Big game semi-auto platform

[donek6977]

I have been researching and hashing the idea of getting a semi-auto platform rifle to get into big game hunting. I'm torn between .300, .308, and .338. I am not finding what I want with .300 so far but I haven't put it out. I am concerned about price of course but I prefer quality all the way. Can anybody point out some recommendations?

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[Spdu4ia]

What are you hunting, how far are you shooting, and how far are you carrying it?

[thebolt]

I hunted with a Browning BAR in 7mm Remington Mag for many years. It performed very well and I highly recommend that rifle and caliber. It worked well on every elk and deer. It was accurate and functioned without any problems or issues.

[ben4372]

Not for long distances , but a big bore upper is great for under 200 yrds. Or under 150 in my case. I opted for the 450 bushmaster upper. I love my BAR, but its too pretty to drag around the woods.

[kidicarus13]

Second the Browning BAR in 7mm

[rondog]

M1 Garand!

[BushMasterBoy]

AR-10 in .308 would be my choice. Big game and tactical value. A little pricey at first, but hey...you are going to keep this gun forever.

66570



http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/308-win-vs-30-06/

[Spdu4ia]

Beowulf 50

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160810/674dfb83ba7eca8e23504a7171d31ac1.jpg

[Grant H.]

I have hunted with my DPMS LR-308 (16", collapsible, etc), chambered in .308. I have zero complaints with doing so.

If you don't have an obviously short 5rd mag, you may get asked to demonstrate that your magazine cannot hold more than 5 rounds, but that only happened to me twice in two years.

[clodhopper]

RPG. You didn't want to eat any of it, did you?

[Dave]

.450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowolf are all fine cartridges for 200 yards and less and you'll stay in the AR-15 platform. Anything more than that and you'll want to up it to an AR-10 which can be chambered for calibers from .243 Win to .338 LM. A good .308 WIN AR-10 that you can hunt with will run you more than a bolt gun, but can be configured to other uses.

[MarkCO]

Benelli R1. :)

http://www.benelliusa.com/r1-big-game-rifle

[Firehaus]

This is my hunting 308 that I've been building. 10lbs with scope and full mag. Still a little heavier than I would like.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160810/1621232d5cf2f8587bd00acb23e5ca40.jpg


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[hghclsswhitetrsh]

http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a441/RamboZuki84/0BFF09FE-A7FF-40CC-BC9C-E566C6C04B56_zpsnig4pogn.jpg (http://s1036.photobucket.com/user/RamboZuki84/media/0BFF09FE-A7FF-40CC-BC9C-E566C6C04B56_zpsnig4pogn.jpg.html)

25 Grendel built by AKA-Spook. Dropped a Kansas white tail in its tracks at 150 yards with a 115ish grain bullet.

[Grant H.]

.450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowolf are all fine cartridges for 200 yards and less and you'll stay in the AR-15 platform. Anything more than that and you'll want to up it to an AR-10 which can be chambered for calibers from .243 Win to .338 LM. A good .308 WIN AR-10 that you can hunt with will run you more than a bolt gun, but can be configured to other uses.

Can't do .338LM in an AR-10/LR-308.

You can do .338 Federal, .338 Whisper, etc, but Lapua requires a long action.

[MarkCO]

.450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowolf are all fine cartridges for 200 yards and less and you'll stay in the AR-15 platform.

There is a thing called the .450Corvette. It was conceived by Tim LeGendre, the developer of the .450Professional which he sold to Bushmaster and it became the .450BM. Anyway, the theory is to go to an 18" or longer barrel, faster twist and rifle length gas. It will still run the .450BM factory rounds, but with a slower powder, you can push 300-400 grain slugs at the same velocities as the 225s. I am still not done with the testing and tuning, but it is certainly capable of much more than 200 yards. BPTactical actually made my barrel for me and Tim Legendre himself did the gas port and initial testing on my upper. It is pretty impressive.

[davsel]

https://www.ar-15.co/threads/157556-September-1944-Springfield-M1-Garand?p=2003837&viewfull=1#post2003837

[donek6977]

What are you hunting, how far are you shooting, and how far are you carrying it?
Colorado big game. Wanted to try my luck in all draws. I was thinking up to 300m would be good. I would be willing to go 600m. As for carrying i have no idea. So far i am loving the FN FAL Imbel .308 battle rifle.

