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This is not entirely correct. Some folks have loaded .30 caliber M2 AP bullets onto .300 Win Mag cartridges and easily defeated Level 4 plates and still achieved 16+ inch penetration in ballistic gelatin. I would agree that this option is probably not a good course for the OP, as he appears to be a novice. However, in the hands of someone with a .300 Win Mag and the ability to handload, Level 4 armor is toast.
I personally don't know anyone who owns a 300win mag. And this is my point. I'm sure there's a ton of rare cartridges and wildcats that can defeat armor, but they are all cost prohibitive for bulk ammo for someone just starting out and you've pigeon holed yourself into a platform no one else is using.
.300 Win Mag rifles are readily available and not cost prohibitive. PPU ammo is listed on TS-USA at 85 cents per round. Two or three boxes of ammo will not break the bank. After that, all it takes is someone skilled in handloading, something that is well within the skill set of many people on this forum (not the OP obviously). The point I am making is that it is very easy to defeat Level 4 armor with .30 caliber ammunition without trying very hard.
This is not entirely correct. Some folks have loaded .30 caliber M2 AP bullets onto .300 Win Mag cartridges and easily defeated Level 4 plates and still achieved 16+ inch penetration in ballistic gelatin. I would agree that this option is probably not a good course for the OP, as he appears to be a novice. However, in the hands of someone with a .300 Win Mag and the ability to handload, Level 4 armor is toast.
.22LR rifle, probably 10/22 --> bolt action centerfire rifle --> semi-auto centerfire rifle. This will allow you to progressively grow as a shooter. The world's best and most accurate rifle won't be of any help to you if you don't know the fundamentals. So, start basic, learn, and have fun.
Also, aim points, etc? I would down play any complicated shit. a simple non-battery operated variable power scope will do just fine, and you will not be whining when the battery on your whizbang new thingie sight does not turn on in a pinch.
yeah, i had an AR with a fancy holographic site. Put it in the safe and kind of forgot about it for a couple of months. Then one day I needed it in a hurry, turned the tiny knob to ON, and nuttin' happened. battery dead. Sight was off that rifle later that day, and never made it back....Have you used a red dot before? The good ones are idiot proof and easier to use than a scope. I bought a Trijicon RMR this past March and all I needed to zero it was a flathead screwdriver, a target, and ammo. CR2032 batteries, the industry standard, have a practical use life of five years, but most people who use them on guns select an arbitrary date to swap out the battery every year. If someone can't swap out a battery once a year, that's failing basic gun maintenance 101. That's like not being able to clean a gun.
Now, granted, a LPVO would derive more utility, but if someone's trying to cheap out, a red dot would be easier to buy and use. But I'm not a fan of cheap optics no matter what the type.
yeah, i had an AR with a fancy holographic site. Put it in the safe and kind of forgot about it. Then one day I needed it in a hurry, turned the tiny knob to ON, and nuttin' happened. battery dead. Sight was off that rifle later that day, and never made it back....
Good call.I have to take the level 4 criteria out. Just not practical at this point in time for my skill level. I'm thinking AR10 with lots of practice.
yeah, you are right....i should have changed out that battery on a schedule....done more maintenance.Ok, so that's your fault then for not maintaining a gun that you knew you needed to be ready at a moment's notice. You failed to perform maintenance on a part on your gun. Don't blame a perishable battery that you know needs to be replaced for expiring. Batteries die - how do you not know that and how do you not know the battery life?
Maybe this was an older optic that had a shitty battery life, I don't know because Googling a "fancy holographic site" isn't going to yield many precise results. But changing a battery is an easy enough task that you failed to do. You also probably failed to read how long the battery's life was, which all manufacturers publish these days. The manuals come with instructions as to when and how to change the batteries. Reviews, videos, etc. also cut through any industry marketing bull.
In that scenario, OP has said he expects to be in the ground already, so you can have his batteryyeah, you are right....i should have changed out that battery on a schedule....done more maintenance.
but i am a busy guy, and have a LOT of other important stuff going on too. It is in my nature. Shooting and hunting is a hobby for me...it gets a lot more active when hunting season is starting, and a lot less active when it is not. I need guns that do not need a lot of maintenance....so no batteries for me!
i suspect the OP would be pretty cavalier about gun maintenance too....hence recommended something tried and true.
lets look at a true end of the world scenario...CVS/Walgreens is a faint memory...you have not seen a battery for sale in 4 years....mad max is driving down your street....stopping at houses and looting them....you look over at your rifle....it had better be a stout one! No foo foo crap
Well @G Port it's been a week. What'd you buy? Or do we need to arrange a group range day?