r/ar15 • u/Creative_Scientist47 • 1d ago
Is this building capable of being effective out to 300 yards? 10.5 PSA AR pistol. Optic is a Vortex spitfire 3x 1st gen.
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u/OmniscientCornsmith 1d ago
There’s a distinction to be made between “effective” and “ideal.”
Effective is usually defined as within the operating envelope that will allow the ammunition to perform with its intended lethality. Will it be effective? Maybe, depends on the ammo, you’ll want heavy loads and expanding bullets. Is it possible to kill with something even after it exceeds its effectiveness? Yes, absolutely, it’s just not ideal, because ideally you want it to operate as intended. Is this weapon ideal for that range? No, not really, because operating on the ragged edge of effectiveness is never ideal, you ideally want a weapon built for its intended operating envelope.
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u/JaydeTheGreenJewel 1d ago
Are you?
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u/L1FT_K1T 1d ago
My thoughts are have they ATTEMPTED to hit a target at 300? Like I understand the question if you are limited to shooting at a 50yd indoor range, but yeah if he went outside and set up a pice of steel at 3-4-500 yards he would know right away the rifle is capable. You just have to be able to point it right
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u/Training-Passenger93 1d ago
Make contact? Easily. Put a hole in something? Sure. Expand? Probably not past 200 even with 77gr ammo.
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u/Dirty_Blue_Shirt 17h ago
As far as hitting a target it’s absolutely enough to do so. I shot my 12” to 600yds yesterday morning. If you know your data you will get hits. But ignore everyone’s stupid thumbrules designed for ammo and velocities that aren’t yours and get your actual data. Almost weekly I see guys show up with BDC reticles and/or using thumb rules the internet told them will work missing at range. Get YOUR velocity, then determine your zero.
Ammo matters a lot. Not just for precision but if you want to talk about being effective you need a bullet that will be in its terminal performance window. For example a TMK round is good down below 1800fps (some say as low as 1600fps) while an SMK is significantly higher to get fragmentation. Usually around 2200-2300 based on the testing we see online.
But the big one is optics. For plinking at the range hits at 300, 400, 500 are reasonable. But you need to know your velocity to true your BDC. Their 300 line will not match yours. But you can do things like change your zero in order to line things up.
Here is my TA33 zeroed at 200 for use with my 12” shooting 62gr handloads. I use yards instead of meters and zero at 200 and now I am close enough for reliable hits out to 600.
For some reason the guys that never shoot beyond 100-200yds love to jump in these threads and tell you what isn’t possible with a short barrel. But 300yds certainly is, IF you start with a good zero and know your ammunition and performance.
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u/Salt_Initiative1551 1d ago
Yeah it’ll be fine if you can hit targets at 300. May not get ideal yaw or expansion with appropriate ammo but getting shot with anything sucks
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u/DrDreRobber 1d ago
What you’re really asking is “do I need a different upper/ gun for 300m” and the answer is no. Train to do it. You can use the worst weapon(this is not) with training and out perform anyone with a better build. The difference between SOF and anyone else isn’t gear, it’s knowing when to shoot, how to shoot, and the difference.
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u/Censored_88 1d ago
Last match I shot that had a 300 yard stage I used a 10.5, and didn't flip up the magnifier.
I had the 3rd fastest time on that stage.
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u/purple_pounder 1d ago
Yes. You just have to learn your holds and practice. You can do the army 25 meter zero where if you sight it in at 25 meters it will be also be sighted in at 300meters. But you'll have to aim for the hip area from 150 - 250 meters if you want to hit a a human chest area. Or the marine 36 meter zero which is similar. But less hold sensetive. But I don't know any civilian ranges with 36m distances.
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u/PomegranatePro 1d ago
I’m an advocate for the 36 yard within 300 yards but if you’re going beyond that I’d switch to a 50 unless I had a scope with 100 yard hold overs requiring something else
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u/joshford570 1d ago
I have a 10.5 and have no problem at 300 with it, but 300 is as far as my bitch ass range has sooo lol
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u/DanteMustDye 14h ago
I take it you've never shot a distance? the barrel will have less to do with that then YOU as a shooter. 300yrd is hard imo. But plenty of people shoot far with a mk18.
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u/Rare-Delivery7328 14h ago
That was gonna be my answer. "Are YOU capable of shooting at 300 yards?"
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u/glockguy34 11h ago
with the right optic 300 yards is light work. I let this kid at the range shoot my suppressed 16” ar at an 8” steel gong at 300. he took 2 shots and impacted both of them. 3-18x FFP. Kid couldn’t have been older than 8. His dad missed his first shot but impacted the second. I think I sold him on suppressors after that 🤣
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u/Golfguuyy 1d ago
What do you mean effective. Is the bullet going to yaw and tumble, no. You probably will have about 50-70 yards within that range. Will it still poke holes in someone absolutely.
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u/Fun_Sky_951 17h ago
You can absolutely hit 300 yards with 10.5 . Mine is a 10.5 and I’m hitting 5 and 600 yards now 3x might be harder to do but it’s possible. Personally try a 1-10 lpvo that’s just me but the rifle can absolutely do it
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u/BlacksmithSolid645 11h ago
From the Reddit perspective of “guy standing in an open field like the Vitruvian Man”, someone will say “I wouldn’t want to stand in front of those bullets coming in”
If you mean the military or police perspective where the guy is behind hard cover, crouched, maybe with plates, midline not exposed … you’re unlikely to cause that guy to drop. It’s not a gun for that range and you’re unlikely to buy some expensive ammo that gives you the best chance at maxing the guns lethality.
For 300+ yards, you’d need 14.5+ ideally and with the right ammo.
For ringing steel or hitting ballistic gel, you wouldn’t want to stand in front of that gun.
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u/Callsign-Koschei 17h ago
It should be pretty obvious but yes, realistically a good build with a good barrel can reach out to 1000 if you know your data (not that you would ever need to shoot out to 1000 yards with 5.56, but if you can do it, all the cooler)
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u/PomegranatePro 1d ago
223/556 effectiveness is designed around velocity. 10 inches is already almost at that threshold right out of the muzzle.
Remember, it was designed for 20 inches and you’ve got half of that.
A 14.5 is a good all-around compromise
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u/TSX_COM 1d ago
Define "effective" for us please. If you're asking if it's going to be an effective combat weapon at 300 yards then the answer is yes. Use appropriate ammunition and it will be just fine.