Predator Rifles

[Desert_Racer]

Good Afternoon Hiders!

I am in a bit of a conflict with myself on choosing a varmint rifle (something for smokin' yotes in particular). I just recently built a new AR-15 with a Daniel Defense 14.5", 1:7 twist CHF barrel that is really a sweet shooter, but I fear might be a little on the short side for the above mentioned application. I also have an American Spirit Arms 16" AR-15 that I bought a few years ago (lighter profile barrel, carbine length gas system). Its pretty accurate, never had a single malfunction in the thousands of rounds through it, and the twist rate (1:9) is much better suited to the projectile weights I might choose. I told my buddy a couple days ago that I would sell him this rifle for $1200 and he agreed, but is trying to scrape up the money so there is still time if I change my mind.

Here's my request for opinion from you fellers:

Should I cancel the sale and use my ASA AR-15 for my yote rig, or should I just sell it and buy something else (22-250 bolt gun, ect)?

I think the 16" barrel would be okay, but would it be a better idea to dump it for an 18" or 20" heavier profile barrel?

Thanks dudes. PS, post up some pics of your pred blasters!

 

[5spd]

If you plan to shoot 200-400 yds when they hang up & drop them everytime, get a bolt gun or AR15 w/20" bbl. you will be much more pleased.
Stick w/ a sporter bbl on a coyote bolt rig unless you use it for p-dogs also. All my coyote rigs are 24" varmint bbls @ .820" and my MMR ar15 is 20" @ .700" and I can pop them at 400 yds w/no issue.
See my MMR AR15 post I just put up using it for coyotes.

 

[Shooter0311]

First of all, best avatar or whatever it's called I have seen on the Hide, hands down. (Never go full retard) I would personally keep the DD. Maybe drop a geissele in it and good optic, of course. The fps picked up between 16-20 inches is negligible and with 16, you still have pretty good maneuverability. If you handload and use some good 62-70 or even 77 grain ammo with your 7 twist, sounds like a winner to me. Even a 2,600 fps 77 grain SMK with 1/7 twist gives you 850 yds til susbonic and at 600 yds, still has over 300 ft lbs energy. Just my opinion.

 

[Redmanss]

^^ This, including selling your other rifle and putting the money into a good optic and trigger if you don't already have one.

The 14.5" AR has killed plenty of predators, both of the 2-legged and 4-legged varieties. Unless you're trying to stretch out beyond 400 yards, stick with what you have and stop splitting hairs. Beyond that, get a bolt action .243 or .260 to bust them just to beat the wind a bit better in the desert.

 

[Smokerroller]

Here is another idea. Keep both rifles and just re barrel your ASA with a top line match barrel. You could even go with an 18 or 20 incher to get a little more yardage.

 

[Howa4AU]

Not a bad idea smoke. A 20" heavier barrel will allow you to go to rifle length gas and you could shoot pdogs and longer range targets with it also. Gives you an option to take either when you hunt yotes.

 

[Desert_Racer]

Thanks for the input. I think I may just go with the rebarrel option for my ASA. I already have a Geissele trigger in it, so I'm set in that aspect. I just have to pull my Aimpoint CompML2 off of it and get a different optic.

 

[Howa4AU]

Now to figure out what barrel to get...

 

[Desert_Racer]

Yes sir. I'd like to get a Krieger, but I'm still waiting for one I ordered for my Ma-Ten prior to our current political climate so that option is out. I'd get one of Rainier's ultramatch barrels, but the last one I ordered had a headspace problem so that option is out as well.

Maybe a WOA? Have any of you heard of or tried Black Hole Weaponry's barrels?

I'd like a standard or bull profile, 18" or 20".

 

[jwb47]

I use my colt 6940 with a 4x acog for coyotes , foxes , bob cats , and what ever else comes in. I load all my hunting ammo and prefer the barnes 70 grain tsx bullet . nothing ever runs off when I make a proper shot to the boiler. maybe you are shooting farther than I do ( most often 250 yds on in ) where I live it is very thick timber with a patch of open field ever so often . I dont see why you could not put a good 1x6 or 2x7 scope on either of your rifles and call it good .

 

[Desert_Racer]

How are those on the hide if you get a good shoulder shot?

 

[Shooter0311]

Plus 1 for the tsx 70 grain here. Accurate and outright deadly. Another decent one is the 62 grain 5.56 barrier/sost round. Southwest loads both the 62 and 70 tsx in 5.56.

 

[Sledge1]

While your at it, if you're going to rebarrel anyway, there are better options for coyotes than .223. Just sayin.

 

[Desert_Racer]

I agree. What would you suggest?

I had a 6.5 Grendel for a while, but sold the barrel and bolt because at the time it was a bit pricey to shoot and the brass was difficult to find... Obviously it is much more so on all accounts now. Its a great round, but do you think it would be a bit much on the fur?

22-250 is what I would really like but I've only seen one option for that, which was from Olympic arms. That particular rifle had proprietary mags if I'm not mistaken.

.223/5.56 is pretty commonly used in pred hunting. Its cheap(er), has a ridiculous bullet selection, and plenty of juice to put down some dogs.

 

[Smokerroller]

I would stick with 5.56. I am building a precision rig with a 16" barrel that I will use for my go to AR and for varmints when I feel like using an AR. When I don't feel like it I'll use by bolt 22-250. A varmint AR in 5.56 with an 18" barrel will provide the benefits or the cartridge in an AR platform and be exelent for varmints if you put a high quality barrel on it.

 

[Sledge1]

I agree. What would you suggest?

