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More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

elfster1234

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jun 3, 2012
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    I can't tell you how many times I read on forums, "new to the forum / AR platform,,,, which eotech or red dot with magnifier should I get????" As for those new to the AR platform, it is almost instinctive to automatically get a red dot / eotech because you just purchased an AR-15 or AR-10 and it is the " tacticool " thing to do or you think that is what you should do. Then continue to slap a bunch of stuff on your new AR that you don't need. Just passing on some of my experience and hopefully you can learn from some of my mistakes and wasted money / time in the past.

    Red dots / Eotechs sights are great. IMO, they have a select purpose. I have personally owned an eotech EXPS2-0 with magnifier. Everyone's opinion is different. If red dots / eotechs work for you, then great! Keep on truckin. I'm seriously not bashing red dot / eotech fans. Everyone's purpose and opinion is different,,,,,,,,,, BUT in my experience with others and myself starting out with the AR platform they are more "tacticool" and less "practicool".

    IMO, this is the <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">general timeline</span></span> of <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">someone absolutely new</span></span> to the AR platform <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">(general humor here people, it's satire!! CALM DOWN!):</span></span>

    Day#1.) purchase cheap ar-15 / ar-10 with plastic handguard.... something like a dpms sportical. At the time of your purchase you had no intention of getting an AR type platform rifle... You just happen to be walking by the rifle counter and thought it looked cool. Maybe it started with a gander mountain flyer and figured it was a rifle you could afford. This is where the addiction starts. You have absolutely no clue about AR's @ this time in your life. You will then..................

    2.) replace plastic handguard with a cheap "drop in" 2pc quad rail off ebay or amazon.com. You will youtube "how to install a 2pc aluminum quad rail" at this time.

    3.) put a bunch of other crap on the ar-15 that is not needed with some rail covers and possible flash light that you will never use. Maybe even a laser sight that is even more pointless. Finally realize there is such a thing as a free float rail which is much better than the 2pc "drop in" quad rail you just purchased from ebay and makes your AR much more accurate and wish your rifle had this option but oh well.... What I have is good enough but it really is not as you realize that you can NOT put your magpul front sight on your crappy 2pc "drop in" quad rail and wish to god you had a free float rail..... You will also slap on some BUIS (back up iron sights) that you will almost never use unless you are a hardcore S.O.B. at the rifle range while thinking you need BUIS for the classic SHTF armageddon moment in human history that will most likely never happen in your lifetime..... This is when you spend the next 4hours of your life on google doing research between "gas block" and "rail mounted" front sights.. Thinking to yourself,,,, damn you cheap ebay 2pc "drop in" quad rail, what the hell was I thinking???!!???!!! BTW, your front back up iron sight will be attached to your gas block and not your crappy 2pc "drop in" aluminum quad rail you got off amazon.com because you don't know how to install a free float tube.

    4.) go on a bunch of forums asking which eotech or red dot to purchase.... maybe even acog because that is what the military uses so that is what I'll use regardless to the fact you can NOT afford an acog!!!.... You will then purchase a red dot or eotech at this time. You will google the word "parallax" at this time also!

    5.) go to the shooting range and start shooting @ 25 yards, then move target to 50yards, then 75yards. At the 75 yard line you will wish you had magnification,,,, so at this point you will do this...

    6.) purchase a magnifier for your red dot / eotech so you can shoot at 75yards, and then 100yards.... maybe even more. You might have already purchased the magnifier with your red dot / eotech as it looks really friggen cool on your rifle but didn't understand it slaps loads of weight on the rifle also. You will then figure out that the $200 to $500 magnifer you just purchased made marginal improvements to your set up in terms of accuracy. At this point you will think this

    7.) wow, this red-dot or eotech with magnifier set up kinda puts on extra weight and I wish I had more magnification and more eye relief. You will then google "red dot / eotech magnifier eye relief" at this time. You will spend countless hours looking for a magnifer with better eye relief with a better magnifier mount as the standard primary arms magnifier mount really does $uck..... only to figure out that all red dot / eotech magnifiers are well under 3" eye relief!! what the hell!!!???!!! If your current set up is with an AR-10 .308 cal, then you just realized that with the massive kick that you are really screwed and that you have a black eye right about now due to the crappy eye relief....... Then this will happen... come on!! we have all done this!

    8.) sell the entire rifle or put it in the safe, and get a whole new ar-15 / ar-10 with a free float handguard / rail as you've learned from your mistakes.... put 1/2 of the crap hanging off your old rifle onto the new rifle,,,,, and store the rest of the crap in a box that you will never see again or sell it..... maybe get a rifle with upgraded options with less " upgrading screwing around " as you are learning from your mistakes.

