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Hunting with an AR?

16” 308 178 eldm 2440 fps. 201 yds quartering away.
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So

In the 223 variety

Who has used the Hornady 60 grain Interlock?

I have some and also some fusion here I wanna go after some whitetail with
Used the 60 gr interlock in a 22-250 with a 28” barrel taking deer on permits out to almost 400 yards. Was my favorite for that rifle and hammered deer and hogs. It’ll have no problem holding up to 223.
 
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I'll use my AR's (6 ARC, .308 or .300 blk out) to hunt deer often. The only thing I hate about them is chambering a round in the woods when it's pitch quiet.
It’s something I never thought of before but when I started using my AR’s it’s quickly became a primary thought. Lol
I haven’t done this hunting, just in the range shed. Slowly ease the bolt forward, then use the forward assist to finish chambering.
 
I haven’t done this hunting, just in the range shed. Slowly ease the bolt forward, then use the forward assist to finish chambering.
I load a live round into my chamber before I start my walk to my stands now. However...when you feed a round in the chamber slooooowly.....AR's are notorious to having feeding issues. Gotta be "rough" with AR's if you know what I mean, or maybe it's just me? Normal operations I punch the bolt release with authority! ;-)

Have you tried feeding a live round into your AR very slowly....or slow enough that it's quiet without having feeding issues?
 
Have you tried feeding a live round into your AR very slowly....or slow enough that it's quiet without having feeding issues?
Definitely not an expert over here lol. Just passing on what I’d read and then tried a couple of times in a non-hunting situation.

I didn’t have problems, but it felt jankier then using my bolt action, for sure.

These guys like coated BCG to make the process easier. 🤷‍♂️

 
I have hunted with an AR. At my parking spot, well away from the hunting area, I racked a round and then left the safety on. And my finger off the trigger, not even inside the trigger guard. Most times, just a hand on it to stop swaying on the sling.
 
I load a live round into my chamber before I start my walk to my stands now. However...when you feed a round in the chamber slooooowly.....AR's are notorious to having feeding issues. Gotta be "rough" with AR's if you know what I mean, or maybe it's just me? Normal operations I punch the bolt release with authority! ;-)

Have you tried feeding a live round into your AR very slowly....or slow enough that it's quiet without having feeding issues?
Biggest contributor to that is a weak action spring. With a correct action spring weight, rounds chamber just fine.

I de-edge, blend, and polish all my barrel extensions in my 30+ year evolved build process as well.
 
Biggest contributor to that is a weak action spring. With a correct action spring weight, rounds chamber just fine.
I respectfully disagree. Not sure how a spring affects loading because I am controlling the speed of the bcg (by using charging handle) as it is pushing the round out of the mag into the extension area to reduce noise.
 
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It's my favorite hunting rifle and the one i am by far the most comfortable with. Unfortunately 6.5 Grendel / 6.8 SPC is almost nonexistent where i live, otherwise that's what i would use for all big game hunting as a diameter of 6.5mm and a specific muzzle energy is required for anything larger than roe deer.
 
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Had a pretty successful opening day of gun season with my new 12.5" 6 ARC. By new, I mean I ordered one of the new KAK 12.5" mid gas 6 ARC barrels to match the 5.56 version I already had and was pleased with when they came into stock a few weeks ago. Pulled my 16" Grendel barrel, and installed the new 12.5" in that upper and sighted it in with the 103gr ELDx handloads from one of my other ARCs last weekend and then was out of town until last night.

Had this guy come in to about 45 yds, all I could see was his head and neck sticking out from a tree, so I popped him in the neck and after he dropped, put another into his heart. Then 30 minutes later as I was getting ready to get out of the stand, a couple of does came through on the same trail so I popped one of them, she went about 20 yds with a totally grenaded heart.

Got exits on both the neck shot on the buck and the broadside shot on the doe, didn't see one on the finisher for the buck, but line of travel would have started in the bottom of his chest and headed up his neck, Lots of pulverized sternum, but didn't find the bullet.
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I've taken deer and antelope with ARs before, but this was my first time with the shorty, and for the woods I'm a fan. Btw, that load chrono'd around 2,450fps with 10-ish rounds down the tube, right at 200 fps slower than my 18".
 
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Was going to shoot the first deer I saw. There were deer everywhere so I decided to hold off and see if anything else would come out. That's when this guy showed up, shot him at 50 yards with the 300 WSM. A bit overkill for that range, but it works regardless.

Kaliber Tech KT10 Longbow
300 WSM
180gr Berger Elite Hunter
 
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Was going to shoot the first deer I saw. There were deer everywhere so I decided to hold off and see if anything else would come out. That's when this guy showed up, shot him at 50 yards with the 300 WSM. I bit overkill for that range, but it works regardless.

Kaliber Tech KT10 Longbow
300 WSM
180gr Berger Elite Hunter
.300 WSM is good for a lot. I used to watch a number of videos from Rogee Productions.

They are some guys in New Zealand hunting a bit of public land for big horn sheep.

And I have heard of someone else who hunts a number of things from whitetail to black bear with a Browing A-Bolt .300 WSM (no brake.)
 
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Man I loved the Vltor Imod back in the day but dammit if that wasn't the worst possible stock for someone with facial hair haha. You never hear about Vltor anymore, for some reason I thought they were gone entirely.
Agreed on the beard. That stock was painful. Then while prepping for a hog hunt I tried a thin piece of cammo tape across the gap and BINGO , the world was good again lol.
 
