ARs for Varmints--Pros and Cons

[EvanB]

Thats with two sometimes three shooters. Yes, we shoot a lot, and hit a lot on some really well populated dog towns. We dont mind if we miss and our ammo cost was about 35 cents a round (reloaded). Prices have gone out of sight the past couple of years but we have a good rserve of our own ammo remaining. We have had really good fortune on numbers of dog towns in a small geographical area so we can bounce easily from one to another when the slow down occurs. We almost always set up with the wind either directly in front or behind us. Running dogs are fun but certainly require multiple shots. When you have the ammo, the number of available dogs and only 2-3 days per year, we dont fret about ammo cost or availability. By the way, I drive close to 1500 miles to prairie dog shoot. And, we shoot in mid May before the grass gets high. Others experiences may differ, but we shoot a lot and do not apoligize for it.

One note: We always shoot from tables (made by us for us) so walking, stalking and set up is consistant. Sometimes we may move to as many as 4 different dog towns. Sometimes, we stay on on all day and have had days where we shot the same dog town two full days.

 

[Dog_hoggers]

I use a bolt gun for coyotes, and a AR for pigs.
The AR for me is great on anything inside a 100yrds. I shoot 1 inch groups at 200yrds with my bolt gun and 2 inch groups at 100yrds with an AR. I have tried different guns and ammo in the AR platform but my groups don't close up. So a 1inch group at 50 yrds on a pig gets the job done and 1 inch group on a coyote gets the job done. To answer your question every gun caliber and style have a place your place may not be the same as someone else's.

 

[mrmarklin]

I'm over 15 years late to this thread, but while I think the AR platform is good in all respects, it is a semi-auto gun.
I don't like hunting with this style rifle, because of safety, I hunt with chamber empty. Only loading when I see a target and am ready to shoot. Because of the auto-loading aspect of the AR platform this is difficult to achieve. One is always fooling with the action to empty the chamber since it loads after each shot. That seems unsafe to me. For hunting anything I'll stick to my single shots or bolt actions.

 

[itchyTF]

“fooling with the action“ = drop the mag then pull the charging handle. Doesn’t seem like a lot to me but to each his own.

 

[remy3424]

On our recent trip to shoot prairie dawgs, I use just 3 rifles, each was an AR platform, the 4th rifle I had was a bolt action, I would have used it too, but the winds were almost always 20mph or higher, it was a 17 Hornet. Those ARs were very dangerous...to the dawgs. You do shoot more, but you will kill more too. It is almost like a video game when you get on a thick patch of them. Ya, I like them.

 

[Maynard]

I'm over 15 years late to this thread, but while I think the AR platform is good in all respects, it is a semi-auto gun.
I don't like hunting with this style rifle, because of safety, I hunt with chamber empty. Only loading when I see a target and am ready to shoot. Because of the auto-loading aspect of the AR platform this is difficult to achieve. One is always fooling with the action to empty the chamber since it loads after each shot. That seems unsafe to me. For hunting anything I'll stick to my single shots or bolt actions.

No one that understands the manual of arms for an AR15 is going to do anything remotely like that.

 

[AWS]

Another late to this. I own an AR in 20P with a 223 upper to go with it. I won the thing and it is incribed with the shoot name as the serial number, so it is pretty special to me. It is a very good one custom built by RPG and very accurate. I don't hunt colony varmints, if I can't eat it or skin it, I have no truck with it. While I have killed coyotes with it just to get that under my belt, it is the last coyote hunting rifle that I would grab for a hunt. I find them awkward and noisy

With the 223 barrel on. 1.5-6x42 with German #4 and ill. dot.

An interesting side note, I hear a lot of complaints by AR coyote hunters of how ineffective the 223 is on coyote with lots of runners yet bolt action shooters have no problems with coyotes shooting 17 Rem, 204 Ruger 20P and a whole assortment of .224's from the 22H on up, one of my favorites is the 222 Rem..