    9.) NOW, at this point you ditch the red dot / eotech and just purchase a friggen scope as you finally realize that the whole red dot / eotech with magnifier is somewhat like a scope but with crappy eye relief and a somewhat blurry dot,,,,,,,, especially if you use the magnifier 80% of the time and is pushing the limit of being ridiculous slapping the magnifier back and forth when you only sit at a bench shooting paper targets on your a$$. This is when you make the forum post, "will a magnifier make my dot more clear?",,, or "will a magnifier increase the size of my red dot???"....... As you finally start to see the light and ask yourself, "why am I doing this magnifier nonsense,,, why don't I just get a scope???" you finally look into purchasing a nice scope. Maybe something like a nice vortex, NF, or SWFA SS scope with 1-4 OR 1-6 OR 2.5-10 power as you realize that you will only use your rifle for 80% target practice because you like to shoot @ 100yards and maybe a tad bit more, 18% for hunting, and I'll give you the 1% for the A-hole that breaks into your house for home defense and 1% for the classic SHTF armageddon moments that will most likely never happen in your lifetime. Those of you that are really bad a$$ and act like you are taking over 800yard shots when your local range only has a max 100yards / maybe 200yards will purchase most likely a 4-16 power and above power scope. At this time you will post on a forum or google the following questions,,,, "difference between moa and mil?",,,, "which is better moa/moa or mil/mil?",,,, and finally "FFP vs SFP scopes, which is better and why?". You will then spend the next 12hours of your life trying to figure out which scope to get only to come to the conclusion that most people that are hard core long range compitition bad a$$ shooters use mil scopes, old bastards that are stuck in their ways use moa (this is a joke people!! calm down!!),,, and never to get a moa/mil scope. Matching turrets / reticles are a good thing. Only mil/mil or moa/moa. This is when you google the word "milliradian". At this point, you will most likely have a mil/mil scope because everyone else on sniper's hide has one,,,,, regardless to the fact you live in the USA and have grown up with fractions all of your life and your local range is most likely in yards and not meters,,,,,,,,, and you're not even involved in competitive shooting with your friend sitting next to you calling out hits with a mil based spotting scope..... On a more serious note, mil's are easier than moa, but you don't know how to convert the math at your local 300yard range because you were too busy sleeping in middle school math class. You know you're really screwed if you can't answer this question. If I give you a dozen apples and you give me 3/4 of them back, then how many apples to I have??

    10.) now that you have a nice mil/mil scope with your middle school math level,,,, you will then ponder how barrel length affects accuracy & bullet FPS,,,,, but what about the added weight to the rifle???... which is better? you will never know! 16", 18", 20", or 24" length? which should I get? there is no right choice! only purpose! after all that, then you need to figure out the type of barrel.... chromoly, chrome lined, or stainless????... what about rifle twist rates? sheesshh. have fun with this....

    11.) just when you think it is all said and done & you've fixed all of your mistakes,,,, you will then sell your entire rifle set up again and put that money towards a really high end OBR, GAP-10, or possible LMT because that is what everyone else is doing on sniper's hide so it's got to be the right thing to do!!??!!?? Right??? This is when you make a posting called, "OBR vs Gap-10, which is better??" as you realize that you are about to spend well over $3,000 dollars for a single rifle and that doesn't even include optics, mount, caps, and a sling. You will then be out of money to purchase the ammo. Just get ready for the WAIT time as you will have plenty of it... About 5 to 10 months to think about the massive amount of money you just spent on one bad a$$ rifle..... Think you are done? Think again! IT NEVER ENDS!

    12.) now that you have a bad a$$ .308 AR-10 platform you finally realize that ammo is killing your pocket $$$$$$... reloading is a whole different ball of wax......................

    13.) you will now put much more thought into your purchases as you've just wasted loads of money and time.



    *********************************************************************************************

    humor people.... just humor! come on, laugh a little! Hehehe. some of the crap on my post i seriously went thru and the rest I just made up.... like the lights and lasers,,,, i've never purchased in my life... and I still use BUIS!!! come on, some of you are telling me you've never gone thru atleast 1 part of my made up timeline? I never intended my timeline to be so serious nor anyone to take so serious. Guess all I'm saying is think out your purchases and learn from other people's mistakes from reading forums like sniper's hide. Like my timeline states, someone new to the AR platform.... yes yes, I know,,,, some of you are more bad a$$ than others... little less defense and a little more humor in your life. Someone absolutely NEW to the AR platform that doesn't even know what a 2pc NON-floating quad rail could seriously learn something from my post and from reading forums like sniper's hide.

    Everyone's rifles are different, they all have different purposes, and what ever works best for you! One nice thing about the great USA, everyone can have an opinion.

