AustinMike
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Posts posted by AustinMike
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I'm new to the AR-15 and to rifles in general for that matter. Just got an AR a couple months ago and I've shot one match so far. I try to shoot one 3-gun match a month and it's usually a small match in pistol bays. That's typically going to be what I shoot 98% of the time. One of these days I'd like to shoot a bigger match with far targets, but since I won't be able to practice that sort of thing anyway, it doesn't make sense to me to spend a lot of money equipping my rifle to handle 300+ yards targets. Right now, I've got a Simmons Pro Diamond 1.5-5x variable (Tactical division.) I don't really like it because to me, the eye relief isn't very good and it takes me too long to acquire targets that aren't all that far away. Maybe I just need more practice with this type of scope, but I just really find it annoying to get lined up and peer down a little tube at something 30yards away.
So, at the risk of being flamed to death for starting yet another optic thread, can I get some suggestions for a better setup for someone mostly shoots at targets inside of 50 yards? I don't think I need to spend $1000+ since I'm shooting freakin' Wolf ammo most of the time. I do understand that quality optics come at a price though and I've got some other things I'd probably sell if it looks like I need to get something pricey. Yes, I've searched for a while now and I'm left with only a headache. I'd like to get something with a more heads-up display, wide FOV, blah, blah for quick target acquisition. I'm even open to just going iron sight if that's what would be best. I'd like to hear from others who shoot a lot of hoser stages.
Thanks for any advice to a confused rifle newbie!
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Ok, Anyone still reading this thing care to answer a question. I looked at some 1911's today and the slide stop seems odd to me. I have never needed to rack the slide to use a slide stop before but on these guns I can't release it with out getting the tension off the slide. Is that normal? Do I just need practice? Only reason I am considering a 1911 is it's been a gun I always wanted but never owned. I could shoot it in CDP and Production (I think thats the right one) in USPSA.
I never use the slide stop to release the slide, but that's just me. On a new gun, it might be very stiff. You could shoot a 1911 in Single Stack or Limited 10 (with 10 round mags) in USPSA (or technically in Open too, but why bother.) 1911 isn't a production gun because it's single action only.
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Go for a 1911 pistol. They are a lot more accurate than the plastic pistols. And you can do a lot more with them as far as customizing.
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The best gun for you is the one that you shoot well, so try a few before making decision. Many people at matches are more than happy to let you fire a few rounds through their gun after a match if you ask. If you are on a tight budget, Glocks are a good choice. There are plenty of great deals to be had on used and factory rebuilt guns. I've got 4 Glocks, including a G23 that I carry. I didn't buy any of them new and they all work great. Longer sight radius is nice, IMO. I started with a G22 in Limited with the rationalization that the sight radius was the same as the 1911 that I was used to. I'm now shooting a G24 and love the long sight radius. I have a lot more confidence on long shots now. Unless you reload or have lots of money to play with, I always recommend going with a 9mm and playing in Production. I know a few folks that had to have a 1911 and found a great deal on the gun, only to get sticker shock at the ammo counter.
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I haven't had any problems with the Independence brass in any of the calibers I shoot (.40, 9mm, .45.) S&B is the only one that's given me priming fits. I'll load the *I* brass I get in batches of used brass that I buy, but I leave it on the range after firing. I try to recover the 'A' list brands (Win, R&P, Speer, Federal) and leave everything else behind. I figure I'm safer with multiple reloadings of the top name brass, but who knows. Hard to tell how many times a case gets fired. I'd like to think I lose 'em before the point of excessive reloading is reached.
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I don't need to be in a hotel to have trouble sleeping. I just can't get my mind to shut down some nights in my own bed. An herbal tea with Valerian (or in pill form) seems to work for me.
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So, I gather that in a multi-gun stage, best practice would be to eject the chambered round and lock the bolt open instead of just putting the safety on before leaving the rifle to shoot another gun?
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I seem to have to lot of S&B 9mm right now and it gives me fits sometimes. I usually have at least one or two primers that won't seat out of a 100 or so cases. I probably should get a swager or reamer of some sort. What do ya'll use?
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IMHO, this is hogwash!!! It implies that practice for the sake of it can overcome "any" obstacles.
Practice indeed is essential and necessary to hone your skills and put you in the winning side. But QUALITY practice IS what will get you there.