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I'll use my AR's (6 ARC, .308 or .300 blk out) to hunt deer often. The only thing I hate about them is chambering a round in the woods when it's pitch quiet.
Mag out, bolt back, quietly drop a live rd in the chamber, slowly ease the bolt down.
Push forward assist, to snap the extractor over the cartridge rim...a little snapping noise.
Insert the magazine, safety on.
I always carry one in the chamber, safety on.
 
I have shot a lot of deer and antelope with ARs mostly in 300blk and 6.8spc. 223 and 6x45s for coyotes and pdogs. Collecting parts and pieces for an 18" 6mm arc for general purpose. Have a 338 Federal for bigger game just haven't been motivated to pack it around after elk.

11.3" suppressed 6.8spc shooting 90gr @ 2700 is an awesome deer killing rig if I wasnt planning on shooting over 250 that's probably all I would ever hunt with..... Have thought about taking it several times after elk late season I just haven't committed because late season is freezer filling time.
 
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We had a member on the Grendel forum asking for all kinds of input for what to use, what barrel lengths, bullets to try, the usual questions. She’s used to using the old school .270 Win, .30-06, .30-30, so was a little unsure about Grendel in AR-15s.

She did an 18” and 12” builds, went and DRT’d a bunch of deer over the past week or two.

She used 129gr Nosler ABLRs, 125gr Nosler Partitions, and 118gr Cavity Back bullets.

With 129gr ABLR from the 12” Grendel, she was getting DRT and silver dollar exit wounds. That bullet often expands out to over .60 caliber, and has a really long core, so the rear core material keeps plowing through with the mushroom in front.

An older guy she knows in his 70s who can’t shoot the heavy-recoiling legacy rifles anymore was very skeptical of a little 12” AR-15, until he saw it 1st-hand. He immediately said he needs to get one after watching bang-flop performance with it.

Everyone else that has used 10.5” to 12.5” Grendels with that 129gr ABLR has the same results. Too easy.

It’s a really soft bonded bullet meant for LR hunting, so it expands down to 1300fps impact velocity.

It’s perfect for Grendel speeds, even from pistols.
 
We have an excess of these disgusting, destructive bastards (Aoudad/Barbary Sheep) so anytime I cross paths with one and I am quick enough to get a shot off, I drop the biggest one on the spot. 14.5" 6 ARC shooting Hornady 108 ELD-M @113 yards, neck shot, dropped right where she stood.


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I was out yesterday with an AR 15, target shooting, but mostly load development.
There was frost that never left the ground, at 32° that AR, with all that metal was really cold. My fingers were numb.
An old walnut stocked bolt gun would most likely be my hunting tool.
I have plenty of short barreled AR 10s including a 338 Ruger Compact Magnum, 358 Win, or the 6 lb 16" 308 Win for most anything in the lower 48.
Plus a bunch of AR 15 rds subs, or supers, in a variety of calibers.
But I've never hunted anything with any AR.
Not that it means anything, just what I started with many years ago, and never needed anything else.
 
I was out yesterday with an AR 15, target shooting, but mostly load development.
There was frost that never left the ground, at 32° that AR, with all that metal was really cold. My fingers were numb.
An old walnut stocked bolt gun would most likely be my hunting tool.
I have plenty of short barreled AR 10s including a 338 Ruger Compact Magnum, 358 Win, or the 6 lb 16" 308 Win for most anything in the lower 48.
Plus a bunch of AR 15 rds subs, or supers, in a variety of calibers.
But I've never hunted anything with any AR.
Not that it means anything, just what I started with many years ago, and never needed anything else.
If a chilly handguard is keeping you from expanding your horizons to AR hunting, that's an easily solved problem with handguard wraps, rail covers or 10 cent camo athletic tape, all of which can be seen in various pictures in this thread.
 
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I used to hunt with my ARs but I seriously hate holding cold metal. I've considered doing a carbon tube with a Magpul fixed rifle or similar. Maybe just vet wrap the heck out of something I've got.
 
You mean to tell me you guys aren't sitting in insulted blinds with reclining chairs, propane space heaters, a luggable-loo, full 5G cell service so you can scroll social media/text your hunting buddies/watch youtube and netflix with Air Pods, snacks and drinks for days??? And here I thought I was slumming it because I don't have a Blackstone grill or a 40" tv in there to watch the game.
 
5.56 is widely considered to be a bit underpowered for deer, especially mule deer. While it might cut it for whitetail, I think I'd rather something with more enthusiasm.

All my whitetail hunting has been with bow, muzzleloader, and shotguns (with slugs). All my mule deer and elk hunting has been with a bolt action 30.06. If you're dead set on using your AR to hunt, maybe an upper receiver in a caliber with heavier bullets would be worthwhile? Something like 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39?

Might be cheaper and more logical to get a dedicated hunting rifle, though.
This isn’t to start an argument but I’ve never understood why someone would consider shooting something with a bow that they wouldn’t shoot with 223 and a good bullet. I’ve killed deer with both and there is considerably more damage from gun shots than even the newest broad heads.

The only issue I have with 223 is people not limiting the ranges they shoot animals. Both kill when you put a good shot through vitals. Both wound and cripple when bad shots are taken and bad hits made.
 
We have an excess of these disgusting, destructive bastards (Aoudad/Barbary Sheep) so anytime I cross paths with one and I am quick enough to get a shot off, I drop the biggest one on the spot. 14.5" 6 ARC shooting Hornady 108 ELD-M @113 yards, neck shot, dropped right where she stood.


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Can you hunt them with thermals in your area?
 
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