    ********************************************************************************************


    Nostradumbass actually posted this and it was so funny that I had to put it into my original post. Funny as $hit video: Most Tactical AR15... EVER! - YouTube


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    Just an FYI on my set up... She is a heavy beast (one of the most important things to consider when building an AR rifle).... It's a bench rifle and I use it in my ultimate tree stand in the sky for deer hunting / sitting on my ass all day long (tree stand has a nice 360 shooting rail around it). You could prob use deer hunting / walking thru the woods with the help of the 3point sling and would take the bipod / adapter off for less weight, but is most likely something you would not want to drag thru the woods all day long. My rifle is geared around 80% long distance target practice (100yards and plus) and 20% deer hunting off my tree stand. So far, this is my dream gun and is the most I've spent on a rifle to date hands down:

    * LMT MWS .308 with 20" chrome lined barrel. Went with the 20" as I'm not building a carbine and really wanted something to go over 600yards plus for target practice shooting / bench rifle. Stainless steel barrel would be nice, but I've shot enough chrome lined barrels in my day to know that there is next to no difference in accuracy IMO and I really like the durability of the chrome lined... Still cant go wrong with a nice stainless steel barrel tho! Got mine from kentucky gun company. <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Usually can get around $2300 to $2500 dollars</span></span> would personally not pay over $2500 unless it was a SS barrel.

    * Larue QD LT158 scope mount. Has the built in 10moa cant for long distance shooting. <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Damn near $200 mount</span></span>

    * Vortex viper PST 4-16x50 FFP scope. Big fan of the FFP (front focal plane) scopes... Will hold zero thru out all magnification levels unlike a SFP scope. I went with the MOA/MOA style as I'm stuck in my old man ways. LOL. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">About $700 to $800 bucks new.</span></span>

    * Butler creek caps. They are cheap and work for me. <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">about $20 bucks</span></span> for the front and back.

    * using the LMT rail covers that came with rifle with some ladder rail covers. Ergo ladder rail covers off amazon pack of 3 for <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">$10 bucks shipped.</span></span>

    * YHM bipod adapter. Might want to consider a QD mount... I only take it off once a year for deer hunting, so went with the cheaper fixed mount in comparison to a nice larue QD bipod adapter. Off primary arms for <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">about $20 bucks</span></span>

    * Harris swivel (today's word is swivel!!!)style bipod with notched legs, 9" to 13" model (so my bipod just clears the 20round pmag). <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">around $80 to $100 bucks</span></span>. IMO, one of the best bipods for the money.. Atlas would be nice if you can afford it.

    * Blackhawk 3point sling, and using the QD swivels that came with my rifle. Got off amazon for <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">$25 bucks</span></span>.

    <span style="font-weight: bold">= so far i have invested a little over $3600 dollars!! all brand new. OUCH!</span>

    * future purchase will be some type of offset red dot or possible DD RTS sight for possible deer running / walking past stand under 25yards situation which has happened to me before.

    newlmtmws308.jpg


    EDIT:

    There is no right or wrong rifle. There is no right or wrong optic. What ever works best for you! All rifles and all optics have different purposes with different operators. In short, just think out your purchases and do some research before you dump your hard earned money.

    My post is NOT about MOA's, MIL's, scopes are better than red dots, eotechs are better than scopes, blah blah blah. Just a humerous take on my own experience with some made up stuff from reading other people's forum posts.... If you see it any other way, then you are taking this forum post TOTALLY WRONG.... It is all about someone NEW starting out and for someone that has been there / done that to get a laugh or two (well, hopefully, can't make everyone happy..... atleast I try my best!!)....

    When I first started with the AR platform I purchased a DPMS LR-308. It was a great rifle and rather accurate. BUT DAMN HEAVY!! OMG!! After about 2 scopes that LR-308 ended up with a SFP buckmaster 4-16 scope. It was a killer to drag thru the woods. Soon after I purchased a .308 DPMS oracle with a plastic hand guard. My oracle ended up with a 2pc drop in quad rail and some nice GG&G back up iron sights (yes, with the front sight on the damn gas block) with an eotech exps2 sight with a primary arms magnifier and a grip pod....... THE EYE RELIEF SUCKED A$$!!! It actually ended up turning out to be a nice little AR-10.. Well, I'm not going to list out every thing I did and every single accessory, but I had some serious money invested into those two rifles but all I really found myself doing was punching holes in paper at 100yards and beyond. I just wasn't totally happy with what I had.

