AR 15 or something else?

[fergie]

If I were to hunt elk and deer could I use an AR 15 or would i have choose another rifle? If i choose another one which one could be used for both? And what ammo would i have to use?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Well .223/5.56 would be out of the question. I don't know about elk but 6.5 and 6.8 would be good choices for deer. If you step up to the AR10 in .308 that would easily cover most anything you could hunt in North America.

 

[fergie]

Thanks for the advice I'll keep that in mind when i go shopping for one.

 

[Arckadian]

I am only familar with the AR-15 platform.... what are the advantages to the AR-10 platform?

 

[IronworksTactical]

308, 260, 6.5 creedmore. Basically bigger! Only downfall with the ar10 for hunting is weight. However if you knew someone skilled in the art of building these things they could probably put together one hell of a dedicated AR10 for hunting that was around 8lbs. Just sayin. Such as a mega MATEN with a barrel like this

and a lightweight carrier group.

As for elk it's been done successfully at good distances with the 6.8. I personally wouldn't try. To much chance for poor shooter input.

 

[ninja man]

yeah, a 223 is a bit small for medium game hunting. are you looking for over the counter? or are you going to do a build?

 

[achirdo]

.223 is fine for deer size and under.

for elk id step it up to .308 ar-10

 

[T.Verrette]

As stated above, .223 works fine for deer. I know many people who won't use anything bigger. It is used by many hunting families as an introductory deer rifle, as it is easier for younger, smaller hunters. It doesn't have a lot of knock down power, but a well placed shot will down the animal every time.

Sent from a random communication device somewhere close to my last known location.

 

[mikej]

A buddy of mine hunts deer in mid northern MO with his ar15 the past 2 years and will this year. Taken a buck both years 110yds and 90yds.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Ethics of using .223 aside, it is not legal for deer in most states.

 

[achirdo]

Ethics of using .223 aside, it is not legal for deer in most states.

a misplaced shot with any caliber will let a deer limp away. ive had bad shots with a .270 and the deer lived.

even went back the next day with dogs to track it and it was running around fine. found blood and bone yet it was still okay

 

[GreatWhiteHunter]

.223 is way to small, .243 as a bare minimum. If your going to be hunting both elk and deer, look into a .308 as mention or a .30-06. Both will do well on elk and be more then enough killing power for deer.

Some guys go way over kill and use .300 mags for deer, but that isn't necessary with a well placed bullet.

Elk have dense bones and heavy muscles, you need a lot of power to get through that to make a clean kill. Either .308 or .30-06 would be capable of getting through, but are probably the smallest caliber you would want to use.

Deer you would only need a 150-165gr bullet if you can find 130gr that would probably be better, look for something fairly solid so it doesn't fragment and wreck more meat then you have to. On Elk 180gr as a minimum to get the best results.

Happy hunting!

 

[ar556]

my cousin has an armalite ar10 chambered in 243 and it isnt any heavier than my my bushy predator ar15. depends a lot on barrel thickness and which model you have...there are many to choose from.

 

[LeadHead]

If you have an AR already and you want to do it cheaply, you can buy a barrel chambered for .300 AAC Blackout and that's all you need. The .300 Blackout's parent case is a .223 Rem, so you can use your BCG, mag, etc with it, just need the barrel. The ballistics of the .300 are not the greatest, but it should down an elk if you are hunting under 100 yards.

The 6.8 SPC is a good caliber too.

But from what I know, the 6.5 Grendal is the best of the calibers in terms of long range, ballistics, and hunting. With the 6.8 and the 6.5, you will need another BCG for that caliber, mags, and barrel. I do believe that the 6.8 and 6.5 can be built off of a generic Multi caliber lower reciever. As well as the .300 BLK of course.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[BEAR]

Bear in mind the most important factor is shot placement. A well placed head shot with a .22 will drop a deer in its tracks. But the most important factor after shot placement is terminal ballistics. It will take at least 1000 ft. lbs. of energy to take down a deer and over 1200 ft.lbs. for an elk. So now he question is what kind of terrain are u hunting? A .223 around at 100yds will humanely kill a deer but not an elk. If u want to stick with AR platforml AR-10 is the way to go. For about same price can get entry level AR-15 in .223 and bolt action rem 700 in .308. Two guns always better than one.

 

[MacGuyInNC]

Ethics of using .223 aside, it is not legal for deer in most states.

For the record, it's legal in NC. I know you said "most states," but just thought I'd toss that out there.

Hell, you can even use 30-round mags while hunting (though local laws may vary on that one). Game warden might find it a bit suspicious, though. But legally-speaking, hi-cap mags are legal to hunt with in NC.

 

[oppo]

A 223 can be used for deer but it certainly isn't ideal. You need to use bullets designed to hold together and understand the cartridges limitations. For elk, it is way to light. Elk are very large animals with large bones. You need a round that not only can reach the vitals but still has enough left to do a lot of damage. I would definitely step up to a large frame AR in 308 or bigger if you want to stick with the AR platform.

 

[Maxx2893]

For the nay sayers, .223 isn't too small for deer. It was my first rifle and I down several deer with it. 1 shot humanely. However I will agree with the others, it's too small for elk. If you want to stick to this type of gun instead of bolt action easiest thing I would suggest is AR-10 in .308

 

[tacticold]

I'll agree with most: .223 will take deer down, but it's pushing the limits on small. Way too small for elk.

An AR10 in .308 would certainly work, but I'm curious why you'd want an assault platform for hunting. There is no advantage and generally they are somewhat less accurate than a bolt-action hunting rifle.

 

[Arckadian]

I do not believe that the person that is asking has ever actually been hunting so he is just curious what the hunters say about it. He is a buddy of mine from work.