AR15 for Deer Hunting!

redhed · 12-06-2007, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khahn79

The question has been asked many times and yet never answered... Why would you want to hunt deer with an AR 15? Yes, it could be done w/ "proper shot placement", yes, you might be the best shot around, yes, your buddy may have done it before... Great. But WHY? I'm beginning to wonder if this topic was posted just to stir up controversy, especially since the question of why has never been answered. I'm with A.H. on this... get a bigger gun!

I'm in complete agreement, Khahn. I have a Marlin 30.30 lever action that if it was legal in Illinois, it would be my caliber of choice for deer hunting. One shot, humane kill. I hear too many horror stories of people trailing deer shot with 'legal' calibers for miles before they find the animal either dead or disabled. I've also heard stories about finding everything from arrow heads to old slugs in deer carcasses that are being dressed out at the local processor. All shot with shotguns in Illinois, or hand gun loads. Oh, and the occasional muzzle load.

This reminds me of the old story about the guy who rolled through a stop sign and when he was pulled over by a cop and asked why he had rolled through the stop sign and not stopped, told the officer that he had slowed down. The officer proceeded to pull out his baton and beat the guy about the head and shoulders. "Now", the cop asked. "What do you want me to do, slow down or stop?"

What do you want to do, slow down a deer so it suffers a slow death, or stop it with one shot. I think I'd rather do the latter with the right caliber for the job.

JBS · 12-06-2007, 11:08 PM

You folks can beat this one to death and probably no-one will change their minds....However, please don't discount the old tried and true Arkansas method of the Roto-Tiller

redhed · 12-06-2007, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBS

You folks can beat this one to death and probably no-one will change their minds....However, please don't discount the old tried and true Arkansas method of the Roto-Tiller

Okay, I hate to ask this question, but what is the Arkansas method of the Roto-Tiller?

blaster · 12-06-2007, 11:27 PM

I prefer my .30/06 but have killed a few deer including Michigan whitetails with my mini 14 and my 60 gr reloads. My 2 daughters took their first deer at age 11 with the .223 both 1 shot kills, the deer went about 30 yards and were stone dead when found. You have to pick your shot with the small calibre. Look how many elephants Karamojarro Bell killed with an old 7x57 Mauser during the ivory hunting days.

JBS · 12-07-2007, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhed

Okay, I hate to ask this question, but what is the Arkansas method of the Roto-Tiller?

Chase 'em down wid yer roto-tiller and let it do the rest. Dam, ain't you ever seen the moovie The Arkansas Roto-tiller Massacre??

nathangdad · 12-07-2007, 08:23 AM

AR-15 is not designed for hunting. It is (unless
a special production) not especially accurate and the bullet you mention is too light in a cartridge that is really too light for deer anyway. You do not want a wounded animal moving.

ArkansasHunter · 12-08-2007, 11:27 PM

My Daddys 3rd cuzzins nephew use to try run'in down Bob Cats with the Roto-Tiller but never had much luck at it cause the ole Bob Cat ain't got no tail to get caught up in the tines.

Chris · 12-09-2007, 08:26 AM

I can put a nail into a board with the grip of my gun...but it doesn't do it effectively.

I can put a nail into aboard with a hammer with little effort.

Different tools to get the job done. One does it more effectively than the other.

billy · 12-09-2007, 08:29 AM

yeah but.....
to the man with a hammer everything looks like a nail!

if you can afford an AR you can afford a real hunting rifle in the correct caliber.
IMHO

samuel · 12-09-2007, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathangdad

AR-15 is not designed for hunting. It is (unless
a special production) not especially accurate and the bullet you mention is too light in a cartridge that is really too light for deer anyway. You do not want a wounded animal moving.

I believe you have been reading too many Zumbo type articles.If you enjoy them fine,read them.But I advise reading up on a firearm before writing on it. The AR type firearm was designed to hunt the most dangerous game on earth in the most GOD forsaken terrain and conditions ever emagined.I am sure it would be very capable in a deer hunt with all the cooshy extras we employ on a game hunt.The 1in9"twist makes the use of heavier bullets than a bolt action,s 1in12" twist allows.And yet I have seen a bolt gun with 55gr and under bullets used successfuly.You say it isnt accurate,you should shoot one before making that statement.Many AR,s shoot MOA right out of the box.Also the AR platform often utilises up to .50cal.cartridges.As to stating you dont want a wounded animal moving,I have seen many deer and other game hit with -06,s and .12ga slugs that moved quite far before they went down.I have seen them drop in their tracks with a precision shot from a .223 round.I am not advocating using a .223 for deer but I am not going to say it cant be done efficiently and humanely. sam.

