How many of you "Don't" own an AR?

W

William Suter

Active member
Just for fun. How many of you don't own an AR of any kind.....besides me? I've had a few and to be honest, just can't cotton up to them. I built a few and bought some. Even had a Rock River that shot as well as many custom bolt rifles but I just can't get any love for them. To me, they all look the same no matter what you do. Most shoot about the same, but there are exceptions. They trash your brass and you always end up with brass on the ground even with a catcher. They're usually heavy and clunky and seems they never fit just right. I know some of you love them but they just aren't for me.

This is just a post for fun. Keep it civil please.
 
I own three of them but I don’t shoot them. Does that count? lol. I worked up loads for all three and only took one field and shot a couple dozen coyotes with my POF. It gets the job done but it just feels so awkward to shoulder and shoot for me versus a bolt gun. My bucket list was always to own a 243 chambered AR 10 so I bought two and never hunted with either of them but they both shoot great..lol. Id rather walk around calling with a shotgun or my LTR 223, Remington 600 chambered in 243 thats smaller and lighter than a red rider bb gun to me, or my custom 700 26” barrel chambered 243. Had a 17 Rem custom 26” heavy barrel and just didn’t care for it. The first ER I ever bought was a bushmaster target Varminter when they first came out around 99’/00’. I loaded up some 40 gr Vmax With a max loading. Shoot five in the same hole at 100 yardsvitit woud jam and wouldn’t eject. I also put on low rifle scope rings…horrible idea. back before they started making actual high rifle scope rings for them so I didn’t know any better. It went down the road and I traded it for my LTR, which was the best thing I ever did. I shot quite a bit of coyotes with that too, but don’t use it anymore either. Its an awesome and super accurate little rifle. I’ll never get rid of it though.

I just scored 250 55 grain 224 full metal jacket projectiles from a pay at Ford from another forum. Figured I’ll load some up and try in my POF for plinking. Never took any of my AR‘s out just to run drills or plink with them so maybe I’ll get use shouldering it after a couple hundred rounds.
 
Last edited:
They gave me one in Vietnam and I hated the thing. I swapped it for an M-14 and a Stevens 12ga pump.

I won an AR at the Egg Shoot in Tucson and have tried to like it as a hunting rifle and for me it just doesn't cut it, it feels awkward. .I keep trying I did put a 16" barrel on it and that helped, and have killed a few coyotes with it. It is pretty much a safe queen but I still take it out when I feel guilty about it not getting used. I do keep a sighted in scope on both uppers (20P/223)and bunch of hunting ammo.loaded.for.them

I'll take a fitted bolt or combo gun over the AR anytime.
 
I was a Benchrest shooter for over 35 years, so I was more of the one shot, one kill type, accuracy above all, rather than a spray & pray.

Several years ago I bought a Ruger MPR just on principle. I compare it to when you were a little kid, & Mom & Dad said you can't have something.

I finally had enough of that BS from the anti AR people, so I bought one because I could.

As it turned out, when I took up night time coyote hunting, I came to the conclusion that it was the best tool for the job.

Of course I fell into the AR hole pretty hard chasing accuracy & performance, but I'm in my happy place now.

No need for an either/or choice, there's room at the table for all......
 
I guess I fall into the one shot, make it count group. I think AWS says it in his signature. "After the first shot the rest are just noise." I built several rifles and spent a lot of money making them custom to fit me with nice fore-ends, adjustable stock and barrels, but in the end, they were still an AR and as bad as I hate to say it, they looked just all the rest of them.
 
William Suter said:
Just for fun. How many of you don't own an AR of any kind.....besides me? I've had a few and to be honest, just can't cotton up to them. I built a few and bought some. Even had a Rock River that shot as well as many custom bolt rifles but I just can't get any love for them. To me, they all look the same no matter what you do. Most shoot about the same, but there are exceptions. They trash your brass and you always end up with brass on the ground even with a catcher. They're usually heavy and clunky and seems they never fit just right. I know some of you love them but they just aren't for me.

This is just a post for fun. Keep it civil please.
Click to expand...
I sure can’t come to terms with one. They have their place in life, I think that’s for certain. But I’ve tried everything from Diamondback, to Daniel Defense, DPMS, CMMG.. the works. I just can’t get comfortable shouldering one. I see some guys that are insanely efficient with them, it’s pretty neat. I’m just not one of them. I’ve gotta have a bolt gun.
 
