Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles AR for hunting and plinking

I have never owned a AR but am considering getting one for plinking and my boy has mentioned he would like to try to shoot a deer with one in a youth season. Could someone recommend a good one in .223. I am really not a fan of shooting deer with 223 but here some do. Got any advice on a AR?

DPMS has the least expensive on the market at $499 at Academy sports. If you want open sights though you'll have to add that. Ruger has a new AR556. It'll cost between $560 and $620 if you can find one. It has sights, a dust cover and forward assist. Smith and wesson makes one with similar features to the Ruger but it typically costs a little more. All of these guns are accurate enough and reliable enough for your stated purpose.

Someone with fantasies of using their AR for combat will be along shortly to tell you why you need a gun with mil-spec parts. You don't.

Federal Fusion 223 works very well on deer. My 11 year old grandson has shot 5 with that round. Only one of them moved after it was shot and that was a 40 yard death dash.

No I don't want combat I want something I can put a scope on let him shoot mostly plinking at steel and him to hunt with some

"Someone with fantasies of using their AR for combat will be along shortly to tell you why you need a gun with mil-spec parts. You don't."


This always cracks me up, do you base every purchase you make on the theory that just good enough is good enough? Or do you just buy as cheap as possible?

Not saying the new dpms won't suffice for plinking but mil spec is a standard that is easily trumped, yet you suggest if someone buys mil spec or God forbid, better, they are having fantasies about using one in combat.

Some of us prefer quality and maybe those that reccomend the cheapest way out should get an extra paper route...

Wolverines!!!

I'm not one to buy cheap I want one that functions and good quality I have read good things on the dpms oracle but I am not a AR guy my thing is rifles

If you're not into cheap, the Colt LE6920 is a solid gun and a step up from a Smith M&P 15 or the DPMS Sportical. I own all three guns and any of them will be a solid performer, but IMO, the Colt is the best. It is about double the price of the other two. Between the Smith and the DPMS, the Smith is worth the approximate $100 more than the DPMS. Lastly though, the DPMS is fine and has an especially nice price. All of these can be had at a decently sized Walmart, at least around here.

How are there not a ffl required to sell them?

Those are not guns, but parts. You can buy all the parts of an AR and not technically have a gun until you get the stripped lower receiver. To the ATF, the stripped lower is the "gun". bea puts his own together. That's fine if you know what you're doing. IMO unless you're going to put about three AR's together, it isn't worth learning. Putting one together presently, offers no financial advantage over buying a full gun. At times over the years, it has, but not right now. The real advantage lies in customization and parts preferences. The person who is new to AR's is going to benefit very little.

IOW, the FFL comes into play on anything with a lower receiver.

Guess I didn't read doesn't come with lower

DPMS Oracle would fit your needs, like the other fellow said $499.00. If you want a Colt you will need to pay more.

I suggested three rifles that will fill his needs quite well. If he had said that he was looking to burn a pile of ammo or achieve 1/2 MOA accuracy, I would have steered him in another direction. He doesn't need a top drawer Daniel Defense to plink. Quality is relative.

Your suggestions were fine, it's the comment about mil spec and fantasy combat that I'll never understand. I just want better, even in a plinker.

Tater....again...and these are my opinions only.

Colt is a good gun and it works fine with a scope, you cannot see the front sight at 3X.

RRA makes a decent gun, DD same good gun but their barrels have decreased. Bush Windham, DPMS, and Core I am not personally fond of I guess they work sometimes.

If you hunt and you hunt when you want to hunt, and it rains in Kingsport think stainless, Nitrided or chromed barrel.

Thanks Jimmy I'm really not sure what I want there was a guy at the range a while back with a stag which had a big stainless barrel one of there varmint models I think. It was really nice.

While I only own Colt 6920's, I see nothing wrong with buying the others mentioned.

Never heard anything bad about either of them and they sell the hell out of them down here, like vanilla ice cream on a hot sunny day at the beach.

Stag Arms would be a good choice as well, and just as capable as any listed above.

If you can afford it get a Rock river Lar 15, it will shoot both 223 and 5.56, I have one and it is the most accurate rifle I own, last week I shot a 1.7 inch group at 400 yards with my pet handload.

my hunting pardner and friend has a Stag, it shoots well and is a good gun.