Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Which AR15 caliber should I choose for deer hunting?

Looking for opinions on which AR15 (not AR10) caliber other than .223/5.56 is best for my deer hunting and why. For my scenario, the rifle will be used for fairly large bodied whitetail deer and 95% of the shots will be 100 yards or less.
I would like to limit to factory available calibers although they don't have to be widely available. Custom uppers are ok. Here is a list of some calibers I am considering:
6.5 Grendel
6.8 SPC
7.62x39
.30 Rem AR
.458 SOCOM
.450 Bushmaster
.50 Beowulf
.243 WSSM
.25 WSSM
I'm sure any of them would do the job if put in the right place. But am trying to consider other factors such as needed barrel length, weight, recoil, expense, etc.
Seems to me that the WSSM's would need at least a 22" barrel to be worth it and I'm prefering something around 18" or less. Right now, my frontrunners are the 6.8 SPC and .458 SOCOM. Not sure how the new Remington round would compare to the 6.8 SPC. Given my limiting factors of short range shooting and large deer, I'm leaning towards the .458 SOCOM. But then again, I've also never actually shot anything other than the 5.56 through an AR yet. Maybe the SOCOM is more than I need (whatever that means).
I know there is a great deal of real world hunting experience regarding this subject around here.
Thanks
Buckhorn

The 6.8 SPC is developing a good reputation as a hunting round.
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6.8 SPC or 25 WSSM. The former being the easiest to get set up for.

I have a 6.8 upper on back order right now for a stalking/deer drive rifle but dang the ballistics look pretty impressive on the 450 Bushmaster. Packs as much punch as the 458 SOCOM but with a flatter trajectory. Hmmmmm.

6.8 spc

As you stated, all of them will do the job and there are no varying degrees of dead.

That said, I have a 6.8 SPC Extreme upper due to show up sometime in the rear future for the same intended purpose as you. Eventually, I'll also have a WSSM from DTECH. I'm going to build that one "for the boy".

George

The 25 sounds pretty impressive. I am thinking about a 6.8 too.

I'm gonna go the wizzim rout as soon as I get caught up on the bills.

Thanks for the info so far guys. I keep changing my mind, although I'll likely end up with at least a couple of the above eventually.
Between the SOCOM, Bushmaster & Beowulf, the SOCOM seems best to me because of greater potential for handloading as an option.
I like the 25 WSSM from DTECH. However, I'm just wondering how long a barrel you need to get a real benefit versus something like the 6.8 SPC at less than 100 yards? Also, would there be more of a muzzle blast/noise issue with that round from a shorter barrel compared to the others?

IF you are worried about cost, I think the 7.62x39 should be on the top of the list. Cheaper to plink, cheaper to shoot, and should put a hurting on anything within 200 yards. Looked at the other rounds for bigger animals, but i was looking at at least 75 cents per round for any of them. The x39 is half of that.

7.62x39 is a really good all around deer round, a version of 30-30 power IMHO basically. Which is good. Nephew and I have dinked a LOT of game with his. Including my dusting a coyote at just under 500 yards with it. While I don't just blast, he and his father love wasting ammo, the cheap stuff is good for that.

But if 95% of my shots are under 100 yards and max out to about 250, I'll grab my 50 beowulf every last time.
That being said I'd take the 458 socom/450 bushmaster or 50 beowulf and not blink between the 3, though now after haveing the 50, I'd probably go the 45 caliber route bullet wise just cause....
But I've had SUPER luck with Barnes 50 cal bullets. They just work wonders. Every last deer/pig I've shot in the ribs has run with them. But none over 30 yards.

Beyond the above, if I was thinking longer distances, hands down a 24 inch 25 wssm would be high on the list.

I like my 243 WSSM. It's a faster 243 rather than a slower 25. Lots of good bullets available for 6mm stuff, so that's not an issue. No re-seating factory ammo with the 243 WSSM like is recommended for the 25 WSSM, either. The next upper in my future will be either a 35 WSSM or a 204. Most likely the 35.

I've only shot a half dozen or so pigs with my Beowulf. I believe all were shot using 300 grain Gold Dots and Lil Gun. They were all DRT.

Lots of times shot placement is the difference in DRT.... I have never purposely hit bone. I just prefer not to.

IF I have to have DRT, I shoot the head. And do that often enough just depending.

Just have never done it with the 50 yet...

I suspect if I shoulder dinged one with a 275 barnes, I'd have DRT also.

I know 3 guys shooting the 25WSSM and while it can be picky on loads it seems to be big medicine... DTECH built at least 2 of these and the other one may be a Dan Carey build.

The 243WSSM should be very good also.

you left out a fine choice, the 5.56X45 cartridge.

Thats what I will use this coming deer season. I have settled on a hand loaded 64 grain Winchester SP in new Hornady cases, and using H335 powder. Easy MOA groups at 100 yards with my Bushmaster XM15.

My bottom line choice between 25 and 243 wssm when it gets that time will depend on the availability, of and BC of TSX or Etips in each caliber. IE I know the 85 tsx works great and very accurate.... IF I can't get what I think should work in the 25, then it'll be a 243 maybe... though I already have a 6mm woa....

I have the 458SOCOM in a 16'' barrel on a Cavalry Arms Thermoplastic lower and at 6.5 lbs. it is very handy in the woods and with a heavy buffer, recoil is no more stout than a 20 gauge auto. And with Hornady now selling the LEVERevolution line of bullets in .458 it has a very extensive line of bullets for just about any situation. IMO, the 450BM and 50 BeoWolf are just as good but have a more limited range of bullets to chose from.

I'm also looking at my next build (when prices come back down to sanity) and a 6.5 Grendel in a 18-20" barrel is very appealing with excellent close and long range performance on deer size game to go with a good selection of bullets.

The WSSM's do look very good, but I keep hearing that they operate at the limit of the AR's pressure handling capability. Does anyone know if that is true? Would we have to reduce loads for the WSSM in an AR? Also, how big is the case head and is it so big it weakens the bolt? I agree that the WSSM's appear to be the hot ticket, but I think there needs to be some answers before I jump on board.

IMO, the 6.8SPC is a better performing 7.62X39 with a greater range of bullet choices and a little better long range performance. The new 30 RemAR is somewhat limited to 7.62X39 weight bullets so much so that it seems to be more of an improved 7,62X39 than a really new cartridge.

Before I start getting flamed, I am no expert, just a hobbyist and these are JMHO. I would just like to see some technical discussion on the WSSM's before we crown them the best hunting cartridge for the AR.

I've run 60kpsi IE top pressure loads in 223 in the AR from appx 1986 through 2003 to the tune of between 8 and 20K rounds a year.

Probably more on th average of 58kpsi or so comparatively speaking.

Haven't hurt a thing to this point in time.

Just FYI. No guarantees, as they say, YMMV.

Can't stand .277 caliber so thats out for me....

I have to wonder why all of the AR 15 manufactrurers don't make a wssm. Do they all know something we don't.