AR-10 for whitetail

[Dosh]

A friend's son has an AR-10 with a 22" barrel who wants use it to hunt Coues whitetail. He wants loads to shoot 300-600 yds. He has 150 and 165gr Hornady SST bullets and Win brass, but needs thoughts on powder and starting charge. He has RCBS SB dies which claim to have built in crimp. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks

 

[JJMoody]

Tagging in

 

[adrexco]

I've had the best results with 165gr SST & 168gr A-Max with 46gr Varget.

 

[JJMoody]

Are the SB dies usually necessary? How bout primers?

 

[adrexco]

I use standard 308 FL dies from Reading. I've loaded for several different AR-10s without issues. Typically I use CCI primers,but have used others without any noticeable difference. I've taken several whitetails with the Ar-10. Double tapping with an AR on deer is a fun experience.

 

[PackersFanboy]

46 grains varget ar10 blow the gun apart wow. using my load data ar10 24" 1-10
168 stock ammo 2600-2650 - 168 amax 4064 43.2 max 2670, 4895 42.5, RL15 43g. Varget 42.5g . My accuracy node .5 -1g less than max

AR10 will reach pressure sooner than bolt guns don't use their data, also don't need crimp you can If you want to

 

[Snowrun]

Mine likes the 165 grain SST with 44.5 grains of BLC-2 and CCI mag primers. It's a Black Hole Weaponry 20" barrel,2550fps & ~.65MOA to 600yds easily. I use the AR dies and a mild crimp.

 

[Dosh]

Mine likes the 165 grain SST with 44.5 grains of BLC-2 and CCI mag primers. It's a Black Hole Weaponry 20" barrel,2550fps & ~.65MOA to 600yds easily. I use the AR dies and a mild crimp.

run, do you use SB dies and a crimp die or Std dies and a crimp die.

 

[Snowrun]

SB-AR black box RCBS dies. Crimp die is adjusted for very mild crimp. You just play with the seating stem as it relates to the crimping section contacting your brass. Brass obviously need stop be trimmed to the same length each time.

 

[adrexco]

PackersFanboy; "AR10 will reach pressure sooner than bolt guns don't use their data"

Can you explain how a AR10 reaches pressure sooner than a bolt action.

 

[roninflag]

I use regular dies and no crimp to load for my garand. the neck tension is fine. I would worry about the accuracy crimping. I -4064, or varget for powder around 42 grains to start. the 155 scenar or 155 berger are lighter, faster. and pretty good bc.

 

[Trnelson]

PackersFanboy; "AR10 will reach pressure sooner than bolt guns don't use their data"

Can you explain how a AR10 reaches pressure sooner than a bolt action.

Usually it is an issue of timing in the rifle with a slower powder usually. A heavier buffer or a combination of a heavier (or maybe lighter) recoil spring and a heavier or lighter recoil spring. Or both. Or a light-weight bolt carrier. It can be caused by the gas port being too large or the gas system adjusted too high. You wouldn't want to start off shooting maximum charged bolt gun loads or you could seriously damage the rifle. The old start low and work up really holds true with these weapons. Varying gas port sizes, buffer weights, recoil spring rates, bolt carrier weights and gas system lengths make that absolutely necessary. Slower powders with short barrels and gas systems can readily over-gas just like faster powders with longer barrels and gas systems may fail to cycle with the same bullet weights.
I had trouble with my 16" Carbine length gas system upper. I couldn't shoot factory hornady, Nosler or norma 168 match ammo. It blew every primer out of the case. It was horribly over-gassed. I had to install an adjustable gas system, a heavy recoil spring and a heavier H3 buffer. I did the buffer and spring then the gasport, looking back I should have changed the gas port first, live and learn. Even starting loads in my rifle for IMR 4166 (2280 fps in my rig) and 147g bullets showed heavy pressure on the primer and case head measurements where 0.006" larger than full length resized and new primers could be pushed in with a single finger. Clearly it wasn't a safe situation. I changed out parts and got the gas under control and it shoots hornady match amax ammo 2640 and into 3/4" at 100.

 

[mtwarych]

Unlike others here, I have my best accuracy with H-4895. I shoot a DPMS GII Hunter chambered in 7.62X51.

My son shoots a DPMS LR308 and we found H-4895 the most accurate powder in his rifle also.

 

[desertbull]

My 308 loves r15 and 168 AMAX

Killed several Coues with it. Dropped on the spot.