Who uses an AR style rifle for hunting?

[Guest member 25165]

Those of you that are hunting, especially out west, can and do you use AR-15 or AR-10 style rifles? If so, what do you guys hunt with them? Just curious since I rarely see posts about semi automatic rifles on here.

 

[BigTex]

Down here in Texas I hunt pigs at night with an AR15 in 300 blackout with thermal, and use an AR15 in 223 for coyotes and prairie dogs, and the occasional whitetail doe.

 

[Schaaf]

I packed an AR to a few different coyote stands a few years back. It took me 2 days to realize I was never going to be carrying that again.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

When I lived in TX, I used an AR in 5.56 on deer and hogs. 55gr Hornady Soft Points worked well on Whitetails (size of pronghorns) out to 200yds, and pigs fell well enough to 55gr and 62gr FMJ loads. We didn't walk all that much, so weight wasn't a concern, and shots weren't far. (oftentimes, we just sat in the deer blind, and shots were less than 100yds)

Now that I'm up here in MT, I don't use one, but I still plan to, possibly for river bottoms--but I also have a very accurate AK, and the added punch of the 7.62x39 round would leave me feeling more confident. I'm also working on a 6.5 Grendel configuration that I could possibly use on pronghorn and deer, but I'd also like to get one of the new .224 Valkyrie ones, too. As far as my .308 AR is concerned, it's just too heavy. When it comes down to it, I feel much better taking one of my bolt rifles. If I got one of the new Christensen carbon fiber .308s, maybe I'd use it pretty regularly.

 

[LCH]

I have a .450 Bushmaster for hogs and deer hunting, a .223 for varmints, and a .300 Blackout for deer (not taken anything with it yet). My .450 is around 9 lbs, the .300 around 7.5 lbs. I don't pack the .223 much, but it's the heaviest.

For a while, in Indiana, some cartridges available in ARs were legal for deer hunting while the more traditional rifle cartridges were not.

Out west I normally use a bolt-gun, but a semi-auto really shines when you're trying to take out multiple hogs or varmints.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I coyote hunt from time to time with one. No reason you cant hunt most anything with one, with all the calibers offered in AR platforms now.

And here me Ar's are my "light" guns

 

[BucksnDucks]

AR 15 for coyotes and ground squirrels. I have hunted pigs with AR10 in .308, but not what I would usually choose

 

[noharleyyet]

Foxpro + AR 5.56 = dead Coyotes....clamp a Hoglite on the scope & dead nocturnal hogs.

 

[BrentD]

I can't imagine hunting with an AR. But then I can't imagine a lot of things. Rifles with dogleg's hanging off of them, plastic stocks, stainless steel.

I have no problems with folks using an AR, but I sure don't understand why.

To each his own.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I punch WT doe tags very quickly with my AR.. Yeah, it's not really hunting, just shooting, but still pretty handy when you have 5 tags in your pocket. The 65 gr. Game King works great on stubble field WT's out to 200 yards or so.

 

[brockel]

I packed an AR to a few different coyote stands a few years back. It took me 2 days to realize I was never going to be carrying that again.

Same here. Never was as comfortable as a bolt action for me

 

[ccc23454]

I have several and built a ar10 in 260rem for LR hunting and it's a blast. Have shot Bunches of yotes and many deer and antelope with it also
Carried it few times on spring bear hunts but ain't shot one with it. I like the platform for hunting if rifle is styled correctly.

 

[WyoLuck]

Have used an AR-15 for coyotes and p-dogs, but just as often would bring the single shot or various bolt actions.

 

[npaden]

I can't imagine hunting with an AR. But then I can't imagine a lot of things. Rifles with dogleg's hanging off of them, plastic stocks, stainless steel.

I have no problems with folks using an AR, but I sure don't understand why.

To each his own.

They are a very good option for youth. Heavy so limited recoil, adjustable stock to allow them to get exactly the length of pull they need. With a premium bullet they are actually a reasonable gun for whitetails, although shot placement is very important.

My AR15 is the most accurate rifle I've ever owned and I currently own both a Kimber and a Browning.

Untitled by naathan2, on Flickr

 

[mtmuley]

No thanks. mtmuley.

 

[bmt99]

I have a buddy that liked to shoot that I introduced to hunting and all he had was a AR-10 he used for distance shooting. He used it to get a great pronghorn. Heavy but really great gun

 

[noharleyyet]

No thanks. mtmuley.

Aw c'mon.....https://www.ar15.com/forums/Precision-Rifles/Need-info-on-this-rifle-RND-manufacturing/4-2105/

 

[Doublecluck]

When I lived in California I carried a ar-10 deer hunting some areas, 10 Semi auto Rds are better than 3-4 out of a bolt gun in case You accidentally stumble upon a grow..

I usually hunt coyotes 2-4 times a year with the ar’s, shoot a few gophers here and there... that’s about it..

 

[schmalts]

Yotes and pdogs. Stainless heavy barrel rock river.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I've got a Winchester Model 100 Jam-o-matic.

That's about as close as I'll get. Just not for me. More power to you if you use one.