I never tried hunting with a roto-tiller but till get mine fired up and try it if A.H. says it can be done. sam.

billy · 12-09-2007, 09:19 AM

good thing i put IMHO on my statement!

dogolden · 12-09-2007, 01:38 PM

Welll, I don't hunt with my AR, but I do hunt with my Winchester model 70 in .223! I haven't shot one yet..just waiting...biding my time...waiting for the right moment. I use hand loads, 1/2" shot groups. However, most of the time I use my 8x57. Handloads there too. I'm dialed in to just over an inch @ 100 yards with that one.

An unconfirmed rumour has it that I'm picking up a sporterized Swede in a plastic stock next week for $60. Oh yeah!

The .223 debate has been going on since it's debut. Yes, it's a small bullet. But it's got some krack to it. It's an accurate round out to a couple of hundred yards with an average shooter like me. I think more than anything this an issue of choice. Personal preference. Thousand upon thousands of people have been killed by the .223 since it's inception. And millions wounded! It could probably be said for just about any other military cartridge right?

Someone posted earlier in this mega-thread that they tend to like shooting small bullets @ extreme velocities, or big bullets @ slow speed. That sounds good to me!

Ahhh, the wife is back from church. Gotta go put my apron on guys..

jmp8927 · 12-09-2007, 04:17 PM

I believe that if a caliber is good enough to shoot at humans, it's more than good enough to shoot at animals.

ArkansasHunter · 12-10-2007, 10:48 AM

The question was an AR-15 to Deer hunt with.
Theres been a lot of comments pro and con and the comments I've made are con due to the fact I'm a Deer Hunter and have been since I was 13 years old, I'm now 53.
A Deer is a wild animal and can be hard to kill espesialy a buck.
I've shot them perfectly and had to track them and some that only left a few drops of blood.
I agree you can kill them with most calibers, but some are just not big enough and the 223 is to risky to use.
I'll repeat myself use the right tool for the job and theres many calibers available to harvest a Deer with but a 223 is not one of them.
I'm assumeing thats what the question ment due to an AR-15 shoots 223 caliber
We owe it to wildlife to be good stewards to wildlife and the land we hunt on. As Sportsmen and Sportswomen we need to use enough gun for the game were hunting inorder to make a swift and humane kill. Though I've found that some here don't care about that and I've found in my life some people don't have a concious.
To them I say you'll never hunt at my Deer club, but I will help you track your crippled Deer...A.H

samuel · 12-11-2007, 08:14 AM

I just dont think we should be putting restrictions on guns.I dont like the state or federal doing it and wont do it myself. sam.

PantherA4 · 12-22-2007, 11:06 AM

A couple of years ago I was skeptical about taking my dads Ruger 22-250 deer hunting in Alabama. He has shot a few with it and his stories were that most of them dropped. Once he shot at a buck that was standing behind 2 does at about @250 yards. The buck was hit right in the chest and instantly flew on his back. The does just sat there and didn't even know what happened. Well I took the 22-250 and shot a pretty decent spike and I thought I missed it dropped so fast lol! I know the .223 is a bit slower but I think it depends on shot placement and the size and a what range you will be shooting. I mean if you can get a neck shot (of course this would be a deer you wish to eat more than mount) it will kill it fast. Just use common sence.

Big Tool · 01-07-2008, 11:44 PM

I think a .223 is not the optimum round for deer hunting, but by all means it is more than adequate to put meat on the table.

From my prespective i can definitely say i would rather die from being shot with a AR vs. being stuck with an arrow. If the .223 is considered humane to kill 200lb men it is more than adequate to kill a whitetail deer.

I don't believe the OP asked if it was the greatest caliber for deer hunting, but rather or not it would do the job, and the answer is yes. There is nothing inherently humane about killing a deer, and i don't know of anyone who depends on deer meat for survival these days. Deer hunting is a sport and the best way to be good at any sport is practice, and due to the price of ammo it is much more economical to practice shooting a 223 rather than a 30-06.

This deer season we had a bunch of people making bad shots which led to two deer never being recovered, and probably five others having to be tracked for long distances and then having to be shot again. Every one of the deer that got away or had to be tracked were shot with rifles larger than a 7-08.

