5 Mistakes New Rifle Owners Make
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Lucas Botkin goes over the five most common mistakes new rifle owners make when purchasing accessories for their rifle.
00:00 Intro
02:11 Poor Sight/Optic Choice
08:40 Little to No Zeroing
15:43 Poor Weapon Lights
19:50 Ergonomics
25:35 Muzzle Brakes
28:21 Conclusion 
Наука
Switching to your secondary grip is always faster than reloading your primary grip.
This comment deserves more praise.
This comment made my day
*backwards secondary grip
😂
😂😂
When the dude shoots the 4 cans and hits 2, then the wind blows the last 2 over, that was the best part of the whole video. The cheesy look of confidence or good enough look on his face was priceless. Reminds me of alot of people in my area...
The actor nailed his part. He's not actually like that, to be clear. :)
5:00
They said down the 4 cans. Are the 4 cans not down?
@@TREXARMS I figured lol. Solid acting, let's see him again in a video with a highpoint pistol...
After being in the Army for
8yrs in a combat unit, 25m / 300m zero is king. You are basically pinpoint accurate from 0-50m and 250-325m. Everything in between aim a *tad* low. Either way 0-350m if you aim low center mass at a man sized target (without wind) you score a hit.
hard wrong
I’m so glad you said that😅 because for us city boys with indoor ranges sometimes 25m is all we can get
I zero 30-30 to 175 yds. A center hold hits a deer's vital zones from 0-250 yds
Max point blank is less error and gets you the same distance..I mean get some sort of zero for sure, but you’re better off zeroing at a farther distance. The only reason the Army does 25 is because they can’t afford the time or ammo and dont have the space to do a 200 yard zero in austere environments
Is the romeo5 a good red dot to start with?
36 yard zero will always remain my favorite. Out to 300 yards depending on barrel and rounds, you're pretty much shooting inside a cd size.
the marine corps zero, also my personal favorite; pops was force recon and I learned everything about shooting from him
no your drop is bigger than a cd size from just the 36 yards to 300 you are looking at a 7in drop with an 18" barrel and it just gets worse using anything else... If you are aiming at the middle of the target you aren't within a cd you are missing by way more than a cd.
@@thomgizzizno.
Can tell you’ve never actually shot before 😂
Definitely my favorite for SBRs. I am so used to a 25m zero from the army but I'm coming around to it. I now have my 308 on a 36m zero and I'm digging it. I can't believe I ever zeroed a rifle at 100 at this point.
My first ever mistake as a newbie gun owner years ago was accidentally buying a California compliant AR lol.
Ouch
Just gotta build one in Ca to skip the bs
At least it wasn’t vice versa and your not in federal prison
You’re definitely not alone in that lol
You can easily swap out the parts yourself to make it a normal rifle.
I’ll never forget my first rifle. A bolt action 5.56 with iron sights so old that it had “Made in West Germany” on the barrel.
Have a 30-06 made in germany in the mid 50's
It gets truely old when you have the test markings from the kingdom of Bavaria.
@@bobuscesar2534 or Franconia
@@ThanxBeToGod
Franconia hasn't been an independent region since the coalition wars.
My first rifle was a Pattern 17 with OG parts. Still works great even on account of it being 105 years old.
That bit on the cheap optics hit me right in the feels. I mounted a $50 open reflex on an ultimak railed gas tube and learned the importance of paying for quality. 12 rounds was all it took to cook that thing.
Yep haha I bought a Chinese Eotech and put it on a ar and it literally flew off the rifle after a couple mags 😂
Not an ar but reminds of the time my buddy bought a red dot for his pistol and the glass blew out on the first mag
we've all been there lol
I forgot the brand. The at I bought came with El cheapo red dot sight. Thing sighted well indoors and stays on the gun. The moment sunlight came outside the dot disappears to the point of being unusable.
Bought a cheap red dot myself a few years ago. Every few shots it would go lose it's zero. Didn't matter what I did, it kept happening.
A quote from Dave Canterbury I heard years ago, "you buy cheap you buy twice."
Fun tip: if you have iron sights you can adjust your front sight with just a round of 5.56 by using the tip of the bullet to push down the retaining pin. Then just rotate that pin to move it slightly up and down.
I learned that trick in the military
@@TheBlackScatPackit is literally in the M4 carbine user manual
A nail usually works FAR better.
@@harrymallory7963 Sure, but how likely are you to have a nail on hand to adjust it in the field?
@@GoogleDoesEvil I have two now that I keep in my rifle bag. I keep them because I know they work better than so-called front sight tools.
I’ve seen this exact configuration on so many Facebook groups
I've seen YOU configuration on Facebook groups...
Bro you have to share 😆
More like Reno Gay
@@leef8433 haha this is so funny, what a great pun, you destroyed him, he will literally never recover from this
AR-15 Nation 😂
My first AR15 was a M&P15 gen 1. I was in the Army so I got it from the PX for $500+ tax free. I converted as much as I can to get it as close to my Army issued M4 so I can improve my marksmanship. 10 years later and 4 other AR's, I still have it and it's my bedside home defense AR.
Yeah an actual war fighter opinion is what really matter not some snob mclovin looking mf
You sound like a real boomer/Fudd. What cringe statement. "I WaS In ThE ArMy".
S&W MP15 is a very good AR. Don't let anyone bull you.
Where were you at? We didn't have guns at our PX at Fort Stewart.
@@tballstaedt7807 yup I tell people the same thing.
A good pair of irons and a light are really all you need to get proficient and accurate on target.
Everything else comes down to want. Many soldiers shot expert with just irons. These days we have endless choices in the 2A community, which is a very good thing, but your training will always keep you alive. Not fancy gear. Great video. Keep up the great work.