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[donek6977]

I hunted with a Browning BAR in 7mm Remington Mag for many years. It performed very well and I highly recommend that rifle and caliber. It worked well on every elk and deer. It was accurate and functioned without any problems or issues.
I'll def look into it. Thanks!

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[donek6977]

Not for long distances , but a big bore upper is great for under 200 yrds. Or under 150 in my case. I opted for the 450 bushmaster upper. I love my BAR, but its too pretty to drag around the woods.
That's why i love my MOE styled chief ultra lite i bought from PSA under mutt's recommendation. The composite hand guard makes for comfortability and feather weight and i don't have to worry too much about it getting scratched up. But i can't use it for big game so i need a bigger bore hence why i am seeing your guys recommendations.

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[donek6977]

Second the Browning BAR in 7mm
I am def going to look into it. I'm curious if 7.62 can be used for big game as well. I feel a run around when researching that on the net.

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[donek6977]

M1 Garand!
It's a great gun i liked firing one when i was younger but to me it's just not my style. Reliability is top notch but i want a more compact profile that ar's offer. I want an 18" to 20" barrel or so but lightweight and something that is tactical as well for bipod and other accessories. I also enjoy the ar semi auto because of reduced kick. Long story with my dad always pranking me with pump, bolt, and lever action loads. Long story short i dont enjoy the full kick off those actions. And with old injuries from my childhood effecting me along with my cancer it pays to have a light weight rifle with low kick.

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[donek6977]

AR-10 in .308 would be my choice. Big game and tactical value. A little pricey at first, but hey...you are going to keep this gun forever.

66570



http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/308-win-vs-30-06/
What company/brand are you recommending price wise? Of course i want to save money like anybody would but i would choose quality over cheapness any day. I just want to cover all my bases so i wanted all of your guys opinion to make a more educated guess.

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[donek6977]

RPG. You didn't want to eat any of it, did you?
Lol i think i would prefer to keep the meat 😂😉

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[donek6977]

I have hunted with my DPMS LR-308 (16", collapsible, etc), chambered in .308. I have zero complaints with doing so.

If you don't have an obviously short 5rd mag, you may get asked to demonstrate that your magazine cannot hold more than 5 rounds, but that only happened to me twice in two years.
I was told to stay away from dpms. Quality issues anyways. But luck of the draw changes anybody's opinion.

Oh ya i read that in the hunting guide. I def plan on using only a five round mag in the field.

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[donek6977]

Beowulf 50

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160810/674dfb83ba7eca8e23504a7171d31ac1.jpg
That might be too much of a party for my taste.

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[donek6977]

.450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowolf are all fine cartridges for 200 yards and less and you'll stay in the AR-15 platform. Anything more than that and you'll want to up it to an AR-10 which can be chambered for calibers from .243 Win to .338 LM. A good .308 WIN AR-10 that you can hunt with will run you more than a bolt gun, but can be configured to other uses.
I will def keep that in mind thank you!

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[donek6977]

Benelli R1. :)

http://www.benelliusa.com/r1-big-game-rifle
Looking for an ar platform to work from but i am def going to ask my dad about this rifle

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[donek6977]

This is my hunting 308 that I've been building. 10lbs with scope and full mag. Still a little heavier than I would like.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160810/1621232d5cf2f8587bd00acb23e5ca40.jpg


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Great looking rifle. Where you get it dipped at?

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[donek6977]

http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a441/RamboZuki84/0BFF09FE-A7FF-40CC-BC9C-E566C6C04B56_zpsnig4pogn.jpg (http://s1036.photobucket.com/user/RamboZuki84/media/0BFF09FE-A7FF-40CC-BC9C-E566C6C04B56_zpsnig4pogn.jpg.html)

25 Grendel built by AKA-Spook. Dropped a Kansas white tail in its tracks at 150 yards with a 115ish grain bullet.
Your picture doesn't seem to want to load.

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[donek6977]

Can't do .338LM in an AR-10/LR-308.

