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 KiloFiX wrote:
I do exact co witness too.

The only quirk is I like to keep a bomb proof fixed non-folding front sight, with a folding rear sight.

Reason is that I had a day when my EoHolo went down and my front sight broke under heavy use during training class. I'm slightly paranoid now.

Same here, but for slightly different reasons. Every time I've seen an AR short stroke, it's either been due to an improperly staked gas key, or an improperly installed (always aftermarket, low profile) gas block. Since most uppers I buy come with FS gas blocks, and work great from the factory, I'm reluctant to swap them out.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 KiloFiX wrote:
I do exact co witness too.

The only quirk is I like to keep a bomb proof fixed non-folding front sight, with a folding rear sight.

Reason is that I had a day when my EoHolo went down and my front sight broke under heavy use during training class. I'm slightly paranoid now.

Same here, but for slightly different reasons. Every time I've seen an AR short stroke, it's either been due to an improperly staked gas key, or an improperly installed (always aftermarket, low profile) gas block. Since most uppers I buy come with FS gas blocks, and work great from the factory, I'm reluctant to swap them out.

I just installed a carbine length free float on an AR. I mark on the barrel where the port on the barrel is, then line it up when I replace the gasblock. Gasblocks usually have a larger hole to feed off the barrel hole. Havent had a chance to test fire the latest one though. Am picking up a lil Mossberg 100ATR in 243 for my 10yo son after work today, hopefully get some range time before it get dark.

Ive also become a big believer in loctite. I had some stuff shake loose from recoil, so now I loctite sights, front gas block, set screws, red dot screws........ Which rear sight did you get to be on the same plane as the A2 front sight?

 Spacemanvic wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 KiloFiX wrote:
I do exact co witness too.

The only quirk is I like to keep a bomb proof fixed non-folding front sight, with a folding rear sight.

Reason is that I had a day when my EoHolo went down and my front sight broke under heavy use during training class. I'm slightly paranoid now.

Same here, but for slightly different reasons. Every time I've seen an AR short stroke, it's either been due to an improperly staked gas key, or an improperly installed (always aftermarket, low profile) gas block. Since most uppers I buy come with FS gas blocks, and work great from the factory, I'm reluctant to swap them out.

I just installed a carbine length free float on an AR. I mark on the barrel where the port on the barrel is, then line it up when I replace the gasblock. Gasblocks usually have a larger hole to feed off the barrel hole. Havent had a chance to test fire the latest one though. Am picking up a lil Mossberg 100ATR in 243 for my 10yo son after work today, hopefully get some range time before it get dark.

Ive also become a big believer in loctite. I had some stuff shake loose from recoil, so now I loctite sights, front gas block, set screws, red dot screws........ Which rear sight did you get to be on the same plane as the A2 front sight?

Smart - most DIY'ers don't use Loctite, so it's not that they don't have the ports lined up so much as the parts rattle loose. With the gas key obviously the problem is improper staking, which was a problem for many manufacturers a decade ago...they've probably gotten better at it now.

This thing works well with A2 front sights.

http://www.amazon.com/A-R-M-S-40L-SP-Flip-Rear-Sight/dp/B001PRM2Z8

I cowitness my red dot with a magpul backup and full front sight post.

Fun fact: The IDF nickname for a BUIS is an "oh shi-" ...put a t on the end of that and you've got it.

Thanks for the sight tips.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Fun fact: The IDF nickname for a BUIS is an "oh shi-" ...put a t on the end of that and you've got it.

Basically what you're saying if you ever have to use'em.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Fun fact: The IDF nickname for a BUIS is an "oh shi-" ...put a t on the end of that and you've got it.

Basically what you're saying if you ever have to use'em.

Pretty much. They are BUIS for a reason lol. You wouldn't believe how much quicker red dots are in target acquisition than iron sights. Been using red dots in one form or another for almost 20 years. Miss them when shooting pistols.

 Spacemanvic wrote:
With a red dot, you shoot with both eyes open, so you should only see the red dot on the target as your vision kind of "dissolves" the distraction of the iron sights or red dot housing. Besides, the irons are there in case my red dot stops working.

Do you shoot both eyes open for long range shots too? Just curious. I've always shot with one eye closed (even with a red dot) for pretty much anything over 100 meters. I've shot with both eyes open for closer stuff though.

 Hordini wrote:

 Spacemanvic wrote:
With a red dot, you shoot with both eyes open, so you should only see the red dot on the target as your vision kind of "dissolves" the distraction of the iron sights or red dot housing. Besides, the irons are there in case my red dot stops working.

