looking at either a bushmaster ar 10 or a springfield m1a what are yall thoughts on both? shots would be kept under 600 most shot under 100
Hunting & Fishing need a new deer rifle
- Thread starter rebelsniper
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Re: need a new deer rifle
i havent had much trigger time behind either. maybe 100 shots out of a m1a and about the same out of an ar. i liked both. so many guns to pick out of and sooooo little money
i havent had much trigger time behind either. maybe 100 shots out of a m1a and about the same out of an ar. i liked both. so many guns to pick out of and sooooo little money
Re: need a new deer rifle
Judging from your location and little information I'm going to guess that you do a lot of hunting in heavy brush and probably some swamp areas.
I've found that a 20" barreled rifle is just about right for that, something that's easy to use in a climbing stand, decent punch for those longer shots but not a massive magnum fireball thrower that destroys animals inside of 300yd.
The problem that I have with humping a 308 platform AR is that they're freakin' heavy compared to a well built and proportioned bolt or lever gun. Since you might get the occasional shot past 200yd I'd skip over the lever and get something like a Model 7 Remington in a medium caliber like 7mm-08, run a 20-22" tube on it and use the 140gr class bullets. With a good hunting scope (like a Conquest or compact NF) you can built an easy to handle rifle that is 8lb or less, effectively half of the AR10T.
I have an LR-260 that would make a nice plains rifle with the 24" heavy barrel and excellent long range capability but it weighs around 15lb with the 3.5-15x50 NF NXS on top, Magpul PRS stock and bipod. Not something to be lugging through the swamp or hauling around in a climber.
That's my opinion on it.
Judging from your location and little information I'm going to guess that you do a lot of hunting in heavy brush and probably some swamp areas.
I've found that a 20" barreled rifle is just about right for that, something that's easy to use in a climbing stand, decent punch for those longer shots but not a massive magnum fireball thrower that destroys animals inside of 300yd.
The problem that I have with humping a 308 platform AR is that they're freakin' heavy compared to a well built and proportioned bolt or lever gun. Since you might get the occasional shot past 200yd I'd skip over the lever and get something like a Model 7 Remington in a medium caliber like 7mm-08, run a 20-22" tube on it and use the 140gr class bullets. With a good hunting scope (like a Conquest or compact NF) you can built an easy to handle rifle that is 8lb or less, effectively half of the AR10T.
I have an LR-260 that would make a nice plains rifle with the 24" heavy barrel and excellent long range capability but it weighs around 15lb with the 3.5-15x50 NF NXS on top, Magpul PRS stock and bipod. Not something to be lugging through the swamp or hauling around in a climber.
That's my opinion on it.
Re: need a new deer rifle
i have a styer prohunter in 7mm-08 with a kahles scope already that i am letting my wife use. at the moment i am useing a remington 700 pss in 308. and if i think about it to much longer im going to get anouther styer in 308 i was just thinking about getting something "out of the norm" for around here. and the ar 10 and m1a is what came to mind
i have a styer prohunter in 7mm-08 with a kahles scope already that i am letting my wife use. at the moment i am useing a remington 700 pss in 308. and if i think about it to much longer im going to get anouther styer in 308 i was just thinking about getting something "out of the norm" for around here. and the ar 10 and m1a is what came to mind
Re: need a new deer rifle
Getting what YOU want is the key. I'm a .308 nut. My main huntin rifle is a .308 built on a Rem 700 action. When I go "light" it is a Rem. 788 in .308. When I go semi-auto, it is my Armalite AR-10. Grab ahold of what you like and see which one meets the criteria for you hunting style/area/action/looks, etc....With the .308 you cannot go wrong.
Getting what YOU want is the key. I'm a .308 nut. My main huntin rifle is a .308 built on a Rem 700 action. When I go "light" it is a Rem. 788 in .308. When I go semi-auto, it is my Armalite AR-10. Grab ahold of what you like and see which one meets the criteria for you hunting style/area/action/looks, etc....With the .308 you cannot go wrong.
Re: need a new deer rifle
I have an Armalite AR10 and a DPMS LR308. I hunted with my LR308 this year about ten days. It has the 18" bull and a PRS on it. I was glad to kill a deer with it. Now i can go back to hunting with my Rem 700 adl in 308. It has a 22" barrel and light and handy.
