AR Type Rifles for Deer Hunting!

[Grundy53]

I have yet to see anyone hunting anything other than coyotes with them in MT. Thinking of building one in 7-08 with a suppressor for daughter #4 as she seems to be extremely recoil/noise shy. My guess is less than 1% and 90% of the 1% are under 30 and watched too many shoot em up movies.. not that I am one to judge as my safe has it’s fair share of m4’s. Just never used em for anything other than vermin.

Or instead of younger guys watching too many shoot em up movies. Maybe it's our young men returning from serving our country in the Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe they are using what they are familiar or comfortable with.

 

[SFC B]

I am yet to buy a personal AR but I will say this, for us mil types there is something comforting and "home like" about the platform. On top of that I will say that I find the stock configurations available and the pistol grip make it very easy to fine tune your shooting position. I am a firm believer that the more comfortable a shooter is the more accurate he will be. I am close to buying an AR now but it will be for fun and varmits.....who knows maybe I will be a black rifle hunter in the future.

 

[hank4elk]

I'm old school & hated the M-16.
I do have a synthetic stock on my -06 now. I have seen some fine shooting on AR platform in 308.
But than was not on game animals.....

 

[antelopedundee]

I understand that they did away with the rifle use in the southern counties, replacing it with rifles firing straight wall pistol cartridges. The other person mentioned a bill so I asked for clarification. He did mention Iowa Firearms Coalition. He said that he saw it either in an update from his legislator or from the IFC.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I own a couple, and I barely shoot them. I have tried using them on varmints, but I guess when you use them for work, the last thing you want to do is mess with them on your off time.

I can't see why they would be bad for hunting, other than a ton of metal surfaces that is going to be super cold in the winter.

 

[Nick87]

I use an AR platform for hunting quite often, not all the time, but most. I use 5.56 on small game, no issue i.e. rabbits, coyote, javelina. I use my .308 AR platform for elk and deer. I see zero issue using a semi auto to hunt with. The type of semi auto means absolutely nothing as far as I'm concerned, so long as the round is adequate for the animal being hunted, the rifle is reliable, accurate, etc. I know I print groups just as tight with my AR platform as I do with my bolt guns.

I also run a suppressor on my rifles. No I have not seen too many "shoot 'em up" movies, and I'm not under 30. But I have spent my entire career using AR platforms, often choosing them over the bolt guns we could have used. I like them, find them to be accurate, reliable, ergonomic, modular (changing stocks, grips, etc. as I change my preference), etc. I also know that hearing loss is real, and why not use something I have access to that also benefits others (hikers and hunters not having as loud a sound carrying)? Since it does not make me any more effective at hunting, as it is actually a hindrance, heavier, bulkier, etc. It's all personal preference, why use a bolt gun over a musket? Why use a lever action instead of a bow? But I have also used a Hawken rifle to hunt, bolt actions, lever actions, a bow, etc.

The issue of "spraying bullets everywhere" or "you don't need that much gun to hunt" is asinine, made by people who are unfamiliar with hunting, or rifles/terminal ballistics, or both. It does not spray bullets, as it is not a hose spraying water. If that was how that person was shot in that scenario, that hunter should not be hunting, as it clearly violated the safety rules of firearms. No different than Cheney shooting his buddy with a shotgun, right? Just my opinion.

Like you said the spraying bullets is coming from someone unfamiliar. Last time I checked I could shoot (spray) just as fast with a Remington 7400 or Browning BAR. Both of which have been used to hunt deer longer than I've been alive. Same goes for anyone who carries a semi auto .22 squirrel hunting for that matter.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I haven't hunted with one but two of my daughters have used them for their first deer. The 6 position stock was the answer for their small frame.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I've used one quite a bit to fill (private land) stubblefield WT doe tags here in Montana. Not much hauling around, it's mainly setting up behind some hay bales and popping a few before they know where the bullets are coming from. I like the 65 grain gameking, real accurate in all my 223's and makes a mess of deer's respiratory and circulatory functions.

 

[Mallardsx2]

A small percent here in GA maybe 1%?. They rattle around too much....lol

 

[3855WIN]

Dads former pastor was ex Army. He came over to Dads place to deer hunt. It’s mostly pine thickets and is best hunted from stands. Dad told him where stands were. Soon, Dad heard several rounds go off. Shortly after, the preacher was back at the house with nothing to show for his shooting. He was “stalking” and using an AK or AR. Meanwhile, Dad kills one or two each season with his BAR .30-06 with one shot from a stand. It’s not really the weapon, it’s the user.

 

[WalkingBird]

I hear about a few guys here carrying .308 and 6.5 models into the field for deer down here, but way more folks are carrying a dialed bolt action for our little Coues deer

 

[NEWHunter]

My buddy uses one for coyotes but other than that I haven’t seen any of the kind mentioned by the OP in Wisconsin being used in the field.

I’ve used the original AR for big game since I was 12. A BAR in 7mm mag. Bought it due the ease of getting a second round in the chamber (hard for 12 year old of my height to work a bolt) and the slightly reduced recoil. A couple of the same reasons folks are using “today’s AR.”

 

[PrairieHunter]

Seems like if they were legitimately a better hunting platform they would be used more.

For coyote and prairie dogs they are hard to beat. Especially with a suppressor.

 

[BAKPAKR]

My daughter and I have shot several deer with ARs in 223 and 6.8mm here in West Virginia. I have also shot two bears here with 6.8s. In the 223, Barnes 62 gr TTSXs have worked well on deer for us.

I shot a bear in Idaho with an HK91 (308) several years ago. That was a long time before black rifles became popular and I did get some looks the few times I had it out.

I have read about lightweight AR-15s but I don’t have any. I also do not find them particularly handy to carry in my hands. I much prefer the feel of a light bolt action rifle. For me, the main selling point of the AR for hunting is the adjustable stock and the ease of switching between a rimfire upper and a centerfire upper. This has helped me get my daughter into shooting and hunting.

 

[Mica Man]

Never used one for hunting but have shot them in the past and did not like the feel of them. Then again I kind of agreed with Zumbo.

 

[PrairieHunter]

7.62 would probably be a pretty fun big game hunting round in a AK or SKS. But gotta go old school lumber stock as opposed to the tactical BS AR crowd and absolutely keep the bayonet. Would be nice to have a gun you could literally beat the crap out of and not worry about a thing.

 

[mtmuley]

Would be nice to have a gun you could literally beat the crap out of and not worry about a thing.

I have one of those guns. And it ain't an AR. Actually, I have several. mtmuley

 

[PrairieHunter]

I have one of those guns. And it ain't an AR. Actually, I have several. mtmuley

Congrats???

 

[Doublecluck]

Or instead of younger guys watching too many shoot em up movies. Maybe it's our young men returning from serving our country in the Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe they are using what they are familiar or comfortable with.

Maybe, but not a thing for the vets I hunt with.. like I said I am not one to judge. I love my military rifles, just don’t hunt animals with them. People can use whatever the hell they want, no business of mine. I would put money that for every 1 vet hunting with a AR there are 9 jackasses that think that they are Rambo and game animals are like targets in a video game. I could be wrong. Plenty of regional use, Lots of people down south use em for hogs/deer with great results. For me personally, killing a elk or deer on a mountainside in Montana is more of a spiritual experience, the ping of my m4 cycling doesn’t really fit in with the experience I wish to have in these hills.

 

[NR_Hunter]

I used an AR Pistol in .300 BLK in west central MN because it’s a shotgun zone this past fall. Not really sure how I feel about it, something about it just feels.... off. I passed on a number of does and fawns and it felt easier passing on them with an AR for some reason.