Looking at ARs for hunting. What to know?

[Sanderguy777]

AR10 as a hunting rifle may be just fine so far as caliber choices go but those rifles are generally quite heavy so probably not the best for stalking the wilds. Maybe if you can drive up to a shooting house and set up over a greenfield that's not an issue. Personally I use 7.62x39 for AR hunting and would be perfectly happy with 6.5 Grendel or one of the new 6mms (I think the jury is out on the legend lines. The moment Midwestern states drop the straight wall requirement those cartridges will fall from favor.)

I agree with the Legend assessment. The only thing is if someone wants a 30-30 in their AR.

Ar10 I like, but weight is definitely a factor

 

[Sanderguy777]

Anyone have experience with Aero Precision or PSA (or PWS for that matter) as far as customer service goes?

PSA just puts me in an endless loop ok the phone and chat with their "liberty" bot. Only liberating thing about it is how it's liberating their pocket book from hiring staff to answer phones LOL

AP just have a chat feature, qhich I've had no luck woth either.

 

[InTheSwamp]

You can call AP.

253-272-8188

 

[Ranger99]

AR10 as a hunting rifle may be just fine so far as caliber choices go but those rifles are generally quite heavy so probably not the best for stalking the wilds. . . .

Yes
Yes they are very heavy compared to
the 80's and 90's vintage AR's I've
used. An acquaintance uses one for
hunting, but mainly as a novelty and
to be different from the rest of the
group.
I've never hunted with one, so I can't
make a judgment

 

[Necessary_Nutrient]

I'll echo what others have said. If you want just one lower, go with any standard AR15 lower. There are plenty of calibers that fit the AR15 that are good deer rounds out to 300 yards. I would recommend a 223/223Wylde/5.56 upper for general target shooting and some small varmint hunting. You won't go wrong with the 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SCP for deer sized game. The 6.5 Grendel is the most common the three as far as finding ammo goes. But the 6 ARC is readily available now days. While 6.8 SPC is a good round, ammo is going to harder to find.

Our local Scheels has 6 ARC, 6.8 SPC and thats it, no 6.5 Grendel.

The only difference between 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel shooters is that one group thinks their round “won” while the other knows that both of them are now reloader-only specials.

Both groups can confidently predict that 6 ARCs flavor-of-the-year status is temporary and it, too, will suffer the same fate- unless the manufacturers and gun writers/YouTubers decide they don’t want to profit from the buzz of the next great thing

 

[12Bravo20]

Our local Scheels has 6 ARC, 6.8 SPC and thats it, no 6.5 Grendel.

The only difference between 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel shooters is that one group thinks their round “won” while the other knows that both of them are now reloader-only specials.

Well it depends on what part of the country you are in. I am in Missouri and there is plenty of 6.5 Grendel ammo at just about every outdoors/sporting good store. I couldn't tell you the last time I have went to Academy Sports, Bass Pro Shop, Cabela's, or Graf and Sons Reloading and they did not have 6.5 Grendel ammo in stock.

I haven't seen much if any 6.8SPC ammo in stock in all the above listed stores in quite some time. Graf's has usually done a decent job of keeping 6mm ARC in stock in the last few months. It's nice living 20 minutes from Graf's and 55 minutes from MidwayUSA. There is also a Bass Pro and Academy located in the same city as Midway.

 

[BushMaster-15]

That's pretty cool! Yeah, .308 is definitely a better starting point than .223. The only thing I'm thinking is that maybe the ar15 is a more versatile platform than the ar10. I like the AR10 offerings a little better, but I only need .308 OR 6.5 CM, not both. And I don't need anything more than that (maybe .243, but probably not).

The ar15 platform gives me .22LR, .223, and 6mm ARC. all three are cheap, capable cartridges that are perfect for targets, varmints, and whitetails. The ar10 basically starts out at whitetails and moves up. And I didn't find nearly as many offerings for mods and caliber changes as the ar15. I really just need to figure out what the hunting ill be doing is like, before I really choose.

I only mentioned those two as a Barrel is ALL you need to change calibers . So 6.5 precision and .308 HP ,is pretty sweet , uses same BCG also .

