Choosing an AR-15 for Deer Hunting

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AR-15 platform rifles have been around for a long time. Military, police, competition shooters, and serious gun fanatics have utilized them for years. Within the last 15 years, the AR-15 has become a standard in gun safes across the country. They’re no longer just for enforcement or competitive applications. The popularity of the AR-15 has spread to casual shooters and hunters—especially deer hunters. If you’re interested in this versatile rifle, here’s what to expect when choosing an AR-15 for deer hunting.

When you start looking at ARs and AR parts, it can be very intimidating. Relax. Once you break things down, and learn the basics, the intimidation will fade. In addition, you’ll start to learn what you want from your AR, and start to customize your rifle however you’d like it. The AR-15 is the most versatile and customizable platform on the market, and everyone should know the basic anatomy and benefits. Let’s dive into the parts that make up a complete AR-15.

A Truly Customizable Rifle

The AR-15 consists of an upper receiver and a lower receiver. Anyone can buy an upper receiver and a lower receiver, then simply put them together with the push pins in the lower to make a complete gun. Or, you can acquire each part individually, and make everything yourself. ARs are truly the “extreme adult version” of Legos. Whether you’re buying a completely built gun, or building one from scratch, you should get to know the anatomy of the AR. In addition, you should be aware that parts are customizable and interchangeable. Also note that the following are merely the basic parts for ARs. There are endless possible combinations, and a mind-boggling array of additional accessories out there.

AR-15 Upper Receiver Parts

The upper receiver of an AR-15 consists of many parts, beginning with an assembled upper with forward assist, a dust cover, and an ejection port. The upper also contains the bolt carrier group (BCG). The BCG is responsible for the semi-auto function of the gun. It contains a bolt, a cam pin, a firing pin, extractor, and a carrier key/gas key. The final parts of the upper receiver including a charging handle, gas block, gas tube, handguard, barrel, and a muzzle device.

AR-15s are gas-operated, and work on a direct-impingement gas system. The gas block and gas tube are important, but the barrel is the most-important part of the upper receiver. The barrel is responsible for velocity, accuracy, weight, and handling of your rifle. Barrels come in all sorts of lengths—just be sure the barrel you choose is longer than 16 inches. Why? Anything less than 16 inches is considered a “short-barreled rifle,” and it’s considered a felony to possess one without a federal tax stamp.

Choose your AR-15 Barrel Carefully

There are many different manufacturing methods used to make barrels. Be sure to get a decent barrel that’s manufactured properly, to ensure you’re getting a reliable setup. Bear Creek Arsenal has lots of options and their barrels are made from 4150 gun-barrel-quality steel chrome moly, or 416R stainless steel. Check them out by clicking here.

Muzzle devices are set at the end of the barrel, and serve many purposes. There are quite a few options out there, so let’s go over a few of them. Compensators vent gasses out of ports that reduce muzzle rise. When you shoot a firearm, you will notice a lift in the barrel—this is muzzle rise. Compensators help eliminate some of that, so you can get back on target faster. Muzzle brakes serve a similar purpose, but they aim to reduce recoil instead of muzzle rise. Muzzle brakes reduce felt recoil by up to 50 percent, which is great for new shooters, or people who can’t handle higher recoil. Flash hiders were developed to do what their name implies. They hide the flash created by unspent gun powder and gases that exits the barrel after a shot. Suppressors (silencers) help reduce the sound of the gunshot, and are an option for those wanting to go through the work of legally purchasing a suppressor.

MORE: HOW TO CLEAN AN AR-15

AR-15 Lower Receiver Parts

The lower receiver on an AR-15 is what actually makes an AR-15 a firearm. This is where the serial number is located, and is what’s registered with the ATF. It  consists of a stripped lower, a lower parts kit, and the fire control group. The lower parts kit will have many of the necessary parts to make the lower complete. The kit includes the bolt catch, plunger, spring, roll pin, hammer, and pin and spring. In addition, you’ll find takedown parts, the disconnector and disconnector spring, pivot pins, safety selector, mag catch, and other parts and hardware. You can buy and assemble all of these parts on your own, but most often, lower parts kits are purchased completely assembled. A quality lower parts kit is essential to making your AR run smoothly. Check out all the lower options from Bear Creek.