My fiance however dropped a doe and two bucks dead in their tracks with a 243 shooting 80gr remington corelokt. "It was her first hunt" beginners luck.

felix cortinas · 01-08-2008, 10:14 PM

a good shot with a .17hmr,a .22 long rifle and .22mag take deer all the time as proven by poachers. I have taken over 50 hogs in the past year with my RRA CAR2 and I still havent made a dent in their population. My AR dont let me down, it took out the most dangerous game I will ever face 35 years ago. I still prefered the M14 for that game though.

lefty o · 01-08-2008, 10:28 PM

wow, were still going on and on and on about this. yep, the .223 aint a great choice for deer killing, but with proper bullet placement it is an effective killer. i work with a guy that shoots a deer every year with his 270win, its been 10yrs since he brought one home with him- the biggest cartridge is not adequate if the shooter is not capable of placing his bullet where he desires. ive killed quite a few deer, and have surmised that if you have to track a deer more than 50yds, you probably should not have pulled the trigger- REGARDLESS OF CALIBER OR PLATFORM. maybe next year i'll take my AR deer hunting.

madcratebuilder · 01-09-2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARsniper223

i am going to get an ar 15 and i am going hunting with it whether you like it or not.

like some of yall have said its where you hit it not the caliber.

i am going to get good with my gun so i know its a good clean shot so there should be NO!!!! suffering.

i am also going to use it as a small game gun and i don't want some big caliber that ruins the meat and hide.

i also do not want an animal to suffer and thats why i will be good with my weapon.

P.S i don't give a darn what someone says i am going to get an ar 15 and use it for deer and ect...

Is it legal to hunt deer with a .223 in your state? You may want to check to game laws or you may in up with your equipment confiscated, jail and fine. I know in OR, WA and ID it is illegal to use a .223 for deer.

12-06-2007, 11:27 PM	#64
blaster Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: big pine key, florida Posts: 1,294	I prefer my .30/06 but have killed a few deer including Michigan whitetails with my mini 14 and my 60 gr reloads. My 2 daughters took their first deer at age 11 with the .223 both 1 shot kills, the deer went about 30 yards and were stone dead when found. You have to pick your shot with the small calibre. Look how many elephants Karamojarro Bell killed with an old 7x57 Mauser during the ivory hunting days. __________________ peace through superior firepower

12-07-2007, 08:23 AM	#66
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5,166	NO AR-15 is not designed for hunting. It is (unless a special production) not especially accurate and the bullet you mention is too light in a cartridge that is really too light for deer anyway. You do not want a wounded animal moving.

12-08-2007, 11:27 PM	#67
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas. Posts: 17,212	My Daddys 3rd cuzzins nephew use to try run'in down Bob Cats with the Roto-Tiller but never had much luck at it cause the ole Bob Cat ain't got no tail to get caught up in the tines. __________________ IN GOD WE TRUST NRA MEMBER

12-09-2007, 08:26 AM	#68
Chris Site Founder Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,495 Images: 19 Blog Entries: 27	I can put a nail into a board with the grip of my gun...but it doesn't do it effectively. I can put a nail into aboard with a hammer with little effort. Different tools to get the job done. One does it more effectively than the other. __________________ Rules \| Contributing Members No one has the right to deny my personal safety Please be descriptive in your thread titles! NRA Life Member

12-09-2007, 08:29 AM	#69
billy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 19,728 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 161	yeah but..... to the man with a hammer everything looks like a nail! if you can afford an AR you can afford a real hunting rifle in the correct caliber. IMHO __________________ Last edited by billy; 12-09-2007 at 08:32 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

12-06-2007, 11:08 PM	#62
JBS Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 896 Images: 6	You folks can beat this one to death and probably no-one will change their minds....However, please don't discount the old tried and true Arkansas method of the Roto-Tiller

12-09-2007, 09:19 AM	#71
billy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 19,728 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 161	good thing i put IMHO on my statement! __________________

12-09-2007, 01:38 PM	#72
dogolden Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Greenville SC Posts: 49	Welll, I don't hunt with my AR, but I do hunt with my Winchester model 70 in .223! I haven't shot one yet..just waiting...biding my time...waiting for the right moment. I use hand loads, 1/2" shot groups. However, most of the time I use my 8x57. Handloads there too. I'm dialed in to just over an inch @ 100 yards with that one. An unconfirmed rumour has it that I'm picking up a sporterized Swede in a plastic stock next week for $60. Oh yeah! The .223 debate has been going on since it's debut. Yes, it's a small bullet. But it's got some krack to it. It's an accurate round out to a couple of hundred yards with an average shooter like me. I think more than anything this an issue of choice. Personal preference. Thousand upon thousands of people have been killed by the .223 since it's inception. And millions wounded! It could probably be said for just about any other military cartridge right? Someone posted earlier in this mega-thread that they tend to like shooting small bullets @ extreme velocities, or big bullets @ slow speed. That sounds good to me! Ahhh, the wife is back from church. Gotta go put my apron on guys.. __________________ www.guncollectorsforum.com

12-09-2007, 04:17 PM	#73
jmp8927 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Walterboro, SC Posts: 2,273 Images: 18	I believe that if a caliber is good enough to shoot at humans, it's more than good enough to shoot at animals. __________________ Fear not, for I am with you; Be not discouraged, for I am your God.

