I carry a Marlin 30 30...
My husband and I have discussed the efficiency of the AR when it comes to deer hunting along with the .223 round and I have to agree with him that the round has been used in wartime for a lot of years by the US military and has no problem penetrating the body mass of a human being in full battle gear. Now the average doe body mass along with many bucks is about the same as a humans. ...QUOTE]
I think you are proving the opposite point when you cite battlefield efficiency of the .223. There is a hew and cry from the troops is for a better battle round because often it does NOT stop the enemy.
but a google search on the topic will come up with many more citations where various 6.5, 7 mm, and 30 cal options are being recommended as better alternatives.
I agree there are a lot of good reasons why someone would like to use the AR/223: light weight, accurate, low recoil, inexpensive (relatively) ammo, fun. But battlefield proven stopping power is not one. IMHO
The military settup for the .223 is the problem not the round itsself. Do some research into why it was adopted in the first place, and youll see what I mean.
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The biggest factor is obviously the person behind the trigger. I've seen my grandpa kill a small doe with a marlin .22LR when I was a kid. Now that is a bit extreme and unethical but it does show that marksmanship/shot placement is the most important component to quickly killing a deer... That being said I think I'll just stick to my .30-30, 7mm-08, or .30-06, not much experience with AR's or the .223 round. a well placed well constructed 60-75gr bullet would get the job done I'm sure.
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Every time someone calls a magazine a "clip", God kills a kitten
I think that the biggest issue that hits the 5.56 about deer hunting is it leaves too much to the hunters responsibility. If you are using a say .30-06 you cant buy anything that isnt either tailored to or beyond deer. However the 5.56 has a lot of rounds not really capable of taking a deer.
If you get in to the heavier 62gr and up rounds I think that you are starting to see a weapon capable.
It is like my dads .22-250 that is illegal to shoot deer with here. I watched him shoot though 3/4" Hardened Steel plating with it and recovered the bullet after digging in a tree about 3-4" and the round was mostly intact. Would it kill a deer I have no doubt, but he does have some JHPs that wont even dent the plate.
I think 5.56 is ok as long as you are smart enough to know what to use.
I am ok with using a .223 for deer with the right bullet. I personally use a 6.8 SPC for deer/hog hunting as does my father. Between the two of us, we have taken 4 deer and 2 hog with the round this year. We have both been impressed. He is using a 110 barnes x bullet and I am using a Hornady 120SSt - both seem to do good.
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"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
- Alexander Hamilton
I have taken deer/hogs both with a 5.56 55gr SP round. They never went anywhere but straight down. Seen my dad kill a buck with a .22lr on more than one occasion. Shot placement and good bullet are key.
I use 65gr Sierra SP hand loaded pretty hot in my Saiga 223 with a 20 inch barrel. It is devastating to deer. Have dropped 3 deer with it now. 2 at 50ish yards and 1 at ~190 yards. The round does its job.
I would feel comfortable using an AR-15 for deer up to 150 yards. I use a 223 single shot and it is great. Since that is (until I buy a new 30-06) my deer rifle and it's single shot i've learned over the years that shot placement is a HUGE factor when hunting deer. An AR wouldn't be my first choice for a deer rifle though.. Get an AR-10. Great deer rifle..
If a .223 was all I had, it would do the job. I prefer .25 to .30 cal for deer sized game and larger. I have killed more game with those, mostly because states I hunt in don't allow for calibers under .24.
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If you run, you'll just die tired.
I love small fast bullets. I have killed 100+ white tail deer, muleys, maybe 30 antelope, and a couple elk. I have 2 B and C Muleys, one killed with a 243 and the second via 30-06. I have mostly killed with the 243, 308, 30-06 and 300 Wby. Now that I am retired and can use anything I want, I have settled on a 257 Wby because it is a 400 yard plus gun, the smaller ones are not. All that said, I really advise 243 as a minimum, especially if you shoot in the wind or at long distance. The 224 bullets just lose too much after about 250 yards. Now as far as the AR platform. I have killed big deer with the 7.62 x 39, and it is great. Just my 2 cents.
Just as you see in the other posts, the AR is versatile and uppers are available in several calibers suitable for whitetail. Just don't bring up .223 for deer or it becomes like the monkey cage at the zoo in here, lots of chattering and poo-flinging.
Just as you see in the other posts, the AR is versatile and uppers are available in several calibers suitable for whitetail. Just don't bring up .223 for deer or it becomes like the monkey cage at the zoo in here, lots of chattering and poo-flinging.
I watched a really bad Planet of the Apes movie last night so the mental image was worth a chuckle. :laughing:
I think the point is that while a .223 may not be the caliber of choice, like mentioned, if it was all you had and a big old doe was standing in front of you and you were hungry, I don't think anybody would pass up the shot. The deer may or may not drop with one shot, but that can even happen with a larger caliber load.
A 30 cal is my first my choice but if I was out in the woods with my AR and the 8-10 pointer I spotted last fall during hunting season shows himself come next fall...I surely am not running back to the house to grab my 30-30 and hope he waits for me. I'm going to aim carefully and hope my shot hits home, which is exactly what I would do with any caliber rifle.
Of course using an AR I might have to be more selective about where I aim, but I cannot discount what I have heard about people taking deer using a well aimed .22 through the eye. It might prove that placement trumps caliber and the big question might be, "how good of a shot am I?" when it comes to the question of using a .223 for hunting deer or any large game animal.
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“From my cold, dead hands.” Charleston Heston.
Could be said for both my LCP 380 and a Hershey Bar!
Placement always trumps caliber,and I wouldn't hesitate to take that shot if it was important enough, but I doubt anyone in here is subsistence hunting.
__________________ "Yeah I'm playing with a full deck, all Jokers of course"
Is there any caliber that can be shot from a AR 15 platform that is suitable for deer hunting? I know some states have restrictions on on the calibers you are able to use, some folks say just be a good shot but looking to if there are any calibers that will produce a quick/clean kill (providing he hit your target) on the AR 15 platform or is it just the wrong gun for task?
Yes there are calibers available for deer hunting. In some states there are minimum calibers you can use. The AR15 comes in .308,.243,.338,.458 SOCOM,. The .223 can be used but shot placement is very critical. My Uncle and others I know have used it to kill deer. But I would look at the calibers I have listed. They are not cheap, but the AR platform is a great weapon system. You will see this on all the manufacturers websites you can not mix any of these caliber uppers with a .223 lower. Good luck and happy hunting.
In Missouri, where I hunt, the 223 is referred to as being the minimum caliber for deer hunting.
If the minimum wasnt good enough, it wouldnt be called the minimum...
__________________ In order for us to see and know evil, we must first see and know GOD...
Is there any caliber that can be shot from a AR 15 platform that is suitable for deer hunting? I know some states have restrictions on on the calibers you are able to use, some folks say just be a good shot but looking to if there are any calibers that will produce a quick/clean kill (providing he hit your target) on the AR 15 platform or is it just the wrong gun for task?
To me it is not what caliber you shoot but where you hit the deer.
I am hunitng with a Rem 700 LTR in 223 with a 52 grain Sierra Matchking Bullet driven by 26.2 grain Varget and the deer drops at the spot.
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