AR15. Fun gun or Target gun

Fun gun, Target gun, or both

  • Fun Gun/Informal plinking

    Votes: 20 18.7%

  • Target Gun

    Votes: 8 7.5%

  • Both

    Votes: 86 80.4%
  • Total voters
    107
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osteodoc08

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Jun 23, 2005
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I've had my Stag AR for a couple of months now. I love it and it had evolved into my fun range gun now that I have a EOTech HWS on it.

I am curious to see how my fellow THR members view thier AR's. Are they fun guns, used for informal plinking, can popping, etc or are they used for serious tack driving out to megadistances or even both?
 
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Ah yes, I completely ommitted a vast majority of possibilities. I realized it after and I couldn't change the poll.

So, if you have any other, please list them and what you do/how often, etc. I was just trying to get an idea of what people do with thier AR's for future inspiration.
 
instead of EBR or god forbid an Assault Weapon, I refer to my AR as a "sport utility rifle":) making soda cans dance in midair, hi-power matches, splattering ground hogs, HD or looking pretty in photos, there is not much an AR can't do, and what curious newbie can resist trying one out at the range (many a new gunny recruit has been lured to our side with a handful of donated 5.56 and my 20" A2 hbar)
 
I have one for target with a 20X scope that I shoot out to 500 yards and a fun one with a red dot for plinking out to 200 yards. If I had to sell one of them it would be the target version, fun always trumps anything. :D
 
It's both and then some. If I have only the iron-sights, it's a fun plinker; with the lower powered scopes the same. If I slip the 36X target scope it has pretty serious reach, but nothing like when I bolt on the ACOG. It seems the sight makes the rifle.
 
After shooting my AK again today....I want an AR, so one can actually hit what they aim at with their EBR. And don't say "learn to aim", I pegged a bowling pin at 200yds with my M1 Garand the same afternoon.
 
I have a 20" for longer distances and a 16" for fun. Both great the 16" just got a EOTech 512.65 and shot it fot the first time today. Hope the fuzziness of the recticle sharpens up after my lasik. The picture I took with the camera it looks fine. The 20" will get the 3-9x24 Bushnell 3200 as I am getting a 6-24x40 for my Remington 700 and swaping scopes.

So to answer your question I use my AR's for fun. My serious guns for targeting and long distance are a M1A loaded with factory bedding and my Remington 700 CDL on .30-06. After seeing Zacks 338 I'm tempted to get one. I'd also like a Rem 260 for long distances. I don't see the AR's as effective for Defense either home or other at distances of greater than 300 yards max based on ballistics. just not enough punch at tha tdistance I'll sticl to larger more effective calibers.
 
With a 16" carbine upper and a red dot sight, it's the ultimate fun gun.

With a 24" match grade bull barrel upper and a 6-24X scope, it's a hell of a target/varmint rifle.
 
The AR-15 is a very versatile rifle, everyone should own at least one. It is, however, made up of an extraordinary number of small parts, some of which break with amazing frequency.
Click to expand...

Oh really? Name 2.

Extractor, and bolt doesn't count because they certainly don't break with "amazing frequency". In fact thats really all I can think of that breaks. But I hardly call 5000-10000 rds (or more) "amazing frequency".

Here's a pic of a lower parts kit. I counted about 27 parts. Hardly an extraordinary number. Sure some of them are small, but I'll bet you a LPK if you can show me 1 AR where any of these parts keep breaking with "amazing frequency". All of these parts once installed are internal to the firearm. Sure the mag release, and bolt catch hang out a bit, but show me a broken one, let alone one that keeps breaking.
RRA_NM_LPK.jpg


Here's an A2 upper parts breakdown. Again small parts, but 32 parts is hardly an extraordinary number. Also once installed they don't just fall out, or break. A flat top has even less parts in it.
a2upperReceiver.jpg




Sure the parts are small, but it's so easy to build one of these, even the drunken monkeys at Century could probably build them right.
 
one AR is a bargain beater buildup , A2 config , thats the fun gun

Ar15%20Fulton%20Lower.jpg


my other is my target gun ( M4A3 Custom upper built by Carolina tactical supply. Sabre defense fluted 1:7 barrel , etc ).

16.jpg


some of which break with amazing frequency ?? well there hasnt been any breakage here , nor any I can remember on any of my shooting buds AR's.
 
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Both, my precision AR, 16" stainless bull barrel, Nikon 3-9 scope, bipod stud, JP trigger. I haven't actually shot this setup past 200 yards yet but it runs pretty good so far.

DPMS223-1.jpg

I've got uppers in 6x45 and .50 Beowulf for hunting, and a couple of SU16's in .223 for plinking and playing mall ninja.

SU16C-1small.gif
 
rdaines said:
The AR-15 is a very versatile rifle, everyone should own at least one. It is, however, made up of an extraordinary number of small parts, some of which break with amazing frequency.
Click to expand...
Huh? :confused::confused::confused:

What kind of AR's were you shooting and what were you doing to them? I have never had a breakage with any of the four AR's that I own(ed) and have never seen one break. I am sure someone has broken one but your post needs some clarification.
 
I will also politely disagree with RDAINES (because this is THR,if we were on AR15.com I would cry and moan and call him names J/K)

I have several high round count ARs and I have had to replace only a couple of small parts. I can't speak about combat-I haven't been there But it seems to me a man with an AR,a basic cleaning kit and a couple of odd parts,say an extractor and a couple of sets of gas rings is going to shoot a small mountain of ammo before he would need to go looking for a new gun.

I have become the guy that folks at my gunclub go to for info and repairs on ARs and about 97% of the time it is because they took it apart when it didn't need it and lost something or because they have found some kind of junk reload ammo that is not as good as wolf or because they didn't bother to put a couple drops of oil on it after they cleaned it last.

About a year back someone at my club sent me out to the range because another member couldn't get his AR to work.
This guy had a brand new bushmaster that he was badmouthing because it wouldn't cycle . It was a patrolmans carbine with a high dollar scope on it. (close to $2000) He had a big rubbermaid tub with 50+ 30 rd mags all loaded. He read the owners as for as the page that told him to clean the gun before he shot it but he hadn't got around to buying a $3 bottle of CLP. He Knew that CLP was recomended so he was afraid to use any other brand of oil and was shooting it dry . He was about 300 rounds into it when it started to not cycle.
I ran a chamber brush in and out a couple of times and put a couple of squirts of CLP on the bolt,lugs,and trigger and handed it back to him.
 
No Broken parts & a(don't laugh)BSA scope

Old Sneaky here: Bought an SP-1 in '72, paid $225+tax still going strong--NO broken parts. Next bought a JP Entprises Grade II super match upper,put on a (don't laugh) BSA 8x32x44 platinum W/a 1/8moa dot and shoot it "F"class @ 100yds- reduced NRA 600 yd targets-- Best score 100/10X with a 7shot 0.312" group,NO broken parts. Then bought a DPMS A-2 nat. match upper for across the course can't shoot Iron sights worth a damn cuz I can't see the front sight worth nothing, NO broken parts. Just bought a (don't laugh) BSA 36X44 target W/a fine X hair. I'll be shooting it on the 28th--"F" class. For some strange reason I have great luck with (don't laugh) BSA scopes. My load for the JP is Hornady 55gr V-Max moly on top of 26.0gr IMR 4895, in Win. cases and Win S/R primers @3150FPS. THANX--SNEAKY
 
All broken small parts on my ar's were due to my stupidity when taking apart and trying to clean/reassemble.
 
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