First trip to the range with M&P 15: what do I need?

[email4eric]

I'll be taking my new M&P15 to the range next weekend for the first time. Also, my first time with this type of rifle.

I've cleaned an lubed the rifle. I have 10 rnd mags. What else to I need? I'll be sighting in the iron sites and just getting familiar.

Sandbag? I've got pistol splatter targets. Should I get something else?

Range is 50 Yd (I think), might be 100 yd but no longer. There are benches and tables.

I'll be shooting ZQI 556 62gr. in a mid-length set up.

Thanks up front!

 

[Kadonny]

I'll assume you know how to operate the rifle since its your first.

A sandbag or bi-pod is a must to give you a solid shooting rest to really sight in. If your rifle is on from the factory, sighting in should be a snap because you should be hitting your splatter targets at 50 yards and you can fine tune from there. Start at 50 then move to 100 if available. Good luck. It is exciting. Oh, and a spotting scope is a great tool too, it will allow you to really fine tune your zero.

 

[email4eric]

Thanks much! Yes, I thought a sandbag might be useful. I'll order one this weekend.

I do have a spotting scope as I am a birder so that's no problem.

Thanks -- yes, I know how to operate it though I never have yet done it.

 

[hanno]

Bore-Snake and a small bottle of CLP.

When you're done firing, run the Bore-Snake through the bore a couple times. It makes cleaning your bore later, an easier job.

 

[MichiganScott]

If you have access to a good filler (sand, plastic beads) you can make your own sandbags using old jeans. You can also spend hundreds of dollars on a front and rear benchrest setup.

Some shooters like the Caldwell Lead Sled. You couldn't give me one. I have no problem with recoil and the rifle will not hit the same point of aim if sighted in on a Lead Sled and then shot without it. With a bit of practice, the front and back bag setup is both easily transportable and works very well. Tiny groups are both possible and repeatable.

Before buying a Bore-Snake, Google "Stuck Bore-Snake". You get almost 60K hits.

 

[hanno]

Before buying a Bore-Snake, Google "Stuck Bore-Snake". You get almost 60K hits.

Have used them for more years than I care to count in every firearm I own and have never had a problem.

The Bore-Snake is just an improved version of the pull-throughs issued to and used by millions of troops, in many countries, for decades.

Here is the British version:



Google "squib" and see how many hits you get. I've had that happen. Things can happen. You could get a Bore- Snake stuck or have a squib. Neither one is the end of the world. You could be struck by lightning. The odds are on your side.

email4eric,
Good luck and good shooting on your first time to the range with the new rifle.
If you are worried about having a stuck Bore-Snake, just take a cleaning rod, some .22 patches and CLP with you. You will find that a couple swipes down the bore while the barrel is still warm will make subsequent cleanup easier.

 

[robvious]

my sand bag trick is find a friend that shoots trap or skeet and reloads...
old shot bags with a zip-lock of sand duct-taped closed work well... and cheap... which leaves more $$$ for ammo... and guns...

 

[Goblin]

You don't mention what type of sights you have. If standard battle sights, Google the sight-in instructions. A zero at 25 meters with the small aperture and the rear sight bottomed will results in being on target at 300 meters. Then you'll be able to use the markings on the sight for longer ranges.

 

[cyphertext]

What do you "need"? Rifle, ammo, target, hearing protection, and eye protection...

 

[JaPes]

What do you "need"? Rifle, ammo, target, hearing protection, and eye protection...

Sighting in: front/rear bags, front sight adjustment tool, sighting in target.

Nice to have: small can of aerosol CLP.

That's all.

 

[delta-419]

AR15

Something I carry in my tac-bag is a 1/2"-1" wooden dowel about 12" long in case of a jam. Its helped me several times, I shoot a lot of remanufactured loads and a jam does happen once in awhile. Just a suggestion!