I had a 6.5 Grendel for a while, but sold the barrel and bolt because at the time it was a bit pricey to shoot and the brass was difficult to find... Obviously it is much more so on all accounts now. Its a great round, but do you think it would be a bit much on the fur?

22-250 is what I would really like but I've only seen one option for that, which was from Olympic arms. That particular rifle had proprietary mags if I'm not mistaken.

.223/5.56 is pretty commonly used in pred hunting. Its cheap(er), has a ridiculous bullet selection, and plenty of juice to put down some dogs.

This is what I've seen and my opinion only and it's worth what it cost you. I've seen more dogs shot and run off after being shot by a .22 caliber bullet, regardless of chambering, than I care to count. I'm talking about shots through the guts, good shots through the boiler room and head on chest shots. Will a .22 caliber kill them...hell yes. Do a lot of dogs die all the time from being shot with .223's,22-250's Swifts? Absolutely. But I have yet to see a coyote shot with a 6mm bullet that didn't hit the ground. They may get back up, but they will go down. It's not necessarily a bullet weight thing, I think it's more about diameter. Something about the bigger diameter just knocks them off there feet. Running dogs shot too far back with a .223 etc, just keep going. That same shot with a 6mm bullet will knock him down, making the follow up shot much easier with no tracking required. I shoot a 65grn Vmax at 3400 FPS and it flattens them. So it's not about weight or speed because that same weight bullet from a .223 will not have the same effect. Again, this is my experience. If I were in your shoes, I'd rebarrel in even a 6x45. You could then use the brass you already have. Or I'd look real hard at something from Robert Whitley. I have neither of the above but those both look pretty good.

Good luck with it,
Steve

 

[Wes_Mantooth]

Sledge1 must be hunting coyotes in a different part of Illinois than me. I shoot most of mine with a 22-250 or 223 and have no problem with them running anywhere. I had one run about 80 yards with a high chest shot this past winter, all the rest were dead within feet of being shot. Ranges were 15 to 450 yards. Larger caliber bullets just do too much pelt damage.

FWIW same bullet hand loaded for accuracy, not speed, 55gr Sierra Gameking BTHP. Bullets exit less than half the time and do a ton of damage. Rifles, Savage 24" heavy barrel and RRA 20" standard profile barrel.

I wouldn't get a heavy barrel in an AR. Spend the extra money on a good trigger.

 

[mnhntr]

My primary predator hunting rifle is a home built AR15 with a 18in MK12 barrel.

 

[KAman9803]

My primary predator hunting rifle is a home built AR15 with a 18in MK12 barrel.

I'd take a look at one of these if you just plan on rebarreling the 5.56. I put one on a budget rig and it has been fantastic. $170 for a barrel that will, when I'm shooting good, put 5 rounds into .35" at 110 yards is fine by me.

 

[mnhntr]

I'd take a look at one of these if you just plan on rebarreling the 5.56. I put one on a budget rig and it has been fantastic. $170 for a barrel that will, when I'm shooting good, put 5 rounds into .35" at 110 yards is fine by me.

It shoots all the 55gr pills great and also shoots the 75gr Hornady BTHP match pills for longer range with excellent accuracy.

 

[elfster1234]

I tell ya... I love my 18inch bull barrel rock river varmint and wouldn't blink an eye about taking it hunting.... And i think I've proved time and again to its accuracy. Weight really isn't that bad for a bull barrel rifle and all you need is 5.56 = stupid accurate up to 400yards and crazy cheap to shoot... Just check out my shootout threads. Best single 5shot group so far of .179moa at 100yards. Rock river varmint in either 18 to 20inch gets my vote. They are stupid accurate and even more accurate than rifles 3x its value. Perfect for varmint and target shooting. It is my go to rifle in my collection. I can reload match grade rounds for .25cent each or 5dollars per 20round box comparison.... Why go anything else IMO.

I agree. What would you suggest?

I had a 6.5 Grendel for a while, but sold the barrel and bolt because at the time it was a bit pricey to shoot and the brass was difficult to find... Obviously it is much more so on all accounts now. Its a great round, but do you think it would be a bit much on the fur?

22-250 is what I would really like but I've only seen one option for that, which was from Olympic arms. That particular rifle had proprietary mags if I'm not mistaken.

.223/5.56 is pretty commonly used in pred hunting. Its cheap(er), has a ridiculous bullet selection, and plenty of juice to put down some dogs.

 

[Howa4AU]

In 223 there's a 20" Criterion rifle gas, 1x8 and a 20" Krieger rifle gas, 1x7.7 both in stock at Fulton Armory. Also a 20" Lilja AR740 1x8 would be a nice barrel (2.6#'s). I have one of those and it is super accurate- now it has got over 5,000 rounds through it mostly at p-dogs. None of these are bull contours and all take 750 gas blocks.

 

[BC 6.8]

Yes sir. I'd like to get a Krieger, but I'm still waiting for one I ordered for my Ma-Ten prior to our current political climate so that option is out. I'd get one of Rainier's ultramatch barrels, but the last one I ordered had a headspace problem so that option is out as well.

Maybe a WOA? Have any of you heard of or tried Black Hole Weaponry's barrels?

I'd like a standard or bull profile, 18" or 20".

I have a BHW 18", 1:8" twist, standard profile. It will shoot anything 50 gr Vmax to 75 gr HPBT. Shoots factory Hornady MOA or better, and I have some 75 gr handloads that are around 1/2 MOA. I would take it coyote hunting anytime. I'm going to try 300 yd F-TR with it in a couple weeks.