Real Guns

[Omnis]

I have the vtac ultralight made mostly from hypalon. It's great but if you don't have a turtle neck it can really cut into your skin. Also it twists up really easily since it's so light. I also have the Haley Strategic sling and I love it except for the pad which is rough textured and very uncomfortable. Also, the metal 3-way hookup for single point carry is garbage because it can whack you in the eye if you're not careful. I think these slings are not designed for a huge dude though. Maybe I should try a pre-crossfit Vickers lol

 

[a6m5]

Well, it's still a work in progress, but I've somewhat settled on my sling setup, at least with the parts I have so far.

• Magpul MS1 Padded Sling - Zero complaint. I'd buy it again for $50. It's decent quality, comfortable & great design. I'm little over 5'10", 155lbs-ish, so the sling is too long for me. Range of length adjustment's really good & little extra I rubberbanded on one end+ ziptied at the other end.
• Magpul RSA(rail mounted loop) - I may change this to a QD mount in the near future. In my case, with my rifle & my body, I find the RSA little obtrusive. At least where I'm using it, which is at the handguard. I think QD would've looked much neater on the handguard & made things more streamlined.
• Magpul Paraclip - Works as intended. Just not that excited about it, because I'm using this on the handguard & I ignored QD completely.

Earlier this week, I ordered one of these to possibly use at the rear/buttstock:

Magpul QD Swivel

At the moment, I have the rear of the sling looped directly to the stock & it's worked surprising well. I may use this swivel at the front & leave the rear attached as it is.

Complication:

First gift card led to the sling. I got another gift card & it mainly resulted in the Magpul UBR buttstock. I haven't decided if I'm going to use this on my AR15 or AR10. I think it was designed more for AR10, but I don't really shoot it(don't even have optics for it), so I'm going to try it on the AR15 first.

2nd Complication: While I love the looks of the Magpul SL handguard, I think I'm going to have to get away from it. I was playing around with the M-Lok picatinny rail placements on the SL handguard for my sling today. While I think M-Lok is a good idea, it has worn the hell out of the locking points in the slots to the point the I don't trust the thickness left on the handguard slot to competently support the picatinny rails attached to the M-Lok slots anymore.

Since SL Handguard was the first M-Lok systems I tried & there definitely was a learning curve installing one, so it's 100% possible(maybe even likely) it was improper installation by yours truly. Having said that, since few years ago, I decided to minimize risks & take as little chance as possible on weapons. Go with the proven, even if little boring.

My game plan now is to look at some aluminum handguards. I haven't even ruled out selling off the Blackout upper I bought & maybe buy a complete .223/5.56 upper. No plastic stuff that can fail, or I can screw up.

Completing AR rifle for me reminds me of trying to fix a beater car with failing emission systems or something. I didn't think I'd be throwing parts at it.

Hey guys I'm currently in the market for a rifle scope and was wondering if you guys can help me out. I plan on getting into long range shooting this Fall in hopes of eventually shooting out to 1,000 yards/914.4 meters. I have pretty much decided which scope I want to purchase. However, what I am unsure about is which reticle will suite my needs MOA or MRAD. I understand that 1 MOA is about 1.05" at 100 yards and at that very same distance, 1 MRAD is 3.6". The scope adjustments are 1/4 MOA or 1/10 MRAD at 100 yards. The Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 5-25x50 First Focal Plane (FFP) scope has a maximum elevation adjusment of 20 MRAD for the MRAD reticle and 70 MOA for their MOA reticle scope. I've read so many articles and spent so much time staring at this image I downloaded from one of the articles I read (link below). I am more familiar with MOA but would be willing to try something new. What has your experience been with MOA versus MRAD? Which reticle do you prefer and why? Any help will be gratefully appreciated. If it helps any, the rifle will be chambered in .308 Win or 7.62x51, 24" barrel (at the most) and a 20 MOA base.

View attachment 823182

https://bestgunscope.com/mrad-vs-moa/

Sorry, I got nothing. @Michael88 has to be expert level at this stuff though I'm thinking. 👍

Mostly just the price. They seem to be pretty similar to a Vickers or Magpul for consistently less price.

Ah, thank you. 👍

 

[Michael88]

My humble opinion is that MRAD vs MOA is totally a taste thing, either one will suit your needs just fine. I have used MOA exclusively and I calculate everything in MOA (Even though we use metric in Austria) so for me I see no need to change to MRAD. Thats pretty much all I can say about this. As for the scope, definitely a good choice which will serve you well for shooting at those ranges, good quality and First Focal Plane is good for using the range markings and 25 power is excellent for this task.

