Thoughts on AR's for long range

[338Shooter]

This discussion has been on these boards before and it has been proven over and over that there are lots of guys shooting .223 out to 100 yards. Now this isn't your off the shelf 16" barreled AR but with 24-26" barrels with the appropriate loads and bullets, it is done regularly and with good proficiency. Like i always say, don't argue that it can't be done with the guy who's already doing it.

Lots of guys shoot .223 out to 100 yards with 16" guns. I've done 300 yards with my 12.5" gun.

PS. I've argued in several threads on here that 223 will get to 1k. lrn2sarcasm.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I think doctorjj meant 1000, not 100.

 

[338Shooter]

I think doctorjj meant 1000, not 100.

I don't think so.

 

[doctorjj]

I don't think so.

I think so.

 

[338Shooter]

again, lrn2sarcasm.

 

[ez bake]

I have 2 ar15's one in 5.56 and the other in 5.45 russian. Both are 16" barrels the 5.56 is fluted. Most ballistics charts i look at use 24" barrels for testing. Which one if either would you feel would reach the furthest? Im looking for a 500 yard yote killer im trying to decide if i can scope one of these and put my acog on the other for home defense or if i should acog one and sell the other for cash to buy a 24" bull barrel in one of 3 calibers 223, 5.45 or 204 ruger. Just looking for opinions and experience. Thanks yall.

I've avoided posting in this thread due to all the opinions out there from folks who haven't tried taking their .223/5.56 gun out past 200yds, but I can no longer resist - so here's my opinion (take it for what its worth - I have shot my 16" AR with Wal-Mart Federal Bulk .223 ammo out to 550yds - it is just about the least fun I've had trying to bang steel that far - .22 rounds are not fun to control in the wind at that distance).

If you're looking at Ballistics charts with 24" barrels, then you're looking on the box or on the ammo manufacturer's website - throw those in the trash and hit this site up:

http://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/calculators/calculators.shtml

Ballistics is not a simple science - the more info you can input, the more accurate your results will be - but still, you need to dope your rifle manually to make sure these ballistic measurements are accurate (even the slightest change in weather can have a big effect on where your round ends up at termination).

The other side of this equation is which caliber would make a good home defense caliber - the problem is that 5.45 Russian is a world-renown cheap caliber (although, its getting harder and harder to find for cheap), but surplus rounds in 5.45x39 would not be my first choice in home defense.

5.45x39 wouldn't be my first choice in hunting either to be honest - the wound ballistics aren't that impressive from what I've read. Its designed by the Russians to emulate what they liked in the 5.56 NATO round - to be a tumbler (destabilizes quicker than the 7.62x39), but what makes 5.56 NATO a more effective round is its ability to fragment.

Since in HD or hunting you'd want rounds more suited for your purpose (and you don't have NATO restrictions preventing you from using hollow-points, etc.), I'd stick with 5.45 for cheap plinking, and 5.56 for HD or hunting. Depending on who makes your barrels, you'll probably be able to achieve that distance with your existing 16" barrels. The thing I like about 5.56/.223 is that I get pretty consistent hits with cheap .223 Federal Bulk out to 200-300yds.

I don't know why you'd want a 500yd Yote hunter, but I'd guess that you'll probably never see a Yote at that distance when hunting. If you're serious about shooting at 500yds for just plinking, then 5.45x39 might work out (I don't know how consistent those surplus rounds are at that range), but you'll want some pretty good optics for reaching out to that distance and you'll have to learn to be really consistent as the shooter (try to remove any of the variables you introduce to the shot and you'll only have the gun/ammo/weather to deal with).

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Well, hell then, I've got an idea... why don't you just say everything 100% the opposite of what you mean?

So you should have said "lrnnot2sarcasm".

I have shot my 16" AR with Wal-Mart Federal Bulk .223 ammo out to 550yds - it is just about the least fun I've had trying to bang steel that far - .22 rounds are not fun to control in the wind at that distance

Truth.

 

[338Shooter]

Well, hell then, I've got an idea... why don't you just say everything 100% the opposite of what you mean?

So you should have said "lrnnot2sarcasm".

I don't think you understand what sarcasm is.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

There, now you've got it!

 

[doctorjj]

again, lrn2sarcasm.

You need to lrn2notbesoegocentric. Who said I was talking to you in my first post? And, yeah, I knew you were being sarcastic with your "I don't think so" post.