    I think it really boils down to is how serious you think you might be with this sport or hobby. What ever you might call it. Someone on here once said, buy once and cry once. After all the money and time I've spent starting out in the AR platform I'm really starting to believe what this person said. If I would've JUST done it right from the get go, then I could've purchased not only the LMT I currently have (from selling those two DPMS rifles),,, but another OBR to boot!!!!... I learned some info from those two rifles and I didn't make the same mistake when it came time to purchase my reloading equipment... Am I saying everyone needs to go out and buy GAP's, OBR's, and LMT's??? NO!!! Just think it out before you spend your money on rifles that might not fit your situation or gear / accessories like laser and flashlights!!! Maybe learn a thing or two like free float hand guards and such. It will atleast get you thinking about your future purchases like the difference between a SFP and FFP scope.. I'm not going to do the homework for ya, this you need to do on your own like everyone else that is rock-n-rolling on sniper's hide. Learn from other people's mistakes by reading forums like sniper's hide, google search, and reading loads of reviews.

    I hope this helps those just starting out,,, while giving those that have been there / done that a good laugh.. atleast get you thinking about what someone else has been thru.


    (just waiting for the reply from someone on how bad ass they are and how they never make any mistakes, start stop watch now,,,, will give it about 1 hour for this post)...


    thank you .260ackley!! he totally get's it!!!


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: .260Ackley</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's a satire, people! That means there is NOTHING meant to be taken seriously! I can't say I'm surprised this thread is turning into a bunch of guys getting butt-hurt over something so trivial. It's pretty common and most people can't take a damn joke for what it is </div></div>
     
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    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    What experience are we drawing from here? Personal? I know that my AR15s serve one purpose and I try and keep them all this way, light, fast, and accurate. I know my main go to gun weighs about 7.5-8 lbs loaded. It has a SF Scout, Aimpoint T1, and sling. On a side note, IMO a 1-4 is completely useless.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    my post is more humor than anything deadly0311. everyone is different.


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Deadly0311</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What experience are we drawing from here? Personal? I know that my AR15s serve one purpose and I try and keep them all this way, light, fast, and accurate. I know my main go to gun weighs about 7.5-8 lbs loaded. It has a SF Scout, Aimpoint T1, and sling. On a side note, IMO a 1-4 is completely useless. </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Yeah, there was a thread like this a few weeks ago...it didn't end well.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    i got lucky, had to carry around big, heavy guns in the mountains of a foreign country with some elite units. that being said, i have a good idea of what's worth it and what isnt. but i've definitely gone through that progression in my mind, just glad i didnt have the time to follow through. think long, think right, in this case.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dogman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah, there was a thread like this a few weeks ago...it didn't end well. </div></div>

    IIRC That guy came out and bashed red dots, this guy atleast seemed to temper his opinion by saying you'll likely just want something more. Me I love my reddot, its on my carbine, my BUIS get used all the time, because optics are too easy and I prefer to keep my shooting challenging. I did try a magnifier, and it is functional, and also heavy so it sits on a shelf now. I like the platform though so I am building an intermediate range AR that will have a variable optic.

    IMO everybody needs a quiver full of ARs one for every purpose or two they have, and maybe one that's a compromise, doing everything ok, but nothing really great. It is afterall a hobby for most of use, and tweaking rifles to suit our needs is part of the reason many of us get them. Its not what it is when we take it home but what it could/will be. I'm the same way with vehicles, firearms are slightly cheaper and take up far less space.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Elfster, this sounds like what I went through with my rifle over the course of 10 years.

    Started with a Colt HBAR. Ran it stock for 4-5 years but always hated the carry handle upper, so I sold the upper and bought a SOG A2 Upper with 16" barrel and plastic hand guard.

    I felt like I "needed" a quad rail, so i bought a cheap two piece from Cheaper than Dirt, then added a Leupold CQT with Larue mount, and replaced my butt-stock with a Vltor unit.

    I rocked that for 3 years until I got tired of the bulky quad rail, the 3 MOA dot, and the stock pulling my whiskers.... I also got sucked into the RRA two-stage craze, but my lower would not accommodate it.... What to do?

    I built a new lower (Tactical Innovation billet) with RRA two stage, Ergo grip, and Magpul CTR, with a few other goodies. I really liked the lower, but still hated the fat, heavy quad rail.

    I ended up rebuilding the upper shortly thereafter, cutting my barrel down to 13.7", perm-attaching the KX3, and installing an APEX freefloat rifle length handguard. Added a Troy fixed front sight, ARMS 40L Rear BUIS, Streamlight/Larue flashlight, BCM changing handle, and other goodies, but I kept the Leupold CQT....

    Fast forward a year, and I now use my iron sights exclusively as I've sold my CQT and have been waiting on my SWFA 1-6x24 for 4 weeks (with 6+ weeks to go). I hog hunt with my rifle regularly so a flashlight and lit reticle is a must. The standard front sight blade is useless at dawn/dusk/night, so I just bought a Meprolight tritium blade.....

    Like your example, elfster, I took the long road to get here, and wasted alot of time and money, but it was fun, and I learned a great deal. A benefit to this long road is I now have a better understanding how I "need" my rifle to perform. As it is now, I wouldn't change a thing about it. . . . .except maybe getting an NFA Trust first so I didn't have to perm attach my KX3 and I could run a suppressor....

