Training Technology And InnovationTactics And Training
The Intermediate Range AR-15
The Intermediate Range AR-15
📅
✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍United States
Theres a reason why the AR-15 has earned the moniker Americas Rifle . The modularity and flexibility of the AR-15 means you can alter it to perform any number of tasks, from close-range, home-defense drills to shots out to 1,000 yards and beyond . This jack of all trades capability makes the AR popular, but the second part of that jack of all trades phrase is and master of none . This means that when it comes to AR-15s, a gun that is set up to work within 100 yards is going to struggle beyond 500 yards, and a gun that works well at a half-mile or more is going to be
unwieldy when things get up close and personal
. We also have to consider the role that an AR-15 plays in the life of an armed citizen versus the role of a law enforcement officer or the military
. I live in the suburbs, and I struggle to come up with a defensive scenario which might require me to take a shot a distance beyond 50 yards at the very most . This might change if I lived in a more rural area, but the simple fact is, my home defense AR-15 is optimized for distances under 50 yards . Optimizing For The Middle Of The Road That being said, I am a nerd for designated marksman rifles, which are service-pattern rifles that can reach out beyond what the standard issue infantry rifle can hit . As such, I enjoy shooting AR-15s at targets out to 1,200 yards and beyond. Is this a useful self-defense skill? Not really, but it sure is fun . Astute readers may have noticed a donut hole in my skill set . Shooting an AR-15 at under 100 yards is an essential self-defense skill for me, and I consider shooting an AR-15 at 500 yards and beyond to be a lot of fun . Whats missing there is shooting at intermediate distances, between 100 and 500 yards . While those ranges might not be common for self-defense, they are quite common for small game and predator hunting and are commonly seen in competitions like 3-gun and Americas Rifle Challenge
. A well-rounded rifleman, then, should be able to make the shot, no matter what the distance
. This is why I signed up for a course to help me get more comfortable at these distances, and set about sourcing an AR to work well at those ranges. I wound up going with the new Springfield Saint Victor in 5 .56 NATO, and the optic I chose was a 1X electronic sight with a 3X magnifier, which, if I'm honest, turned out to be a poor choice . Its not that the sight and magnifier were bad: Far from it, they were both top-shelf optics identical to those in use by our military around the world. Rather, it was the maximum magnification of this setup which let me down . For example, one of the drills in the class was shooting clay pigeons at 300 yards. This translates into a target that is slightly over 1.4 MOA, something that is easily within the reach of my rifle and skill level . Where things fell apart, however, was acquiring that 4.33-inch target with only 3X magnification . Top magnification was good enough to see the general shape of the silhouette target the clays were attached to, but it was not enough to verify the actual target I was shooting . Intermediate Range Optics So what should I have gone with? Well, for years, my rule of thumb has been 1X for every 100 yards . However, my experience in this class indicates that sort of magnification may work to hit the target; finding exactly where to hit on the target was a bit of a challenge. Enter the modern low power variable optic, or LPVO
. These typically start out at 1X or 1.5X and then go up to 4X, 6X, 8X, or 10X. This power comes with some liabilities, however . The first is the eye box, or usable area behind the optic, shrinks as your optical magnification increases . This in turn means that your cheek weld game had better be strong or youll find yourself wasting time as you hunt for a clear view of your reticle. The other drawback compared to a 1X red dot and magnifier is weight . Because of all the glass inside, an LPVO typically runs a few ounces heavier than a dot and magnifier combo. What you get in return for those drawbacks, however, is increased magnification, which helps greatly with accuracy and target identification
. Other accessories which came in handy were a bipod (the new Magpul MOE QD is great for this), an adjustable stock for a consistent cheek weld, and ammunition which delivers better-quality results (I went with 62-grain HPBT round from Federal Premium) . With a few adjustments to your existing AR-15 and some time at the range, youll soon find out that your 100 yard AR-15 is capable of first-round hits out to 300 yards and beyond, making an already adaptable firearm
work at a wide range of distances
.