and the 77grain supersonic @ 745 yards.
to give an idea of a SS 16inch barrel shooting and its comparative drop in velocity out to 1000 yards:
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8779/velocityqu6.jpg
Drop in inches for each bullet out to 800 yards:
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/3638/dropcc0.jpg
Alaskapopo
03-08-08, 18:43
IMO you can't really compare an AR with a bolt gun. They are two entirely different breeds.
I took a sniper course last summer with my GAP AR10 and beat all but one bolt gunner there. So the AR can compete just fine with the bolts.
Here are some pics.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/GAPAR10.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Targets/IM000837.jpg 3 shot group at 100 yards.
Pat
We had a SGM take out a Serb sniper in 1994 with a C7A1 (flatop w/ C79 Elcan and C77 [M855] ) at 834m.
We had a female soldier shoot a 3 3/4" group with a MRS/SPR prototype at 800m using match ammo. She went on to shoot some pretty other impressive results at other ranges.
I've used an M4A1 w/ TA01NSN at 800m (it almost needs a Quadrant sight at than range...)
I whacked a guy at damn near dead on 400m with a Mk18 and ShortDot combo a few years ago so I dont go around discounting the M16FOW at ranges that it is not expected to perform by Army book value.
That's strange, I've heard nothing but great things about the bargain bins. Anyway, good luck with your search.
CMMG stuff is only hated by snobs and people with grudges as far as i can tell.
for the money i saved by not buying a LMT i was able to real world test 1000 rounds through my CMMG. :cool: i'll trust my rifle over anything unfired and unknown. :D
I took a sniper course last summer with my GAP AR10 and beat all but one bolt gunner there. So the AR can compete just fine with the bolts.
Here are some pics.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/GAPAR10.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Targets/IM000837.jpg 3 shot group at 100 yards.
Pat
that thing is way sweet. :cool:
High power matches shoot mostly 556.Its not uncommon to shoot 556 with 75 to 80 grain projectiles to 1000 yards. Find an NRA firing range near you and at least go and watch a match. You need to study up on B.C. (Ballistic Coeffienct). You have the internet do the research yourself. The long range people at the Phoniex AZ. Ben Avery range shoot 556 to 1000 yards a lot. I'm not trying to bust your balls but you need to do better research
S/F
Tipy
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