Certainly, that's what I meant. I was not advocating throwing lead down range just for the sake hearing the gun go bang. Proper practice is key. I just don't believe it's necessary to spend thousands up front on equipment in order to hone skills that have more to do with the matter floating between your ears than anything. A pile of ammo, a good consistent practice schedule, and a decent gun that shoots well and functions reliably should take you as far as you want to go. Equipment is no substitute for quality practice. I don't know much, but I do know this from experience, having laid down the cash for a used open gun that without the time to properly train on it, didn't make much, if any, improvement in my game.
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I got into shooting Glocks from an economic standpoint. I wanted to play in Limited, but being fairly new to the sport I didn't want to spent thousands on a S_I rig. My first Limited gun was a factory rebuilt G22. It's been been virtually flawless in the 2 years I've shot it. Recently, I picked up a G24 in an auction and I LOVE it! I've had thoughts of eventually getting a S_I built, but one of the big questions is 5" vs. 6". Well, for me, the Glock platform has proven to be a cheap testing ground for that. My G22 (which has the same sight radius as the 1911 I started shooting with and the reason I chose it) and the longer slide gun were BOTH acquired for less than half the cost of an S_I. I would have hated to have built a 5" gun, only to realize a 6" is better for me. I also love that the parts for Glock are cheap and you can pretty much rebuild the internals at a safe area for under $50. Mags aren't as cheap as they used to be, but still way cheaper than S_I. mags.
I've shot a custom S_I in a match and honestly, for me, at my level ©, I didn't feel much advantage. Yes the trigger is much nicer, but without the additional skills that come with more experience, I can't say it improved my score. If anything, I got a little sloppy with my shots. The Glock's trigger forces me to think trigger control, feeling that reset and pulling through while keeping the sights on target. Less tendency to hose and miss, basically. It's a bit slower, but ends up being more accurate. YMMV, of course.
So, to sum up, I think the Glock is a great platform for getting into practical shooting. Don't buy new, there are plenty of good used or rebuilt guns out there. Take the money you save and buy lots of ammo to practice. Now, if I found room in my budget to spend $3k or so on a custom S_I, would I do it? Duh!
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my polymer coated stuff looks like the stuff you got in the can.
The laquered stuff is greenish or brownish fromt he pictures I've seen of it. People seldom get their white balance right, so I'm not sure which is the correct description.
I'd say the canned stuff I have is more silverish (this coming from the color blind guy!)
It doesn't look like the pictures I've seen posted of lacquered rounds, so I ain't sure what they did on this lot. Well, it's ammo and I'm gonna shoot it! -
Thanks, ya'll. Here's a pic of what the stuff looks like (on the left, with some of the rounds I previously bought on the right.) I only recently started shooting Wolf, so the difference was odd at first until I started reading about the Wolf changes here.
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I was in Cabelas today and they had a lone case of Wolf .223 on the shelf. No price, so I asked and they said $99. Sounded like a good deal for 500 rounds, so I brought it home. I opened the cardboard box and was surprised to find a big sealed metal mil-spec can and a can opener. I just got my 1st AR15 recently making me a rifle newbie, so maybe this part isn't so unusual. Anyway, I compared the rounds inside to some I already had and the case finish is different. I'm guessing this is what folks call the lacquered cases. They are lighter in color and more metallic looking than the newer poly coated steel cases. The can contained 25 of the typical looking Wolf boxes of 20, marked non corrosive. It seems like I had read where the lacquered cases could cause problems. Are these OK to shoot or should I try to return them? This would mainly be practice ammo or for club matches in pistol bays. I'm hoping I got a good deal here.
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It's been a few years since I've owned a DE, but here's my 2 cents. Use only JHP or some sort of bullet with no exposed lead on the base. Use full power loads (and then some.) Can't remember the charge, but I always used 240gr. JHP with a max load of 2400 with magnum primers and a tight crimp (very loud and some impressive flame - always had people coming over to ask, what the hell was that at the range!
) Make sure the gas port is clean. Take the bolt apart and clean it. I used to take mine out and spray gun scrubber all through it, then lightly oil. -
Hopefully their stupidity will remove them from the gene pool soon. Preferrably not with a firearm, lest blame be cast on the gun instead of the idiot pulling the trigger.
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Dogs
in What I Hate
it is inconsiderate, and rude to make the others there with you abide with what you and your dog do, or might do....This trend just became popular lately and hopefully it is just a trend...but animals have no place in the places I just mentioned and lots more...You are trying to tell me it is about the dog, but the truth is that it is about you wanting to be trendy, different all you end up being is rude, discourteous and silly...
I'm being rude by taking my dog with me from time to time to a coffee house (or whereever) that openly welcomes dogs??? There's some rude and discourteous behavior here alright, but I hardly think it's me. At least your comments serve to illustrate exactly why I prefer the company of a dog sometimes. Me, trendy? I've been called a lot of things but....wow that's a good one. My wife will get a kick out of that one.
Dude, I'm not trying to refute your opinion. Hell, I even agree about it for the most part. I've certainly got a long list of things that people do that peeve me in public (hence my previous analogy of bratty kids, which you felt tainted the point of your thread - sorry, I didn't mean to detour your rant.) I was merely offering that some places allow and even encourage people to bring dogs and since you brought this up in a public discussion, I just asked "so what", expecting that maybe you'd further enlighten me on your interesting point of view instead of berating me. If it bothers you that much, feel free to sic the management on me if I'm on the patio hanging out with one of my canine friends at a place with a sign that says "dogs welcome."
I guess I must be one of the objects of your hate, so I'll bow out here. It wouldn't be appropriate to comment any further, without comprising the hate forum guidelines. If you or anyone else feels I already have, I apologize - it wasn't my intent. FWIW, I don't appreciate being called "rude, discourteous and silly", at least not by someone who doesn't know me. I've come to expect a more mature forum out here and this is rather surprising.
-Mike
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I've gotten bullet or brass in flat rate boxes that were shrink wrapped before, so much so that you could barely make out the print on the box. No big deal. Last box of brass I ordered got tore open and they taped it up. Seemed to have all my brass, luckily. I live in a small town and explained to the post office people that I'll occassionally get these obscenely heavy boxes and that if they like, they can just leave me a note in my mailbox and I'll swing by the office up the road and get them. I know it's their job, but I do feel badly when a small female carrier has to lug several boxes of bullets to her vehicle and then again to my house or the lock box in the neighborhood. One of the carriers used to do just that. We have a new one that jams them in the community lock box. My wife tried to tell her about the note thing, but she got huffy with her and we said screw it, let her carry the boxes then. The clerks have been cool about it in the past though. They would laugh when I walked in and ask if I'm there to pick up another box of lead.
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Dogs
in What I Hate
This thread is not about comparing dogs in places with kids in places...I feel about the same way about disrespectful and wild kids as I do about dogs in places...This is not a tough topic..not one that needs further explanation..I don;'t like dogs anywhere that gives customer service, off the leash in public, and it is MY OPINION that they do not belong there...
If you have to drag your dog along everywhere you go...do it somewhere I am not and post in another thread about it..
I don't drag my dogs everywhere, my point was just that if I choose to take my dog with me to a public place where they are allowed to be there and they are well behaved, on leash, etc., I can't see how it's a bad thing (and maybe that's not what you meant.) Dogs aren't allowed in the majority of public places, so it wouldn't be a huge problem to go elsewhere I wouldn't think. If you're just talking about people smuggling their mutt into someplace where they aren't allowed, well that's different and I'm with ya there!
I better exit this thread now, I should know better than to jump in on discussions like this...
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Dogs
in What I Hate
We take our dogs with us sometimes to places where we can - pet store, parks, coffee house that allow dogs on the patio, etc. We enjoy their company and they enjoy getting out and about. Ours are very social and well behaved, more so than a lot of kids we encounter out. I think dogs in purses are stupid, but if we have our dogs with us and they're laying next to us quietly while we enjoy a cup of coffee or something, I can't see why anyone would complain, but people do. I'd rather sit next to a dog than a bratty kid, but that's just me.
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Not really a match screwup, more of a match preparation screwup... Long story, but I had to switch bullets recently due to feeding issues that I couldn't seem to fix and resorted to some old stock of Precision Delta bullets that I knew would feed fine. Well, I realized late last week that I wasn't going to have enough bullets to load match ammo for the TX State Limited this weekend. Precision Delta got me a shipment of bullets quick and I was reloading yesterday. I finished the old supply and grabbed a new box and continued loading. I dumped all the loaded rounds into a box and probably had about 450 loaded. I decided to chamber and mag check and found that some of the rounds were too long by .020"! Damn, I didn't check the new bullets against the old and sure enough, Precision must have changed the mould from the last time I ordered. The profile was definitely different. Well, crap, now the rounds were all mixed up. I could tell for the most part which were which, but just to be sure I calipered every one of them and ran the long ones through the seater and crimper again. I use a minimal crimp with a Lee FCD, so a figured that would be OK. Wish I could chrono these before the match, but I don't think I'll get to. I assume they will only run a little hotter. This is .40 for a LWD barreled Glock and I only seated them to 1.140", instead of my usual 1.135", just to be on the safe side with pressure.
