Empty AR15 receiver...What upper should I buy or build for a 300 yard deer AR?

[bluejay75]

Greetings Gents,

While its the off season for big game hunting, I intend to either buy or have built an AR15 upper that will reliably take deer out to 300 yards. Zeroed for max point blank range and hold over for those last few yards.

Share your experiences if you have such a rig built and share your longest kill. Show your rig to if you dont mind. Will give me some ideas.

Bluejay

 

[snox801]

Well I would say the 6.5 grendel.
That's my main hunting cartridge for game under 400 yards. Keep in mind you will want to stay in the 100gr bullet class to make this as good as possible for hunting.
I run the 99gr hammers in mine for exactly what you are planing. It gives me the flattest shooting option. Last month in Texas I took 19 hogs, 4 audad, and a few sika deer with it. I would have to urge the 99gammers over the eld as it was noticeable difference in in game performance between my hammers and my brothers eld.

 

[martinakl]

I'd look at the: 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, or Remington 6.8 SPC.

 

[sea2summit]

I've had a Grendel for about 5 years and it has always been surprisingly accurate for how I had it configured but never took it to the woods because I always used my AR10. I limited my some to 150 with his AR but he wanted more range so I let him hunt with the Grendel this year. I was shocked at the results he was getting on hogs and deer with it. Think his longest was only 180 on a spike but it went 15 yards or so with a very solid blood trail. He boiler roomed several hogs in the 75-125 range dead right there and heart shot a couple as well that didn't go anywhere. I would easily put it on par with .308 out to 300 based off what I saw out of it this year.

 

[P7M13]

Will give me some ideas.

At this point, might as well just post a picture of a lower. Whatever you can find, man up and buy. AR upper prices are easily double what I built mine for - the ones you can find. And then, good luck finding ammo.... I saw one guy selling 20 round boxes of Wolf steel 6.5 Grendel ammo for $25/box a few weeks ago, when that stuff could be had for $6.99/box a year ago. Not as bad as primers, but still ridiculous.

6.8 SPC isn't picky about barrel length and will preform admirably with a 14.7" carbine or 16" mid-length. 6.5 Grendel has better performance with longer barrels. Both will do out to 300, the 6.5 is better longer range. I have both but do not hunt with them.

 

[snox801]

I can add I was not able to catch a bullet in game yet. Even on audad I broke both front shoulders they don't go far.
Longest kill has been 383 yards.
The 6mm arc is a great choice also but keep in mins when both shooting 100gr the 6.5 will push that same weight bullets faster out of the same length barrel and be much better in 16-18" barrels. You give up some bc but for the range that this should be used for hunting that does not come into play.

 

[backwoodsshooter]

6.8 spc ii. grab you a barrel from ar15performance.com.

85gr-120 gr projectiles. lots of great projectiles to choose from for hunting.

 

[bluejay75]

Post a link for the 99 grain Hammer?

 

[Gunpowder]

Those are good suggestions, but I'm going to give you some more off-the wall ideas. I've hunted with the 30 Remington AR for a couple years now, no speed demon but in the same class speed wise as the Grendel and 6.8 but heavier 30 cal bullet. I have two and I love em. You'd have to search for a rifle or upper, but they are out there. Another is the 243 or 25 Wssm. These are in a class by themselves on the ar15 frame. I have the 243 Wssm, it's a laser. Load some 80 gr ttsx at 3300 fps or so and smoke everything in your way lol. You'd have to find used or order one from D-tech in Minnesota. They say they can be fickle to load for, but mine was literally the first load with Varget and the ttsx was well under an inch at 200 and was repeatable so I left it alone.

 

[Gunpowder]

And ammo is available for the 30 RAR, and brass is available at normal prices for the wssm. Which can't be said for many calibers right now.

 

[Lowlander]

6.8 spc ii. grab you a barrel from ar15performance.com.

85gr-120 gr projectiles. lots of great projectiles to choose from for hunting.

I'm a big 6.8 fan, I have 2 rigs set up. A 12.5" ARP barreled upper and a White Oak 18" that I use for hunting the most. I load Barnes 95ttsx shoots better than a 6.8 should imo...

I can't knock the 6.5G either, it is a great cartridge and if I hadn't gotten into the 6.8 earlier on I would be running a 6.5G instead. My dad runs the 6.5G, it's his favorite cartridge period.

Really you can't go wrong either way. Just depends on what you can find right now I suppose.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

6.5G

 

[Justice1327]

Greetings Gents,

While its the off season for big game hunting, I intend to either buy or have built an AR15 upper that will reliably take deer out to 300 yards. Zeroed for max point blank range and hold over for those last few yards.

Share your experiences if you have such a rig built and share your longest kill. Show your rig to if you dont mind. Will give me some ideas.

Bluejay

6.8 SPC

 

[bluejay75]

Waiting for the steel case ammo to reappear makes the 6.5 Grendel seem appealing. I'm a reloader so adding a caliber wouldn't hurt me too bad.