Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Spec a special build

I appreciate all of the ideas.

What is happening is that wolves interact with off-leash dogs and exhibit all sorts of submissive/"come play" body language, and then then the dog is close enough, they turn on it and kill it. It would be a shame to loose a mature, fully trained GWP that is a member of the family to such an encounter. But it does mean that the fatal encounter could easily be playing out at 50-60 yards, maybe further. It is going to require quick and precise shooting--you don't want your dog falling to friendly fire. I really think a handgun is out, unless your name is Miculek.

Early evidence is that wolves in MT are not super shy to gunshots--they have not been hunted enough to have that fear. Popping off a couple of rounds of .22 mag in the hopes that it will run off does not seem to be a robust strategy.

The point that they are trying to make is that what you want doesn't exist. You're not getting an AR to that weight. A Montana doesn't make weight.


Viable options-

An 8in 300 Blackout AR.
A 10.5in 5.56mm AR either as an SBR or as a "pistol" with a SIG Stabilizing Brace.
A Keltec PMR 30 with a red dot.

With that in mind, where are you/he most willing to compromise?

If I have a 22 mag and a wolf at a 100 yards, I'm shooting to kill it, not scare it off.

I'm still only seeing unobtanium past the .223 montana.

The Montana is the highest connect percentage...................

if you want light weight and range without going pistol ill also say go with a Kimber Montana in 223....my 84M in 260 makes my AR feel heavy as hell and it only has a red dot sight right now....the Montana is a joy to pack....

I'll throw out another model....
Only suggestion I've heard that pretty much meets the criteria the OP asked for. Not an AR, but would put the hurt on a wolf out past 100 yrds.

http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/su-16b/rifle/

AR pistol with the right components could be your 4lb system. You can put a rubber cover on the end of the buffer tube and put the tube on your shoulder and get by to 100+ yards no problem. Mount a red dot well forward and you are in business.

Also the rossi ranch hand would work in a similar way (shouldered with a forward red dot) and weighs 4lbs.

I think I'd rather let my dog get eaten than touch off multiple rounds from a 10.5" AR without earpro.

Well, he is beginning to admit that you may well be right. He dug out about a dozen of this lightest rifles last night and weighed them all. He now realizes how much lighter than everything he has--including his .22lr rifles--a sub 5# gun would be.

But I have been poking around over on ar15.com. Some guys are building things lighter than I thought possible on that platform.



It is hard to read the weight on the scales, but it looks like 3# 15 oz to me. But just the photo is posted--no details on the components that were used. But other components are discussed in the thread in which the photo appears.

Lightweight AR15 builds

On the above rifle, the stock and lower and a single piece of plastic. They were selling them a few year back at the gunshows, but you don't see them anymore. They lacked sufficient structural integrity around the receiver pins. In addition, you cannot swap in a collapsible or different pistol grip. The ergonomics on the grip leave something to be desired.

The free-float tube is carbon fiber, very light.

Set him up for success.

Hint.............

That is a good suggestion. I have thought that the 16c could be handy.

Easy to pass on the Keltec......



You can build a lightweight AR but not 4.5lbs. The garbage receiver that you posted is just that, garbage.

Tell him to come off the weight and build/buy something worthwhile.

My 10/22 takedown with Williams rear peep weighs 4 1/2 pounds. Might not kill it. But it probably won't want to play with the dog for awhile.




Travis

You boys are going to talk me into a Montana 223 yet..................(grin)

KelTec sub2000 might be a good option. Mine weighs in at around 5 lbs and 9mm +P out of a 16" barrel is more than adequate for 100 yards. The stock sights are chintsy but functional and you can swap them out for AR type. Adding an optic isn't as easy but can be done with a forearm swap.

I'm hoping he loves dad,a BUNCH more than that POS.................

The guy is 80 years old. He's not some 16 year old Mall Ninja.

What he really needs is a simple reliable bolt action rifle with a quality fixed power scope.

Oh wait....someone already suggested that!!

I'm not a big fan of the poly lowers but the Cavalry Arms Mk II lower is about the best of them and they are light. It does away with a lot of the small items that tended to crack and break on most poly's. The trade off is you give up a lot of choices, stocks, grips, etc.

Considering this is going to be a "light duty" application and weight is paramount that lower might not be a bad choice at all. Mate it up with a 14.5" lightweight barrel, upper receiver W/O foward assist, pinned flash hidder, carbon tube and a red dot sight and you would have a handy little rifle.