The beauty of the 2nd Amendment is that I can exercise my rights in my preferred way. As can any other American. Could be skeet shooting, duck hunting, eliminating prairie dogs from pastures, bench rest competition, IDPA, plinking tin cans, elk hunting, Class 3 collecting, owning just one old wheelgun that’s kept in the bedroom dresser, ELR competition, ringing steel plates at distance, or an untold number of other options. I can choose to shoot once in a blue moon, or I can do my part to keep the brass and lead smelting companies wealthy.

I choose to practice and compete as much as possible, because I enjoy shooting and I want to perfect shooting skills. I like watching the curving trace of a bullet as it flies towards a distant target. I like watching my bullets splash on steel, and I like the audible tink of hits. Many people work hard to perfect skill sets, both as their vocations and as their hobbies – musicians, athletes, race car drivers, tradesmen, artists, doctors, or whomever.

I can choose to have my firearms in the form or finish that I desire. My rifles can be black as coal, shiny as a mirror, yellow like a school bus, Hello Kitty pink, Kryptek Highlander, or anything in between.

****
My first steel/tactical/precision matches were great introductions to competition. Mostly shot from prone, target distances were known in advance, target distances of 300-800 yards were common, often only 6 or 8 rounds per stage with one shot per target, relatively generous 2-3 MOA steel targets, and 3-5 minutes per stage. As competitors got better, near perfect scores pushed match directors to reduce the size of targets, to reduce the allowed times per stage, and to change shooting positions to less stable barriers.

Awhile back I attended my first full-on PRS match at the Zia range in Albuquerque, NM. Generally 10 rounds and 10 targets per stage, multiple shooting positions, most stages were shot from funky & unstable barriers, 90 seconds per stage on the first day, 75 seconds per stage for the second day. 2-3 MOA targets often in confusing positions, 20 MPH crosswinds, fine dust everywhere. I got my ass handed to me, but managed to finish middle of the pack.

The top military/LEO shooter at the Zia match was a sniper who just returned from the sandbox. He was in his early stages of training at Fort Benning to become a sniper instructor – and then back to the sandbox to share his knowledge. His training officer was sending him to a few steel matches across the country for additional experience. The sniper finished about 1/3 from the top position in this match – his first PRS match.

He seemed a little out of place during the match’s awards ceremony. As a newbie myself, I wandered over to thank him for his service and to shoot the breeze. He stated that he had no idea civilians possessed such advanced shooting skills, and felt he got his ass kicked. In his words, “If all the troops shot as well as you guys, there would be a lot fewer hadjis causing problems.”

God forbid that I am ever in a position to use a firearm against another human being. But if the need arises, I feel that both I and my firearms are up to the task.

Ernie Langdon told a story at class I took from him about his first competition. He was a Staff Sergeant (IIRC) in the Marines. A was really trained up and was an instructor with the premiere High Risk Personnel course. He said that he was for sure that he would crush these “old fat guys” at a local match.

They stomped him.

He laughed and stated that was the day that motivated him to get out of his comfort zone and improve.

We know how that turned out.

Anyone look at a sprayed rifle through night vision? I’m wondering if the colors are IR visible, or do they turn flat, or even worse shine.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Anyone look at a sprayed rifle through night vision? I’m wondering if the colors are IR visible, or do they turn flat, or even worse shine.

That was actually one of the reasons I took the spraypaint plunge. I noticed that the rifle stuck out even in the friggen dark. I have not been super critical of it through the NVG since painting it though. I'll have to prop a black and a camo gun up in the bushes, and look at them. I know some textiles are very bad about contrasting in the IR spectrum. I'd imagine certain paints can do the same.

After trying out a lot of different camo patterns, I have gone all in with the German Flectarn or its digital version. I have the Finnish version of Flectarn in a digital green and in winter snow.
I think most American hunting camo patterns are more marketing and less camo.
YMMV.

I did my hunting shotgun and it blended very well in the surroundings. It wasn’t fancy and loooked pretty meh when taken out of the elements. I feel like nowadays people are using camo to stand out rather than blend in. I looked for my pictures but think they were saved and deleted from my phone.

To the OP, if you want to make a good hunting rig to blend in, it definitely works with the right application of paint. If you just want a badass pattern with fun colors, ya sure you can do that shit too haha.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I think most American hunting camo patterns are more marketing and less camo.

Partly true for the best-selling "photorealistic" camos (Realtree/Mossy Oak/et al). Those brands are banking heavily on fashion appeal, marketing, popularity, and generational brand loyalty.

But there are also a number of very well-researched, well-performing American hunting camos from smaller manufacturers that tend to look more like military-style camo, with randomized disruptive macro and micro patterns. Some of these patterns that were designed for civilian hunters have also been adopted on a small scale by some military units.

In addition, keep in mind that camo that is effective against hunting prey is often very ineffective against humans. A prime example is the fact that deer/elk are unable to perceive orange (they don't have the necessary color receptors in their eyes), so breakup camo with a blaze orange base is effective against those animals while sticking out like a sore thumb to humans. Also, many hunting camo patterns are designed to work when the hunter remains stationary (like sitting in a stand/blind), while military camos are intended to provide a level of disruption even while on the move.

So it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, and a human's eye can't judge whether a pattern is effective against a deer/elk/duck's eye just by looking at it.

Did this one for my daughter a while back:

I don't have stills, but a short video with a painted rifle. It's neither evil nor black. Painted mini 14

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mlazarus,

My latest one. But most of my AR15s aren't camouflaged.



ARman

I guess I have the opposite problem. I ran across a good deal on a complete Colt lower. However, the previous owner had spray painted it in camo. How do I get the paint off and what can I expect the original Colt finish to look like underneath?

rambo

Acetone and a rag should work. I wouldn’t think it would affect the original finish, but you’ll need to oil it up afterwards.

quote:

Originally posted by rambo:
How do I get the paint off and what can I expect the original Colt finish to look like underneath?

I would expect the original finish to be impervious to any chemical paint remover. But you should probably try some on an inconspicuous place like inside the receiver. Acetone would probably work, but I believe other commercial paint strippers would be more efficient. As recommended, any steel parts should be oiled after the paint is removed to prevent rust.

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
Did this one for my daughter a while back:

That looks effective and aesthetically pleasing as well.

quote:

Originally posted by ARman:
My latest one. But most of my AR15s aren't camouflaged.


ARman

That looks nicely done. Is that black, gray, and sand color?

I've been following painting/camo threads for a long time now, but can't quite bring myself to rattle the cans.
Other options are simple earth-toned masking tape or cloth wrap; burlap is good--note how snipers often use such wrap on their painted guns to break up the actual visible shape of their guns.
What I really wonder about is how to effectively hide a gun from thermals? One shot and you have a beacon!

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by ARman:
My latest one. But most of my AR15s aren't camouflaged.


ARman

That looks nicely done. Is that black, gray, and sand color?

It's black, tan, brown, and green. The black is the rifle, I tore masking tape into straps and masked off what I didn't want painted (the iron sights), painted everything tan, and used cardboard pieces cut into shapes and sprayed the brown and green into gradient, and opaque, by spraying heavy to dusting the edges.

ARman

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
For some reason, YouTube started putting up videos of how to spray paint rifles. Supposedly, a black rifle makes you a target from far away.

I'm far from considering the idea of doing it because I have a lot more higher priority things to do. But I am curious how many of you do for that purpose of breaking up the silhouette.

And would you please post some pics? Thank you.

All of them.

This is just 1….