Optics are inherently superior
@@stephenzavatski8016 that’s not the point, training trumps Gucci gear is the point.
You don't really need a light if you are shooting at ranges...
@@thomgizzizobviously….
I got my first nice rifle. Aero lower DD upper 16”barrel quad rail. Came with the DD rear metal sight and fixed FSP. I added a nice sling, surefire turbo light, and I’ve only shot w the irons it’s so much damn fun.
My first AR was a ruger and I put a 3x primary Arms prism and once I had it zeroed in it is boring as fuck to shoot within 200 yards. It never misses.
I’ll use the irons until I decide what I trust my life with as this new rifle is my SHTF do it all rifle.
As a new ar owner your videos have been the most informative and straightforward with a little bit of comedic smartassery thrown in. I'll be watching everything you have. Great video
I watch for his spikey moussed hair and fashionable skinny jeans. It's badass
"because that would be murder, and murder isnt cool"
-Lucas Botkin
Murder is definitely uncool
Murder is uncool
Oh, well. Lesson learn, thanks stranger!
Not technically my first rifle, but my first AR rifle was a PSA carbine kit I bought. All I put on it was a carry handle iron sight, a flashlight mount and a simple vertical foregrip.
No sling?
@@xxxlonewolf49 not at first, that was my first upgrade, I also put an aimpoint on a carry handle optics mount because why not?
My first rifle was a PSA upper kit and a locally sourced lower. Total was $380. Cheaper than any of my handguns. Those were the days. More accurate than I am and over 6200 rounds the only issue has been it won't feed steel case reliably. Meh.
Chad detected. Same but 20 inch
I just built one of those!
What I found out with the AR stock setting was that sometimes I might have to rest the stock against arm instead of shoulder, so the stock had to be set not too long or short for a good grip and stability. This happens when you really got to stretch out for around a corner shot, not to mention if you can only use one hand. Once I instinctively did it when having to run and shoot behind around my left (I'm right handed) and after that I realised the stock was actually resting against the arm instead of shoulder. It was a good run.
The very first sight I had on my AR was a cheap Chinese reflex/red dot. It worked fine and never lost zero, but the brightness/color selector got a little messed up from recoil. Bought my first legit sight from cabelas, it was a Sig SAUER Romeo 5. It worked fantastically and I’m still using it to this day. And finally I just bought an Eotech EXPS2-2 the other day, delivers tomorrow. Putting that on my AR and the Romeo 5 is going on one of my other guns, haven’t decided which yet.
Sig Romeo is probably the best option for the first AR, inexpensive but reliable and gets the job done. Especially since, on the first one, most people probably aren't trying to break the bank
my first AR is the exact same model in this video, and the very first part that's worth replacing is the foregrip. it's plastic and gets crazy hot. replaced it with a Magpul for like $30. after that, i saved up a little and picked up a Sig Romeo5 and still run it to this day. it's simple, but has been incredibly reliable for me. don't have any plans to replace it anytime soon. obviously, there are better optics out there, but it's more than adequate for my uses.
now i'm trying to save up to replace the BUIS i currently have with a set of Troy HKs...
Putting a 5 on my zastava M92!
Not gonna lie, I put a Sig Romeo 5 on my shorty AR and fully expecting to upgrade it later but in 5 years I've had zero issues with it. It's still holding the same zero that I put on it when I first zeroed out. I'm not gentle with that gun either. I'm very pleasantly surprised by how well it's done.
x2 for Sig Romeo 5
Yep
Same here, took it off now for a vortex pst lpvo but it served me extremely well for 3 years…
You gotta realize these guys are a bit elitest and not really the everyman. There are really good red dots from sig, primary arms, and holosun. They all last a long time. In many cases just as long as stuff costing double.
They recommend some great stuff but it is all high end expensive stuff if you aren't a wanna be operator.
@@SW0000A totally agree… they do recommend kind of the best there is but I got to give it to him he did mention primary and holosun as good options.
We all want that DD with a aim point or razor surefire can and dbal but until I get that, I’ll stick with an average gun with a holosun .
Army teaches 25/300m zero which works extremely well with the 4x32 ACOG. If you zero with the bottom of the chevron for 300m, the top of the chevron will near perfectly line up for 150ish meter targets. That way you’ll never shoot over the target if you can estimate range fairly well.
The width of the elevation ticks is also supposed to approximate average human shoulder width at the labelled range, which helps estimate distance a bit.
Marines teaches 36/300 yard zero which allows no need for any other adjustments besides hold center mass and fire out to 300. After 300 yards we do wind holds out to 500 yards. It allows that at 500 yards your general round drift etc will not expand larger than that of a CD size. Obviously the ammo type will make a difference but essentially holding center mass from 301-500 yrds will enable an effective hit within a CD sized target.
Battlefield 3 and ArmA both taught me how to utilize the ACOG. Then I grew up a little and realized how expensive Trijicon is lol
@@BeamMonsterZeus Facts. As expensive as they are I still want one for my AK in the near future due to their durability. ACOGs are not easy to break.
@@arc_4543 ACOG
ALL CASH OPTIONS GONE
super spendy.
You’re correct they are super tough.
If marines can keep them working, then it’s one tough ass optic.
Loved running the ACOG in the ARMY, loved the Eotech even more.
36/300 zero is the way to go in my opinion 25 yard zero about 1/2” high.
I've made nearly every one of these mistakes (except for not zeroing properly), but I don't necessarily regret making them. As a new shooter, you have to play around with different configurations before deciding what works for you. If you buy top of the line lights/optics/accessories every time you change up your configuration, you'll be spending boatloads. Play around with different options with some cheaper components until you find something that you like and works for you, and then shell out some good cash for quality components.
