AR Hunting Considerations

[Sugarbug]

So I may hunt with my AR this year. I have a Marlin 30-30 that I have yet to take a deer with so I might use that also... or split it up between the two. What special considerations need to be made for the AR (if any)? It's 5.56 I understand the "power" of the cartridge is limited. Just looking for advice.

 

[RStewart]

60 grain Nosler Partition over 24.2 grains of Varget. F-in-L has killed 4 in least 2 years with his AR. Avg shot was 100-125 yards. Heart/Lung shot. Farthest distance traveled after being shot- 30 feet.

 

[MikeR]

Buy a 6.8SPC upper for your AR and don't worry about it. Good to 350+yrds. Run some Hornady 120gr SSTs and have fun.

 

[Emperor]

Knowing from experience that I have had to try to find deer with no blood trail from my kids .243, I would probably not use the AR in your current caliber.

Now, that being said; my kid probably is not as accurate as you may be. So certainly that has alot to do with it. BTW, he has stoned some with it too with better placed shots.

My biggest objection is the lack of bloodletting on an imperfect shot.

IMHO: The 30-30 Marlin has been a deer killing machine in America for a long, long time!

 

[SGT_Kramer]

Get a 300 blackout barrel and you'll be gtg.

 

[sandman7925]

You want advise?











Keep using you're 30/30

 

[whitsend]

Buy a 6.8SPC upper for your AR and don't worry about it. Good to 350+yrds. Run some Hornady 120gr SSTs and have fun.

Get a 300 blackout barrel and you'll be gtg.

Which of these two?

I'm starting hunting with my my boys this year.
Thick woods, no shots over 100 yrds most under 75 yrds.

I do have a Mosin Nagant I can hunt with and my boys each have a SKS. So I may just hunt with these guns.

 

[GunRelated]

You want advise?











Keep using you're 30/30

This really depends on the area you are hunting. 30/30 is hard to beat for general Louisiana hunting, but if you might need to take a long range shot, this might not be the best option IMO. To me, 30/30 is more of a close-medium range / brush gun.

 

[craazyhoss]

Both of my children use .223 for deer hunting the furthest i have tracked is about 175 yards on a bad shot but had plenty of blood so no issue
The rifles my kids use have a better average than some of mine they have killed every deer that they have fired at and all have been bucks
So my thoughts are .223 ok Go for it

 

[Sugarbug]

Get a 300 blackout barrel and you'll be gtg.

Just the barrel? Don't need to change the upper?

 

[rabiddawg]

I killed a 195 lb 8 pt this year with my ar in 223. Knocked him on his butt at 130 yds with 55 grain gameking. So i say go for it but be mindful of its limitations.

For next year i will have a new ar in 6.5 Grendel. Im going with the Grendel because it out performs the 300 blackout and 6.8spc at long ranges. It uses an ar 15 platform(not ar10) giving me a lighter gun that uses ar15 mags and only requires a barrel and bolt carrier group.

 

[Bosco]

Just the barrel? Don't need to change the upper?

300 blackout uses all the same parts as 5.56 except for the barrel so if you have the right tools you can just remove your 5.56 barrel and install a 300BLK barrel and be good to go.

same upper same magazines same bcg. uses the same brass as 5.56 the only thing different is the bullet size. i'm tempted to pick up a dedicated 300BLK upper but i worry it will make things too confusing having both 5.56 and 300BLK.

 

[aard3]

Just the barrel? Don't need to change the upper?

I'd probably buy another upper, and install the 300 blk out in that... that way you can easily swap calibers... swapping a barrel each time would be a PITA!

Then when you get a little more dough, you could just buy another lower and you have 2 rifles.

 

[Sugarbug]

Thanks, guys. I had the option of selling my guitar and getting a blackout barrel or getting a reloading setup going. I think I will learn more/have more fun with the reloading set-up.

 

[MikeR]

If you're going to just do another upper, then might as well do 6.8SPC. It's flatter shooting and has more energy (with similar weight bullets) than the .300BO(Whisper/-.221/add rename badge to try to sell it again). The 6.8 does use it's own mags, bolt, and barrel (as does the 6.5G)...but you can get ammo for it at Academy, Cabelas, BassPro, in addition to many sources online. If you want a .30cal AR, look into the 7.62x40 (parts, ammo, reloading supplies available from Wilson Combat)...it uses 5.56 brass, bolt, mags, just a barrel change. The .300BO is OK if you want to do suppressed, but can't keep up with the 6.5, 6.8, or 7.62x40 when going supersonic.

 

[11Bravo]

Also Didley, your barrel is 1:7 so you can shoot the heavier pills in the 75gr. area that'll do nice work on the deer around here.

 

[aard3]

11Bravo is right, I throw 77gr SMK's out of my 1/8 barrel... and it's a tack driver. I'm not any expert hunter, so I can't comment on it's effectiveness... but I personally think that a heavy .223 would do the job.

Out of curiosity for you guys that are in the know..., is there any sort of limit to the magazine capacity for rifles during deer season? Someone asked me yesterday, and I didn't think there was, but honestly I never thought about it because I've never hunting with something like an AR-15 before.??

You selling that guitar made me sad...I already have a nice Taylor I never play, but I almost bought it anyway.

 

[MikeR]

There is no magazine capacity limit for rifles in Louisiana. You can hunt deer with a 100rnd drum if you want.

 

[rabiddawg]

I agree with the guys about the heavier 223 bullets doing the job. My barrel is a 1/9 and likes the 55 gr but not anything heavier.

 

[Sugarbug]

Yeah, I went with the 1/7 twist as it was suggested I'll have greater range in bullet weight.