Making Your AR Hunt

Part 2

Trapr Swonson

.308 Winchester

When it comes to a good general purpose hunting round, the .308 has fathered quite a few good candidates.

Given what I had to say above, you probably gathered that I really like the .260, and you would be correct. However, the daddy of them all is no slacker, and it will handle heavier bullets and heavier game. The .308 is probably the best all-around performer for the AR-10 platform. It can easily do 95% of your general public hunting.

I would have no problem going after elk running 180gr. or 200gr. bullets through my .308. At the same time, my .308s accurately shoot 110gr. bullets as well as 125gr. bullets, making them even more versatile as a varmint rifle. .308 is also very configuration flexible, performing well in 16", 18", 20" and even 22" barrels if you feel the need.

My .308 gas guns give me velocities that are more than sufficient for flat trajectories and terminal performance. I actually shoot the same powder charge from all of them with all my different bullet weights. The 18" and 16" guns obviously give me slower velocities, but the differences are less than I once expected.

I have never needed more than 165gr. bullets for my .308. I simply move up to a premium bullet if the game calls for more penetration. Using Hornady 165gr. BTSP, I've taken feral hogs, whitetails, turkeys, coyotes, and various other varmints.

Shooting 150gr. bullets for hunting, I easily get 2800 fps without pressure signs from cases. In fact, I've shot and reloaded some cases in excess of 8-10 times. With 165gr. bullets, I get 2725 fps in my 20" gun and 2600 fps from my 18" gun.

The scopes on my 308s are an eclectic mix including a fixed 3.5x up to 34mm-tubed 2-10x scopes. I have each set up with a purpose in mind, some specific, others general.

Just like the .260, the AR-10 platform makes this caliber a good choice for youngsters, as it recoils very little and delivers great performance on game.

I simply cannot say enough good things about this caliber, especially when used on an AR platform. It just does a good job over and over again.

Wrap Up

So, there you have my recommendations on hunting with a large-frame AR. Before closing out, I want to leave you with a couple final observations and recommendations for AR hunting.

State-specific caliber restrictions for legal big game hunting and the current lack of availability for reloading powders are problems you might face. That said, a prudent AR hunter can easily take deer-sized big game at normal hunting distances of 200 yards or less.

You can also get clever by using the smaller cases in the AR-15 platform, which can effectively reduce the powder needed to hunt by half. I'm using 22-25 grains of powder in the .25-45 Sharps and 6.5 calibers and 41-50 grains in AR-10 platform calibers.

I know I would not feel under-gunned with either the 6.5 Grendel or the .25-45 on game up to 400 pounds. Both provide good external ballistics and ample bullet weight. The .300 Blackout could be included in that, but I would limit myself to 150 yards and would prefer premium bullets with Hornady's 110gr. or 125gr. GMX showing promise.

On that note, premium bullets would be good insurance on any of the calibers I’ve talked about. Like I said in a part 1, use more bullet and place it where it will do the most good. That’s a universal responsibility no matter what type of rifle you’re using.

I hope these caliber rundowns have been useful to you, and I’m glad you’ve spent your time reading what I have to say. The only thing I like more than learning is sharing what I’ve learned. Anything to help hunters and our sport.

If you’ve never taken your AR hunting, I urge you to give it a try. I know you won’t be disappointed.