You can do .338 Federal, .338 Whisper, etc, but Lapua requires a long action.
I have been researching the 338 lapua and i like it but i def have concerns on ammo, weight, and functionality. I'm sure it would do the job but it feels like more of a competition build for long range ex military snipers.

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[donek6977]

There is a thing called the .450Corvette. It was conceived by Tim LeGendre, the developer of the .450Professional which he sold to Bushmaster and it became the .450BM. Anyway, the theory is to go to an 18" or longer barrel, faster twist and rifle length gas. It will still run the .450BM factory rounds, but with a slower powder, you can push 300-400 grain slugs at the same velocities as the 225s. I am still not done with the testing and tuning, but it is certainly capable of much more than 200 yards. BPTactical actually made my barrel for me and Tim Legendre himself did the gas port and initial testing on my upper. It is pretty impressive.
I think that size might be too high for my size. So far i am really liking 308 ar platforms. 300 is nice but i can't seem to find long barrel 300s. And 338 feels like more of a competition styled size for long range play.

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[donek6977]

https://www.ar-15.co/threads/157556-September-1944-Springfield-M1-Garand?p=2003837&viewfull=1#post2003837
I love the m1 garand but it's not the style i am looking for. I will be passing your link to my dad back home as he is always talking about how much he misses his old m1 garand he had during my childhood.

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[donek6977]

Besides liking the FN FAL Imbel .308 Battle Rifle, i have also been researching the Remington R11 RSASS.....any advice on either of these rifles?

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[osok-308]

I have been researching and hashing the idea of getting a semi-auto platform rifle to get into big game hunting. I'm torn between .300, .308, and .338. I am not finding what I want with .300 so far but I haven't put it out. I am concerned about price of course but I prefer quality all the way. Can anybody point out some recommendations?

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I'm in the process of building a new 308 AR for hunting (Aero Precision M5E1). It's a good combo of affordable but also quality from what I've read and my experience with the incomplete rifle so far.

I do like the 7mm and a BAR could also serve you well.

[Big E3]

I too use a Browning BAR 7mm Mag and would recommend them. I know of one for sale that is very low round count, is Belgium made and has a 3-9 Leupold on it. These thing are tack drivers as well and the semi-auto action really eats up recoil.

[babarsac]

Besides liking the FN FAL Imbel .308 Battle Rifle, i have also been researching the Remington R11 RSASS.....any advice on either of these rifles?

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I love my FAL but I only use it with iron sights. For customization options and ease of mounting optics the AR-10 pattern may fit you a little better.

[Grant H.]

I was told to stay away from dpms. Quality issues anyways. But luck of the draw changes anybody's opinion.

Oh ya i read that in the hunting guide. I def plan on using only a five round mag in the field.

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All depends on what you want to spend, and what you want.

My DPMS's have been 100% reliable. QC issues exist in nearly all manufacturers products.

[donek6977]

I'm in the process of building a new 308 AR for hunting (Aero Precision M5E1). It's a good combo of affordable but also quality from what I've read and my experience with the incomplete rifle so far.

I do like the 7mm and a BAR could also serve you well.
I will look into that rifle thank you.

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[donek6977]

I too use a Browning BAR 7mm Mag and would recommend them. I know of one for sale that is very low round count, is Belgium made and has a 3-9 Leupold on it. These thing are tack drivers as well and the semi-auto action really eats up recoil.
I am looking into the BAR since you guys have recommended it so much.

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[donek6977]

I love my FAL but I only use it with iron sights. For customization options and ease of mounting optics the AR-10 pattern may fit you a little better.
I think a decent lr scope and bipod is all i need for an FAL.

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[donek6977]

All depends on what you want to spend, and what you want.

My DPMS's have been 100% reliable. QC issues exist in nearly all manufacturers products.
I completely agree. Was just saying I was advised against DMPS due to some sub par quality on certain gun parts.

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[donek6977]

I'm in the process of building a new 308 AR for hunting (Aero Precision M5E1). It's a good combo of affordable but also quality from what I've read and my experience with the incomplete rifle so far.

