On The Range #100: Shooting the FN SCAR 5.56 and the Smith&Wessson M&P15 300AAC Blackout

I was given the opportunity to take a trip to one of the local shooting ranges and put some rounds down range through a couple of rifles I had no prior experience with, but which I had wanted to shoot for a while.

First up was the FN SCAR chambered in 5.56x45.  This is a rifle that was created as an alternative to the popular AR type rifles.  The goal was to create a more reliable, more ergonomic rifle to the replace the venerable M16/M4 rifles commonly found in US and NATO armories.

I'm cross eye dominate, meaning that I am right handed but left eye dominate.  I shoot pistols right handed but long guns I shoot left handed.  The SCAR is perfect for someone like me because of the ambidextrous controls.  The charging handle can be be set up on either the right or the left, and you've got ambidextrous safety and magazine release.

If you can shoot an AR type rifle, you can shoot a SCAR.  The biggest thing to be mindful of is to keep your hand out of the way of the charging handle while shooting as it's a moving part you don't have on the AR.

The SCAR I shot had an aftermarket Eotech red dot sight installed.  This was my first time with the Eotech sight (I am an Aimpoint fan boy) but I had not issues or complaints.

My ammo options were limited because I had to use range ammo as this was a rental gun, so I ended up using cheap steel cased Tula ammunition.  I put 60 rounds through the rifle without any hiccups, so this gun will eat even the dirty stuff (a benefit of the SCAR's piston system vs. the standard AR's direct impingement).

 

Bear in mind I was shooting cheap ammo so grouping was looser than I would like (and I'm not the best shot anyway).  The indoor range I was shooting at had a 50 yard rifle range with a minimum of 25 yards.  My first 3 shots are on the lower left pelvic area taken at 25 yards.  I was holding on the white dot and the sight was zeroed at 50 yards.  Not a great group, but not bad for first time shooting that rifle, offhand, with cheap ammo.

Most of my shooting was done at 25 yards but I did some at 50 as well.  I was able to keep all of my shots on the scoring area and most in the vital hit zones.  The trigger had a noticeable reset and I found double and triple taps were no problem.  Trigger was about the same as you'd get on any milspec AR type rifle or carbine.

The SCAR was a fun gun to shoot, and if I had the disposable income I would pick one up in heartbeat.  In the market for a SCAR?  Check out GRAB A GUN.  They've got a HUGE online inventory and can ship to your local FFL.  Oh, and one of the best parts?  They finance.  So maybe that SCAR isn't so far out of my reach....

But it will have to get behind the Smith&Wesson M&P15 in 300 AAC Blackout!  Wow, did I love shooting 300 Blackout!  I've already bookmarked the M&P15 upper on GRAB A GUN.

 The 300 AAC Blackout was created by Advanced Armament Corporation to be a dedicated suppressor round.  Now, that doesn't mean you can't shoot it unsuppressed because that is all I did today.  But if you're interested in adding a suppressor to your long gun at some point in the future, this is a round designed to excel from the ground up in that role.

Wicked looking round!

Shooting an AR in 300 Blackout is a pure treat.  The recoil is similar to a pistol caliber carbine and accuracy is excellent.  My only regret about shooting the 300 Blackout is that I couldn't afford to take it home with me.  

 Looking at the target above that one large hole is the first group I shot at 25 yards from the bench.  Sure, someone out there can easily do that at 100, but for me that is great.  The rest of the shots are from off hand shooting.

Two groups shot at 50 yards.

So, this gun is going on my "BUY SOON" list.  It was fun to shoot, and I shoot it better than I would have thought.  I think 300 Blackout has the potential to be a great all purpose round.  I have friends that swear buy it for hog hunting and I have no doubt it would put a white tail in the bed of your truck.  And lets face it, if it'll do that it'll work great as a self defense tool.  Not too mention it's great a round to be shooting if you're running a suppressor which is something I am seriously going to be looking into in the future especially since Alabama, like a lot of states, allows suppressor hunting.