    IMG_0495.jpg


    That's what my next build is for....
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    So which eotech or red dot should i buy?
    grin.gif
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I wish I owned even one AR after reading this!

    So I'm guessing step (12) is buy a Viper PST because it's cheap but chalk full of desirable 'tacticool' options and a LaRue QD mount because that's what the cool people use, and especially because it's easy to remove to access the BUIS that are still sitting on the rifle?
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    LOL........I own a few ARs and not a single one eotech, I tried one on a friend's AR and didn't care much for it, I bought a YHM quad rail a while back and never installed it, I did install some BUIS on a 16" AR that had a leupold 3.5-10x40 mil dot scope and never used them either, I agree with the OP on a most of his statement and I do have the box of attachments that I don't see or use very often but like beef said it is a hobby after all and different people has different needs or likes and that's the beauty of the AR rifle....it can be customized to whatever you like.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Yep. Been down this road with a few friends and my father. My dad has a 16" AR that must weigh 15lbs for all the crap on it. I dont even have a light on my 16" AR and Im waiting on my SS 1-6 now.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Dang it! I did everything bass ackwards then lol!

    I have one scope with a quick detach mount that allows me to use the scope on more than one gun. Quick detach bipod for the same reason and just enough magazines for me to carry nothing more. Scope zerod at 100 and data for the different guns on each of the guns buttstocks.

    Over the years I read and listened to tons of opinions on stuff and when I could I tried something out on someone elses rifle to see if I would really benefit from getting the same thing.

    I could have purchased every useless thing in the world for my guns but they would have remained useless. I will never need a laser flash light combo, back up parts to store in my grip, or hundreds of magazines for each gun I have. I am not in the military or LEO so there is no need to have stuff that would only see use in those types of scenarios. Unless I where to drink the SHTF kool-aid.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sulenski</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
    I could have purchased every useless thing in the world for my guns but they would have remained useless. I will never need a laser flash light combo, back up parts to store in my grip, or hundreds of magazines for each gun I have. I am not in the military or LEO so there is no need to have stuff that would only see use in those types of scenarios. Unless I where to drink the SHTF kool-aid. </div></div>

    I don't carry spare parts either, I do pack some batteries though, and I did break a bolt one time during the first mag of a range session, the S didn't HTF, but it pretty well f'ed up my day, so for $50 or so I've been meaning to, and its really not a bad idea if your trips to the range are distant and/or rare.
    Flashlights are useful if your rifle stands ready for HD, or pest control if you're rural, or your range allows it and your time availible is during hours of darkness (AK in winter) most QD, and they don't have to be dedicated or mounted continually.
    Lasers are just as much a preference as irons, dots, or magnified optics.
    Mags are cheap, I own ten or a dozen, and will get more if they're a good deal. I prefer shooting to loading mags when I'm at the range. I store my AR ammo on clips in bandoliers with spoons too, because they're even cheaper, convenient, there's no spring to fatigue and they expedite mag loading.
    These things can all serve honest purposes for people outside mil/leo. Though for many it is probably just because the marketers earned their paycheck.

    Shooting is a sport as diverse as the people who partake in it, as long as you keep it safe and keep up a positive image I don't give a shit how you do it, or how much you spend on accessories. There also seems an endless supply of people to buy the stuff you decide doesn't suit you, so money expended can be reduced some. If asked my opinion I try to get a person to evaluate their needs, but aside from cheap gimmicks and low quality knock offs or a 12lb carbine with everything and multiples always mounted I'm not likely to judge their decision.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    BCP,,,, you hit the nail right on the head!!!

    humor people.... just humor! come on, laugh a little! Hehehe. some of the crap on my post i seriously went thru and the rest I just made up.... like the lights and lasers,,,, i've never purchased in my life... and I still use BUIS!!! come on, some of you are telling me you've never gone thru atleast 1 part of my made up timeline? I never intended my timeline to be so serious nor anyone to take so serious. Guess all I'm saying is think out your purchases and learn from other people's mistakes from reading forums like sniper's hide. Like my timeline states, someone new to the AR platform.... yes yes, I know,,,, some of you are more bad a$$ than others... little less defense and a little more humor in your life. Someone absolutely <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">NEW</span></span> to the AR platform that doesn't even know what a 2pc NON-floating quad rail could seriously learn something from my post and from reading forums like sniper's hide.

    Everyone's rifles are different, they all have different purposes, and what ever works best for you! One nice thing about the great USA, everyone can have an opinion.