AR 10 platform calibers :

• 243 Winchester
• 6mm Remington
• 6mm Creedmoor
• 6.5mm Creedmoor
• .270 Winchester Short Mag
• 7mm-08 Remington
• .308 Winchester
• 7.62x51mm NATO
• .338 Federal
• .450 Marlin

Now " IF " you're looking at magnums ?, Then a Bolt action AR might be better suited for those larger calibers, you can find a bolt action AR10 upper receiver that can accommodate those larger rounds such as the .300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, the .338 Lapua Magnum, among others.

I know several States WON'T allow .22 caliber for Deer but You know MO. better than I .


https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/building-the-lightest-ar10-ever.822282/ AR 10 platform heavy ??,News to ME !.

 

[InTheSwamp]

@Sanderguy777

Walk the Talk!...This thread has enough information to hunt anywhere with an AR rifle.

 

[Hunter 08]

The .223 will do fine with the right ammo. Just keep in mind, what is sold as deer ammo for it, might not be the best one. Anecdotally, for whatever reason some varmint rounds do better on white tail deer than some of heavier ones that are recommended. Just know the limitations of the caliber, rifle and most importantly YOU. I have a PSA PA10 that I just got and I plan on using it out here in Nebraska deer season 2024. You can buy the upper and lower separately and have a complete rifle for less than $800 even as low as like just a bit north of $500 or so. It is far cheaper to buy them separately to avoid the 11% completion tax.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Can't speak to Varminterror's experiences obviously but I have had similar good result using the Hornady AMAX and ELD-M's and Berger Hybrids in 6.5mm and .308 but had subpar results using the Sierra Matchking in 6.5mm, used it on two deer and three hogs and it performed perfectly on one of the deer and one hog, the other three seemed to pass through without expanding.

I think this is why the SMK is approved for war use as it technically not designed to expand or fragment but most of the time it happens to do so at higher velocity impact.

 

[Mstafford88]

Here in Va you can’t hunt deer with a .223. I love my 300blk. It’s a whole different bear and has a vast array of bullet types/uses (subsonic, super, long-ish and short range). And also plan on doing an AR-10 308 build. 300blk is same everything as the 223 minus the barrel.

I was having trigger group issues out of the 300 and simply swapped the lower out for a bit. Just my 2¢. Lots of good info here tho

 

[Hunter 08]

Forgot to add one important thing, check your state regulations or whatever state you plan on hunting in. Nebraska for example allows semi auto rifles for hunting but we are limited to just 7 or so rounds for the magazine. Bolt, etc no limit far as I'm able to find.

 

[Sanderguy777]

You can call AP.

253-272-8188

Thanks! I did chat with a guy there and I'll likely be getting my upper and lower there. At least the lower.

Isn't AP a pretty decent brand for stuff? Obviously not Geissele quality, but plenty good for the lower, and probably for the upper.

Yes
Yes they are very heavy compared to
the 80's and 90's vintage AR's I've
used. An acquaintance uses one for
hunting, but mainly as a novelty and
to be different from the rest of the
group.
I've never hunted with one, so I can't
make a judgment

Wait, 80s and 90s ar10s are lighter than modern ones? That's not what I'd have expected...

Our local Scheels has 6 ARC, 6.8 SPC and thats it, no 6.5 Grendel.

The only difference between 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel shooters is that one group thinks their round “won” while the other knows that both of them are now reloader-only specials.

Both groups can confidently predict that 6 ARCs flavor-of-the-year status is temporary and it, too, will suffer the same fate- unless the manufacturers and gun writers/YouTubers decide they don’t want to profit from the buzz of the next great thing

The thing about the 6mm is that it's supposed to give better performance from the ar15 platform, performance nearer .308. Obviously physics is a thing, so it can't match it, but it does a better job than .223. And because of that, I figured it would be around and more popular.

Now I found out the MX7 or whatever new battle rifle from Sig is coming out in 6.77 sig fury. I want that but I don't have $2500+ to make that dream happen. So my 6mm idea is probably out the window.

Well it depends on what part of the country you are in. I am in Missouri and there is plenty of 6.5 Grendel ammo at just about every outdoors/sporting good store. I couldn't tell you the last time I have went to Academy Sports, Bass Pro Shop, Cabela's, or Graf and Sons Reloading and they did not have 6.5 Grendel ammo in stock.

I haven't seen much if any 6.8SPC ammo in stock in all the above listed stores in quite some time. Graf's has usually done a decent job of keeping 6mm ARC in stock in the last few months. It's nice living 20 minutes from Graf's and 55 minutes from MidwayUSA. There is also a Bass Pro and Academy located in the same city as Midway.