I have an Armalite AR10 and a DPMS LR308. I hunted with my LR308 this year about ten days. It has the 18" bull and a PRS on it. I was glad to kill a deer with it. Now i can go back to hunting with my Rem 700 adl in 308. It has a 22" barrel and light and handy.
Re: need a new deer rifle
AR-10 is too heavy for me. My son hunts with an FN, its .308. If you like the AR like I do, take a look at a grendel or some of the newer chamberings for the AR-15, the balance is especially good with the lighter barrels.
AR-10 is too heavy for me. My son hunts with an FN, its .308. If you like the AR like I do, take a look at a grendel or some of the newer chamberings for the AR-15, the balance is especially good with the lighter barrels.
Re: need a new deer rifle
I know you asked about a 308 but, if you want the perfect round for whitetail I would suggest a 26-06. I have shot about twenty or so animals with my abolt and it is like hitting them with a bolt of lightning. I have shot animals from 40 yards out to over 300 yards and most of them were dead within 20 yards and None farther than 60 yards. About 7 or 8 of them dropped where they were standing. I use factory Winchester ammunition which is fairly cheap. JMO
I know you asked about a 308 but, if you want the perfect round for whitetail I would suggest a 26-06. I have shot about twenty or so animals with my abolt and it is like hitting them with a bolt of lightning. I have shot animals from 40 yards out to over 300 yards and most of them were dead within 20 yards and None farther than 60 yards. About 7 or 8 of them dropped where they were standing. I use factory Winchester ammunition which is fairly cheap. JMO
Re: need a new deer rifle
26-06? Typo for 25-06 or are you talking about a 6.5mm-06?
I don't have a whole lot of experience in the 25's, but that 6.5-06 is a helluva flat shooting round. I use one for long range steel matches, I wouldn't doubt it will be a smokin' hot hunting round.
26-06? Typo for 25-06 or are you talking about a 6.5mm-06?
I don't have a whole lot of experience in the 25's, but that 6.5-06 is a helluva flat shooting round. I use one for long range steel matches, I wouldn't doubt it will be a smokin' hot hunting round.
Re: need a new deer rifle
No sir, it is a 25-06. I use 120 grain positive expanding point shells from Winchester which cost me about 20 dollars a box. The 25-06 is a fairly popular round here in the Midwest with alot of farm fields to shoot across hence the name beanfield rifle.
No sir, it is a 25-06. I use 120 grain positive expanding point shells from Winchester which cost me about 20 dollars a box. The 25-06 is a fairly popular round here in the Midwest with alot of farm fields to shoot across hence the name beanfield rifle.
Re: need a new deer rifle
That's what I figured. The speeds from it are similar to what I was crushing those 6.5's out at, you're right, they make fantastic hunting rifles for fields.
That's what I figured. The speeds from it are similar to what I was crushing those 6.5's out at, you're right, they make fantastic hunting rifles for fields.
Re: need a new deer rifle
Are you going to be buying ammo for it or reloading? Are you going to be traveling much with it? If you are going to travel, I would suggest buying a round that most Wal-Marts or sporting good places are going to be carrying. 25-06 is a great round but it is not as common as 30-06, .308, .270 or 7 Mag...
Just another thing to consider.
Are you going to be buying ammo for it or reloading? Are you going to be traveling much with it? If you are going to travel, I would suggest buying a round that most Wal-Marts or sporting good places are going to be carrying. 25-06 is a great round but it is not as common as 30-06, .308, .270 or 7 Mag...
Just another thing to consider.
Re: need a new deer rifle
i dont know how much traveling i will be doing with it but that is one reason why i want a 308. its easy to find ammo for and i can buy cheap surpluse ammo just to plink with. i have shot the 25-06 but like what was stated before i will be hunting in thick swamp most of the time with a shot from time to time out to 500 yards. plus i already have a remington pss in 308 with all my reload equipment. i would almost be willing to trade it with the scope for an ar or m1a.
i dont know how much traveling i will be doing with it but that is one reason why i want a 308. its easy to find ammo for and i can buy cheap surpluse ammo just to plink with. i have shot the 25-06 but like what was stated before i will be hunting in thick swamp most of the time with a shot from time to time out to 500 yards. plus i already have a remington pss in 308 with all my reload equipment. i would almost be willing to trade it with the scope for an ar or m1a.