This comment needs more thumbs up
This is the exact thing I have done
Exactly. I intentionally bought the cheapest, most ridiculous all-in-one setup off Amazon when I first bought my AR. I wasn't looking for quality. I was just looking to see if I wanted to spend real money on a dot, a scope or even a laser, light ir laser/light combo.
Now on my Sig Cross .308 I have a big Vortex scope that cost more than my first AR did, on my original M&P Sport II I've changed out literally everything but the striped lower, bare upper and barrel but I'm running a 1-6x LVPO with backup itons that I love on that gun with a simple angled foregrip and light. Even changed out the grip, stock and every other part with lightweight components because it's my go-to rifle. Solidly dependable.
Other guns get other stuff. Like my Kel-Tec S2k got the full MCarbo treatment and a Stalk-tek laser. It's fun as heck, reliable, and can be folded into a backpack. It has a vertical foregrip just because the placement of the laser's pressure switch is ideal.
So, yeah, try cheap stuff so you learn what you like and then buy good stuff.
One thing he didn't mention in the video was the trigger. Biggest improvement to me was a good, single stage, light weight trigger. I'm now to a 3 lb pull on my AR and no gun is over 4.5 lbs in my safe. My groupings are far better that way.
As to keeping it level: he mentioned technique but I didn't catch the most important part: pull the gun into your shoulder. That'll keep you from getting bruised by larger caliber guns and keep the muzzle down.
Thought I knew everything until I watched this. Specifically the adjustable stock advice I found to be immensely helpful and everything else is right on the money. Great video
people can nitpick gear, but I agree, that stock setting info was great.
I went with the vortex Strike fire 2 for my red dot. Awesome optic for the price. I lost my turret cap and emailed the warranty department. They sent me 2 of them and a free hat, all for free. Best lifetime warranty hands down
My first red dot was sight mark, I paid 150 and the thing hasn't lost zero in 3 years, has night vision capability but the battery life sucks dick
What if you were in danger?
You may not be alive to use the warranty.
Buy good optics. I started with a Sight Mark.
@@NoNo_IStay Vortex strikefire was good enough for brenton tarrant
What's wrong with vortex?
Vortex is good for sure.
I joined the military without ever owning a gun, I got stationed in Japan and have been watching your videos since. These videos get me so excited to hop into the gun game when I get back to the states. MERICAAA!!
Hopefully you can still buy one when you get back
The traitors in our government, which is most of our government, are working hard to commit treason by dismantling the 2nd and many other amendments.
The politicians are globalists.
@@bundle420 Wouldn't that be a kick in the balls? Serve your country, protecting our rights, can't exercise them yourself when you get back to the States...
If it were up to certain SF Mil guys you wouldn't be able to when you get home....
Talk about cringe
I have a Sig Romeo5 for my M&P 15 Sport II, its not a bad little sight for the money. It was around $130 when I bought it, and it hasn’t let me down thus far. I’m hoping my LGS will offer a sale on Holosun, ever since using my buddy’s SCS-MP2-GR I’ve fell in love with it.
My first optic was the sig msr 1-6x on the same rifle
I had the exact same rifle and red dot as my first AR the Romeo5 is amazing for the money
Im glad you aid that because it looks as though this guy was dumping on the rifle completely at the end there. I dont have the money for Daniel Defense and $400 optics. That doesnt make my 2A commitment any less. (I have the same rifle/optic you have!)
I have the same rifle looking at that Same dot just bought a 407k holosun for my 43x mos
@@harrymallory7963i have no need for a DD. i’m not a super serious operator i’m just a casual shooters who’s tryna get good with a gun. not clear a room or be in a warzone
I got steel magpul iron sights for about 150 and they are amazing. Definitely best decision I made for my 300 blackout 7.5 inch
I’m so glad the choices were so much more narrow when I built my first AR in 2009. Bushmaster A3 Patrolman’s upper, Doublestar lower, milspec everything on the lower.
State of the art optics at the time was an Aimpoint Comp M3 on a cantilever mount, so that’s what it got. Arms #30L buis, Midwest quad rail & a Surefire G series light topped it off.
So few people had AR’s back then that any time I went to the range it was an attention grabber. Now it rarely gets taken out of the safe because I’ve built much, much better rifles that suit my current needs much more completely. But I’ll never get rid of her, she was my first & I’ll always have a soft spot for her, antiquated though she may be.
Funny back in 2009 ars were the most expensive gun you could have and aks were dirt cheap and saiga's and veprs just started getting popular.
Shit back in the early 90's we were mini 14 guy's because they were only 400 clams but I saved up my money and bought a colt for 1200! When I took that to the range everyone looked... now?... Not so much lol
Same! I even put a Bushmaster gas piston on mine. Worked at Tapco at the time so I kitted it out with their gear. Thing was ridiculous.
I consider myself lucky, did 9 months of research before setting up my first AR
I remember when everyone was running quadrail. 😂
that Glock specific frontgrip is killing me! For those who don´t know: Its designed to put on a glock, and if folded, the extension covers the Trigger, to act as a "Trigger Holster" to prevent the trigger from getting caught on something (Its designed to be used in conjection with a Stock, as a PDW kinda thing, so the Gun is maybe hanging from a sling, thus the triggerprotection may be needed)
The one saving grace I had as an AR-15 builder was I was a trained Unit Armorer - attending Small Arms Armorer course in the Army. And one of my buds was an actual trained Gunsmith and another a senior armorer.
Still I still had to learn on my own that not to cheap out.