    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BCP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Buying this shit is just as fun as shooting it imo. </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I agree to, it is funny!
    I'd say 99% of the guys here are average Joe's, like me.....not High Speed Tier 1 Operators.
    And that's a good thing!
    If it wasn't for us, who use these "evil assault rifles" lawfully, who would stand up and support the right to own them when the anti gun nuts try to force their ridiculus views into laws.
    Just sayin'

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: elfster1234</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BCP,,,, you hit the nail right on the head!!!

    humor people.... just humor! come on, laugh a little! Hehehe. some of the crap on my post i seriously went thru and the rest I just made up.... like the lights and lasers,,,, i've never purchased in my life... and I still use BUIS!!! come on, some of you are telling me you've never gone thru atleast 1 part of my made up timeline? I never intended my timeline to be so serious nor anyone to take so serious. Guess all I'm saying is think out your purchases and learn from other people's mistakes from reading forums like sniper's hide. Like my timeline states, someone new to the AR platform.... yes yes, I know,,,, some of your are more bad a$$ than others... little less defense and a little more humor in your life. Someone absolutely <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">NEW</span></span> to the AR platform that doesn't even know what a 2pc NON-floating quad rail could seriously learn something from my post and from reading forums like sniper's hide.

    Everyone's rifles are different, they all have different purposes, and what ever works best for you! One nice thing about the great USA, everyone can have an opinion.



    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BCP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Buying this shit is just as fun as shooting it imo. </div></div></div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    another funny one is the guy who puts 45 deg iron sights on a rifle that already has an FSP and a red dot, neither of which are zeroed beyond minute of man at 50 yards. got one of those people round here
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nostradumbass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's what I finally came up with....
    smile.gif

    9854074d.jpg
    </div></div>

    What no bayonet?
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    No cup holder??
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    i couldnt help myself..... i had to mod my list and add some stuff... it is just my sick way to see how defensive some people can get... JK!!! Laugh will ya!

    Elfy
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Wow! I got all the way to #7 on my first AR aside from the 2 pc. quad rail as mine came with a free float rail.

    I can definitely appreciate the humor in the original post.

    Fred
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I stay at #1. Although, more often than not, I'm building my own K.I.S.S. AR.


    My train of thought is what I carried with me through the Corps. If I don't want to pack it for 10 miles ... it ain't going <span style="text-decoration: underline">on</span> there or <span style="text-decoration: underline">with</span> me!
    smile.gif
    Hell .. I was known to throw out my Charms out of my MRE so that I wouldn't have to tote that around on a hump!

    EOTech weapon systems have their place, but how many urban house to house incursions is a civilian going to do in their lifetime? None!!! From my experience ... EoTech sights are far less accurate than iron sights out to 50 yards, and beyond that ... well ... it's a gamble with them. They can be 2 inches off or 2 feet past 100 yds.

    Nope ... not me! If my AR weighs over 9 pounds when I'm done ... I try and figure out what I did wrong!
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I think I'm on step #11,,,, LOL JK! Just hooked up with a LMT MWS 20"CL!! I'm sure I'm not done buying crap for my rifles... damn AR addiction!! Like someone earlier said, half the fun is buying the stuff!!

    newlmtmws308.jpg
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    This thread is great...I'm at the OBR point now.
    The video is priceless
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I was thinking I was going to get a Noveske for my AR-15 for $2k+ before I read this thread.

    Thanks for putting it in perspective.

    Now I'm probably going with a Spikes BT-15 16" or BCM Recce-16.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Wow I'm sooooo guilty of so many things in the past now I just run a vltor with flip ups and a 1-4 luepold yes I run it my eyes ain't what they used to be something thing about brass in ur dominate eye doesn't heal right lol live and learn great article
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Just an FYI on my set up... She is a heavy beast. It's a bench rifle and I use it in my ultimate tree stand in the sky for deer hunting / sitting on my ass all day long (tree stand has a nice 360 shooting rail around it). You could prob use deer hunting / walking thru the woods with the help of the 3point sling and would take the bipod / adapter off for less weight, but is most likely something you would not want to drag thru the woods all day long. My rifle is geared around 80% long distance target practice (100yards and plus) and 20% deer hunting off my tree stand. So far, this is my dream gun and is the most I've spent on a rifle to date hands down:

    * LMT MWS .308 with 20" chrome lined barrel. Went with the 20" as I'm not building a carbine and really wanted something to go over 600yards plus for target practice shooting / bench rifle. Stainless steel barrel would be nice, but I've shot enough chrome lined barrels in my day to know that there is next to no difference in accuracy IMO and I really like the durability of the chrome lined... Still cant go wrong with a nice stainless steel barrel tho! Got mine from kentucky gun company. Usually can get around $2300 to $2500 dollars

    * Larue QD LT158 scope mount. Has the built in 10moa cant for long distance shooting. Damn near $200 mount

    * Vortex viper PST 4-16x50 FFP scope. Big fan of the FFP (front focal plane) scopes... Will hold zero thru out all magnification levels unlike a SFP scope. I went with the MOA/MOA style as I'm stuck in my old man ways. LOL. About $700 to $800 bucks new.

