How far out can you hit a man sized target using iron sights on an AR?

AR-15 » AR Discussions

AR Sponsor:

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How far out can you hit a man sized target using iron sights on an AR? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 10/5/2004 12:52:26 PM EDT

I've asked a lot of my friends this, but everybody I've heard from online produces a much bigger number. So I'm curious if you folks can give me your opinions.

How far out can you reliably hit a man sized target (assume 9 hits out of 10 shots, or 90% percentile)

1.) From a bench or prone with bipod/fancy target stock:
2.) Prone with no bipod or fancy target stock:
3.) Kneeling:
4.) Standing:

In Yards

Posted: 10/5/2004 12:55:08 PM EDT

[#1]

I can do it at 200 fairly easy with low wind. Never tried any further than that on irons.

Posted: 10/5/2004 12:58:26 PM EDT

[#2]

I have done 20 out of 20 slow fire prone using a sling at 200 yards all in the 9 ring or better. With a standard 20 inch Bushmaster. no mods made to rifle. Using Federal xm193 ammo. Not the best shooting in world but thought I would give it a try.

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:00:18 PM EDT

[#3]

Most every Marine does it consistently at 500 yrds, prone using a sling. In fact, 10 out of 10 was gravy while qualifying.

CMP shooters do it at 500 or 600 yrds depending on course of fire. I do with mine.

Semper Fi!

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:09:45 PM EDT

[#4]

I've reliably hit at 200yds Kneeling and Standing.
As for prone with no bipod (but a sling), I've reliably hit at 600yds.
Haven't tried prone with a bipod.

I find the most difficult thing about shooting iron sights is being able to see the target. A black and buff figure 11 doesn't show up well against a sand backstop!

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:13:19 PM EDT

[#5]

BTW,

Standing, sitting, kneeling, 10 / 10 @ 200 yrds (standing is 80 - 90%)

Sitting and prone @ 300yrds 100%

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:14:51 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I find the most difficult thing about shooting iron sights is being able to see the target. A black and buff figure 11 doesn't show up well against a sand backstop!

+1

Group size isn't the issue for me, it's target detection and discrimination with these tired old eyes.

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:18:43 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I find the most difficult thing about shooting iron sights is being able to see the target. A black and buff figure 11 doesn't show up well against a sand backstop!

HEY! Be careful with the black targets out there, it may be me damnit!!!!

I dunno at my age how far, way back in the Civil War, the Army made us shoot 300M popups. It was a breeze....

I do know how far my FAL will go with ACOG....

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:21:09 PM EDT

[#8]

5-600 yard man sized targets should be hit by a decent shooter reliably

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:24:27 PM EDT

[#9]

Depends what AR we are talking about. For the sake of this thread, assume I am using a Bushmaster 20" A2 with a 1:7 twist barrel and military ammo.

Bench - 600 yards, probably a bit further

Prone w/sling - 600 yards, maybe a tad more

Kneeling - not much beyond 300 yards

Offhand - 250-300 yards.

Nothing spectacular.... Ten bucks says you will find a few shooters here who have brought the AR to the thousand-yard line.

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:24:50 PM EDT

[#10]

My 20" Bushmaster can hit the standard steel toro target out to 600 meters using irons, no trouble. This is prone, w/o bipod, and an ACE skeletonized stock.

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:53:44 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I find the most difficult thing about shooting iron sights is being able to see the target. A black and buff figure 11 doesn't show up well against a sand backstop!

HEY! Be careful with the black targets out there, it may be me damnit!!!!

Now THAT's and excellent sence of humor. !!!! That wins POST OF THE DAY.

Posted: 10/5/2004 1:58:41 PM EDT

[#12]

600 yrds at Perry in Rattle Battle You should try it!

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:10:42 PM EDT

[#13]

A hundred miles.

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:21:31 PM EDT

[#14]

Furthest I ever tried was 300 yards prone supported and unsupported. Never tried standing or sitting at any range greater than 100 yards. We had some longer range targets in the military, but I think they were larger than man-size.

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:27:55 PM EDT

[#15]

500 all day

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:40:28 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
500 all day

i nail steel all day at 500 with my beater model 1 sales gun and wolf

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:40:37 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Depends what AR we are talking about. For the sake of this thread, assume I am using a Bushmaster 20" A2 with a 1:7 twist barrel and military ammo.