The only thing I'm a little skeptical about is your caliber choice. While .308 will definitely get out there to 900-1000yds and its definitely one of the best, most readily available precision calibers out there it will barely go out to 900-1000 and any adverse conditions will affect it much more than more suitable calibers. Also the 308 drops a lot at those ranges so you may have to invest on a titled scope mount, there are mounts that give you 10-20 MOA additional elevation adjustment. If you plan to shoot at those ranges I'd go with a 20 MOA tilted mount right away.

Personally, if I'd shoot at those ranges frequently I'd go with one of the magnums and start handloading. That makes shooting long range SO MUCH MORE pleasant. With handloading I can DOUBLE the accuracy of my rifle even when using high quality match ammo, and it makes shooting the big magnums as cheap as shooting commercial match .308. If you want to shoot competitively you have no choice but to handload anyway.

If you plan to start to handload I'd go with .300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Remington Ultra Magnum or with the .338 Lapua Magnum. Those will drop significantly less and buck the wind much better than .308. If you plan to shoot mostly 400-600yds and go out to 1000-1100 only every once in a while I'd go with the .308.

I had a 300 Winchester Magnum which I loaded with 240 grain SMK's at 2600fps, boy that was a screamer, shot like a laser and the 240 pills looked more like torpedoes than bullets, they were that long. They just did not decelerate.

Left to right: 150 grain FMJ, 168 grain SMK, 220 grain SMK and the 240 grain SMK. Imagine the 168 bullet typically leaves the muzzle of a .308 at 2600-700 fps, now the 300WM will shoot the 240 grain bullet on the far right at the same speed.

 

[Xavier2342]

@a6m5 I feel back for making such a short post in comparison to your long post. Have you looked at the Aero Precision stuff? I've heard some very good things about them and they've got a 15% sale going on this weekend.

@Michael88 thank you so much for the advice. I'm a little surprised that you chose MOA considering you guys use the metric system in Austria. I will definitely be going with the MOA reticle unless I find an unbelievable deal for the scope with a MRAD reticle.

Caliber wise, you're 100% correct about why I chose .308 Win instead of 6.5 CM or .300 Win Mag. I know there are far more superior calibers for long range shooting, but I am perfectly fine with using the .308 Win. The rifle I plan on using has a 20 MOA base, I've played around with some ballistics calculators and theoritically, this should help me get out to 1,000 yards (914.4 meters). At the moment I do not plan on handloading but maybe that will change in the future. Once I get the scope I am going try a box of Hornady 168 gr BTHP Match that I currently have. Being that the gun has a 24" barrel with a 1:10 twist, should I look for a lighter or heavier bullet for better accuracy?

Ballistics wise I now understand why so many like the .300 WM. The recoil may be heavy but performance wise, that round is a beast.

 

[Michael88]

No problem!

Most European shooters I know use MOA; its simply so versatile. All ballistic calculators and programs work with MOA, most good scopes use MOA, it just makes sense to adapt to this system no matter where you're from.

1:10 should fit most boolits, but if you are shooting long range your bullet weights will be mostly limited to 155-180 grain anyway, 1:10 is fine for those. I've had very good luck with Remington premier Match 168 BTHP, those are excellent.

As for the 300 Winchester Magnum, if you install a muzzle brake it recoils considerably LESS than a .308! I had a Savage 110 BA in 300WM and with the muzzle brake installed, and its 12 lbs it was an absolute pussycat to shoot, it barely moved at all. The blast was bad though but you get used to it. (Just don't put anything valuable near the muzzle when you shoot, because the blast is gonna send it flying LOL )

Oh and by the way, 6.5 Creed is such a hype, have you ever compared it to the .308 ballistically? Like with real life numbers and good loads? They are near identical, its just the 6.5 has the new cool factor and .308 is an old mans caliber! You are WAY better off sticking with 308, and its gonna be WAY cheaper too. Heck, 308 will give you better Barrel life was well.
But as I said, the .308 will get out there but don't expect excellent results if conditions are less than ideal, like wind and weather. The magnums will shoot much better at adverse conditions.

 

[Xavier2342]

@Michael88 what ballistics calculator app do you use? In the past I used Nikon Spot On for my Nikon scopes. Now that I'll be getting a Vortex scope I started playing around with Ballistics Arc. I also have a Weatherflow Wind Meter that plugs into the earphone jack on my phone.

As for 6.5 CM vs .308 Win, I have read articles and reviewed ballistics charts. The 6.5 CM is a good caliber but I'm just not that interested in it.

