manufacturers and almost every European gun maker. (6mm) met immediate success and was soon chambered in the rifles of several U.S. A 140-grain soft point exits the barrel at 2,860 fps with 2,542 ft.-lbs. case, the 7mm-08 has all the virtues of the 7mm, but delivers it in the AR-10/SR-25 platform. 223 Rem.ħmm-08 Rem.-Much can be said about the flat-shooting 7mm (.284 caliber), and with its outstanding accuracy, it makes an excellent long-range whitetail choice. It’s capable of excellent accuracy with excellent performance-a 150-grain bullet leaves the barrel at 2,820 fps and has 2,648 ft.-lbs. has more bullet options from more manufactures than just about any other rifle cartridge. 30-06 Springfield, but in a length that fits in a standard-length action rifle. was designed to replicate the ballistics of the. An excellent all-around deer hunting cartridge, the. 308 Winchester, also known as the 7.62x51mm NATO, is one of my top two favorite cartridges of all time. Here are five calibers that all make excellent choices: When not constrained by the tight confines of a small blind or platform, the larger sized ARs in the AR-10/SR-25 models give you a lot of excellent choices in caliber, and most weigh in at around eight to 10 pounds, so they’re still plenty light. What’s not to like about this 8.1-pound camouflage beauty? Comes with a Magpul MOE stock and an 18-inch barrel, which makes it maneuverable. For most hunters, it simply won’t matter. 300 BLK, I would recommend staying away from the subsonic rounds. of energy.Ī supersonic, nonsuppressed, 110-grain bullet has a velocity of 2,350 fps with 1,349 ft.-lbs. A suppressed 220-grain bullet has a velocity of 1,020 fps and 508 ft.-lbs. 300 BLK is, as far as ballistics are concerned, like hunting with a 9mm MP5, and the deer don’t always go down like they should. Chris tests this stuff, using it in the real world, and between him, his staff and his clients, a lot of whitetail and hogs are killed at WIld River. I talked to Chris Lucci, owner/operator of the Wild River Ranch in Texas, about the. However, subsonic performance on whitetails negates this advantage. 300 BLK is that it is available in subsonic rounds in stores. Still, it’s very popular and has a growing fan base of hunters. But I have to confess, I’m not on the bandwagon here. Hot on the heels of the 6.8 SPC in popularity is the. A 110-grain bullet flies at 2,700 fps with 1,780 ft.-lbs. A 95-grain bullet leaves the barrel at 2,850 feet per second and has 1,715 foot-pounds of energy. 270-caliber bullet shoots flat and retains its energy well down range.
It’s perfect for whitetail, great for hogs and it doubles as a fantastic defensive round. Of all the AR deer cartridges on the market, the 6.8 SPC is the most versatile, and I believe it’s the best. Additionally, in 2013 Federal released the Fusion MSR 6.8, ammunition specifically designed for hunting with 6.8 SPC ARs. Having a giant like Federal behind the cartridge makes it a sure bet you’ll be seeing more of it. Silver State Armory makes excellent ammo at a great price, as does Federal Ammunition. Offerings range from good-quality budget ammo from Sellier & Ballot and American Eagle to high-end custom loads from Wilson Combat. Thankfully, more ammunition manufacturers are jumping on the 6.8 SPC wagon, making it more common on store shelves and online. It’s my favorite AR cartridge.Ī lot of shooters agree, with it being the second-best selling AR cartridge on the market right now, and it’s not because of a big corporate push but rather the people who shoot it and hunt with it. I’m a huge advocate of the 6.8 SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge).