AR15 for hunting deer

kstone803 · Nov 26, 2017

Edit, wrong AR hunting thread. But FYI anyways

I just shot a basket rack through the neck with an 18 inch SPR build and 62 gr fusion handloads and he didn't move an inch from where I shot him except for a few twitches. Second year taking this rifle out, first kill. Must say it's working pretty well so far.

lazarus · Nov 26, 2017

kstone803 said:
Edit, wrong AR hunting thread. But FYI anyways

I just shot a basket rack through the neck with an 18 inch SPR build and 62 gr fusion handloads and he didn't move an inch from where I shot him except for a few twitches. Second year taking this rifle out, first kill. Must say it's working pretty well so far.

Nice! I don’t expect I’ll have my 6.5 Grendel 18” build done AND able to get it to the range before I head to western MD for the last couple of days of gun season. I’ll probably take my Sako .308 and 20” .223 wylde AR-15. I haven’t taken anything with either and my plan is once I retire something with the Sako (165gr PPU PSPBT rounds as they shoot less than 1MOA) Hunt with the AR-15 and 75gr gold dots.

Late season I am doing Delmarva and I plan to take the Sako and the 18” 6.5G build.

kstone803 · Nov 27, 2017

lazarus said:
Nice! I don’t expect I’ll have my 6.5 Grendel 18” build done AND able to get it to the range before I head to western MD for the last couple of days of gun season. I’ll probably take my Sako .308 and 20” .223 wylde AR-15. I haven’t taken anything with either and my plan is once I retire something with the Sako (165gr PPU PSPBT rounds as they shoot less than 1MOA) Hunt with the AR-15 and 75gr gold dots.

Late season I am doing Delmarva and I plan to take the Sako and the 18” 6.5G build.

That's exactly what I do. Hunt first with the .270 until I kill one then pull out the AR so I can wait for the right shot. Luckily this year I got 4 opening day so the 5th with the AR was a bonus.

lazarus · Nov 27, 2017

kstone803 said:
That's exactly what I do. Hunt first with the .270 until I kill one then pull out the AR so I can wait for the right shot. Luckily this year I got 4 opening day so the 5th with the AR was a bonus.

Jeez! Getting greedy. Send some my way :lol2:

My neighbor was telling me it was deer central back in the park open day. He had 4 come down the pipeline, blocked by vegetation and then a buck had 3 does trailing after it. As he put it “a BIG guy”. Never seen a doe following a buck before.

They walked by at 75yds.

Archery hunting only back there. I need to get back out. With SOMETHING

callidus · Nov 29, 2017

Another option, though 150yds is a bit much for it, .458 SOCOM. I wouldn't necessarily suggest it but....it's an option

lazarus · Nov 30, 2017

callidus said:
Another option, though 150yds is a bit much for it, .458 SOCOM. I wouldn't necessarily suggest it but....it's an option

Downside is loaded ammo is ridiculously expensive for it.

balttigger · Nov 30, 2017

I built two wildcat ARs to hunt deer with. The .358 Yeti is a hammer from what I have seen and will be my primary. If I get one with that, then I will see if the .277 pistol build can draw blood. Ammo is not too expensive, both are sub MOA and while expensive to build - they sure are fun to shoot. Friend of mine hunts with his Sig 5.56 every year and with Rem Hypersonic Bonded bullets, he has yet to have one go more than 30 yards or so, many less.

Biggfoot44 · Nov 30, 2017

The .458SOCOM is ballisticly similar to .45-70 . If a .45-70 can give complete penetration on a buffalo at +/- 1000 yds , it can certainly kill a deer at 150 . But you will have to cultivate an 19th century attitude to rainbow trajectories, and holdovers.

And of course it fails the OP's parameter for ammo availability and cost .

rockstarr · Nov 30, 2017

anyone use m1a rifle to hunt with?

lazarus · Nov 30, 2017

rockstarr said:
anyone use m1a rifle to hunt with?

If I could, I would. I’ve borrowed a Garand for deer hunting. If it wasn’t quiet so heavy, I’d consider it the perefect iron sight deer rifle.

It is heavy though.

CodeWarrior1241 · Nov 30, 2017

rockstarr said:
anyone use m1a rifle to hunt with?

Have a colleague that does, fills the freezer yearly. 14lb with the scope though, too heavy in my mind.

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harveyspecter · Dec 3, 2017

rockstarr said:
anyone use m1a rifle to hunt with?

Depends on what you intend to hunt with it. It won't do for really small animals but is great for medium to large game.

Deer require a rifle and shooter to be able to shoot about 3 MOA for a maximum range of around 330 yds. In other words you need to be able to keep your rounds inside a 10 inch circle/vital zone in order to get a clean kill. If you had a rifle in .308 Win that you could shoot 2 MOA consistently it would be good for 500 yds. on deer. You also need to have about 1000 ft. lbs of energy at the targets distance to get that clean kill. The .308 Win. will do this with the proper bullet at 500 yds, so long as you do your part. The M1A is a decent hunting rifle.

harveyspecter · Dec 3, 2017

rockstarr said:
anyone use m1a rifle to hunt with?

Depends on what you intend to hunt with it. It won't do for really small animals but is great for medium to large game.

Deer require a rifle and shooter to be able to shoot about 3 MOA for a maximum range of around 330 yds. In other words you need to be able to keep your rounds inside a 10 inch circle/vital zone in order to get a clean kill. If you had a rifle in .308 Win that you could shoot 2 MOA consistently it would be good for 500 yds. on deer. You also need to have about 1000 ft. lbs of energy at the targets distance to get that clean kill. The .308 Win. will do this with the proper bullet at 500 yds, so long as you do your part. The M1A is a decent hunting rifle.

AR15 for hunting deer

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