My goal for the .308 Win is to be able to his a full-size IPSC target at 1,000 yards. I don't necessarily care about having a very tight shoot group at that distance, I just want to hit my mark.

 

[a6m5]

@a6m5 I feel back for making such a short post in comparison to your long post. Have you looked at the Aero Precision stuff? I've heard some very good things about them and they've got a 15% sale going on this weekend.

I appreciated everyone's insights & advice, but especially that youtube video you linked. I ended up modeling my sling setup after it. Please enjoy this 100% serious & tactical video I made, for you guys:



Gun never got loaded(long story), and I have no professional training.....

 

[Xavier2342]

@a6m5 is this the setup you're sticking with or will you be changing your handguard?

 

[a6m5]

Edit: I was watching my video again. I wish I had said "bust a cap in your ass...." That would've made it PERFECT.

@a6m5 is this the setup you're sticking with or will you be changing your handguard?

Sling setup, yes. I will be replacing the handguard, but I haven't even begun looking yet. Before the quad rail handguard Bushmaster Blackout upper came with, all my handguard's been Magpul, so I know very little about them.

 

[Xavier2342]

Edit: I was watching my video again. I wish I had said "bust a cap in your ass...." That would've made it PERFECT.

Sling setup, yes. I will be replacing the handguard, but I haven't even begun looking yet. Before the quad rail handguard Bushmaster Blackout upper came with, all my handguard's been Magpul, so I know very little about them.

It's funny how trends change. What type of handguard setup do you have in mind?

 

[a6m5]

It's funny how trends change. What type of handguard setup do you have in mind?

So far, my only opinion's based on the quad rail handguard Bushmaster upper came with. Early on, I liked it aesthetically. While installing front MBUS, I liked how the whole thing is a four sided attachment rail. After my experience with the wear damage on plastic SL handguard, currently, I'm sold on aluminum as well(I think it's aluminum).

I'm always open to whatever makes sense though. As long as it looks good, works good & durable.

 

[Michael88]

Oh I love hobby crossovers!

 

[Michael88]

@Xavier2342 You may find this interesting:

 

[Xavier2342]

@a6m5 checkout the link below.
https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/Tactical-Handguards-s/246.htm

@Michael88 I'm happy with the results from the 9-Hole Reviews video. What I find interesting though is that he used a fixed 10x scope. I'm always amazed of how much less zoom some people use to achieve shoots at those distances with good quality glass.

 

[Michael88]

What I find interesting though is that he used a fixed 10x scope. I'm always amazed of how much less zoom some people use to achieve shoots at those distances with good quality glass.

Yeah, the German WWII Sniper Sepp Allersberger shot Russians at up to 700 meters with his fixed 4x power Zeiss.

Zoom makes aiming and identifying targets MUCH easier, but not for free. Your shaking will be more evident which isn't a good thing, mentally, also the more zoom you have the more barrel heat will distort your vision. On a hot summer day shooting 5 rounds in quick succession is not a problem with 4-7 power, but at 20+ power it will sure as hell make your crosshair dance around, throwing your aim off.
But with a variable you can simply dial back. 👍

 

[a6m5]

Installed new stock that arrived tonight(Magpul UBR Vers 2):

Now, the sling I just about had perfected doesn't work right. Tried that loop at the bottom of the stock, also Magpul QD in the mounting provided in the stock(just arrived the other day). I'll figure it out.

Stock looks even better than I saw online, but the old CTR I think was better for me. Aesthetics though....

 

[Xavier2342]

@a6m5 I like the concept of that stock. Size wise how does it compare to the CTR buttstock?

 

[a6m5]

@a6m5 I like the concept of that stock. Size wise how does it compare to the CTR buttstock?

It feels heavier, but not really bulkier. My initial impression. Stock seem to extend more compared to CTR though, which is a plus. CTR sometimes felt little short.

I like the compartment, but I like how it looks without the compartment, so there's that.

 

[Omnis]

Ever get tired of reloading at the range? Let me tell you, it sucks when your best shooting gun has the smallest magazine.

No more.

Also got a SLT trigger that I'm going to try out

 

[Michael88]

Because somebody asked for pics: Here is my 45-70 heavy lead slinger. 1886 Browning High-Wall falling block precision rifle. It was basically THE sniper rifle of the 1880's.

And its pretty accurate 5 shots at 100 meters with iron sights. (The three shots at 12o clock are .308 hits) Load was 525 grain postell lead bullet around 1450 fp/s. That load was used to shoot buffalo and according to hunters from that time the bullet would penetrate a fully grown buffalo from front to back with ease, due to its very high weight to diameter ratio.