 

[Rastoff]

This:

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

This:

That's a good start! [emoji1303][emoji50][emoji1303]

 

[email4eric]

Awesome! Thanks all. I've got a front leather sandbag coming mid-week. I've got a cleaning kit and CLP. Don't yet have a bore snake that long. Will get one. Have 1200 rnds of ammo. Have reviewed the sighting in vids. Mine is a mid magpul so it's got regular iron front and folding magpul rear sights. Should be fun! My shooting buddy is psyched as well -- she had a concussion for a couple of weeks and has been cleared to shoot. First time AR for both of us. We usually shoot among our dozen or so pistols.

 

[JaPes]

Tip: Buy a brass catcher. Get in the habit of saving your spent brass casings. Get a bucket. Toss them into the bucket.

Why? Shooting is enjoyable. Ammo is expensive. If you invest in the time and equipment to learn how to reload, you can extend your ammo dollar. Think of the brass case as the reusable fuel tank, and one of the more expensive components of the ammo. Clean and prep the brass, then all you need to do is add the consumables: primer, propellant, projectile. Reloading is symbiotic to enjoying to shoot, and is a intrinsically rewarding endeavor. It requires absolute attention to every detail, or risk catastrophic failure of your firearm.

I no longer have the uninterrupted time to devote to reloading, so I gave it up. It's one of the things I hope to have time to eventually get back into. I got into reloading the least expensive way, a Lee Hand Press.

Add to that a scale, hand held case trimmer, calipers, and a reloading manual, and I made:

Not only do you make your ammo budget go farther and get the satisfaction of shooting ammo you made yourself, reloading is a hedge against cyclical ammunition panic buy shortages. Folks who knew how to reload and stocked up on components were shooting when folks who solely relied hopes that retail ammunition shelves would stay stocked during the last panic.

 

[imakmst]

I sighted my M&P15 Mid on a ammo can and a bag of bird seed. A cheap way, and it's all I had.

 

[C J]

It isn't absolutely necessary but I like to sight in using a laser bore sight. Conditions have to be right if it's a red laser but a green laser works in most conditions. It gets you close to zero in a hurry. Chances are your irons are close to zero anyway but the quickest way to know that for sure is a laser. Of course lots of people have been just looking down the barrel for a long time to see where the sights should be set but that requires having something to hold the rifle still. I have a vise to hold my rifles still but I prefer the laser. You can buy one for $10-$12 these days. It may seem like a lot for just sighting in one rifle but you may change the sights several times and every time that bore sight will be there to help you. Even just getting your sight knocked off zero or having a screw come loose can bring about the need of that laser.

 

[Kadonny]

It isn't absolutely necessary but I like to sight in using a laser bore sight. Conditions have to be right if it's a red laser but a green laser works in most conditions. It gets you close to zero in a hurry. Chances are your irons are close to zero anyway but the quickest way to know that for sure is a laser. Of course lots of people have been just looking down the barrel for a long time to see where the sights should be set but that requires having something to hold the rifle still. I have a vise to hold my rifles still but I prefer the laser. You can buy one for $10-$12 these days. It may seem like a lot for just sighting in one rifle but you may change the sights several times and every time that bore sight will be there to help you. Even just getting your sight knocked off zero or having a screw come loose can bring about the need of that laser.

Good adivce, but lasers are not foolproof. My .223 laser bore sighter must be off. I sight in at home at 25 yards and I can't hit paper at the range at 50. I went back to the old fashioned way and it works way better for me.

 

[blues7]

Good adivce, but lasers are not foolproof. My .223 laser bore sighter must be off. I sight in at home at 25 yards and I can't hit paper at the range at 50. I went back to the old fashioned way and it works way better for me.

Apparently this is an issue with many lasers, K. I know that the ones used for collimating astronomical telescopes often suffer from a bit of misalignment (and is the reason why I have always used a manual tool for that purpose).

I don't know if the ones used for rifle bores lend themselves to be rough tested by rolling on a flat surface and seeing if the dot remains centered on the wall or other surface it is reflecting off.

The one I do actually own and use for celestial navigation in place of a Telrad reflex finder puts me right in the middle of my finder scope's FOV once oriented.

 

[bigdaddyrobb]

I highly recommend one of these..10 round mags may not be hard on your hands but this is a great option.
maglula | Tools for loading and unloading magazines