And I always do iron sights first. Always.
But learning never stops.
Irons first, agree
This is a great vid for a beginner. Wish I would’ve had someone like this! I definitely made some of these mistakes 8-9 years ago when I got my first AR. The mistake I didn’t make was buying a crappy gun though. I wanted something solid, so I got a colt le6920 for my first ar and played around with crappy optics and scopes until I finally learned what makes a 400-500 dollar optic actually worth that price. Now I run an Eotech and have an even better rifle that I build (and still have the colt)
I think we ALL did this in the very beginning...but thats the fun of the journey. Me personally...every time i think about how bad my first 2 builds were (16" carbine, 7.5" pistol 2014) compared to the stuff im doing almost 10 yrs later, i get a really good chuckle. Then i smile inside because now i "get it" 🫡 keep learning
yeah I wish I watched a video like this when I got my first AR, learned most of it slowly though practicing shooting and getting a tip here or there. For a long time I only had iron sights on my first AR, and got a Sig Romeo5 as my first red dot, which is the bare minimum. I prefer Primary Arms Microprims now
I have had really good results with the Sig Sauer Romeo 5. Even after close to 5 years of use, it has not run into any issues holding zero.
I have two of them. One on my pistol Ar home defense and the other on my ruger 10/22 takedown
I beat the piss out of mine and it’s held up for 2 years.
I've had that 100 dollar sightmark for 5 years and hunted with it several times. Still holds true
Same. Got one on my AK and it has always held up.
Agreed. Mine went from my rifle to my pistol when I went with a prism sight on my rifle.
Could’ve been a Ruger, Bushmaster, or PSA, but y’all just had to pick on us M&P Sport II owners 😒
He's doing new Sport 2 owners a solid. If Lucas used an Anderson, most Sport 2 owners would think he didn't mean them.
YES. And?
@@olysean92 if we are being real, new gun owners probably are not buying an anderson lol
Thats the lower we buy and build just for the heck of it haha
The quality margins between higher end AR15's and Rugers, M&Ps, PSA's and Anderson isn't as much as you think.
Don't bring PSA into this lol. You don't see anyone torture testing a DD or Geiselle the way people beat up the budget guns that still shoot.
Great video liked and subscribed. For zeroing (perhaps this is mentioned below) you can also use a bore laser sight. I've done this for my rifle works great and saves on ammo. They' are inexpensive as well.
The backwards angled grip got me pretty good
Your needs out of an optic can change as time goes on. I have ran the same Vortex spitfire AR 1x for years and finally upgraded to one of the Primary arms 3x microprisms for a little bit of magnification. As new products hit the market it makes sense to grab stuff that fits your needs that maybe wasn't around for a decent price 5+ years ago🤷
I don't know when I got my first AR the first optic was an EOTech. This was back in 2009 timeframe. It was the huge one with the AA battery. I thought it was so cool but looking on forums the one optic that I was immediately interested in the Elcan. I was put off by the price at first but after some time I just got it. I've been using it for the last 10 years now and can't see myself using anything else since I like it so much.
Ran my Vortex Sparc 2 for 2500 rounds on an AR. Than switched it to my AK and ran another 1000 rounds + , what a great optic. Still holding zero.
True...mostly. I spent months finding a used Leopold at a sane price. The long discontinued VX2 1-4x is highly sought after. Not one company has made a 1-4X that light, before or since. It is a mere 8 ounces. Crystal clear and quite robust. Their newer "improved 1-4's are heavier and not as well made with glass, for the $400 price point being no batter than the old VX2's.
I would rather drive a nail through my foot than carry an AR with an Elcan on it. Or any LPVO weighing a POUND or more.
The ONLY exception would be the new(classified) military VORTEX LPVO with the integrated computer and laser range finder. THAT is what I call "cutting edge" of tech/
@@deplorabledave1048 My change was an increase from 1x to 3x and dropped 3.5 ounces if I remember correctly. So the change to modern made sense, that isn't always the case, that Leopold you got is a keeper!
@@breakdown7153
Indeed. When they 1st came out they were $400 notice count. Since they have been discontinued they they routinely sell for the same price on eBay. I watched for years until I found one for $230 right after Christmas when everybody is broke. And then 2 weeks later I found another 1 for $200 new in the Box . I had to buy that one too!
"This video brought to you by Strike Industries" lol
that one cuts deep😢
I like their dust cover, that’s it
They make some good stuff tho. I love their Ambi mag release and extended bolt catch
I only have a left eye so those little SI attachments make a huge difference for me
Their Glock 19 EMPs work better than Zev's in my experience. I'm just a case study of 1 though, so take that with a grain of salt.
When i got my first rifle shipped to my local gun store, i poked around there for sights. Got a set of backup polymer irons (they nicked them off of a glock conversion kit they had kicking around and sold the sights individually lol) and a fairly cheap, but good Sig Romeo tube red dot. Its held up, battery life is good, lots of brightness settings, and its friendly for my bad eyesight.
As an Unarmed Individual, ive always wondered how Zeroing worked, since your sight is aiming in a straight line while your round is travelling in an arc. thanks for the explaination
One of the things I'm learning as a new AR shooter (after growing up shooting shotguns) is that a 5.56 actually has little to no recoil. When we learned to shoot shotguns, we were always taught to pull the stock into your shoulder firmly otherwise you'd start getting bruised. I notice that I'm doing that when shooting my AR and I really don't need to. The stock seems like it's their to help steady the gun not transfer recoil into your body. Old habits.
Still good to hold tight. Well depends on ar. If its small and light like an m4 atleast yeah.