12-10-2007, 10:48 AM	#74
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas. Posts: 17,212	The question was an AR-15 to Deer hunt with. Theres been a lot of comments pro and con and the comments I've made are con due to the fact I'm a Deer Hunter and have been since I was 13 years old, I'm now 53. A Deer is a wild animal and can be hard to kill espesialy a buck. I've shot them perfectly and had to track them and some that only left a few drops of blood. I agree you can kill them with most calibers, but some are just not big enough and the 223 is to risky to use. I'll repeat myself use the right tool for the job and theres many calibers available to harvest a Deer with but a 223 is not one of them. I'm assumeing thats what the question ment due to an AR-15 shoots 223 caliber We owe it to wildlife to be good stewards to wildlife and the land we hunt on. As Sportsmen and Sportswomen we need to use enough gun for the game were hunting inorder to make a swift and humane kill. Though I've found that some here don't care about that and I've found in my life some people don't have a concious. To them I say you'll never hunt at my Deer club, but I will help you track your crippled Deer...A.H __________________ IN GOD WE TRUST NRA MEMBER

12-11-2007, 08:14 AM	#75
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 10,912	I just dont think we should be putting restrictions on guns.I dont like the state or federal doing it and wont do it myself. sam. Last edited by samuel; 12-11-2007 at 07:08 PM.

12-22-2007, 11:06 AM	#76
PantherA4 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 12	A couple of years ago I was skeptical about taking my dads Ruger 22-250 deer hunting in Alabama. He has shot a few with it and his stories were that most of them dropped. Once he shot at a buck that was standing behind 2 does at about @250 yards. The buck was hit right in the chest and instantly flew on his back. The does just sat there and didn't even know what happened. Well I took the 22-250 and shot a pretty decent spike and I thought I missed it dropped so fast lol! I know the .223 is a bit slower but I think it depends on shot placement and the size and a what range you will be shooting. I mean if you can get a neck shot (of course this would be a deer you wish to eat more than mount) it will kill it fast. Just use common sence. Last edited by PantherA4; 12-22-2007 at 11:08 AM.

01-07-2008, 11:44 PM	#77
Big Tool Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MS Posts: 795	I think a .223 is not the optimum round for deer hunting, but by all means it is more than adequate to put meat on the table. From my prespective i can definitely say i would rather die from being shot with a AR vs. being stuck with an arrow. If the .223 is considered humane to kill 200lb men it is more than adequate to kill a whitetail deer. I don't believe the OP asked if it was the greatest caliber for deer hunting, but rather or not it would do the job, and the answer is yes. There is nothing inherently humane about killing a deer, and i don't know of anyone who depends on deer meat for survival these days. Deer hunting is a sport and the best way to be good at any sport is practice, and due to the price of ammo it is much more economical to practice shooting a 223 rather than a 30-06. This deer season we had a bunch of people making bad shots which led to two deer never being recovered, and probably five others having to be tracked for long distances and then having to be shot again. Every one of the deer that got away or had to be tracked were shot with rifles larger than a 7-08. My fiance however dropped a doe and two bucks dead in their tracks with a 243 shooting 80gr remington corelokt. "It was her first hunt" beginners luck.

01-08-2008, 10:14 PM	#78
felix cortinas Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 170	ar 15 for deer a good shot with a .17hmr,a .22 long rifle and .22mag take deer all the time as proven by poachers. I have taken over 50 hogs in the past year with my RRA CAR2 and I still havent made a dent in their population. My AR dont let me down, it took out the most dangerous game I will ever face 35 years ago. I still prefered the M14 for that game though.

01-08-2008, 10:28 PM	#79
lefty o Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: mn Posts: 6,239	wow, were still going on and on and on about this. yep, the .223 aint a great choice for deer killing, but with proper bullet placement it is an effective killer. i work with a guy that shoots a deer every year with his 270win, its been 10yrs since he brought one home with him- the biggest cartridge is not adequate if the shooter is not capable of placing his bullet where he desires. ive killed quite a few deer, and have surmised that if you have to track a deer more than 50yds, you probably should not have pulled the trigger- REGARDLESS OF CALIBER OR PLATFORM. maybe next year i'll take my AR deer hunting.