Anybody else hunting with ARs?
Anybody else here hunt with their ARs?
I started hunting with one about 12 years ago when I went out looking for a coyote. At the time it was a heavy 24" barrel flattop upper on a Bushmaster lower in .5.56/223 that I had used for target shooting few times. With the 1/9" twist barrel it shot Winchester 55gr silver point very accurately out to 300 yards. I never did get that coyote but I started shooting this AR at the range more frequently. Few years later I took it up on a tree stand during doe season and dropped a nice doe using Winchester 64gr Power point ammo from about 200 yards. It was a neck shot and the doe dropped immediately. More recently I built up a 16" AR carbine using ultralight/pencil barrel and FF handguard topped with 2-7x32mm Nikon scope. At loaded weight of just under 7 lb. it is light and compact enough to carry easily. Using Federal Fusion MSR 62 gr ammo it will get 1 3/4" group (5 shots) at 100 yards regularly and occasional 3" from 200 yards. In past 5 years this rifle/ammo combo has bagged 7 deer and 22 or 23 hogs up to 275 lb. and none required 2nd shot. Most shots were within 75 yards with 2 greater than 150 yards...longest was a shot on hog from 170 yards. Last year my youngest son assembled a AR carbine in 300 BLK set up similar to my AR carbine and using 110gr TSX ammo has taken 3 deer and 8 hogs and only one large barr hog took 2 shots to drop. I'm in the process of assembling another AR for hunting and it will be heavier 20" barrel rifle for use from tree stands where I can have longer shots. Sometime in future I plan on a AR pistol with about 10" barrel for stalking hogs in the hammocks but I'm not sure I'll go with 5.56/.223 as 300 BLK seem to be more effective in shot barrels.
As everyone always says, anything will work if you hit exactly at the right spot on the game and I agree but AR carbines and rifles make hitting small spots easier at lease for me. Also, 5.56/.223 ammo has come a long way in last few years and I'm surprised by their performance on game. My ammo has given me good penetration and good expansion with devastating effect on flesh and bone.