ARs for Varmints--Pros and Cons

[sscoyote]

Hey Guys, I was wondering if anyone has shot the AR in .243. I saw DPMS is making one I had a 700 but it's too big and bulky. The questions I have is; 1 are they accurate, do the rounds feed good and is the 1 in 10 twist fast enough for a varmit bullet ie 60 to 80 gr. Any help would be greatly app

Got a buddy that's shooting a DPMS AR-10 243 and is pushing the 87 V-Max at ~3000-something, thereabouts. He killed 4 coyotes this last season on 1st shots beyond 300 yds., 1 also @ 470 that was a couple shots since we couldn't get a lasered ydg. on it. 785, 650, 535, and 335 this past season on 1st shots.

He uses an I-Pod Touch ballistics program with a verified profile for his load to ~1000 using a G7 drag function for that bullet and calls into the local airport a couple times a day while we're hunting to get any air density changes. As far as i can see this is the best 800 yd. and under 1st-shot system i've ever seen in action on coyotes. Leupold 6.5-20x with VH reticle and turrets.

 

[Klong]

I like the AR for varminting and pig hunting because of the quick second shot and the short oal compared to most bolt actions. Often here in Texas we have multiple targets available. None of my AR's have the factory trigger in them.

Nothing wrong with a good bolt action and I prefer it when target get out a ways. That is past 600 yards!

 

[rihan41]

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.



rifle stock

 

[jonbearman]

I have 6 and half ar's.LOL They are as follows: AR 15 w/a2 style barrel with a muzzle brake I made out of some scrap titanium,.223 with 6.5x20x40 scope,2nd is a fluted bushmaster carbine with the ak-74 muzzle brake fron the factory 16",3rd is an ar-10 in .308 a2 heavy barrel with a 3.5x10x50 weaver varmint extreme,4th is a gun I built of parts: bushmaster lower,magpul adjustable stock,ultra heavy stainless barrel with target crown dpms hi-riser upper topped with a bushnell 4200 8-32x40 scope with a jewel trigger. 5th is a colt ar15 a2 stock rifle preban,6th is a newer aquasition an armalite a2 converted to 7.62x39mm with a colt heavy barrel. and another shorty upper just sitting around. I like them all and use them all for varminting and plinking or whatever. They are alot of fun for varminting etc.

 

[Ring31]

Hey Guys, I was wondering if anyone has shot the AR in .243. I saw DPMS is making one I had a 700 but it's too big and bulky. The questions I have is; 1 are they accurate, do the rounds feed good and is the 1 in 10 twist fast enough for a varmit bullet ie 60 to 80 gr. Any help would be greatly app

my buddy shoots and i load for his DPMS 2243 ar10, we use 87gr Vmax at around 3000 fps it shoots 1.5 inch at 200y, .5 to .75 @ 100y... but you will need a 2 stage match triger.. i use the rock river for 119$

 

[Ring31]

a few of mine
50bmg
24" heavy shot a gound hog at 460y this summer with this..
16" light

and i have a 243wssm upper on order

BTW, got my 243 WSSM AR15...







also picked up a heavy SS 16" 1-8

 

[Martin S]

The only thing I have against the AR 15 is the empties flying all over the place. My nephew shoots one prairie dogging and he shoots a clip full then starts wondering around hunting the empties. When he does this he scares the other dogs into there holes. You would think the empties where made of gold. He has over 4,000. I gave him 1,000 LC.
Martin S

 

[Rookie]

The only thing I have against the AR 15 is the empties flying all over the place. My nephew shoots one prairie dogging and he shoots a clip full then starts wondering around hunting the empties. When he does this he scares the other dogs into there holes. You would think the empties where made of gold. He has over 4,000. I gave him 1,000 LC.
Martin S

It's an AR thing LoL 8)
2 quick cures, a brass catcher attached to the gun or a 10' x 10' tarp on the ground to catch brass. My smith tuned MP15 DMR to throw the brass into a 2x2 foot area, could almost set a 5gal bucket on the ground to catch it.

 

[Ring31]

Competition Shell Deflectors
These shell case deflectors snap onto AR15 models to keep hot brass under control and away from other competitors on the firing line. Left handers who've experienced "hot brass in the face" will appreciate them. For the convenience of reloaders, they will drop all the cases in the same place at your feet, and are allowed under NRA High Power Competition Rules.

Options: FIxed Carry, A3 Flat-Tops,A3 Removable
Price: $22.95
http://www.bushmaster.com/products.asp?cat=9

http://www.dpmsinc.com/store/?cat=1591
Case Deflector for Flattop (A3) Upper Receiver
Description
These brass deflectors are designed to kick your AR style rifle's brass out of the way of other shooters. They deflect the brass down and out in front of you at about the 2 o'clock position. If you have ever had a piece of hot brass down your back during a match, you know you would appreciate the person next to you having one of these. This deflector puts all of your brass next to you.