Sako Vixen fullstock 222 Rem, Leupold 2-7 compact

My consensus is that AR shooters tend to know they have shots 2-20 waiting and tend to be lax on placing the first one..

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Just shut the gas off and have a manual bolt gun, if you want. I have done it, when I forgot a brass catcher.

 

[Carl S]

Hey guys,

We're working on a NEW,much-asked-for) .223 Rem Cartridge Guide.

One sub-topic we'll cover is AR15s--for both match rifle shooting and varminting.

I've gone squirrel shooting with my AR. I concluded that, while it is fun to use a magazine, the AR would not be my first choice for future varmint expeditions. Didn't like the stock length/height when shooting from the ground, didn't like the way the gun sat on the bags when shooting from the bench. I also hated chasing the brass.

That said, I know a lot of guys love to use ARs for Varminting.

Let's hear both sides of the debate.

If you like the AR as a varmint platform, tell us why.

If you think an AR15 is over-rated as a varminter, explain.

Let the debate begin...

I would love an AR15 and I would build one without hesitation but unfortunately selfloading centerfire rifles are prohibited here in England..you gentlemen are very lucky to have them..pistols aswell.

 

[Louisiana Shooter]

Not sure if it's really luck so much as the foresight of our founding fathers after fighting with the - well, you know!

Wished y'all could get them too. Lots of fun and very valuable rifle for many different uses.

 

[Steel Mover]

Might as well…. I hunt with a few AR-15s Pretty much gotten off the 223 wagon and went full wildcat. This is one of my favorite varmint rifles for riding fence, got a mile and a half of fence I ride three times a week. The 6mm Mongoose with 80s at 3,000 fps Last yote I shot was at 75 yards, in the pouring rain, kicked twice and DRT. Never exited, just right for a farm. Target is the break in, sight in with 844 Surplus powder.

 

[Steel Mover]

This is the Mongoose’s big brother, the 24 GPC, a 6mm x6.8 SPC, 40 degree with blown out body. It will do a bit higher velocity, like 3,600 fps.

 

[Randfal]

Wow, don’t know how I missed this thread for all these years! I’m a fan of ARs for pdogs and rock chucks in my area. Having the follow up shots when there’s 3-4 pdogs on the mounds is priceless. That being said, I’m not a fan of the plain M4 style AR with some red dot on it. I get guys asking to come shoot with me because they have a 16” skinny barrel AR with a red dot lol. I tell them I’m going to kill the pdogs, not educate them. Put a real barrel and scope on an AR and it’s plenty good for PDogs.
I turn my own barrels from blanks and my favorite these days is building 6mm Dashers on AR15 platforms.(yes, it can be done and works quite well). 87gr vmaxs and 90gr Berger’s are ideal in a Dasher AR. Last several years I’ve been pretty successful with them in the 0-650yd rock chuck fields. Past that, I’m still a bolt gun fan.

 

[DanS]

Took this older male recently with the Larue upper 50 Nosler BT

 

[Steel Mover]

The 24 GPC cartridge name was changed to the 24 Varmint by MDWS, designers of the 24 GPC, to honor Varmint Magazine after the magazine staff did a two year series of tests on the cartridge with positive reports.

 

[xsn10s]

My HBAR I assembled is my truck gun. It's decent out to mid ranges. I've made cold bore head shots on chucks at 400 yards with my M4. Rats 200 yards isn't much of a problem.The HBAR took a yote at 100 yards this past weekend. 53 gr VMAX drt. I would prefer a bolt rifle, but the AR15 works. For yotes right now the AR15 fits for close in to mid range. And my 260 AI out past that.