    * Butler creek caps. They are cheap and work for me. about $20 bucks for the front and back.

    * using the LMT rail covers that came with rifle with some ladder rail covers. Ergo ladder rail covers off amazon pack of 3 for $10 bucks shipped.

    * YHM bipod adapter. Might want to consider a QD mount... I only take it off once a year for deer hunting, so went with the cheaper fixed mount in comparison to a nice larue QD bipod adapter. Off primary arms for about $20 bucks

    * Harris swivel (today's word is swivel!!!)style bipod with notched legs, 9" to 13" model (so my bipod just clears the 20round pmag). around $80 to $100 bucks. IMO, one of the best bipods for the money.. Atlas would be nice if you can afford it.

    * Blackhawk 3point sling, and using the QD swivels that came with my rifle. Got off amazon for $25 bucks.

    = so far i have invested a little over $3600 dollars!! all brand new. OUCH!

    * <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">Future purchase</span></span> once I can afford it will be most likely a QD Larue 45 degree offset OR GG&G 45degree offset mount right under my vortex scope,,,, and will attach a burris fastfire3 with "winged fastfire" mount. I'm thinking this fastfire3 / mount set up will run about $300 bucks ish??? Will be pushing the $4k mark once I make this future purchase. My only reason for this is for the possible deer running past my stand or a deer really close 25yards or less @ maybe a walking pace. Otherwise I wouldn't waste your money unless you like BUIS at the range.


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: elfster1234</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think I'm on step #11,,,, LOL JK! Just hooked up with a LMT MWS 20"CL!! I'm sure I'm not done buying crap for my rifles... damn AR addiction!! Like someone earlier said, half the fun is buying the stuff!!

    newlmtmws308.jpg
    </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    One of my personal favorites is when someone builds up or buys an 2k+AR with $250 worth of BUIS on the rifle, but then buys a crappy used eotech or clone red-dot for $200 because they "can't afford" quality optics. Just forget about the BUIS you are never going to use and buy good optics!
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Sounds a little like me starting out! Now I've come to realize that I don't need quad rails (the smooth free floats w/attachable rail sections work great), and red dots are great for plinking at close range.

    Most of my rifles are used for hunting, with a few for range only. I do have an Eotech, but it resides on my .22 AR (which has a quad rail). It's fun for plinking cans and stuff up close, but that's about it.

    Only 3 of my AR's have BUIS. I use the BUIS' on my 5.56 basically at the range only. It changes things up a little. I also have them on my .22 because again, it's kind of fun for close range. I also have them on my AP4 .308 because during rain storms during deer seasons, it is hard to see out of my scope (which wears an ADM QD mount) so it comes off. Most of my shooting with the .308 is close anyway, so I don't need pin point accuracy.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving mo

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nostradumbass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's what I finally came up with....
    smile.gif

    9854074d.jpg
    </div></div>

    Now that is what I call tacticool - nice setup. A blind em in the eye zombie killer.

    Before the enemy dies they get a religious experience - "I see the light!"

    You have a good sense of humor. Good job.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I laughed my arse off at this one. ARs do seem to attract a certain segment of the gun buying population don't they.

    I've watched too many guys at the range doing mag dumps at the 50 yard target stands, then admiring how hot the barrel gets and saying shit like, "It doesn't matter whether I hit anything or not, I'm having fun." (No shit, I heard that one from shooter to his buddy who was stuffing mags for the next fusillade.)


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MR JOSHUA</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nostradumbass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's what I finally came up with....
    smile.gif

    9854074d.jpg
    </div></div>

    What no bayonet? </div></div>

    He obviously missed that in the original post too.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Dude, your list is hilarious. I think 99% of civilian Ar-15 owners have gone through at least 5 of your steps. Seriously though, it is funny to look back and see how silly it really is, yet people do it every day. Hopefully your post will reach some of these people and save them some money on their accessories and invest in some ammo.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Shamefully similar list of steps in my life. Funny stuff.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Your post is funny, and has a lot of truth in it which IMO always makes the best jokes. My own addition would be, yes, you can buy one of those bag thingies to hang off your rifle to catch your brass but I just cut an old t-shirt in half and drape it over the scope to the bench. Hard to do if you're using irons but again I've never seen anybody running through any kind of course with a bag hanging off the side of their rifle...
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fngmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've never seen anybody running through any kind of course with a bag hanging off the side of their rifle... </div></div>

    I have, laughed too...

    The brass bags a necessity when hog hunting from a Helo though...