 

[Xavier2342]

@Omnis what is the capacity of that extended magazine? I hope you've invested in an Up-Lula (pic below) because I see a sore thumb in your near future...lol... Also, what firearm will the new trigger going into?

@Michael88 , I don't know much about older firearms but I appreciate their history. I feel like I learn something new when you post stuff like this and I genuinely want to thank you and everybody else in this thread that share the history of firearms.

That load was used to shoot buffalo and according to hunters from that time the bullet would penetrate a fully grown buffalo from front to back with ease, due to its very high weight to diameter ratio.

That is 🤬 crazy, damn that is a lot of power.

 

[a6m5]

front to back

 

[Michael88]

Oh I forgot to show the actual bullet.

From left to right: .53 415 grain maxiball projectile, .308 155 grain a-max, .458 45-70 525 grain postell.
The grooves of the bullet are filled with 75% / 25% beeswax and olive oil mix, it lubes the barrel and prevents leading.

 

[Michael88]

I just bought me 5x 33 round Glock magazines in 9mm. I'm going to get me a license for a Glock 17 so I can put it into a Micro Roni chassis to have some fun.
This is what it is going to look like, just with longer mags, and maaaaybe I'll get me a 7'' after market barrel.

(We don't have SBR laws here in Austria, you can modify your pistols to your hearts desires without changing its category as a pistol. We have min length requirements for rifles and shotguns though. )

 

[Brett]

Our SBR laws make something like that less appealing. It is partially holding me back from building another AR-15 or from buying some kind of pistol caliber carbine.

 

[Michael88]

Our SBR laws make something like that less appealing. It is partially holding me back from building another AR-15 or from buying some kind of pistol caliber carbine.

But AFAIK all you need is to pay an extra 200 bucks and get an ATF stamp, right? I mean, thats not too bad...

 

[Brett]

But AFAIK all you need is to pay an extra 200 bucks and get an ATF stamp, right? I mean, thats not too bad...

There is a bunch of paperwork that has to be filled out before the stamp can be obtained. Once all of that is taken care of, it is time to wait for it to be approved. At least with the efile, it looks like it is taking around 30 days for SBR stamps to be approved. One other thing to mention and make note of is crossing states lines with a SBR requires more paperwork.

 

[Michael88]

Then wait for it to be approved, which looks to be taking at least 30 days. I just looked over the paperwork and it does not look too bad. However, crossing states lines requires more paperwork.

Yeah but crossing states seems to be a problem with a lot of guns. Just keep on driving without ever stopping, but that is kind of nearly impossible, thats ridiculous. I've even heard that cops explicitly target vehicles with different state numbers so they can check them for guns that are not allowed in that state. Technically thats not a felony but they still give the owners a ton of trouble.

If I lived in the US my truck gun would be a 44-40 1866 Henry lever action with a 10-round tube. The original redneck assault rifle and it has such an innocent look!

 

[Brett]

There is a bunch of paperwork that has to be filled out before the stamp can be obtained. Once all of that is taken care of, it is time to wait for it to be approved. At least with the efile, it looks like it is taking around 30 days for SBR stamps to be approved. One other thing to mention and make note of is crossing states lines with a SBR requires more paperwork.

I have edited my post a couple times, as I am not very familiar with the SBR/Suppressor process.

Yeah but crossing states seems to be a problem with a lot of guns. Just keep on driving without ever stopping, but that is kind of nearly impossible, thats ridiculous. I've even heard that cops explicitly target vehicles with different state numbers so they can check them for guns that are not allowed in that state. Technically thats not a felony but they still give the owners a ton of trouble.

It can be a problem with a bunch of different guns. SBRs/suppressors can be an even bigger problem due to federal issues.

If I lived in the US my truck gun would be a 44-40 1866 Henry lever action with a 10-round tube. The original redneck assault rifle and it has such an innocent look!

A lever action is a good choice. Many will not even give it a much of a second glance.

 

[a6m5]

I just bought me 5x 33 round Glock magazines in 9mm. I'm going to get me a license for a Glock 17 so I can put it into a Micro Roni chassis to have some fun.
This is what it is going to look like, just with longer mags, and maaaaybe I'll get me a 7'' after market barrel.

(We don't have SBR laws here in Austria, you can modify your pistols to your hearts desires without changing its category as a pistol. We have min length requirements for rifles and shotguns though. )

I posted a version of this couple pages ago. That model was with pistol braces, instead of “stock”, they clear without ATF in the U.S. For now.