I own a few of them but don’t ever use them for hunting. Just messing around. For me ARs are cool but not my go to for hunting. ARs are Louder and dirtier suppressed than bolts guns. Also in the cold ARs don’t work that well. I prefer bolts guns for hunting.
 
Last edited:
I bought a couple of Colt AR's back in the day. They were not accurate. Bought a Bushmaster Varminter back in 2008, and they finally got it right. Shoots as good as most of my bolt guns. Now I have two .223's, two 6.8 SPC's, one 6X6.8 and one .260 AR 10. Only use my bolt guns for long range steel and big game. As far as noise after that first shot, I sure have killed a lot coyotes with that noise. I understand if the fit is not for you, but I've become a pistol grip kinda guy.
 
I never understood why people think just because it's an AR means it has to spray and pray and they can't connect on the first shot. I thought the shooter controlled the trigger. They have the potential to be just as accurate as most other off the shelf bolt rifles and are even easier than a Savage to swap barrels/caliber. Having a bolt that shoots 1/4 moa better probably leads to fewer kills than quick semi auto follow ups. Then you add the ability to attach rangefinders and tripods etc to the handguard and they become even more user friendly. I'm more into multiple shots/multiple kills. The first kill is generally the easy one and the follow ups get tougher the farther away the critter gets.
 
Last edited:
Even with an AR I never was a spray and pray shooter. Lord knows I see plenty of it at the gun club. I bet I could start a fire off the barrel heat on some rifles. As for multiples, I killed two running hogs with my Remington bolt action 7MM08. Lucky? Probably....... just not for the hogs though.
 
I don't own any now. I had a few over the years from off the self, to full custom. I enjoyed a couple and hated a few others.

I do have a pistol grip gun , Benelli M4. It's fun !
 
The thrill of ARs for me is putting one together and seeing it shoot small groups and function properly. After that, the interest begins to fade. I may have a few, but most all of the time when I go out hunting I take a bolt action. They just carry easier. My son has used them for deer hunting, the collapsible stock and pistol grip helps him with fit and control. He’s moving up to a bolt action in .260 for next deer season though so that’s about to be a thing of the past also. I’ve got a few more receivers that need to be assembled, I just don’t have the interest in finishing them like I use to.
 
Ermine. said:
I own them but don’t ever use them lol. For me ARs are lame. Loud and dirty suppressed. I prefer bolts guns.
Click to expand...
I remember the first time I took my POF out coyote hunting I didn’t wear ear protection….why would I…I never wear it with any of my bolt guns or shotguns when I predator hunt. Boy, was that a mistake. My right ear started bleeding after 5 shots. Hirt so bad I didn’t hunt for almost the rest of trip. Never will I hunt with that gun unless I’m wearing some type of ear protection… completely ridiculous. First thing I did with my first 243 AR 10 was to remove the brake and add a thread protector. The 20” version I need to do the same with. There is no need for a muzzle break on a 556 or a 243. lol. If your that big of pansy you don’t need to own one. The 14.5 inch POF I would’ve taken it off but I’m not gonna get a short barrel class three permit so the only time I will ever probably shoot it again is with muffs. I haven’t shot that darn thing since and that was probably eight years ago or more.
 
Last edited:
Well I DO own an AR. Several of them. And I'll admit that they weren't my favorite thing initially. I tossed the useless collapsable stock and replaced it with an A2, and with a 16" barrel they are well balanced and comfortable. As for the spray-n-pray, I hunt with 5 round mags, so I'm no different from most bolt guys in that regard. Mine will shoot cloverleaf groups off the bench with my reloads.

Would I miss them if I let them go? Maybe. They're nothing special ... just another tool in the box.

DP: I hated the "flash hider" that some came with. UnGodly loud. All of my bull barrels are non-threaded, but the ones that are threaded have a linear compensator on them. Only way to go.
 
I'll have to look it up, can't remember . Here in Michigan we can only hunt with 5 total or 5 rd mags, when running a semi-auto with a removable mag . Semi-auto shotgun ,tube fed is the same , thinking 5 total.
 
Back
Top