Interesting. Makes sense though.

I only mentioned those two as a Barrel is ALL you need to change calibers . So 6.5 precision and .308 HP ,is pretty sweet , uses same BCG also .

AR 10 platform calibers :

• 243 Winchester
• 6mm Remington
• 6mm Creedmoor
• 6.5mm Creedmoor
• .270 Winchester Short Mag
• 7mm-08 Remington
• .308 Winchester
• 7.62x51mm NATO
• .338 Federal
• .450 Marlin

Now " IF " you're looking at magnums ?, Then a Bolt action AR might be better suited for those larger calibers, you can find a bolt action AR10 upper receiver that can accommodate those larger rounds such as the .300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, the .338 Lapua Magnum, among others.

I know several States WON'T allow .22 caliber for Deer but You know MO. better than I .


https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/building-the-lightest-ar10-ever.822282/ AR 10 platform heavy ??,News to ME !.

Very good info to know! I might be more interested in that route now.

The .223 will do fine with the right ammo. Just keep in mind, what is sold as deer ammo for it, might not be the best one. Anecdotally, for whatever reason some varmint rounds do better on white tail deer than some of heavier ones that are recommended. Just know the limitations of the caliber, rifle and most importantly YOU. I have a PSA PA10 that I just got and I plan on using it out here in Nebraska deer season 2024. You can buy the upper and lower separately and have a complete rifle for less than $800 even as low as like just a bit north of $500 or so. It is far cheaper to buy them separately to avoid the 11% completion tax.

Good to know. I am really leaning towards a cheap lower and quality upper at the moment. Really depends on what I need to do to hunt, because if I need expensive optics, I'll have to scimp on the rifle a little more. If open sights are good, then I don't need to worry.

Here in Va you can’t hunt deer with a .223. I love my 300blk. It’s a whole different bear and has a vast array of bullet types/uses (subsonic, super, long-ish and short range). And also plan on doing an AR-10 308 build. 300blk is same everything as the 223 minus the barrel.

I was having trigger group issues out of the 300 and simply swapped the lower out for a bit. Just my 2¢. Lots of good info here tho

Good to know about 300AAC. I might do those two if I can't find a cheap enough upper for 6mm.

Forgot to add one important thing, check your state regulations or whatever state you plan on hunting in. Nebraska for example allows semi auto rifles for hunting but we are limited to just 7 or so rounds for the magazine. Bolt, etc no limit far as I'm able to find.

I don't think there are any limits in MO. But I can ask for sure.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Thanks! I did chat with a guy there and I'll likely be getting my upper and lower there. At least the lower.

Isn't AP a pretty decent brand for stuff? Obviously not Geissele quality, but plenty good for the lower, and probably for the upper.


Wait, 80s and 90s ar10s are lighter than modern ones? That's not what I'd have expected...


The thing about the 6mm is that it's supposed to give better performance from the ar15 platform, performance nearer .308. Obviously physics is a thing, so it can't match it, but it does a better job than .223. And because of that, I figured it would be around and more popular.

Now I found out the MX7 or whatever new battle rifle from Sig is coming out in 6.77 sig fury. I want that but I don't have $2500+ to make that dream happen. So my 6mm idea is probably out the window.


Interesting. Makes sense though.


Very good info to know! I might be more interested in that route now.


Good to know. I am really leaning towards a cheap lower and quality upper at the moment. Really depends on what I need to do to hunt, because if I need expensive optics, I'll have to scimp on the rifle a little more. If open sights are good, then I don't need to worry.


Good to know about 300AAC. I might do those two if I can't find a cheap enough upper for 6mm.


I don't think there are any limits in MO. But I can ask for sure.

Aero Precision is pretty darn good. I just put a gas block and tube from them together for my 6.5 creedmoor swap on my AR10 and they were very tight fitting... Can't say that with most other AR gas blocks/tubes I've put together in the past.

 

[12Bravo20]

Here in Missouri, 223 is legal for deer and there is a magazine capacity limit. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber for a total of 11 rounds during deer season.

 

[Sanderguy777]

Aero Precision is pretty darn good. I just put a gas block and tube from them together for my 6.5 creedmoor swap on my AR10 and they were very tight fitting... Can't say that with most other AR gas blocks/tubes I've put together in the past.

Good to hear.

