I was gonna say the same thing.Originally Posted by Rick R
And, I am probably going to build an upper in 350 Legend, since after not deer hunting in a while I might have some renewed access to some areas here in Ohio. Even if you are not in a straight-wall cartridge state (OH, MI, IA and maybe others), you might get an opportunity to hunt in one.
That’s a good plan, particularly if you have the self discipline to stay at 1 lower with 2 uppers.
That was my plan, then I found a great deal on some stripped lowers. So I built the 6.8 its own lower. Then I built sone more lowers. Then uppers to go on them. Then more lowers…
Now I have a safe full of ARs. I hunt with 6.8s and 7.62x39 carbines. Either caliber would work fine. I slightly prefer the 6.8. I have both because I like options.
As someone who can’t keep up with all the new intermediate cartridges - are any of them reliable game getters out to 500 yds?
Old pic. What I started with for hunting rifle zones in VA. PSA 6.8 upper I bought on clearance. Poverty Pony lower built by me. Extremely reliable and plenty accurate for deer.
6 Arc / 224 Valkyrie / 6.5 Grendel would be for deer sized game.
Let’s be realistic, though how many people are making shots on game be on 200 yards ?
And how many people are sufficiently skilled to take an ethical hunting shot at 500 yards?
I think you’d want a 6.8 or 6.5 to reach out to 500 yards. You’d need to research performance at distance. I have no idea if you’d have the energy and bullet performance to make ethical kills on game at 500 yards with intermediate cartridges.
Out in the west 300 yard shots are fairly common and while not optimal I would feel better with a round that shot flat enough and hit hard enough out to 500 yards even if I never pulled the trigger on such.
I guess what I’m really asking is are these new rounds effective replacements for the .308 in the Western US?
I my opinion, which is just a guy who likes to hunt, shoot rifles and reload (but doesn’t claims SME status in any of these areas) no. There are no intermediate cartridges useable in a standard AR that take the place of .308 or similar cartridges.Out in the west 300 yard shots are fairly common and while not optimal I would feel better with a round that shot flat enough and hit hard enough out to 500 yards even if I never pulled the trigger on such.
I guess what I’m really asking is are these new rounds effective replacements for the .308 in the Western US?
If you want to hunt out to 500 yards with an AR, I’d go with a small frame .308 rifle.
Out in the west 300 yard shots are fairly common and while not optimal I would feel better with a round that shot flat enough and hit hard enough out to 500 yards even if I never pulled the trigger on such.
I guess what I’m really asking is are these new rounds effective replacements for the .308 in the Western US?You can hit anything you want with a small cartridge/bullet at those ranges, but the intermediate cartridges are not .308-.30’06 class hunting cartridges at 500 yards. Or anything beyond 300, TBH.
Even a 6.5 Remington/Creedmoor/x55 is a better choice at that kind of distance.
I hunt exclusively in western mountains. I mostly hunt, as stated before, with a .270 b/c I want to make sure I have a rifle and cartridge that can do what needs doing as far away as I know I can hit.
Last edited by Duelist; 05-01-2023 at 03:09 PM.
When I decided to get an AR upper for hunting, I had White Oak Armament build me a 6.8 SPC II with a fluted sixteen-inch barrel and a carbon fiber hand guard. The idea was an accurate lightweight upper that could humanely take deer. I added a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5X20mm scope in a PEPR mount. The lower was a BCM "blem" with an A2 stock. The result was a pretty handy deer rifle that is easy to carry.
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