Little recoil but like 7 pounds it likes to shake
You need an AK haha, I’ve always shot 12 shotguns too so other guns don’t really bother me either
@@outdoorvideoswithbrad AK's are hardly hard recoiling either.
5.56 is only one AR round, there's many more and there's beefy ones that can hurt you.
@@StuninRub ya I never understand why people complain about recoil, I can back on target somewhat quick, I like my AK
Lucas. You're dead on in your conclusion. The purpose of the 2nd Amendment is to have the capabilities of a modern infantryman. Not many truly understand this statement and the rifle is merely a part of that.
He also called the ar-15 a "assault weapon" maybe he didnt know assault is verb not a noun. Fucking Larper....
We need tax stamped javelins and frags.
@@YahLovesYou86 tax stamp for what?
@@Sgunner88 I was joking, I actually do not think civilians should have rocket launchers and grenades or nukes.
@@YahLovesYou86 Then you’re not actually for the 2A then...
Very nice video, I totally agree with all your points....Also, I agree the Aimpoint P.R.O. rocks. It has great quality, is simple in design yet very effective. I also advocate Primary Arms 1-6x ACSS FFP Raptor for a decent yet cost effective LPVO. If you are going to go cheap, don't do it on your optics.
My first sight was a Vortex Strikefire II. Still have it and it's one of my favorites, and one my backup gun. Only about 200-250 rn I believe. I recently bought the cheapest 7.62x39 AR-15 known to man, a complete radical firearms. Other than receiver slop that was fixed with a set screw, and a heavy buffer to help with the overgassing it has been a great steel case eating machine for 400 bucks. I put a Sig MSR on it that I got on sale for 70 bucks. I didn't have high expectations for anything on the rifle, it was all as cheap as cheap gets. So far the MSR hasn't lost zero and has options for night vision that actually work pretty darn well for a normally 120-150 dollar sight. It has been accidentally stepped on, caked in mud, and accidentally kicked with steel toes as well (fell off the shelf). SIG's got a fan in me now. Might get a ROMEO 5.
Would love to see a ROMEO sight series review.
I got a sig reflex sight for a 120 rounds of 7.62x39 from a buddy and after putting that on my block II upper I haven’t dropped any money on another sight. Super solid sight. I would really enjoy having a UH-1 or a 4x32 Acog with the backup top sights just for shits and giggles
Strike fire is a terrible optic all around. The sig Romeo 5 is not bad but if your waiting for Lucas to do a committed review for one you're gonna be waiting a long time
@@oneballwizard406 I guess to each their own. I own a LOT of optics ranging from $20 on amazon to Eotech, Aimpoint, and Trijicon in the world of red dots. That strikefire has great eye relief, pretty indestructible, never loses zero, and doesn't glare much on high brightness.
Can't say the same for my CompM4, I broke it within 3 months. Had to get it warrantied. The new one doesn't hold zero very well. Infuriating that a near 1k optic that I was going to use for my battle rifle is a lemon product. I always hated aimpoint, their optics in the service were junk too. Yet so many people sing their praise.
I've never heard a single bad thing about the strikefire at it's pricepoint, what was your bad experience? I think looking at SIG products is smart, since they have been winning so many military contracts. Most SDMR systems out there right now use TANGO6 optics, and out of all the LVPO's out there it's been by far and away my favorite.
@@Wrenchingandnursing I can't talk I have a leupold freedom RDS, thinking about picking up the uh-1. I just think there is far better options for the price, just about anything from holo sun or primary arms is better
@@oneballwizard406 I can't say for sure about holosun, but I have a couple primary arms optics, and their red dots are lackluster. I liked their LVPO and scoped optics in general, but the red dots while being reliable and tough, have horrible eye relief and glare.
The dude playing the newbie had me rolling.
"Woww, that's a good one"
"And it's only 50 bucks? Hhhey dad"
When the sightmark goes on, it's gonna be a party
Best instructor on RUclips! Thank you for all you do!
My CMR30 and AR15 have the very inexpensive Feyachi red dots I'm pretty sure he's alluding to in the video (one of which is seen a few times and I'm almost certain that's it's select-able reticle shown). Even still, the one on the CMR has only started to drift after a bit over 1000 rounds as well as being tossed around in my car repeatedly (I switched between the CMR and my Sub2000 as my "truck gun" almost daily). The one on my AR is holding pretty well after about 500 rounds of a mix of cheapie 223 and better 556 rounds. My grouping is still solid and fairly well centered. Both have irons as backup sights in the event I leave an optic on and the battery dies. Don't count the cheap guys out, they have a purpose and just might surprise you.
same. bought a few. great for just shooting.
If they are great for shooting, they'll do the job for defense as well, especially since you won't have time to swap in an emergency. Feyachi actually makes decent low cost products.
Great video. Older videos concerning lights completely changed the way I set up guns. All of my weapons have them now.
The Sig Romeo 5X is my favorite entry level RDS. It’s durable and reliable.
Not sure if you're serious or this is a joke because Lucas has mentioned it sucks in the "Can you build a rifle under for $1000" video. I haven't had any issues with mine and it moves to new rifles as I get better ones, but I do know a few people who started "having issues with zero" after he posted that video. Kinda funny how that works.
Do not get this RDS if you have astigmatism fyi
I have a lot of budget rds my favorite is the bushnell tsr26! very durable for a cheap dot got it from psa for 99$.
@@Bordsteinstampfen_Yeshua lol you have a bad experience with the 5? Ain't great for mine either lol.
@@Fourty5 Lucas is an arrogant elitist snob who is upset that any optic under $500 can be good, which is why he hates the perfectly good and affordable Romero 5.
