I have been a hunter and AR owner for quite some time. I usually hunt with a Remington 700 SPS Stainless chambered in a .270 Win but wanted to change it up a bit and use an AR. I hunt California Mule deer (genetically very small) and wild pig at ranges up to 200+/- yards . I am conflicted on what caliber to use.
I plan on building and AR on an Areo Precision M4E1 (AR15 pattern) receiver set. I reload so “Wildcat” rounds are doable. These are the calibers I have been contemplating, in no particular order; 6.5Grendel, .277Wolvirine, 6.8SPC, 6mm-223. This AR will be strictly used for hunting so I plan on a 16” possibly an 18” barrel with a 3x9x40 scope.
What AR15 calibers have you used? Feel free to offer suggestions on other calibers I didn’t mention that you think would work. Thanks for your input.
My thoughts:
Unless I’m hunting from a fixed position (blind/stand), which I seldom do- the AR10 cartridges/weapon are out.
One of the attractions to the AR15 and it’s cartridges is lighter weight and “handier”.
I have no experience with the 6.5 Grendel, but it appears to be a front runner of the rds. you mention in my book.
You have experience with a .270.
Your not gonna find an AR15 pattern gun that will shoot as flat, using as heavy a bullet as your .270. Everything’s a trade off.
To do so you’ll need to step up to an AR10 sized gun.
My experience is just with 5.56 and .300 Blk. in an AR 15.
Both will kill our Whitetail. Both are 200 yd. cartridges with adequate bullets/velocity from what I’ve experienced.
The .300 Blk. hits harder, using Supers- within its range limitations.
I have a 6.5 CM / AR10 carbine. It shoots lights out, but kitted it has to weigh 12 lbs.+.
I will not be lugging it through the hills this season.
6.8 SPC is great for 50-250 yards, much more zap than a .300 Blackout. If you’re going with a 16-18" barrel then that’s going to beat most options out there. 6.5G does best with a 20" barrel or more which will still be reasonably light but just a little longer.
For what it’s worth. I don’t handload MUCH. I can, but I’d rather shoot than load.So for me, I’m shooting factory. I had a 6.8SPCII Noveske that would never do better than 1moa. Not that 1moa is bad, but I have several rifles that are comfortably sub minute. I tried about 10 different loads. Accuracy was always “meh…”That was a Noveske barrel too. Never impressed me, so I moved it. I have seen and shot a couple 6.5G that were VERY accurate. Was mine a sample of one? Yes. Did it turn me off to 6.8SPC? Yes. I’d definitely go 6.5G. Higher BC, and I’ve heard about much better accuracy with that round.
Both 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel would work fine for your purposes. Barnes offers the TSX and TTSX bullets in weights/construction appropriate for them.
It took more effort to find a load my 16" Bison Armory 6.8 barrel likes than I was expecting, but it does well enough. I haven’t taken game with it yet, but
I have no doubt that it’ll do the job.
I’ve had good results with Barnes 120 gr TSX’s and, to a lesser extent, 120 gr TTSX’s and IMR 8208 XBR in 6.5 Grendel. 3/4 MOA 5-shot groups at 2475 FPS out of a 18” barrel. These should be good for a smaller deer species out to moderate range.
I have heard really good things about arp barrels. Toolcraft offers a quality BCG for great price if you haven’t picked one up yet
Since this is a hunting rig you will probably want a better than milspec trigger. Larue MBT is only $87 through Christmas and is an awesome trigger. Very similar in feel to Geiselle SSA for a fraction of the cost
I have used 5.56 on about 5 hogs over the past few years. I have a had great success with bonded and monolithic copper ammunition. All shots were within 100 yards…shot placement was either at the base of the ear or at the crease right behind the elbow on quartering away shots.
As long as you use appropriate ammunition and take well placed shots within the effective range on your caliber of choice, all of the calibers mentioned here will be effective on medium sized game.
For long range mule deer hunting the 6.5 grendel would be a decent choice. It holds 1000 ft lbs of energy out to 300 yards.
Yup if you can put it where yer aimin doesn’t really matter at those distances. have not had time to hunt this summer, but in a 6 week stretch of may june 41 hogs with ak round a supposedly inferior hunting caliber in many circles. largest was 310 lbs and longest 191 yards recovered every hog. can’t wait til bow is over so i can start thermal patrol again.
150gr 300blk is ballistically a 30-30 with less drop. packs a good punch out to 400, which is the distance a friend proved to me, and my wallet, was well within the 1 shot and drop range for 300blk. If you hand load 300blk you can make the 150gr hornady RN ammo work in it and have a pretty nice 30-30 equivalent autoloader with less recoil brush gun
Yup Wolf 125 SP. The HP flavor works great too bought some on the super cheap for range steel and had half a mag left one night b/f we went to thermal some hogs couldn’t have been 20 minutes later I was standing over 2 fat sows drt first one head second double lung