Would it make sense to upgrade the upper to something else, or is that going to cost double for very little upgrade?

Here in Missouri, 223 is legal for deer and there is a magazine capacity limit. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber for a total of 11 rounds during deer season.

Oh, ok. Good to know. I didn't see that in the regs, but I probably missed it (they aren't exactly mobile friendly LOL)

 

[bearcreek]

Here in Missouri, 223 is legal for deer and there is a magazine capacity limit. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber for a total of 11 rounds during deer season.

Gotta wonder about the folks making these rules sometimes. Seems kinda pointless to bother with a capacity limit at that point.

 

[Sanderguy777]

Gotta wonder about the folks making these rules sometimes. Seems kinda pointless to bother with a capacity limit at that point.

10 rounds just limits you to missing half a box of ammo, instead of the whole drum man's worth, I guess

 

[12Bravo20]

Gotta wonder about the folks making these rules sometimes. Seems kinda pointless to bother with a capacity limit at that point.

That is what happens when bureaucrats make the rules. I feel the same about the 3 round limit for shotguns too. Most shotguns hold 5 or 6 rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber yet we are restricted to two in the mag and one in the chamber.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Good to hear.

Would it make sense to upgrade the upper to something else, or is that going to cost double for very little upgrade?


Oh, ok. Good to know. I didn't see that in the regs, but I probably missed it (they aren't exactly mobile friendly LOL)

Well If your getting a 308 or 6.5 creedmoor AR, (even 5.56 or 300blk) I'd just get all Aero Precision stuff and be done with it. It's what I should have done with mine but in 2021 AR10 stuff was unobtanium lol. So I had to find bits and pieces here and there...

 

[Sanderguy777]

Well If your getting a 308 or 6.5 creedmoor AR, (even 5.56 or 300blk) I'd just get all Aero Precision stuff and be done with it. It's what I should have done with mine but in 2021 AR10 stuff was unobtanium lol. So I had to find bits and pieces here and there...

Why? Is it just that good that it doesn't make sense to get a better brand?

Or are you saying that it's good enough, and I should only upgrade things that I feel could be better? Like if I decide I want a better trigger or something.

 

[Ranger99]

. . .Wait, 80s and 90s ar10s are lighter than modern ones? That's not what I'd have expected...

Woops- should have been specific.
80's and 90's AR15'S

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Why? Is it just that good that it doesn't make sense to get a better brand?

Or are you saying that it's good enough, and I should only upgrade things that I feel could be better? Like if I decide I want a better trigger or something.

The latter point is what I mean. Like it should be more than good enough for hunting and shooting targets at modest range. A nicer trigger like a Larue MBT would be a nice upgrade for 90 bucks. According to the Internet it's Basically just as good as a Geissele but wayyy cheaper lol. I've got one in a AR-15 Aero Precision lower and it's really nice feeling. I haven't used a Geissele trigger myself personally but I've head online that they are pretty close.

 

[Sanderguy777]

Woops- should have been specific.
80's and 90's AR15'S

Ok, now it's my turn. Are modern ar15s heavier than the old ones?

Or did you mean that modern ar10s are heavier than old ar15s?

The latter point is what I mean. Like it should be more than good enough for hunting and shooting targets at modest range. A nicer trigger like a Larue MBT would be a nice upgrade for 90 bucks. According to the Internet it's Basically just as good as a Geissele but wayyy cheaper lol. I've got one in a AR-15 Aero Precision lower and it's really nice feeling. I haven't used a Geissele trigger myself personally but I've head online that they are pretty close.

I'm really liking the AR10 stuff from Aero Precision. Even full price, it leaves me with a couple hundred for ammo. Even getting an upper from BCA and lower from aero would be about $700 for 6mm. It would be significantly more to upgrade from that level from what I've seen. One upper I saw was $1500, just for .223 Wylde!

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

Ok, now it's my turn. Are modern ar15s heavier than the old ones?

Or did you mean that modern ar10s are heavier than old ar15s?


I'm really liking the AR10 stuff from Aero Precision. Even full price, it leaves me with a couple hundred for ammo. Even getting an upper from BCA and lower from aero would be about $700 for 6mm. It would be significantly more to upgrade from that level from what I've seen. One upper I saw was $1500, just for .223 Wylde!

Yes it would be a good idea to spend money on a decent scope and ammo than a super expensive barrel and trigger and such.