I'm not a first time rifle owner. But I am a first time AK owner and I love the "out of box" iron sites that comes with that system. Its quick and accurate. And if I get an optic I'm gonna keep those irons on for a reliable back up.
Can’t beat the reliability
I'm so glad that my AR-15 came with flip up front & rear iron sights. Only thing I've purchased for my AR-15 is a sling and extra magazines. Have owned it less than a week and haven't found a place to shoot yet. I've got time.
Lucas, I must say that I whole heartedly agree with your statement “buying your firearm for your 2A rights.” If you’re buying to exercise 2A, then it needs to truly be 2A capable.
aka it needs to be able to be put to service on a battlefield. 2A was literally to guarantee civilian access to weapons of war.
I worked at an indoor range and heres some of the common things that make my eye twitch: $15 optics with no riser on an ar, bipods with red dots, $10,000 worth of gear and zeroing a lpvo at 5 yds... we need more videos like this.
Enlighten me, what’s issue with bipod in conjunction with a red dot?
@@guins99 right I want to know the same thing lol
"bipods with red dots"
Are you people serious? Bipods and red dots? Do you guys know what the purpose of a bipod is? Do you know what the purpose of a red dot is? That's like putting Super Swampers on a Lambo. The whole point of a bipod is stabilization from prone for long range shooting. Red dots aren't for long range shooting. Yes, you can put magnifiers on there, but there are still better options out there than that, like any decent LPVO or prism scope.
"$10,000 worth of gear and zeroing a lpvo at 5 yds"
Those are the kind of people that, when shit hits the fan, are going to be referred to as 'loot boxes.'
@@stupidanon5941 “are you people serious”. Honest questions from people willing to learn shouldn’t earn such a shitty reply. Get over yourself joe hardcore…
I recently built my first AR and I order a $30 red dot from Amazon because it was next day delivery and I wanted to shoot. It zeroed perfectly and held tight groupings at a 100yrds. I’ve upgraded since but I was impressed
I mean, as a very temporary solution for range shooting its better than nothing. I guess.
@@Michael-ex8lk Some of the cheap red dots are better than you think and have lasted people quite a while. Holosun is pretty respected now and they used to be one of those 30 dollar red dot companies
thank you for that conclusion! Very well said and something that I tell people all the time.
first time buyer this year, went with a diamondback db15 and a small $300 holosun red dot and irons. simple magpul foregrip and a sling. im glad to hear i only went halfway nooby getting into rifles. its been very fun learning how to shoot and clean it so far
I love diamondback. Never used them for anything serious but I was really surprised by their quality for the price
My first ar was a diamondback 4 years ago. Honestly I love that gun and it never jammed on me or had any problems
I love Diamondback. The newest ones are looking to be even better than ever. They are not your highest dollar stuff, but also not a joke.
I love Diamondback. The newest ones are looking to be even better than ever. They are not your highest dollar stuff, but also not a joke.
@@jhutch1470 from what i researched about them, they seem still relatively new to the game as well but like this comment thread, i saw so many positive reviews for their db15 series. a friend has a db10, swears by it. it really convinced me so i went with diamondback. got the db15 for $700 and the only problem i have had is myself getting used to it.
i also REALLY like that their youtube channel invites potential customers to essentially meet them and their product. feels really down to earth and american made. left an impression on me without busting my wallet as a beginner.
Solid vid. Speaking of foregrips, a few years ago I seen a video with Travis Haley and he said a good way to find the proper location was to shoulder the rifle (stock properly adjusted of course) with your dominant hand/arm, close your eyes, and reach/grab the handgaurd with your support hand to the point that feels the most natural, and that's where your foregrip should be. It worked for me and a couple other people who I had try it 🤷♂️
That’s how we’ve always setup our rifles when we use a fire grip or lights. If it comes naturally you’ll do it without thinking when you don’t have time to think.
Thank you for a clear and concise on mistakes newbees make. I'm a newbee on a budget rifle, because I'm a working guy. I did upgrade w/functional aesthetics these were asked when I saw certain stamps of video. Your explanation was phenomenal. It really taught me a lot.
save up for that Surefire Warcomp flash suppressor... it'll make your rifle look dope.
Thanks! This is the best comprehensive video that I’ve seen to-date.
Thanks Lucas, this really helped understanding so much of the tech and mechanics without having to learn everything from scratch. I will say, in all my experimenting, at least I have NOT used channel locks on any weapon. Internally I screamed "NOOOOO!!!" when I saw those channel locks in action. Ugh, that was good theatrics.
In my experience the sig Romeo 5 and 7 have been great entry level optics
Agreed. It holds its ground against many mid tier red dot systems on the market. Very surprised he didnt mention Sig.
@@corey552 He hates Sig cause China...
Agree 💯 Romeo5 red dots are dam good for 125$ !!
same. love my Romeo 5's ... Iron sights align perfectly cowitness....on about every rifle whether primary on top or cantilevered on 308's
Bought a Romeo 7s from PSA for $114
My first build was a windham weaponry ar 15 with a cheaper red dot. Learned real fast about crap optics. When I built my black rain spec15 I went with top notch optics. I’d rather spend the money once than spend it over and over.
The 2A speech at the end was on point 🇺🇲
My first optic was a SIG Tango and it has treated me well. Great LPVO for a great price, held zero after removal as well
Bought my son a Tango and I use a Strike Eagle on my Grendel. Love the LVPO.
I just purchased one for my first rifle, glad to hear that it's not shit. haha
My son spent his birthday money on an Osprey gun show special.
$200 burned. We went to the range for his birthday. The vertical adjustment made a J. Never ever buy Osprey. I ended up buying him a vortex that day. It cost more than the rifle.