If 300 AAC Blackout is a something you've been considering I say go for it.  Check out GRAB A GUN.  Not only do they have the gun I shot today in stock, but they've a ton of other rifles and uppers chambered in 300 AAC Blackout.

As you may have guessed by now this post was sponsored by GRAB A GUN.  They gave me the opportunity to shoot some guns I have not touched before and all they asked from me was to blog about it and mention them as a source to fill your firearms needs.  Go check out their website.  They've a huge selection of firearms, both handguns and long guns, and they even offer financing for your next purchase.

 

On The Range #81: Way of the Gun Intro to Performance Carbine

This past Sunday I attended my first rifle/carbine training course in Anniston, AL.  The course, titled Intro to Performance Carbine, was put on by Frank Proctor of Way of the Gun.

  My favorite kind of classroom.

As a result of the latest run on ammunition there were only five students in attendance.  This gave each of us a lot more one on one time with Frank as he led us through the day's training.

The course was in many respects a facsimile of the Intro to Performance Pistol course I took a few months back, though very much more tailored to the carbine.  All of the fundamentals of shooting were the same, as one might expect.  

Frank's philosophy is that whether shooting for competition or shooting to defend yourself the person who scores the most points fastest wins, therefore the focus of the course was on fast and accurate shooting.  Frank pushed us to operate our carbines as fast as we were able to make accurate hits.  

We worked a number of drills that were new to me.  I plan to incorporate a couple into my practice at home (including the reload drill I learned in the pistol course).  

One of the drills was the VTAC 1-5 Drill:

As I said before the small class size gave each of us a lot of one on one time with Frank.  I found this very helpful as he gave me some tips to improve my shooting with the carbine and pointed out some bad habits I'd picked up.

About to make some steel sing!

Probably the best shooter in the class is in the photo above.  His speed and accuracy were really amazing, especially since the rifle he was using was brand new and only zeroed that day.  He's a competitive pistol shooter and you could really see that skill cross over onto the carbine.  

At $180 I feel like I got my money's worth out of this course.  The instruction and atmosphere was great.  Frank is a really excellent shooter who wants to pass on what he's learned to others.  He has a very positive, approachable attitude and has no problem leaving his ego out of it.  As much as he's there to teach he's also willing to learn from others as well.  

We finished up the day doing some shooting at steel targets set up at 60, 100, and 140 yards (roughly).  I was able to hit the reduced size IPSC tagets at all distances, but struggled with smaller stuff past 100 yards.  Still, it was nice hitting anything even at that range.  

I took the opportunity to test a few pieces of gear I've picked up.  I have a Condor MA1 Tactical MOLLE Drop Leg Platform - OD Green

 set up to hold rifle mags that I used for a while.  I've used it before and while I like the idea I'm just not a fan of having things on my legs.  It's not comfortable and just feels like it's weighing me down.  I also used a BladeTech belt mount single mag holder.  I found this a MUCH better method for quickly retrieving a mag and much more comfortable.

My Lucid HD7 red dot held up fairly well.  Under 50 yards it's great, and it works at distance well.  The battery held up all day with no need to replace it.  I'm pretty impressed with the batter life.  The sight has an auto off after being on for two hours which works like a charm.  The only issue I had with it was one of my own making.  After almost six hundred rounds it had come loose from the rail.  I figure this was result of me not having it tight enough.  That's something I'll be sure to keep a check on.

My AR held up very well.  I had zero malfunctions related to the gun, and one related to a magazine.  The magazine issue was a result of overloading my PMag.  PMags will hold 31 rounds but they will usually not lock into the mag well with the bolt forward.  Other than this, no issues.

I'd recently started using Slipstream Weapon Lubricant

 on my AR.  My gun stayed slick all day even though I was shooting dirty Monarch brand steel case ammo.  I did a thorough cleaning, including bolt dis-assembly  and relubed with the Slipstream.  This stuff will be going on my Glock and 1911 for further testing.

I hope to get some more training from Frank Proctor in the future, and I recommend him to anyone who is looking to get some formal instruction without breaking the bank.  I feel like I learned quite a bit that will help my on the past to becoming a better shooter.