My basic training was with an M16A2 manufactured in the 80s and after a couple hours and ~100 rounds of practice I could group center with iron sights at 500y (457m) and that’s functionally the same gun. Effective range for an AR-15 should be the same 600y(550m) as the old M16s from the 70s and 80s, extended to ~1000y (914m) with extra training, better sights, and a match grade rifle
What’s weird is that I had way more accuracy with the M16 on pop-up targets than I’ve ever had with an AR-15. But AR’s are made by a variety of manufacturers, and I’m sure that some are better/more accurate than others.
Oh, it’s not even different manufacturers. Palmetto State Armory has a ton of cheap options, like if you bought a blemished set of their lower grade in 2014ish you could get a full rifle for $400-600, but they also had stuff in the $1500 range that definitely grouped better at 200y (which is the longest distance range I could find that didn’t involve giving money to the NRA which at no point am I willing to do)
Edited to add: my main point was that a 30 year old rifle manufactured well shouldn’t be that far off from a semi-sloppy modern manufacture, and if the reports that the rifle was stolen from his father are true I’d bias towards a nicer one since the same reports say he stole the rifle but not the sights and was firing without them
My basic training was with an M16A2 manufactured in the 80s and after a couple hours and ~100 rounds of practice I could group center with iron sights at 500y (457m) and that’s functionally the same gun. Effective range for an AR-15 should be the same 600y(550m) as the old M16s from the 70s and 80s, extended to ~1000y (914m) with extra training, better sights, and a match grade rifle
What’s weird is that I had way more accuracy with the M16 on pop-up targets than I’ve ever had with an AR-15. But AR’s are made by a variety of manufacturers, and I’m sure that some are better/more accurate than others.
Oh, it’s not even different manufacturers. Palmetto State Armory has a ton of cheap options, like if you bought a blemished set of their lower grade in 2014ish you could get a full rifle for $400-600, but they also had stuff in the $1500 range that definitely grouped better at 200y (which is the longest distance range I could find that didn’t involve giving money to the NRA which at no point am I willing to do)
Edited to add: my main point was that a 30 year old rifle manufactured well shouldn’t be that far off from a semi-sloppy modern manufacture, and if the reports that the rifle was stolen from his father are true I’d bias towards a nicer one since the same reports say he stole the rifle but not the sights and was firing without them