You can get a sig msr for $80, or a Romeo 5 for $120. On either one you replace the mount and you have a solid setup for cheap.
I was disappointed in battery life in my sig msr and Rome 5, then double disappointed and thought the Romeo 5 died. Ended up being the Energizer batteries I bought were all crap.
I did discover the msr gives me better fit with my astigmatism over the Romeo 5.
Like my Romeo 5 as well. Essentially, it's a rebranded holosun.
@@warrenharrison9490 I have both and can confirm that the msr plays slightly better with an astigmatism.
As far as battery life goes, I've left both on for months at a time and never had either die on me. The Romeo 5 has shake awake which helps
I have both, and run them on 22lr builds. I personally wouldn’t run them on anything other than a range toy. Also ran the MSR on a 6” pcc and it did fine.
Ended up going Vortex Corssfire II 1-4x24 put on a Leupold Mount. Paired with canted Iron Sights I couldn’t be happier.
Thanks! This video is just what I needed. I’ve been thinking about purchasing an A.R. 15. I plan on starting with iron sites and purchasing a mid tier assault rifle.
Imagine running the backwards AFG...
GFA
Saw it done on a Sci fi TV show, such cringe.
@Kyle G If someone wanted to follow US law...
Lmfao!
I can't say anything. My first AR was way too heavy with junk that wasn't necessary lmao
I’ve been wanting to purchase my first rifle for a few months now, but I decided to do research and look into these topics beforehand. I’m glad I did or else I would’ve wasted a lot of money down the road. I’m glad Lucas made this video for newcomers just like me and get this information out there. You’re saving money & informative.
Good on you for planning ahead.
Give yourself/save up enough of a budget to buy solid, meat and potatoes stuff. Vortex, Daniel Defense, Eotech, and Holosun have always worked well for me.
Your gun, your call.
The best optic I got for my AR-15 is the one I got initially SiG Romeo 5. An affordable but fantastic optic.
Primary Arms has always been a great budget company for weapon gear. Not as good as American made stuff but I have had it on my guns for over a decade now and they are getting quite good at what they do. Their red dots and weapon lights have been amazing for the last 8 years. MHO
And the lifetime guarantee doesn't hurt!
No love for Vortex Optics???
I've had one on one of my builds for years now and its always worked well.
Great customer service and warranty
I personally love Vortex. Mine have held up great and I'm extremely hard on them.
We all have to start somewhere as it goes for equipment, but training is essential regardless of what tier you're currently at. I still remember starting from Delton/PSA to now BCMs and Sig MCX Virtus or from Olight to now Surefire... Thanks Lucas! 🤙🏽
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So much hate on OLights lol. I still use them on my guns. Last thing I really need to change on them. But they work so no rushing to spend a ton of money on surefire.
Sig sauer red dot was around 200.00 when I bought my first red Dot a couple years ago.
@The Trashman well bro if I believed everyone and what they think I'd be as dumb as a box of rocks. I pay for what I buy nobody else if I buy cheap crap ,my bad if I do it again and didn't learn. Then I'm stupid. Though I'm not so take all with a grain of salt. Make up your own.
@The Trashman then don't joke. Put something in there to tell its paraduy.
You can also get close out or on sale red dots like a Burris, Athlon, Vortex, for 80 to 100 if you're in the right place at the right time. That puts it at or about the price of irons. I think we're living in a good time to buy affordable, fairly decent red dots.
Don't forget some Sig Romeos like the MSR. Not an EOTech, but they're affordable and reliable
I live in Germany and im a hunter. In the course taht we had to take before the test to get the license we got taught that hitting 4cm high on 100m is the best option for Germany. With that you have the 50/200 septup wich allows you to aim dead center at almost every piece of bigger game without worrying about the point of impact
I kind of like the method where you imagine you're holding your pistol and aim where you feel most comfy, then look at where and how far out your supporting hand is, and that GENERALLY is a good Ergo spot to put your forward grip.
I have had a vortex Sparc 2 on my rifle for about 3 years and over 2000+ rounds in it. Has kept the same zero the entire time. Love vortex.
I have a Vortex Sparc 2 Red Dot and it's an excellent first/budget/forever optic. I bought used from a friend for$100 and its on one of my favorite AR15s that I have over $2500 into not including Sparc 2.
I have to admit.....I have a cheap light on my rifle and it handles pretty well. We're through at least 2k rds and it still works.
That being said, I have two of them and the pressure switch on the other one broke *very* fast.
Your videos are always very well done and informative. I love how you always educate people on the true purpose of the 2A and what every day law abiding citizens should be spending their money on to be prepared.
Not new to rifles, but really good to review in any case. I think it's great for new shooters, and always no nonsense, practical use.
Also whats super funny is a lot of airsoft accessories if you buy decent ones are ones from regular firearms or are of a similar quality still using the fore grip and light from my airsoft days and they are holding up great
For my first AR, I had been carrying a Fenix hand light for a while and I basically bought rings that are small enough to fit the light, then I mounted that to a rail piece to my first AR. Then upgraded to Streamlight and then Surefire
I started off with that very same rifle. Upgraded the red dot to a sig romeo 5, later to an lpvo.
Changed the gas block to a low profile MI gasblock and handguard to a 15 icnh free float MI mlok handguard. A 2AA pencil barrel with a 1:8 twist with mid length gas system. Bcm stock, magpul grip, bcm bcg, added a inforce light and magpul handstop. Soon to be a bcm kag just cuz i wanna try it.
Looks bad ass, i got a compliment today from the gunshop. Told me im one of the few people who set their rifle up correctly and i did a perfext job installing everything.
