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Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:16 am
by Lonest4r
I felt the urge to take it to the range despite the scarcity of components and factory ammo. I was tempted to just leave it at home and hoard my remaining ammo for a rainy day, but then I thought "what the heck, there's no point in having it if you can't enjoy it." I got there and the wind was blowing at gusts up to 15mph and my bench seemed to shake with each one, but it sure was fun! Nothing like shooting a few strings at 25 yds to get some stress out of the system. I even managed to find all of my casings to reload again, plus a bonus 300 blackout casing found at the range. I guess I will one day have to build a 300 blk upper to match my one case

Does anyone else feel guilty shooting .223/5.56 when they know it will be hard to replenish in the near future? I suppose if I had thousands of rounds stocked away like some I might not feel as bad.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:34 am
by Pete92FS
Lonest4r wrote:I felt the urge to take it to the range despite the scarcity or components and factory ammo. I was tempted to just leave it at home and hoard my remaining ammo for a rainy day, but then I thought "what the heck, there's no point in having it if you can't enjoy it." I got there and the wind was blowing at gusts up to 15mph and my bench seemed to shake with each one, but it sure was fun! Nothing like shooting a few strings at 25 yds to get some stress out of the system. I even managed to find all of my casings to reload again, plus a bonus 300 blackout casing found at the range. I guess I will one day have to build a 300 blk upper to match my one case
Does anyone else feel guilty shooting .223/5.56 when they know it will be hard to replenish in the near future? I suppose if I had thousands of rounds stocked away like some I might not feel as bad.
I feel that way about my .22LR, 9MM & .45ACP - hate to go shoot because you don't know when it can be replaced.

Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:35 am
by oilfield_trash
I've been dying to shoot my (evil!) AR but I'm down to 500 rounds of 5.56 so I've been holding off. It really sucks because I can open my front door and unload as much as I want here in the sticks of East Texas. I am taking her to Austin today on the off chance a cop buddy of mine wants to go shoot. Packing for two days, but this gets packed first ;)
Only one magazine of 30 rounds are going though. Don't want to get carried away.

Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:37 pm
by johncanfield
I went to our range (I can also shoot out the front door if I want but it scares the animals) a week or two ago on a Thursday and I was very surprised that we were the only ones at the rifle or pistol range, usually there's one or two more there and a couple of people on the next-door pistol range. I only shot a couple of 20 round magazines in the Bushy .308 and picked up the brass (first time the empty casings followed me home.) I think folks are reluctant to send the lead down-range.
I'm still looking for 9mm target ammo and .308.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:00 pm
by Andrew
johncanfield wrote:I went to our range (I can also shoot out the front door if I want but it scares the animals) a week or two ago on a Thursday and I was very surprised that we were the only ones at the rifle or pistol range, usually there's one or two more there and a couple of people on the next-door pistol range. I only shot a couple of 20 round magazines in the Bushy .308 and picked up the brass (first time the empty casings followed me home.) I think folks are reluctant to send the lead down-range.
I'm still looking for 9mm target ammo and .308.
Was near Carter's Country today, and didn't realize until leaving that i hadn't heard a single rifle or pistol report in 20 minutes. It was almost eerie, similar to not seeing airliners flying across Hwy 59 post 9/11.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:07 pm
by SF18C
I took my Colt to the range on Sunday and did transition drills.
If your range allows it, try this...put 3 to 6 rounds in a few mags, mix them up so you can't tell which mag has how many. Shoot to empty and then draw sidearm and drop two more rounds in the target. Use targets at various ranges.
you get to shoot a lot and not go thru hundreds of rounds.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:25 pm
by TexAg12
Glad you got to take it to the range. I had the same "what the heck" feeling a couple days ago too. Got to shoot the .223, .45, .22, and .308.

I felt bad losing that much ammo, but it sure was fun. I don't know how many of y'all are close to Brenham, Tx but there's a place there that has cases and cases and cases of AR ammo.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:56 pm
by CainA
I thought you would continue with:
...and I was the only guy at the range with ammo.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:15 pm
by TexAg12
I thought the ranges would be empty too. But I went to one a couple of weeks ago and there were 10+ ARs, 3 AKs, and a handful of bolt actions. I couldn't believe it.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:26 pm
by Abraham
My range is in my back yard - (yeah, I'm fortunate, it's big) but, like most, I'm conserving my ammo.
If I shoot as much as I'd like like, I'll quickly run out...
My average practice shooting used to be three to five hundred rounds, now I feel lucky to shoot fifty...
Cra - p - ola...
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:30 pm
by Topbuilder
My policy has been - shoot only what I am able to buy. Don't shoot what was in reserve.
I am buying one box (20 round) per day of 5.56. Not finding .22 or 9mm to play with...
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:14 pm
by Bill
I would love to go out but, I only have about 10k rounds of ammo. I know it sounds like a lot but its goes so fast. I am looking at a new IPhone app that plays gun shots so you can pretend that your firing.
On another note, there is so much you can do without firing a shot. Most people do not practice simple things like drawing your weapon, moving, clearing houses, low light work. you can go with airsoft and ping your buddies, my list could go on and on, but you get the point.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:03 pm
by Lonest4r
Bill wrote:I would love to go out but, I only have about 10k rounds of ammo. I know it sounds like a lot but its goes so fast. I am looking at a new IPhone app that plays gun shots so you can pretend that your firing.
Wow, this is too funny in so many ways. I just picture your 10 flats of ammo sitting on a shelf at home while you are sitting at the range with one finger one the trigger and the other on your digital trigger. How do you simulate the recoil, have someone shake the muzzle when they hear the sound?

Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:18 pm
by The Annoyed Man
TexAg12 wrote:Glad you got to take it to the range. I had the same "what the heck" feeling a couple days ago too. Got to shoot the .223, .45, .22, and .308.

I felt bad losing that much ammo, but it sure was fun. I don't know how many of y'all are close to Brenham, Tx but there's a place there that has cases and cases and cases of AR ammo.
If you're talking about AmmunitionToGo.com in Brenham, they are showing ZERO .223/5.56 in stock on their website. They ran out a while ago.
Re: Took the AR15 out today
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:59 pm
by TheDude
SF18C wrote:I took my Colt to the range on Sunday and did transition drills.
If your range allows it, try this...put 3 to 6 rounds in a few mags, mix them up so you can't tell which mag has how many. Shoot to empty and then draw sidearm and drop two more rounds in the target. Use targets at various ranges.
you get to shoot a lot and not go thru hundreds of rounds.
I do something similar with just my sidearm. Load 2 rounds in the mag in the pistol and load fully the spare mag in a mag pouch. I practice drawing from concealment fire till slide lock, drop the mag reload and fire a few shots from the other mag . Then scan and re-holster. Reload the primary mag with a few rounds and repeat.
I try to load different amounts in the primary mag each time so I don't get used to reloading after a certain round count only on slide lock. If you don't empty the backup mag u can run the drill several times without reloading it. You don't even have to fire a round from it. You can fire till a few rounds from primary mag but not to slide lock, scan, do a tactical reload and then re-holster. Just leave the spare mag full and load a couple more into the primary. If you happen to fire to slide lock then do a rapid reload and then scan. Saves ammo and let's me practice drawing both my pistol and spare mag from concealment. Shoot Smart has no problem with this drill as long as you are in the private lanes..