Do you shoot both eyes open for long range shots too? Just curious. I've always shot with one eye closed (even with a red dot) for pretty much anything over 100 meters. I've shot with both eyes open for closer stuff though.

This is how I do it as well.

 Hordini wrote:

 Spacemanvic wrote:
With a red dot, you shoot with both eyes open, so you should only see the red dot on the target as your vision kind of "dissolves" the distraction of the iron sights or red dot housing. Besides, the irons are there in case my red dot stops working.

Do you shoot both eyes open for long range shots too? Just curious. I've always shot with one eye closed (even with a red dot) for pretty much anything over 100 meters. I've shot with both eyes open for closer stuff though.

If Im using a 1-4 power scope, both eyes are open. A 3-9, both eyes open until I acquire the target in the reticle and Im about to shoot (final adjustment). If a red dot, then both eyes open the entire time. Closing one eye I lose peripheral vision (my own paranoia), so I've learned to keep both open until the last second. Took a while getting used to it, trying to teach my children this technique.

 Hordini wrote:

 Spacemanvic wrote:
With a red dot, you shoot with both eyes open, so you should only see the red dot on the target as your vision kind of "dissolves" the distraction of the iron sights or red dot housing. Besides, the irons are there in case my red dot stops working.

Do you shoot both eyes open for long range shots too? Just curious. I've always shot with one eye closed (even with a red dot) for pretty much anything over 100 meters. I've shot with both eyes open for closer stuff though.

Are you cross dominant? i.e., right handed by left eye dominant. That will change the way you shoot rifle for sure.

I'd add that it also depends on the scope too. Certain scopes like Trijicon's ACOGs (but really anything with strong lume) promote both-eyes-open shooting even though they're magnified. They call it the Bindon Aiming Concept but I'm not sure that they invented it. The short story is that fixating on a distant target will promote switches in eye dominance while using the optic because it provides better visual acuity, and a more strongly illuminated reticle helps your brain "switch channels" to the eye used to aim once you've chosen a target on which to fixate.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

 Spacemanvic wrote:
With a red dot, you shoot with both eyes open, so you should only see the red dot on the target as your vision kind of "dissolves" the distraction of the iron sights or red dot housing. Besides, the irons are there in case my red dot stops working.

Do you shoot both eyes open for long range shots too? Just curious. I've always shot with one eye closed (even with a red dot) for pretty much anything over 100 meters. I've shot with both eyes open for closer stuff though.

Are you cross dominant? i.e., right handed by left eye dominant. That will change the way you shoot rifle for sure.

I'd add that it also depends on the scope too. Certain scopes like Trijicon's ACOGs (but really anything with strong lume) promote both-eyes-open shooting even though they're magnified. They call it the Bindon Aiming Concept but I'm not sure that they invented it. The short story is that fixating on a distant target will promote switches in eye dominance while using the optic because it provides better visual acuity, and a more strongly illuminated reticle helps your brain "switch channels" to the eye used to aim once you've chosen a target on which to fixate.

This is the problem I am running into with one of my daughters. Ive tried with some success to have her wear an eye patch on her left eye to learn how to shoot. Pistols, I have her hold both eyes open and just aim with her left eye. Rifles, i want her to learn fundamentals, then learn to shoot with strong side/weak side. I think I may get her to be a strong shooter, just going to take longer for her to get there.

Before I started shooting (a long time ago), I was left eye dominant. I remember this because I used to struggle with it. But nowadays I'm right eye dominant - so go figure, lol.

I find its best to shoot with both eyes open, all the time, every scope.

space man vic,

one trick they did in boy scouts/school for us (lol yeah im that old that I remember shooting with boy scouts and my school class lol)

take an unmagnified scope, cut out a peice of semi opaque plastic (milk jug or something similar works ok) cut it into an "eye patch" shape, but also have a hole on it so you can slip it onto the scope. This leaves you with a eye patch attached to the scope that can go on right or left side if you do it right.


The idea is, she can keep both eyes open, the off eye will have a white background, but still let light through and not strain their eyes. its a lot easier to ignore the whited out eye too.

once they are used to it with no magnification, try it with low magnification.

some kids needed to go cross eyed a bit before too, almost like "stretching" their eyes out.

 easysauce wrote:
I find its best to shoot with both eyes open, all the time, every scope.

space man vic,

one trick they did in boy scouts/school for us (lol yeah im that old that I remember shooting with boy scouts and my school class lol)

take an unmagnified scope, cut out a peice of semi opaque plastic (milk jug or something similar works ok) cut it into an "eye patch" shape, but also have a hole on it so you can slip it onto the scope. This leaves you with a eye patch attached to the scope that can go on right or left side if you do it right.