Made me feel good.
You lost me at inforce
@@levihuckabee6407 is it a bad light?
@@James-cr5mc in my honest opinion yes. My buddy bought one (he sets up his guns like the one in the video) and compared to the streamlights, surefires, cloud defensive, and arisaka stuff it's garbage. Once you try a high quality light you'll never go back. An entry level streamlight is around $100 and honestly isn't too bad. I'm saving for an arisaka.
@@levihuckabee6407 ill have to check them out
@@James-cr5mc good luck brother
You can use irin sights with both eyes open too; just takes a bit more focus. Thus more training will be needed to be able to use both eyes with iron sights as second nature.
Have the m&p15 too. Holosun aems RD, Vortex mini magnifier, timney trigger, strike Industries handguard and safety. Magpul handgrip. MFT butstock. Streamlight. Harris bipod. B&T bipod adapter. Blacktrident sling. Barrel shortened to 10.5“…it’s my first Ar15
So I've seen the "Daniel Defense extendo-grip" jokes all over but having worked in the industry there is a simple explanation. It is done with a purpose. Most manufacturer's that include a grip of some sort simply put it in a rough midpoint of the rail. Most end users never customize it for optimum ergonomics and just leave it there. Hell, more than a few probably do not even know you can adjust it. DD places the grip at the extreme end of the rail so that you are forced to fit it to your needs as the individual shooter. Sure they could just throw it in the box and achieve the same ends, but can't include it in photos that way. You don't have to agree with or like the explanation but it is their thinking and in no way was the grip meant to be utilized in that placement....
I watch this channel to understand what to do and not to do. Thank God we are in the same body build so they seem to work for me every day
Good guy right here… careful on those depositions with the snake lawyers
Had to laugh after the drop around 8 min. I could see the flashlight wobble with each shot. Good video.
Super duper helpful. Many thanks!
Ive used the T-Rex zero targets before. They work pretty good for the 100yd zero actually. Those 25/100 designed zero targets work a lot better than the 25/50/200 designed zero targets in my experience.
For lights, I mostly stick to Streamlight.
The quality vs price seems to peak out there.
I would disagree. Streamlight are the lowest end of good but their candela leaves much to be desired. It can be said they do well for their lumens but a Cloud or a Modlite has substantially better candela which is the most important aspect of a light meant for identifying threats before ventilating them.
Agreed
Just bought my first Ar
Sigs Romeo 5 is just around 200 usd and it's amazing not bad for a starter red dot
Also comes with a high n low mounting plate
Pair it with the juliet 3 magnifier.
I don't own a sig Romeo, but my friend has one on a 30-30. It shoots good
I have had my Romeo 5 for over 2 years now and whenever I need to re-zero at 200, I am always impressed that it takes very minimal shooting to get it back to zero.
Makes me feel a little better about my first BCM 14.5 build with romeo5 and hlx light purchase in 2019.. that rifle now has a modlite and an ACOG! The build with a plan to upgrade is the way
The AR-15 accessory market is vast. Got my first AR 4yrs ago. It was an Aero build. I now have a safe full of AR rifles and accessories. It’s kinda addictive.
Does BCM sell a complete rifle?
@@danLTa1 I think so but I bought one of their complete uppers and built a lower! It was a zev forged lower actually!
I just came out of military service and the amount of guys running their foregrip at the dead front of the rail actually started to blow my mind, only me and few others had the common knowledge of ergonomics but the rest insisted their set up was best - full length stock and grip all the way out to the front. Started to get on my nerves XD
I played around with the location on my foregrip and stock to get them where they felt good before I screwed the front down. If I ever buy another AR I’m going to build this one for portability and lighter weight
ikr? it's so common with the "tacticool" clowns these days, it irks me as well. In the Army, we used a mid length foregrip (forearm at/near 45° angle), long enough for good support, but still short enough to tuck in and brace elbow on carrier for precise shots.
all these wacky foregrips, hold locations, overhanded holds, etc. might work for the weekend warrior youtubers; but ergonomics, comfort, support, etc. definitely take precedence when you're humping 90+ pounds of gear on a patrol engaging targets that actually shoot back...
@@wildbill6976 exactly, and then they wonder why their arms are fatigued way too fast and why their groupings are wider than the Nile is long.
I’m not the best at shooting, I don’t practice enough, but I set up my first AR with what felt comfortable. Lot of guys I served with were trying to give me 15 different things of advice about what should go where. But it feels like the ergonomics of a lot of weapons is fairly intuitive. The only thing I didn’t know was where was the best placement for an optic.
9:10 I love zeroing in guns to the dot. Spending the time to make it both precise and accurate feels good.
Great video! Super useful.
Please do the same video for plate carriers. I see tons of people with cheap stuff who don’t understand why it isn’t good. Keep up the great content
Hey thanks for your honest tips, …It so hard when you don’t have the space to zero your rifle.
My first red dot was a vortex strikefire lmao. Now i have aimpoints, eotechs, acogs, elcans, meprolights, and so on. Going down the rabbit hole has been awesome.
Great video, thank you!
My first AR was a bushmaster xm-15 A3 with the fixed carry handle and everything. Basically an M16A3 clone with all mil-spec stuff. I regret selling it now. It forced me to learn how to zero with those sights and actually get good shooting with it. It was actually like a 1.25" gun with most ammo. Even with iron sights having your rifle REALLY dialed in with a zero you understand is super important and makes you feel WAY better with your rifle. Hitting targets out to 500yds with iron sights is super satisfying. And helps you understand zeroing with optics later on IMO
I think this may have been the best video of yours that I have seen. Good job, Great information, have shared it with numerous civilian friends today.