I did a search and didn’t find exactly what I was looking for. With so much great information here, I wanted to ask you experts.
I’ve just sold several firearms and have been saving my pennies. I would like to buy an AR-15 for both Defensive purposes and 3 Gun matches. I’m new to 3 Gun and have used my 16" Colt with Aimpoint Micro for both matches.
I would like a Mid-Length Gas System and am leaning toward a V-TAC 13" Extreme Handguard.
I am unsure about which barrel length would be best suited for these two roles:
14.5" with a 1.5" permanently attached Battle Comp
16" with 1" Battle Comp
18" with 1" Battle Comp
A 1-4x Scope would be nice, and the price range for the scope would top out at $1,000.
I am asking for advice and suggestions. I’m all ears and thanks in advance.
You are right. I should set my priority for this rifle.
Since I already have two 16" AR’s, I didn’t really want another 16". Since there are a lack of 3 Gun matches in my area, I didn’t want to set up a 3 Gun only rifle. I guess that I was looking for the best of both worlds, but I know that it’s hard to have a “one rifle fits all” role.
It seems that 18" barrels are popular in 3 Gun, and I am now leaning that way. however, would a 14.5" barrel be competitive in matches?
Would depend on the type of range of you would expect at the matches. 300 yard and above shots are certainly doable with the 14.5, but there is a reason most use longer barrels.
I know a 3 gun shooter who recently built a 16" upper after running 18s forever, because he “stepped up his reloading” and is finally getting acceptable ballistics and accuracy out of a 16".
My 16" Colt has been good for me so far. My first match had several 200 yard engagements but most around 50 yards and under. My second match had several targets at 250 yards. Each time, the Colt did its job with the Aimpoint Micro on top. As I looked around, I saw the magnified optics and longer barrels, etc. I thought about putting a 1-4x scope on my Colt with the Aimpoint on a 45 degree rail. I won’t lie, I might just want to spend my money on something new. Haha.
I appreciate the comments. They are making me think. Please keep them coming.
If your goal is to expand your collection, then go for it. If all you want to do is satisfy a different need, I think you can do that by adjusting your current setup. Luck to you forever road you choose.
I have ran 3 guns for a while now and I was using a custom build 16". I never felt that the 18" guys had an advantage over me.
Also, why chose a 14.5" that needs to have a FH permanently attached (unless you SBR), thus spending extra dollars on the pinning when you will end up having a 16" OAL rifle anyway? Not to mention losing the velocity against the 18"ers that you are also concerned about.
I recently sold off the majority of the components from my build to my dad and have a LaRue PredatAR 5.56, 16" on the way that should be here any day now :dance3:.
If your looking for just a new rifle I would give these a hard look. They are a hell of a gun at an amazing price point.
For my 3 guns I was using a Trijicon TR21R in a LaRue SPR-E mount that performed flawlessly for the task. 1.25-4x. Very handy optic that I would strongly recommend giving a look. The combo from LaRue at the time was $850.
I have never shot 3 gun before so help me out. Someone explain to me why a longer barrel (muzzle velocity) is important? IIRC the difference in 2 inches of barrel length is minimal.
Plus, we know that the myth of the long barrel being more accurate is not true.
Why not look at an SBR? Personally I would not pay the 200.00 to save an 1 1/2 of barrel length.
Personally I think your better option would be to add a free-floating rail to you weapon and a different optic. Your current weapon should be more than adequate.
Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions, and all of you have made very good points. I’ll keep my Colt with Aimpoint as a dedicated HD rifle. I have thought about this hard and will make my next rifle purchase a dedicated 3 Gun rifle. So I’ll switch gears and start looking at specs for a 3 Gun rifle.
Please keep your suggestions coming. I really appreciate it.
Sounds like you’re on the right track. I’ve never done any 3-gun, so take this with a grain of salt, but I believe JP makes 3-gun specific rifles and uppers.
Why not use your HD rifle for 3-gun too? I’ve used my Colt 6920 w/ H1…of course it was my only option at the time. I’d personally rather use 3-gun as a way to put my gear and myself through the riggors of working under pressure than concern myself with beating the other weekend warriors.
Good point, halo. I push my everyday gear when shooting in pistol matches. It does make sense to do the same with 3 Gun. I’m not looking to be a “gamer”, but I am intrigued by a new rifle and a scope. I just sold several firearms and have some funds burning a hole in my pocket…haha. Besides another training class, I wanted to get some gear.
As far as a good 1-4X scope goes you need to check out the Vortex Viper PST 1-4, i was blown away with this scope and most places sell it for $500. Me and a couple friends compared it side by side to the trijicon accupoint tr24 and i honestly could not see a difference as far as glass goes. The one advantage of the trijicon is the no batteries but i prefered the Vortex’s reticle and when you turn on the illumination it grabs your focus to the center of the reticle very fast. They were both very clear and bright with little to no distortion on the edges.
Agree with the recommendation on the Viper PST 1-4. IMO it is one of the biggest bangs for the buck out there. Great way to get decent scope and get started w/ a low power variable.