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Do You Use a "Modern Sporting Rifle" for Deer?

Do you deer hunt with an AR-style rifle?

  • Total voters
    124
backyardtndeer said:
There are really nice triggers available for ar's. One of the great things about them is the versatility and ability to customize them to fit what you want to do with them.

As to the accuracy compared to a bolt gun, I am not Mup or Mr Big, I don't shoot 1000 yard targets, but I bet an AR with the right barrel and trigger would surprise some of you.

Agreed. With the exception of this year hitting a twig, I haven't needed but one shot on any of the deer I have shot with my ar10 in 6.5cm.

For me at my age and with the crap I have been through in my life, it's nice to take a rifle I built from the ground up(completely built the lower and the upper myself) with the handloads that I worked up and kill deer on the land that I own just feels good to me. Some may not get that.

I built a 6arc for my son, but he hasn't shot it yet and I am still trying to get the loads for it just right.
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Exactly - have a VERY nice trigger on my 6.5CM AR10; and I've shot it out to 880 yds. It's extremely accurate with hardly any recoil - it's just a heavy SOB. My 300blk has a good trigger, but most importantly it's very light (under 6 lbs); and with the 10.5" barrel it's very easy to handle. With an EO Tech and 3x magnifier that flips to the side, I think it's perfect for a woods or climber gun.

I would not hunt deer with a 5.56 or .223 AR. Nothing against those that do, I just have better caliber choices available to me in an AR that I choose to use instead.
 
backyardtndeer said:
There are really nice triggers available for ar's. One of the great things about them is the versatility and ability to customize them to fit what you want to do with them.

As to the accuracy compared to a bolt gun, I am not Mup or Mr Big, I don't shoot 1000 yard targets, but I bet an AR with the right barrel and trigger would surprise some of you.

Agreed. With the exception of this year hitting a twig, I haven't needed but one shot on any of the deer I have shot with my ar10 in 6.5cm.

For me at my age and with the crap I have been through in my life, it's nice to take a rifle I built from the ground up(completely built the lower and the upper myself) with the handloads that I worked up and kill deer on the land that I own just feels good to me. Some may not get that.

I built a 6arc for my son, but he hasn't shot it yet and I am still trying to get the loads for it just right.
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If my 12 ga wasn't a better choice for home protection in my situation I'd probably have one as well. I've only shot one. The trigger was absolutely atrocious and don't think that particular gun was anywhere close to MOA if I recall. I like short and handy lever-action, bolt, or even single shots, anyhow. My favorite is my Marlin 336cs lever in 35 Rem. As for reloading, yeah, I just bought a bunch of primers and a pound of powder as my first purchase to get into it. I haven't even bought a press yet. Probably will go with one of the Hornady starter kits.
 
backyardtndeer said:
There are really nice triggers available for ar's. One of the great things about them is the versatility and ability to customize them to fit what you want to do with them.
Click to expand...
My buddy has a ffl and builds and sells guns. I've seen 3 quick shots hit 8" steel at 1425 yds with an ar 308.
I shoot up to 800 with my 270, 1 at a time though
 
I bought my Bushmaster before all this crazy stuff started happening, grandson killed several deer with it and the granddaughter likes to shoot it, I plan to get a 300bo for it at some point, headed to the Dr this week and will be looking at shoulder/muscle surgery, no telling how long to recover so might carry it some next season as the 300wm kicks a little more, can hunt with my 243 if I feel the need for more HP. I have killed a buck and several doe with it up to100y and none took over a couple of steps after the shot, a twig will cause a miss where the windmag might change a little it's a lot with it. lung/heart shots only so that means broad side no frontal, a neck shot would probable work but would rather not
 
Madbowh said:
My buddy has a ffl and builds and sells guns. I've seen 3 quick shots hit 8" steel at 1425 yds with an ar 308.
I shoot up to 800 with my 270, 1 at a time though
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I would like to have a place I could shoot that far to see how they would do. I have a couple Remington 700's in 308 and 270, and I don't think I can do any better with them than I can with the rifle I used the last 3 years.

Built around a ballistic advantage 20 inch barrel, and a rock river varmint match two stage trigger. One inch squares at a 100 yards, left group is sub .5 inch.
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I called it good at that but may have tightened up if I played with it a little more. Don't know how many bolt guns are sub .5 inch out of the box. Not counting the scope I have less in this build than I see many used bolt guns going for in the classifieds right here on this site.
 
cecil30-30 said:
I dont but I will be purchasing an AR10 in the coming weeks with the intention of using it as a deer rifle. I need an all weather rifle that I don't cate to get wet.
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I would suggest to you to actually find out the weight on that ar-10. My cousin had an ar-10 for years. I took him to the mountains and that ar-10 has to weigh 20lbs. It's a 308 with a 10 round magazine. I through it on my shoulder for a few minutes and said you need a new gun. That thing was like carrying a pillow case full of cement. If you don't have to carry it very far it's fine. It's fun to shoot around the house though.
 
We have for the last 15+ years hunted muzzle loader season. But have used modern rifles previously. Will probably hunt modern this year. And other than my ML's, never say what I have or don't have.
 
I usually hunt with MZ, but use an AR platform as well, both -15 and -10. (But my favorite rifle is still a 6.5 Swede built on a milsurp vintage 1900 receiver.)
As for AR accuracy, my NRA Service Rifle setup was stinkin' accurate!!! 600yds, iron sights, goodness could that thing shoot.
At last count, the AR platform comes in 52 different calibers.
 
I occasionally use a DPMS AR-10, which is surprisingly light for that platform at 6.9 pounds. I prefer a bolt gun and normally use it for most situations.
 
Never been cool enough to hunt with one. Don't even own one. I'm in the woods to hunt, not enter combat ;)
 

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