 

[Mulligan]

Wow, don’t know how I missed this thread for all these years! I’m a fan of ARs for pdogs and rock chucks in my area. Having the follow up shots when there’s 3-4 pdogs on the mounds is priceless. That being said, I’m not a fan of the plain M4 style AR with some red dot on it. I get guys asking to come shoot with me because they have a 16” skinny barrel AR with a red dot lol. I tell them I’m going to kill the pdogs, not educate them. Put a real barrel and scope on an AR and it’s plenty good for PDogs.
I turn my own barrels from blanks and my favorite these days is building 6mm Dashers on AR15 platforms.(yes, it can be done and works quite well). 87gr vmaxs and 90gr Berger’s are ideal in a Dasher AR. Last several years I’ve been pretty successful with them in the 0-650yd rock chuck fields. Past that, I’m still a bolt gun fan.

I am a dasher fan. What do you have to have to run a dasher on an AR platform?

I currently have several 6 dasher benchrest and f-class rigs. A 6 or 22 dasher in an AR sounds fun.
CW

 

[762plinker]

ok lets be clear a WELL built, PURPOSE built ar in simple 223 works wonders on pd colonies.
been there done that and my bolt gun friends hate me because that cannot keep up.
hornadys 50gr vmax is amazing. admittedly i have a HART and a KRIEGER bbl. 26 and 27 inches.
6-18 or 6-24x scope and 10 or 20 rd mags off a bench or table front rest.
if you can consistently do under 1/2" you are fine.

 

[Randfal]

I am a dasher fan. What do you have to have to run a dasher on an AR platform?

I currently have several 6 dasher benchrest and f-class rigs. A 6 or 22 dasher in an AR sounds fun.
CW

Hi CW. The easiest route to go is using a 458 Socom bolt(308 bolt face) and a quality upper. If you use a “458 Socom or 450 Bushmaster” style upper, the ejection port is already milled out. Other uppers just need to be milled a little wider. The standard barrel extension gets a little milling work done to help feeding and I use standard 10rd AR15 Mission First and Magpul magazines. They hold 5-6 rounds. 20rd 223 mags hold about 7-9rds depending on brand. The dasher case diameter causes standard mags to swell bad when trying to load more than 8rds. I tried molesting a bunch of mags, playing with feed lips and followers etc, in the end I just use plain unmolested 10rd Mission First polymer mags. After all, you are typically not machine gun mag dumping Dasher rounds. It’s ideal application is that 1 - 2 follow up shot on a marmot or a pair of coyotes.
I generally chamber varmint weight barrels with .875” gas blocks for my personal builds. I you have a take off Rem Varmint barrel in any 6mm that isn’t completely roasted, they make great AR Dasher barrels since they are a good size to cut chamber off and use for AR barrels. Barrel blanks are not getting any cheaper these days so used benchrest barrels can easily be set back to make an AR dasher barrel. The AR in the picture is a Dasher made from a Rem-Varmint contour blank. A 6BR will cycle the same way. I have both my Dasher and 6br AR reamers made with shorter free bores to run 70-95grain bullets. 105 etc are just too long for ideal in AR mag length. Although Hornadys 105 HPBT profile does work. 90gr Bergers and 87gr VMaxs are perfect!

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Wow, longest running thread ever. I have an 18" AR I use for coyotes and a 204 WOA for PDs. Overall, I prefer the bolt guns.

1.ARs have lots of pokey things that rub against me when I walk.

2. I don't have muscle memory like for a bolt gun. Not the ARs fault.

3. It is easier to load and unload a bolt gun quietly. I often am using sticks and keep the bolt open while im sitting and scanning or catching my breath before I start calling.

4. A chambered round sometimes gets a ding on it and if I unload that one is now a fouler at the range.

5. If you just fired a string at a runner, the next round is cooking in a hot chamber.

6. Sucks when I forget the brass catcher.

They do have pros though. On a double calling coyotes the second one may never notice you are there increasing the chance of taking the 2nd one. On Pds, following a runner is a lot of fun and more likely to connect. I never load more than 10 rounds, usually 5. Its hard to control myself. If I load 20 or 30 I'll smoke the barrel and my wallet!

I think some of the shortfalls like stocks are now easily fixed. I have a prs stock on the heavy gun and prs lite on the lite weight gun. Found a grip I like for my huge hands.Triggertech trigger is good as a bolt gun.