Should you try shooting 3 Gun competitions with an AR-10?
Well that question involves a few other questions within it.
So for the first question...if you've already got an AR-10, obviously there's no problem here. But on the other hand if you don't, you're looking at spending somewhere between $1500-$2500 to get an AR-10 ready for 3 gun competitions. If you are prepared to fork out that kindof cash then great. If not, it would be better to wait until you are.
Second question...a .308 kicks pretty darn hard and not everybody can handle it...especially when firing in rapid sequence while standing and moving around. Not only might it bruise your shoulder, you may also have a hard time maintaining accuracy between shots when trying to move through 3 Gun courses rapidly. If you are already comfortable shooting an AR-10 regularly then you'll probably be fine. But if not, you may want to go to the range with someone who already has one so you can try it out to see if its even something you're interested in going forward with.
Third question...typically a .308 is a long range rifle, but 3 Gun competitions usually involve alot of close up shooting and very little long distance shooting. If you plan to use your AR-10 for hunting, you may want a scope that goes up to 18 or even 24 power. On the other hand if you're shooting 3 Gun competitions then you may want a scope that is adjustable and can drop all the way down to 1 power. If you are wanting to use your AR-10 for both purposes then you may have to compromise a little on one or both end of the spectrum here. You may have to settle for a 3-21 power adjustable or a 1-10 power adjustable scope. Either way, the larger the range of adjustability and the higher the quality of the scope, the more dollars you're gonna have to spend. There is not simple correct answer on this issue. It all depends on what you want to use the rifle for, what your priorities are, and how big your budget is.
Fourth question...if your local 3 Gun competition will require that you enter the heavy metal division if you're shooting an AR-10 then you're gonna need to have a .45 caliber pistol and a pump shotgun as well in order to shoot your AR-10 in the competition. If you're already got these then you're good to go. If not, go ahead and plan to spend another $800-$2000 on getting yourself squared away with those two other weapons as well.
Fifth question...shooting a bunch of .223 rounds isn't too hard on the wallet...but shooting a bunch of .308 rounds...well that is a different story. Every time you go enter a 3 Gun competition or go practice for one you're gonna have to dish out some serious cash for ammunition. That can add up and it can become a serious deterrent to you getting to shoot frequently. If you can afford it, great, no big deal. If it would stretch you financially, then plan your decision carefully. Maybe just shoot most 3 Gun competitions with your AR-15 and then just shoot one with the AR-10 every now and then.
- Can you afford to buy an AR-10 or do you have one already?
- Can you manage to shoot rapidly with the kick that an AR-10 (.308 caliber dishes out)?
- What kind of optics do you have (or plan to have) on your AR-10?
- Does your local 3 Gun competition allow AR-10s in the regular divisions or do they have a heavy metal division?
- Can you afford to shoot a bunch of .308 rounds every time you do a 3 Gun competition?
So for the first question...if you've already got an AR-10, obviously there's no problem here. But on the other hand if you don't, you're looking at spending somewhere between $1500-$2500 to get an AR-10 ready for 3 gun competitions. If you are prepared to fork out that kindof cash then great. If not, it would be better to wait until you are.
Second question...a .308 kicks pretty darn hard and not everybody can handle it...especially when firing in rapid sequence while standing and moving around. Not only might it bruise your shoulder, you may also have a hard time maintaining accuracy between shots when trying to move through 3 Gun courses rapidly. If you are already comfortable shooting an AR-10 regularly then you'll probably be fine. But if not, you may want to go to the range with someone who already has one so you can try it out to see if its even something you're interested in going forward with.
Third question...typically a .308 is a long range rifle, but 3 Gun competitions usually involve alot of close up shooting and very little long distance shooting. If you plan to use your AR-10 for hunting, you may want a scope that goes up to 18 or even 24 power. On the other hand if you're shooting 3 Gun competitions then you may want a scope that is adjustable and can drop all the way down to 1 power. If you are wanting to use your AR-10 for both purposes then you may have to compromise a little on one or both end of the spectrum here. You may have to settle for a 3-21 power adjustable or a 1-10 power adjustable scope. Either way, the larger the range of adjustability and the higher the quality of the scope, the more dollars you're gonna have to spend. There is not simple correct answer on this issue. It all depends on what you want to use the rifle for, what your priorities are, and how big your budget is.
Fourth question...if your local 3 Gun competition will require that you enter the heavy metal division if you're shooting an AR-10 then you're gonna need to have a .45 caliber pistol and a pump shotgun as well in order to shoot your AR-10 in the competition. If you're already got these then you're good to go. If not, go ahead and plan to spend another $800-$2000 on getting yourself squared away with those two other weapons as well.
Fifth question...shooting a bunch of .223 rounds isn't too hard on the wallet...but shooting a bunch of .308 rounds...well that is a different story. Every time you go enter a 3 Gun competition or go practice for one you're gonna have to dish out some serious cash for ammunition. That can add up and it can become a serious deterrent to you getting to shoot frequently. If you can afford it, great, no big deal. If it would stretch you financially, then plan your decision carefully. Maybe just shoot most 3 Gun competitions with your AR-15 and then just shoot one with the AR-10 every now and then.
RSS Feed