Bench - 600 yards, probably a bit further

Prone w/sling - 600 yards, maybe a tad more

Kneeling - not much beyond 300 yards

Offhand - 250-300 yards.

Nothing spectacular.... Ten bucks says you will find a few shooters here who have brought the AR to the thousand-yard line.

Same here

Posted: 10/5/2004 2:57:42 PM EDT

[#18]

I shot a satellite out of orbit with my friend's .50bmg once.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:04:24 PM EDT

[#19]

Back in the day, 1968, I fired a perfect score qualifying with the M16 at Dix. Don't recall the max range. Today? Don't ask.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:07:03 PM EDT

[#20]

Never got a chance to fire an iron sighted gun past 100m.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:12:13 PM EDT

[#21]

How many shots and what ammo do I get? Weather conditions? Spotter? Known distance? Gimme 10 rounds of my 80gr loads, or 20rds of 77s. If there was someone standing up shooting at me 1K yds. away I'd get em. As said above, 600yds is NOTHING when you're talking "known" distances. Not many people can look across a field and say, "Yup looks like 600yds to me. Come up 14, and add 3 left."

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:14:06 PM EDT

[#22]

I could ring a 200lb LP gas cylinder pretty consistantly (once I got the drop calculated) at 400yrds with a AK. That is smaller than a man.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:23:05 PM EDT

[#23]

I don't know about man size targets. I transition from my Model 29 to a rifle when the Jack Rabbits are over 250 yards. It's the humane thing to do - don't want to wound them, ya know.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:40:20 PM EDT

[#24]

I recall range days in the army, seen new recruits hitting target at 465 meters easily.

I hate to toot my own horn,but I usely hit what I aim at.

TG

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:41:44 PM EDT

[#25]

I could hit a man-sized target center mass at 500 yards in the prone position with iron sights. That's enough for me.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:43:20 PM EDT

[#26]

I'm not as good a shot as some here. I only hit it 8 out of 10 shots in boot camp, in the wind. Perhaps I could do it all day long with my pet AR and no wind.

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:45:48 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Never got a chance to fire an iron sighted gun past 100m.

no way!

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:50:53 PM EDT

[#28]

The Marine Corps says the max effective range for the M16A2 service rifle (is that close enough to an AR?) is 550m for a point target, and 800m for an area target. They pretty much brainwash that into you for the sake of regurgitation on command.

I have, however, seen some shoot on the range who couldn't hit the side of a barn - from the inside. It is probably a little subjective depending on the shooter and the rifle.

usmcweapons.com/articles/m16/M16A2NF.htm

I especially like the alternative uses listed for the M16. I was an electronic tech in the Corps, so my T/O weapon was a multimeter. hug.gif

Posted: 10/5/2004 3:52:20 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Never got a chance to fire an iron sighted gun past 100m.

no way!

Dead serious. I have fired hunting rifles and ARs with Aimpoints or ACOGS to 500m though. Very rare that I shoot past 100m though. Not many opportunities out here.

Posted: 10/5/2004 4:01:03 PM EDT

[#30]

Bench: 300 yards
Prone: not sure, haven't tried yet
Kneeling: 300 yards
Standing: 300 yards.

Reason everything is 300 is because that's the farthest I've shot to date.

I'd love to try things out at 500 or so with a number of my rifles. I need to hit the desert and measure things out or something.

But with my 16" AR using the larger aperature on my ARMS 40, I can ring the 300 yard diamond at Rio Salado all day long. I still need to fine tune my sights, but if I can hit that thing with that kind of regularity, I'm pretty darn close.

Next up is the smaller diamond at the same distance. Probably a 8-10" diamond.

Posted: 10/5/2004 4:23:35 PM EDT

[#31]

200 m is probably as far as I'd push Irons and an AR .
Beyond that I have other weapons better suited for the job .

Posted: 10/5/2004 5:04:06 PM EDT

[#32]

My AR is a 14.5" M4 profile barreled carbine. Only ammo I've used for longer range shooting has been XM193.

Off the bench I've shot to 450 yards and mansize targets are toast..

Offhand, I'd say 200 yards is my limit for consistant 10 out of 10 hits.

I'd LOVE to try a 20" AR with NM irons at 500+. That'll be my next AR when the funds are available.