I do like the 7mm and a BAR could also serve you well.
The AP M5E1 is a nice setup. Pricey and dmps parts so I'm nervous about that. But nice all the way around and great reviews from what i read and watched. Thanks for the recommendation.

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[donek6977]

I too use a Browning BAR 7mm Mag and would recommend them. I know of one for sale that is very low round count, is Belgium made and has a 3-9 Leupold on it. These thing are tack drivers as well and the semi-auto action really eats up recoil.
I have looked into the BAR and asked my father about it. He said his buddy has one and that I shot it and I remember it being somewhat light but not my style. I still want to stick with an AR profiled rifle. Thanks for yours and everybody's recommendation on the the BAR.

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[osok-308]

The AP M5E1 is a nice setup. Pricey and dmps parts so I'm nervous about that. But nice all the way around and great reviews from what i read and watched. Thanks for the recommendation.

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DPMS style parts. They do follow the specs of the DPMS rifles (for the most part), but most everything they do is made in-house.

[donek6977]

DPMS style parts. They do follow the specs of the DPMS rifles (for the most part), but most everything they do is made in-house.
Okay thank you for that information.

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[Grant H.]

I have to ask...

Did the person that warned you away from DPMS actually have any DPMS parts/guns? If so, what issues did they actually experience? What parts were so horrendous, that you are avoiding them at all cost?

[Firehaus]

Great looking rifle. Where you get it dipped at?

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It was dipped by Colorado Custom Look and cerokote done by Danger Lee. It's built on the Mega Maten platform. I prefer their quality.


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[donek6977]

It was dipped by Colorado Custom Look and cerokote done by Danger Lee. It's built on the Mega Maten platform. I prefer their quality.


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How much? I love Krytex camo. I want mine done in Pontus Krytex camo.

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[bjordan672]

I hunt Elk/Deer/Antelope and pigs and I have pondered this question for a while and for me it boils down to a couple different factors. Weight, Cost, Reliability and do I think the caliber will be around in 5 years. The primary factor that I consider is weight and that is what I will address.

My weight threshold for a rifle that is all day comfortable is ~7 Lbs. I carry a Tikka T3 ultralight (bolt gun) in 300 WM for all big game and this rifle tips the scales at 7.2 lbs (optic included in that weight). My previous gun was a Rem 700 which is ~8.2 lbs (optic included in that weight) which I found to be heavy after a few hours of lugging it up and down the hills.

I use a Aero Precision Mount (3.2oz) for my guns Usually coupled with a Burris Fullfield II 3-9 X 40 scope (13oz) as a bench mark for the minimum weight that will be required to add an optic. This makes the math super easy as the two add up to a hair over 1lb.

The problem with most semi-auto platforms is weight especially when it comes to semi-autos in a caliber that is reasonable to hunt with (greater than 0.24" in Colorado). If I hunted from a stand the number of rifles reasonable for me to consider would be endless but I average between 8-12 miles/day during the Elk season and the leading cause of fatigue for me is my rifle.

I looked into the AR308 platform as a possibility and there were two products that really stuck out to me during my research. The Windham SRC308 (7.2 lbs) and the DPMS GII AP4 (7.25 lbs). I think it is reasonable to expect to be able to put an optic on these and have a rifle in the 8.5 lb range which is higher than I would like to carry all day but still within reasonable allowances. Both of these rifles have a few ounces to loose in their from the factory state so you could reasonably expect to have them at around the 8lb mark with some careful part replacement (handguard and Frontsight/Gasblock).

I have recently become enamored with the 6.5 Grendel platform as a possibility for a Sub 8lb rifle capable of taking all my favorite game with the exception of Elk (personal prefrence). The Grendel can be had for $0.24/round for cheap practice rounds and is capable of fantastic accuracy. I recently put a rifle together using a Wolf/Anderson complete upper, MI Light weight 12" handguard, Joebobs adjustable gasblock. This coupled with my Magnesium lower is 6.8 lbs total (Optics included). I took this to the range last weekend and was able to shoot a 4 shot group that measured just over 1/2" at 100 yards using Hornady Black Ammunition in a 123gr ELD Match bullet.

This is just my opinion/experience. I hope this helps.