AR-15s Are Fun to Shoot

For the last 24 hours I have been focused on, and writing about, the GOP presidential debate. I spent three hours talking about it while hosting the Laura Ingraham show this morning. So now it’s time for something completely different. If you’re not interested in guns, skip this post.

Nearly a year ago, I ordered a custom-built AR-15 from Bison Armory. Since then, I have had a lot of fun shooting it. Long guns need to be shot outdoors, which in Minnesota means spring through fall. So last weekend, I went on one of the last expeditions of the year, along with my friend and fellow conservative/radio guy Mitch Berg. We went to Oakdale Gun Club, located on the Eastern edge of the Twin Cities metro area.

Mitch and I both like Oakdale, which is open to guests for most of the year. It has multiple ranges and a friendly atmosphere. The ranges are staffed by volunteers who are members of the club. On Sunday, we used the club’s 100-yard range. Mitch and I both shot AR-15s; mine from Bison Armory and Mitch’s which he built himself from parts, at a terrific price. In addition, Mitch brought a WWII-era Yugoslav rifle based on a Russian design, which is cool in concept but–no offense, Mitch–never actually seems to function. The gun Mitch built, on the other hand, worked like a charm.

This photo shows my station on the 100-yard range. You can see my rifle and the targets in the distance:

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You might think those targets would be hard to hit. Actually, not so much. This is one of my targets; I put all ten shots inside a 6″ circle at 100 yards:

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This is a testament to the quality of my rifle and scope, not to my skill as a marksman. Nevertheless, it is pretty cool to be able to do that. If you have never shot an AR-15 style rifle, you might consider doing so. They are fun to shoot.

If this post seems a bit elegiac, it is because the first snow flurries have already appeared, and I am not sure I will be able to get to an outdoor range again until next April.

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