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ARs have never been legal for hunting here, but will be very shortly. That said, I'm getting one for hunting, just to have another option. The rifle will be used for deer, and predators, with some woodchucks mixed in for practice. What chambering in an AR would best suit me, and what rifle/maker would you recommend without getting exceedingly expensive. I just want a good reliable, accurate rifle to hunt with, not win matches.


Oh, and believe it or not, deer bite. Fairly hard.
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I went with .450Bushmaster for that purpose. (We are required to use a straight wall cartridge.) Ohio DNR was supposed to approve it last year, but has not yet added it to the approved list for deer.
Alot of your choice will depend on how you will hunt and what range.

Last edited by kellory; 01/31/17.

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What's you minimum legal caliber for deer?


You didn't use logic or reason to get into this opinion, I cannot use logic or reason to get you out of it.

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Originally Posted by borden811
ARs have never been legal for hunting here, but will be very shortly. That said, I'm getting one for hunting, just to have another option. The rifle will be used for deer, and predators, with some woodchucks mixed in for practice. What chambering in an AR would best suit me, and what rifle/maker would you recommend without getting exceedingly expensive. I just want a good reliable, accurate rifle to hunt with, not win matches.


I'd get a Colt in .223/5.56 and set money aside for a Rock River or Ruger two-stage trigger.






Dave


Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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6.8 SPC is a good for deer.

But it's a bottle neck cartridge.

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Minimum legal caliber for deer here is any Centerfire chambering, bottleneck cartridges are fine.


Oh, and believe it or not, deer bite. Fairly hard.
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Keep in mind, you are not limited to one caliber choice. Swap uppers, and you have a new rifle. That is also my intention .


An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.

the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.

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Before you jump the gun, i spoke with out state representative at our local sportsman's club meeting a couple weeks ago. Even though the law passed making semi autos legal for hunting in Pa, they have left it in the hands of our backward thinking Game Commission to set the regulations. As of now, no decision has been made regarding calibers, magazine capacities, and species that will be allowed. He has heard rumblings that any caliber will be allowed for predators such as coyotes and groundhogs, but will be limited to 5 shot magazines. As far as big game such as deer and bear, he feels they will have a minimum caliber (larger than 5.56/223 ) and also be limited to a 5 round clip. Remember, this is the state that has a "muzzleoader season" but still limits you to using a flintlock.

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I have a 6.8SPC and use it deer hunting. Bullet selection is key, the 85 grain Barnes TSX bullets are a bit hard in my opinion for the caliber but the do poke holes and do kill, did not get a chance to test the 95 grain TTSX this year but have a great load over benchmark, but also carried the 120 grain factory loaded SST which some have reported to be excellent choice in the lungs. Folks conjure up all kinds of magic regards this cartridge or that cartridge but in general hitting them in the shoulders with a 22 caliber 62TSX kills about the same as with a 45-70 in the same location, in your state it would depend more on what they allow you to use rather than what works.


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Originally Posted by fellas2
Remember, this is the state that has a "muzzleoader season" but still limits you to using a flintlock.


That's the first thing I've read about your state that made any sense.




Dave


Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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223 will kill anything on your list.

Beyond that its up to you and the rules.

I bought a 50 beowulf to be impressed. I'm very much so NOT impressed. I see as quick or quicker kills with 223...

I'm happy we have it as its new lease on life will be hard cast lead for bear protection, but beyond that, its a toy, and not needed when there are 223s around.

Anything more is up to you.


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Here's a few other pearls of wisdom from our great game commission:

No hunting on Sunday

In SE pa and we have an extended deer season. During the extended season which starts 12/26 you can hunt with a flintlock, archery, shotgun or an inline muzzleloader. BUT if you're hunting with a shotgun or an inline you can only shoot does. With a flintlock or archery bucks and does are legal.

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I vote 6.8 SPC if your wanting to do a 16" hunting rifle.

Ive been using one since 2009 for deer, coyotes, hogs, varmints and every other kinda hunting.
I killed a bunch of the above with the 120gr SST. Now i switched to the 105gr Cavity Back Bullets for hogs and deer, 120gr SST for everything else.

Before i got the 6.8 i killed alot of the above with a 223 AR using 75 and 77gr match bullets.

Hunting and blasting, go 223.
Dedicated hunting rig go 6.8.

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I'm building a 450 Bushmaster right now.

The ballistics mirror the 444 Marlin except you've got that power in an AR-15. It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.

Do some reading in this forum and see what you think.

450 Bushmaster Forum

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Compare the weight of a smith and Wesson as 10 and then compare it to an as 15. Not much difference in my opinion. I'm in the same state as you and am building an 18 inch 223 wylde. A good 60 to 75 grain soft point out of a 556 chamber is no joke out to 200 yards.

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Works well past 200 too.. quite a bit past like as in just over 550 for me so far...


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Originally Posted by fellas2
Before you jump the gun, i spoke with out state representative at our local sportsman's club meeting a couple weeks ago. Even though the law passed making semi autos legal for hunting in Pa, they have left it in the hands of our backward thinking Game Commission to set the regulations. As of now, no decision has been made regarding calibers, magazine capacities, and species that will be allowed. He has heard rumblings that any caliber will be allowed for predators such as coyotes and groundhogs, but will be limited to 5 shot magazines. As far as big game such as deer and bear, he feels they will have a minimum caliber (larger than 5.56/223 ) and also be limited to a 5 round clip. Remember, this is the state that has a "muzzleoader season" but still limits you to using a flintlock.


Already passed by the PGC at the preliminary meeting, legal for everything. Deer Bear, Elk, fall turkey, small game, predators, etc., just needs final approval in April, which it will get. No jumping the gun here.

Also, the late season isn't a "muzzle loader season", it's a primitive weapons flintlock and late archery season. There is a "muzzle loader season" in October. Use whatever you want. Flint, inline, scoped, etc.


Oh, and believe it or not, deer bite. Fairly hard.
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Originally Posted by Labman95
Here's a few other pearls of wisdom from our great game commission:

No hunting on Sunday

In SE pa and we have an extended deer season. During the extended season which starts 12/26 you can hunt with a flintlock, archery, shotgun or an inline muzzleloader. BUT if you're hunting with a shotgun or an inline you can only shoot does. With a flintlock or archery bucks and does are legal.


Not really that hard to figure out. The late season for bucks and does with flintlock or archery gear is a statewide primitive season. The extended season is about herd reduction in areas that need it. Does are what controls the population. Open it up to more weapons, more does get killed, herd reductions happens. Simple


Oh, and believe it or not, deer bite. Fairly hard.
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So why use late season for herd reduction and at the same time reduce antlerless allocations ? With the flintock season, it's impossible to control the harvest in WMU's individually whereas with antlerless allocations at least give them some control.

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6.8 spc or 6.5 Grendel, buy a 223/5.56 upper for varmints or deer also and go kill stuff.

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