There you have it. Assume nothing, closely inspect new lots of bullets, and measure that OAL before you go crankin' on that Dillon handle!
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Are you sure that is leading you're getting from the PBs?
I don't know how you would get exposed lead in your barrel form a 100% coated bullet unless you aren't belling enough and are cutting off the coating....?
Yes, I got leading and it was so bad I had to use a copper scouring pad to get it out. I had plenting of bell and minimal crimp. The problem is simply that the factory barrel in my Kimber has a rough spot about mid barrel. I constistently would get lead streaks down 2 of the grooves in the rifling that would build up with repeated firing to where it could become even with the lands! This barrel did the same thing with Laser Cast bullets, which supposedly dont lead either, so the barrel is definitely the culprit. Dave is a cool guy and there is nothing wrong with his bullets. They just don't work with this barrel. If I ever rebarrel this gun, I'd give Precision another try. The barrel shoots jacketed bullets and even plated fine, with no accuracy issues though. Dave's bullets work fine in my G17 (factory barrel) and G22 (KKM barrel.) I haven't gotten them to feed reliably in my LWD barreled G24, which is a bummer because I'd really like to use them there!
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I'd make sure your gun(s) like them before placing a huge order. I don't fault the bullets, but my Kimber's barrel leaded badly. My G24 with a LWD barrel has had fail to feed issues with them - still working on that one. My G22 and G17 seem to like them just fine. They are smokey with the powder I use. I'm using Universal Clays behind them and at the last match Shred asked if my gun was fueled by coal!
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I've got a KKM drop-in in my G22.
Pros: Fit pretty well - a bit tight, but not so much that it needed any filing down, feeds every bullet type I've tried, accurate.
Cons: Shoots a few inches higher than factory, runs considerably slower so I had to bump my loads .2 grains or so, kind of pricey.
I just put a Lone Wolf in my G24.
Pros: Dropped right in, accurate, hits darn close to where factory did, inexpensive, tight chamber with excellent case support (could be a con with certain bullets, read on.)
Con's: I've had several jams, fail to feed/chamber, with Precision (black moly coated) bullets - but Precision Delta jacketed bullets seem to feed fine. The edges to the chamber are a bit sharp and the soft lead of the Precisions can snag.
I noticed some heavy peening on one side of my slide where it whacks the locking block after shooting the Lone Wolf for a few matches. Actually created a sharp edge that may have been hitting the barrel block. I dropped it off at my 'smith to stone this down and check the barrel fit. I'm going to pick it up today and see what he came up with. Don't know if this is coincidence or not. I bought the gun used and it looked like it hadn't been fired much. I didn't shoot with the factory barrel much before dropping in the Lone Wolf.
I'd love to just leave the factory barrel in, but seeing how much more case support there is makes me want to stay with aftermarket. I'd hate to have a weak case ruin my day. I shoot with the factory barrel in my 9mm Glocks since I'm not so worried about that cartridge.
YMMV.
Update: My gunsmith smoothed out the peen marks and shaved .002 from the locking block where it was impacting the frame. He said he had seen this sort of thing before. I wonder if the barrel dragging on the sharp edges was the cause of my jams with the Precision bullets. We'll see.
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I get sinus infections 2 or 3 times a year, but anti-biotics usually clears it up pretty quickly. I hate to take anti-biotics so often, so I try and use more preventative measures, which seems to be working. My Dr. said my infections are probably kick started by my allergies, so I use a saline spray to clean and moisturize the sinuses daily and use Nasonex every day to keep the allergies at bay. I've gotten many infections that made me feel like crap, but not as bad as you describe. They've been much more rare since using the Nasonex.
) Make sure the gas port is clean. Take the bolt apart and clean it. I used to take mine out and spray gun scrubber all through it, then lightly oil.
Hoser sight setup
in Rifle - Technical
Posted
C-more would probably be good since I shoot open from time to time (just not in 3-gun.) Price ain't bad either. Why didn't I think of that?
I saw a number of mentions of Eotech in searches. What model and is there any advantage at all over a C-more, like helping to hit the rare long range target?