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Hunting with the M4


harleywood

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im not fimilar with the m4 , i have the m2 but with any gun first things first get a pattern at 30 yards or so put a small circle on it aim fore the dime size circle and see were the gun hits high low or right or littel to the left that is a good starting point then you know weather to shoot over it or under it or left or right then experiment some with the chokes fore sporting clays either skeet or improved , hope this helps some ,good luck and enjoy

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I know my M4 is spooky accurate at 100yds with slugs.

 

Mine came with the modified choke, and I have used it crow hunting a few times, it does as well as any shotgun I have used for this.

 

It would be as good as any semi for hunting, pending you have the model which can swap chokes.

 

Though, im not much of a hunter anymore and this is the only experience I have hunting w/mine.

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The gun can and will do whatever it needs to do ... it's capable of whatever.

 

The question, and limiting factor, is what you are capable of when using the gun.

 

If you get good with the gun it will do whatever you want it to ... I often just point shoot with my m4, as you would a pocket pistol. Once you get the feel of it, you can things pretty consistently without even using the sights.

 

The point is, it's all about how comfortable you are with the gun ... the gun itself is not the limiting factor. An 18.5 inch barrel is long enough to get full powder burn, so there is not real advantage to longer barrels besides weight, swing and confidence. With the right choke it will pattern as tight or as loose as any other shotgun. It can be filled to 9 rounds, and it never jams. The drawbacks ... it's heavy and lots of people suck at using rifle sights, so they miss and blame it on the gun, when really the fault lies with their usage of the gun.

 

If you want to destroy anything and everything with your m4, get an optic on top (like an aimpoint T1 in low profile mount) and you'd have to be blind to miss.

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Thanks for the reply, I was concerned that the short barrel would limit the guns effective range to about 30 yard or so. I was under the impression, maybe incorrectly so, the length of the barrel has a lot to do with the effective range of a shotgun. Longer barrels, 28", being effective to bring down birds out to 50 yards.

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Thanks for the reply, I was concerned that the short barrel would limit the guns effective range to about 30 yard or so. I was under the impression, maybe incorrectly so, the length of the barrel has a lot to do with the effective range of a shotgun. Longer barrels, 28", being effective to bring down birds out to 50 yards.

 

This is a common controversial issue.

 

Some people ignore all test data, logic and common sense and swear that longer barrels simply MUST produce tighter patterns ... the same type of people I suppose that think longer rifle barrels MUST make a rifle more accurate.

 

Others realize that modern shotgun powder burns very quickly, and that 18 inches is more than enough for a full burn and velocity to be reached. It's the same diameter barrel on the inside regardless of length, and maximum velocity has been reached regardless of barrel length. Longer barrels just add more length to the barrel while not giving any more velocity, stabilization, anything ... some even argue that longer shotgun barrels DECREASE velocity of slugs due to increased friction against the barrel after maximum powder burn has been reached.

 

The main factor is the choke, and finding the right one. There is a perfect ammo, barrel and choke for every shotgun, it's just a matter of finding what works and what doesn't. There really is no substitution for buying and trying ... the best choke for someone else may be a terrible choke for you, and from some accounts I've read sometimes full chokes pattern looser than modified chokes. It's all about matching the 3 items for the outcome that you want.

 

But no, you are certainly not limited to 30 yards with an m4 ... any more than you are with any shotgun.

 

PS - In rifles, longer barrels offer more "real estate" to properly stabilize a bullet, increased velocity due to a longer burn time (slower powder) and time before gas release, and often times longer barrels are made from stainless steel as opposed to being chrome lined, which can make a huge difference. However, none of these things necessarily mean that longer barrels will be more "accurate" ... if you have a quality stainless 12 inch AR15 barrel and a quality 20 inch stainless AR15 barrel, if the short barrel has the twist ratio and length to stabilize a round it likes, it's very possible that they could shoot identical groups, the short barrel will just have less velocity and thus more drop compared to the longer barrel. That's the main reason why most long range guns use longer barrels ... it ensures that stabilization can occur with a wide range of bullets, and the increased velocity means that less drop occurs, and thus a greater chance of hitting your target due to less adjustment needed.

 

In a shotgun however, this doesn't apply. The only advantage to long barrel shotguns, as previously stated, is that they are more "user friendly" to hit things with ... long barrels inspire "shot making confidence" it seems, they swing and balance well, and the longer distance between the sights means that it's easier to line up and hit things. These are all user related things though ... the actual gun is just as capable, it's just harder for the user it seems. Once you get used to using an 18 inch barrel, you realize that you are just as capable with one as you are with a 28 inch.

 

Slug barrels perhaps change things, but the m4 has no slug barrel, so I digress.

Edited by Duggan
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Duggan - "The drawbacks ... it's heavy and lots of people suck at using rifle sights, so they miss and blame it on the gun, when really the fault lies with their usage of the gun. "

 

Ahhhhh, well said - It's a poor carpenter who blames his tools.......

 

 

Mg

Edited by Mike Grasso
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