The idea is, she can keep both eyes open, the off eye will have a white background, but still let light through and not strain their eyes. its a lot easier to ignore the whited out eye too.

once they are used to it with no magnification, try it with low magnification.

some kids needed to go cross eyed a bit before too, almost like "stretching" their eyes out.

You mean have enough of the "patch" extend off the side of the scope so then when looking down the scope, both eyes are open but the off eye is behind the extended shade? What about with iron sights (open sites)? I always try to start them with iron sights (makes them less reliant on optics).

exactly have the patch over the off eye.


Irons are a great way to train, its harder though, kinda like learning guitar on acoustic vs electric.

with new shooters/kids I find they can be overwhelmed fairly easily, so usually how to hold/fire the gun + safety are all I worry about at first, the scope kind of sets the kids up for success, I make sure they shoot from rest with a good support for the rifle, even though its a 22. yeah im making it easy for them, but I find they actually get fewer bad habits when I teach things sort of "one at a time". Kids who get bulleyes at 10 ft are still happy and proud of it, and tend to pick up interest as well.

Odds are if people were trained on a 22lr, that was properly set up to have no recoil, they dont develop flinches as much as that first reaction people have while shooting tends to echo throughout.

IE get them used to easy mode, with scope, eye patch, a rest, just have them focus solely on trigger control and breathing which are IMO the most important after safety. This shows them just how much something like a bad trigger pull, or breath can affect your shot.

Then add things in logical progressive steps, change positions, rest setup, in crease the distance, change the scope/irons ect.

Just as the Taurus Curve was being delivered, they are being recalled due to no caliber stamp on the barrel.

I didn't know that was a requirement, but it makes sense.

Odd...didn't know they needed one. I know that there are AR lowers that don't mention a specific caliber, though they usually say "multicaliber" or something like that.

I own a shotgun. The purpose of the shotgun is to shoot harmful intruders with a wide swath of pellets, so that I can stop the intruder, even though my aim is pretty bad.

I also own a rifle. Its for killing deer for food, in case I ever need food and have no money to buy it.

What caliber rifle, .308?

 Ouze wrote:
What caliber rifle, .308?

.30-06

Its the preferred caliber for people whose neighbor gives them a .30-06 rifle

Nice. I shot 30.06 a few times and found it had a bit too much recoil for my tastes, but it's definitely a good hunting round.

Yeah, I don't know if its a good precision rifle by any means. I've used it to shoot at targets only wiht mixed results. I've been on hunting trips, but never actually shot at anything.

30-06 certainly packs a lot of recoil and will put just about anything down that you could dream of realistically shooting at.

 Vaktathi wrote:
30-06 certainly packs a lot of recoil and will put just about anything down that you could dream of realistically shooting at.

How about a black bear?

Absolutely. A typical 30-06 round is packing about 4,000 Joules of energy at its peak. As long as your shot placement is good (shot placement is always king above anything and everything else), a 30-06 will put down a bear, and is a commonly used bear hunting cartridge.

 Vaktathi wrote:
Absolutely. A typical 30-06 round is packing about 4,000 Joules of energy at its peak. As long as your shot placement is good (shot placement is always king above anything and everything else), a 30-06 will put down a bear, and is a commonly used bear hunting cartridge.

Sweet. Those are the largest animals in my area.

I like the ubiquity of the 30-06 myself. It's been used to hunt everything including the African Big 5 (regardless that most will recommend a bigger round).

On a separate note, if you wanted something beefier (but shorter ranged), I like a lever .45-70 myself.

 Ouze wrote:
Just as the Taurus Curve was being delivered, they are being recalled due to no caliber stamp on the barrel.

I didn't know that was a requirement, but it makes sense.

Yep, all barrels, even for custom rifles need to be plainly and clearly stamped with the caliber they're set for.

It's a safety/liability thing.

As far as the .30-06 goes, I love that rifle round. You can literally do anything with it. Soon as I get the space and spare cash for reloading supplies I'm going to perfect a long range load for 1000 yard + shots with Sierra Matchkings, because I'm having two custom rifles barreled gratis by a friend of mine, and one of them is going to be purpose built for smacking steel plates very far away.