long range shooting with COLT AR15 question???

[iwillnotgoquietly]

i have a colt 16 inch with a 1/7 twist rate with an a2 handle and i was curious if i could do some long range shooting with it? could i put a scope on it and take it off without having to sight it in and also would i need a 20 inch varmint barrell or something like it???

[NetJunkie]

What do you consider long range? How accurate do you want?

[iwillnotgoquietly]

like 500 yards or so and pretty accurate

[marty]

My 1/9 16 incher can hit metal targets at 600 and 650 yards using M193 and a 4x scope. Have not tried the 1/7 yet at this distance. Targets are mix of coyote, deer, elk, 2ftx2ft squares, but the rabbit is too hard for me to see with the 4x scope.

[Failure2Stop]

A definition of what you consider "pretty accurate" would be helpful. Precision needs are driven off of targets.

Remeber that magnification does not make you shoot better, it simply makes the target appear larger.

Anyway, a carry-handle mounted optic is far inferior to a rail mounted optic. As far as carry-handle mounted optics go the ACOG line is probably the best solution, but they are much better employed in a quality mount on a flat-top. The return to zero with the carry-handle mount is much more dicey than even the OEM Trijicon mount.

You do not need a longer barrel to reach out to long ranges. If you have a high precision requirement the individual barrel quality and ammunition will have an exponentially greater effect than barrel length. I would recommend getting a flat-top upper and quality ammunition before spending on a new barrel.