 

[Rookie]

2 of my AR's
MP15
SAM-R

 

[coyoteklr]

I only have one old (like me) ar but it has whacked and stacked a ton of coyotes and can't be beat for followup on doubles and tripples.... ;D ;D ;D
Kudos for the brass catcher inventor......

 

[sscoyote]

The new 53 V-Max oughtta' help some for longer range varmint shooting. Will be trying some soon on coyotes. We'll see.

 

[Jayman_10x]

While there is little disputing the merits of a solid accurate bolt action for varminting, as far as AR's go I think it really depends on the accuracy of your rig. We all know the wide gulf of quality AR's on the market and the accuracy budget necessary to strike small prairie dogs at 400 yards. I use a JP Enterprises CTR-02, 20"bbl (1:8 twist) loaded with 50 gr. Sierra BlitzKings. It will hold 0.5 MOA at 100 yards. I consider this a good AR setup. Now.... if one employed a DPMS shooting >1 MOA at 100 yds I'd count on a lot of misses at farther ranges. So it really depends on the quality of the AR, primarily the barrel, and the biggest factor of all - the shooter.

 

[Larryh128]

Accurate, lots of firepower, liberals hate them, what's not to like. ;D Never had a use for 1 before Bill Clinton & Janet Reno, figured I should have one seeing that they thought that I shouldn't. Most fun rifle that I've ever owned. A couple million of us can't all be wrong.

 

[sscoyote]

Jus skinned this dog couple weeks ago @ 140 yds.--lights out on impact. Buddy shot it with my rig and a case full of Varget behind the new 53-gr. V-Max @ 3600 out of my AR 223 AI--hot load though. It was one fun skinning job from a fence post in 25 mph winds with sand in my eyes BIG TIME.

 

[Double Tap 45]

My state (NY) limits the magazine capacity on ANY centerfire for hunting to FIVE rounds. Do they make a blocked 5 rounder for most ARs? Basically back in the '50s they looked at the Remington and Winchester repeaters. Saw 5 round magazines and so set that as the standard. We also ban suppressors for hunting mainly because back in the '30s game wardens claimed "thousands of deer were being poached with 'silencers'". BEEE ESSSS!!! If they allowed them we'd hear a lot less whining from the yuppies on their hobby farms who wet themselves at every distant gun shot.

I shoot at the old Lyman range sometimes in Wallingford, CT. They had to eliminate their 300 yard section and build a 40' high berm behind the 200 yard section because some rich gun-hating yuppie with a law firm moved behind the range and tried to shut it down. They're always in court but he seems to be losing now. Judges get tired of retrying the same case! Many states have a law that presumes you KNEW the range was there when you moved in so you can just shut you pie hole. I LIKE that law.

Ray

 

[people]

Yes you can get the 20 rd Pmag and then the filler to limit it to 5rds. Granted they also make 5 rd mags.

http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG217/2
http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG280/101

 

[Nomo4me]

One of the local dealers was overstocked on the Rock River Varmint 24" heavy barrel models (as seen here: http://www.snipercentral.com/rra.htm ) and was moving them out with an extra mag at $895 so I snagged one. I never thought I'd buy a black rifle but it might be a fun toy to play with.

I have no idea how to load for an AR though. My pet load uses the 50 grain blitz king in front of 26.5 grains Benchmark.

Do you typically have to load down for AR's?

Will this thing chew up my precious lapua 223 brass?

 

[people]

The easiest way to do load dev is figure out how long the bullets can be in your mag. Then do development as normal. As to the powder you want to use depends on the bullets you want to shoot. Many reloading manuals have data for gasguns. Start low and work up.


It can be hard on brass that depends on what you are using for powder. If you are using one that will give you a higher port pressure then it will be hard on brass.

 

[jekemi2005]

There are so many good replies here it seems almost pointless to add to the string. However, that has never stopped me before on any other forum.
I think the AR 15 is an infinitely modifiable rifle, which is suitable to good Varmint shooting. I love shooting and reloading the relatively inexpensive .223. The AR has demonstrated its adaptability in almost any situation; hunting, home defense, bench shooting, and tactical shooting.
Having said that I have stopped using the AR for varmints only because I enjoy my Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 .270 probably more than any other rifle I own. I simply put a Nikon ProStaff 6 X 12 X 50 scope on it. Then I I load a Sierra 90 SIE HP Grain bullet atop 56 grains of IMR 4350 and I have a perfectly adapted varmint rifle.
If I want to hunt deer I move to the 140 grain bullet. If I want to shoot Elk I move to the 150 grain bullet. One gun, one caliber, many uses. As I get older this theme seems to work for me.