Posted: 10/5/2004 5:13:06 PM EDT

[#33]

550m if you have skills

Posted: 10/5/2004 5:40:21 PM EDT

[#34]

I'd say 200 yds. no problem, standing, kneeling. I'm sure I could do better prone.

Posted: 10/5/2004 6:10:53 PM EDT

[#35]

500 yard hits in the prone position are fairly easy under the right conditions (minimal wind and correct dope). I qualified four times in the USMC (with iron sights of course) and never missed the target at the 500 (total of 40 shots). For me, and many Marines, 500 yards was the position to max out points.

Dan

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:02:27 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
550m for a point target, and 800m for an area target.

With "area target" defined as the amount of a ground occupied by a squad when tactically deployed.

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:43:26 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
600 yrds at Perry in Rattle Battle You should try it!

Rattle Battle is a rush. I typically fire 28rds during the 50 second exposures and normally drop no more than two at the 600yd line and more often than not clean the 500. I rarely lose a round in the sitting position at 300 yds on the F silhouette...

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:43:42 AM EDT

[#38]

The longest I've ever shot is 300 yards. At 300 yards from the prone I was pretty comfortable hitting man sized targets, I wasn't getting MOA groups but I was keeping all my shots minute of torso...

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:17:38 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
200 m is probably as far as I'd push Irons and an AR .
Beyond that I have other weapons better suited for the job .

The AR-15A2 is more than capable of hitting man sizd targets to 600 yards. The shooter has to know how, though.

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:18:22 AM EDT

[#40]

Run out a ways and I will let you know.

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:20:33 AM EDT

[#41]

600yds is NOTHING when you're talking "known" distances. Not many people can look across a field and say, "Yup looks like 600yds to me. Come up 14, and add 3 left."

If you shoot enough KD, your brain gets used to what the known distances look like, and estimating distances in the field becomes much easier.

That's one great reason for shooting NRA HP often.

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:27:55 AM EDT

[#42]

Never tried beyond 200yds. I find it a bit pointless.

But I can get hits everytime at 200.

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:29:52 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Never tried beyond 200yds. I find it a bit pointless.

Why is it pointless?

Have you ever had the opportunity to shoot farther (with an AR) and declined it?

Posted: 10/6/2004 7:34:01 AM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Never tried beyond 200yds. I find it a bit pointless.

Why is it pointless?

Have you ever had the opportunity to shoot farther (with an AR) and declined it?

It's pointless because I'm never going to engage targets past about 150yds.

First off, my ammo stops fragmenting at about that point.

Secondly, how do I know that my target isn't backed up by somebody with a scoped rifle? 200yds is an evasion problem for me, not an engagement problem.

I have had the opportunity, yes, and that's when I mounted my ACOG. I did that as part of a class, not because I enjoy shooting XM193 at 400yds.

Posted: 10/6/2004 10:06:38 AM EDT

[#45]

It's pointless because I'm never going to engage targets past about 150yds.

Never say never.

First off, my ammo stops fragmenting at about that point.

I don't really care about where ammo stops fragging. It will still tumble and do significant damage. I have been downrage in the target pits watching 68 to 77 grain bullets impacting the berm from the 300 yard line, and I sure as well would NOT want to be their target, fragmentation or no fragmentation

Secondly, how do I know that my target isn't backed up by somebody with a scoped rifle? 200yds is an evasion problem for me, not an engagement problem.

Kill him too. Evasion is all well and good, until you are detected and draw fire at a distance farther than what you can return effective fire.

We all make our choices. I just wanted to understand yours.

Me? I like knowing that I am well capable of nailing man sized targets with near certainty out to 500 meters, regardless of the rifle I am carrying.

Posted: 10/6/2004 10:12:51 AM EDT

[#46]

you guys are all crazy...

talking about killing and stuff... shesh... !

Posted: 10/6/2004 10:47:41 AM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
Quoted:
600 yrds at Perry in Rattle Battle You should try it!

Rattle Battle is a rush. I typically fire 28rds during the 50 second exposures and normally drop no more than two at the 600yd line and more often than not clean the 500. I rarely lose a round in the sitting position at 300 yds on the F silhouette...

Not me, but my bro hit 45 with his AR at 600yds in the NTIT a couple years ago. Best I've ever done is 24/26 but that was with my M1A. I have yet to shoot it with my AR.