    What is fun is to use a piece of cardboard/spare bench that deflects right onto a cardboard box...
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Amen! You need to go tell that $hit on the mountain! Some times I guess the only way to learn is the hard way and I've still not figured it all out yet. Hehehe.. Prob never will. JK


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Steveoknievo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dude, your list is hilarious. I think 99% of civilian Ar-15 owners have gone through at least 5 of your steps. Seriously though, it is funny to look back and see how silly it really is, yet people do it every day. Hopefully your post will reach some of these people and save them some money on their accessories and invest in some ammo. </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Deadly0311</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> It has a SF Scout, Aimpoint T1, and sling. On a side note, IMO a 1-4 is completely useless. </div></div>

    Good thing that is only your opinion LOL. I was going to originally run just a T/H1 on my build but went a slightly different route and the 1-6 will serve me perfectly. On a side note a light is completely useless;)
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Thanks steveoknievo. I sure hope it does save some peps some money. I'm not saying I'm correct and never will be. Just saying you can learn some good stuff online and from other pep's mistakes. Heck, I'm still learning as I go.... I think I'm going to start getting into reloading my own ammo to save even more money and that is a whole different ball of wax... Going to start my research reloading soon. Saving money!


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Steveoknievo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dude, your list is hilarious. I think 99% of civilian Ar-15 owners have gone through at least 5 of your steps. Seriously though, it is funny to look back and see how silly it really is, yet people do it every day. Hopefully your post will reach some of these people and save them some money on their accessories and invest in some ammo. </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">my post is more humor than anything deadly0311. everyone is different.</div></div>

    Ya it's humoristic... but when I go to the ar15 website and people are talking... "I got my bd5u today but I can't wait till I get to change out to that new br549z1". Oh wait! That pdy6rb is just the thing I've been waiting for! You begin to understand who the Zombies are.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read this or it would have been sprayed all over the place! That was funny as hell, even if I did see myself in a few places!
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    This sounds like alot of the customers that come in the the store I work at... I get to see them at the beginning stages of this as I sell them the baseline DPMS, Olympic, or Smith & Wesson M&P they so badly want. I try to tell people to do you homework before they commit to buying something they might not be happy with but they just don't want to hear it.

    I guess you would call me fortunate. I thought AR-15s were "cool" at 13. Didn't have enough money to buy one so I just started reading and doing research for the next 6 years and bought my POF at 19. The saying Buy once Cry once has stuck with me. I have just over $4k in my POF 308 and im putting anout ~$3k into an AR-15. I avoided wasting time and money.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Thank you so much OPie.Having a hectic day.I just had the best long uncontrollable laugh I've had in three years.
    The vid was great too.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    LOL, I'm glad you enjoyed the posting. It is rather funny if I do say so myself. Nothing like a good laugh and saving some money @ the same time. Some of this stuff in my OP I seriously went thru and it really is a good laugh. The other 1/2 I just made up from reading other pep's forum posts and learning from their mistakes. Research,,,, research....


    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BamaAl</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read this or it would have been sprayed all over the place! That was funny as hell, even if I did see myself in a few places! </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Let me quess,,, you work at gander mountain??? Hope you don't mind me using your buy once cry once. I got to admit I wasted a bunch of money on "cheaper" rifles first starting out and after upgrading I would've been better off doing it right from the get go!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sebben</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This sounds like alot of the customers that come in the the store I work at... I get to see them at the beginning stages of this as I sell them the baseline DPMS, Olympic, or Smith & Wesson M&P they so badly want. I try to tell people to do you homework before they commit to buying something they might not be happy with but they just don't want to hear it.

    I guess you would call me fortunate. I thought AR-15s were "cool" at 13. Didn't have enough money to buy one so I just started reading and doing research for the next 6 years and bought my POF at 19. The saying Buy once Cry once has stuck with me. I have just over $4k in my POF 308 and im putting anout ~$3k into an AR-15. I avoided wasting time and money. </div></div>
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    Going to a class or 2 will show you the weak points of certain weapon manufactures. That being said, if you never intend on taking a class and only shoot 300 rounds a year, AND the price difference of a lower tier gun is significant, buying a $700 AR is perfectly adequate.

    There is no definitive "best" or even "better". It's all based on the end-users circumstances and intention for the weapon.
     
    Re: More practicool, and less tacticool. Saving money!

    very good point... think it really depends on how serious you are or how serious you might be... really hard to say when you first start out.... everyone is different.

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KJMOC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Going to a class or 2 will show you the weak points of certain weapon manufactures. That being said, if you never intend on taking a class and only shoot 300 rounds a year, AND the price difference of a lower tier gun is significant, buying a $700 AR is perfectly adequate.

    There is no definitive "best" or even "better". It's all based on the end-users circumstances and intention for the weapon. </div></div>