ARs for Varmints--Pros and Cons

[Steel Mover]

Before my open heart surgery I built a light weight, light recoiling AR-15 with more power than a 223. The 6mm Mongoose fit the bill. Designed to use LC military brass shortened .050 with a blown out body and 40 degree shoulder to use 80 to 95 grain bullets effectively in a 2.26 length mag. It is very effective on song dogs with the 80 grain flat base spire points. And shoots 3/10 inch at 100. With a match trigger it makes a light weight, easy shooter. I can use H-335 or 844 bulk surplus powder

 

[GotRDid]

Posted elsewhere, but probably more appropriate here…





9 MM 147 gr Subsonic HydraShok.

 

[Dufas]

300 BO,110gr vmax, 150 yds 640 Rattler IR scope on AR carbine. Off-hand from the ATV.

 

[giblaw]

I use a Bushmaster Varminter with a custom 24 inch heavy barrel and a really sweet 1 pound trigger. The gun has been tweaked and tuned by a retired Marine Corps armour. The current scope is a Weaver 20X Grandslam variable with a 1/8 inch dot.

The hand loads are 60 grain match bullets, 24.5 grains of Benchmark, adjusted for daily temperature, and Lapua brass.
the load chronos at 2950 fps.

I use a brass catcher bag when ever I'm shooting my good Lapua brass. When I don't care about the brass I don't use the bag.

I have made a "sissy plate" for shooting off the bench using a noraml front rest and rear bag. This plate keeps the rifle aligned and guides the recoil straight back. I also use a 3 pound weight in the stock cavity when shooting off of the bench.

For field shooting I take the sissy plate off and remove the stock weight.

This gun has shot many "witnessed" 3 shot groups in the .061 to .088 range and numerious groups in the ".100's" shooting off of the bench.

This rifle is sudden death as a varmint rifle for p-dogs, groudhogs and coyotes. I like the quick second shot available with the gas gun. Although I have killed deer with it I feel that a .22 cal is too light for reliable deer hunting.

The AR can be made into a great varmint rifle or left alone and used for a great truck gun and/or home defense weapon. As an earlier poster mentioned just pull the pins and change the upper and you can have whatever you want in about 2 minutes.

I have switched my Varminter top end with my 16 inch top end several times and both "new" rifles will maintain point of impact and can be returned to original configuration without issues.

I own an ‘03 Varminter. It has been a favorite for more than 20 years and will shoot 55’s to 77’s with consistent accuracy. The 24” barrel balances really well in a tripod for coyotes.