AR-15 Fire Control Group

The fire control group consists of the trigger, magazine eject, safety, and bolt release. The magazine, buttstock, pistol grip, bolt catch, safety selector, and buffer kit round out the other necessary parts of a lower receiver. Buttstocks are what seat against the shooter’s shoulder to help the shooter with stability, aim, and to transfer recoil to the shooter’s body. They come in fixed or adjustable configurations. Magazines are what house the cartridges, and come in a variety of capacities. Magazines holding 5, 10, 20, and 30 rounds are the most common. Five- and 10-round magazines are common for hunters, whereas 20- and 30-round mags are more for competitive and casual shooters. You can shop a large selection of AR-15 magazines right here. They’re made from metal or polymer. Triggers come in many configurations, shapes, and sizes. Adjustable triggers are a great upgrade from traditional single-stage triggers that come standard on most ARs.

Wide Variety of Calibers for AR-15s

While the most-common caliber for the AR-15 is the military 5.56×45mm NATO, or the commercial .223 Rem, there are well over 70 calibers being utilized in AR-15 guns. Everything from the .17 HMR to the .50 Beowulf can be found in an AR platform rifle. Check out some popular caliber comparisons.

The AR-15 as a Deer Rifle

As the AR platform rifle’s popularity grew, it didn’t take long for hunters to grasp on to them. Manufacturers began catering to hunters, turning ARs into modern sporting rifles. The .223 Rem was popular from the get-go with predator hunters, but deer hunters wanted in on the fun. The .223 Rem is a viable option, but isn’t ideal for medium game, like deer. It’s also not a legal caliber for deer in some states, which require a .243 or larger. The trick was that the overall length of ARs place restrictions on the cartridges they utilize. Performance diminishes on cartridges over 2.260 inches. Enter the 6.5 Grendel.

The Rise of the 6.5 Grendel

The 6.5 Grendel hit the market in 2002, and has really taken off. With a “short-fat” casing, the 6.5 Grendel is able to make up for the shortcomings of the .223 Rem. Originally designed as a combat round, the 6.5 Grendel was found to provide great penetration through the hide of a deer and beyond. Many .22-caliber rounds will deflect when hitting bone, but the 6.5 Grendel is large enough, and retains enough energy, to push through. It could be argued that the 6.5 Grendel is the ideal medium-range AR-15 for medium-to-large game.

Want a complete AR-15 package in 6.5 Grendel, ready to hunt from the get-go? Check out this great deal, and don’t forget to add your preferred magazine when ordering.

6.5 Grendel vs. 6.5 Creedmoor & More

Let’s compare the 6.5 Grendel to other options of similar size and popularity. Within the AR line, the .223 Rem, the .224 Valkyrie, the 300 Blackout, and the 6.5 Creedmoor are obvious choices. At 100 yards, the Grendel provides between 500 and 600 more foot-pounds of energy than the .223 and 300, respectively, and over 200 more foot-pounds than the .224. The Grendel can’t hold a candle to the 6.5

6.5 Grendel: What about Cost & Availability?

If that isn’t enough, let’s talk about price. Federal’s 120-grain Fusion for the 6.5 Grendel will run you about $33 per box, roughly $7 less expensive than the comparable round in 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s also relatively easy to find, compared to some hard-to-find staple rounds in the deer hunting community. When it comes to plinking, ammo isn’t that much more expensive than the .223 Rem. That makes the Grendel an affordable option for general shooting, too.

Do you like fast, flat, and accurate? How about powerful and affordable? When it comes to deer rifles in the AR platform, the 6.5 Grendel might just be the best of the best.

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