Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Lightest AR 10?

How deep are your pockets?

https://www.2a-arms.com/product-p/2a-xrc18sc15blk-1.htm

I build AR10s for LR accuracy and SHTF, not so much for hunting. I have <7# 6.8 and 5.56 and other AR15s for carrying/hunting. AR10s are not as ‘handy’ as AR15s, and I don’t get any real caliber choice advantages for deer/hogs/coyotes, at typical hunting ranges. JMO

My 7.62/.308 DPMS GII Hunter with a 20” barrel weighs only 7-lbs 12-ozs—before adding scope/mounts or anything else.



From the American Rifleman:

“The GII is smaller and lighter, almost as small and as light as the AR-15 rifle. Current models start at 6 lbs., 14 ozs. Ballard said, "Depending on the model, the GII can weigh from one to several pounds less than its older LR counterpart." To accomplish that weight reduction, the engineers had to create new upper and lower receivers, as well as a new bolt carrier. … The forged, monolithic bolt carrier in the GII is another redesign from the old style. It eliminates the larger forward section and is the same size for its entire length. The new bolt carrier measures 0.930" at its largest point as opposed to the previous design at 1.135". The new bolt carrier is also 0.6" shorter than its predecessor. The GII bolt carrier group weighs 6 ozs. less than the old style. … The GII bolt uses new geometry for the locking lugs where every edge has a radius to enhance reliability. There are two ejectors rather than the standard single. Ballard said that is to help reduce spring fatigue. Of course, it also introduces redundancy as the gun will operate with one ejector. ...

This GII Hunter I tested blew me away with its accuracy. I was primarily testing that rifle for our sister publication American Hunter and didn't even plan to include it in this article, but the performance is too impressive to ignore. American Hunter uses three, three-shots groups with three different loads as a test protocol. With the Black Hills 168-gr. load, the first group measured 0.30". That was the best, but the average of three groups was 0.47". The average for all nine groups was 0.80". From an out-of-the-box AR-L shooting factory ammunition, that is very impressive accuracy.”
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/1/5/downsizing-dpms-gii-ars/

I also get an average of around 1/2” 100-yd groups with Nosler factory 168-gr ABLR loads.

Even with the reduced overall weight, it has a fairly-heavy/thick barrel that seems to absorb more heat than most ARs.

So far, I’ve only shot a few deer with it:


But it’s a great fairly-lightweight .308 AR. It is more accurate than any other AR I have shot, and it has never failed to fire (except when my son tried Hornady reduced-recoil ammo through it—not enough powder).

It’s cool to see the lighter trends for AR10s. So far, they don’t fill a niche that my AR15s and heavier AR10s don’t fill, other than being lighter. If I didn’t already have some of my purpose built, hunting AR15s, I might start out with one of the G2s or at least some of the lighter components and stick with a 308. That usually doesn’t stop me from adding to the Arsenal, regardless. Staying under 9#, loaded up, would add some versatility, for sure.

6.9 lbs. here:

https://www.dpmsinc.com/GII-Compact-Hunter_ep_239-1.html

I agree with a 10 round mag for hunting. Now if I was back in the SE US whitetail hunting, I'd take on in .308 or 6.5 CM and not think twice. For the type of hunting (minus bear baiting) I do in AK, I don't care to have one. That's just my personal preference and I'm not going to knock anyone that does hunt with them. Now give me a year or two, and I may change my mind since I have built a couple of AR15's in the last few weeks.

Restricted to 3 rounds in the gun here, so a even the 5 round mag I use for my AR-15.450bushmaster isn't full. No point is carrying even larger, mostly empty, mags.

I prefer to use 20 round mags, even when only loading with a few rounds for hunting. I use the magwell and mag often for manipulating the rifle, especially transitioning from one shoulder to the other (and did this when I shot my deer left handed last fall, because of the angle). Mag changes seem easier to me with 20s than shorter flush or nearly flush mags too, and since that's what I use most of the time, I've never felt a need or desire for 5 or 10 round mags.

I found the taller mags were a problem with using a short bipod, shooting prone. I don't like the gun resting on the mag when at rest.

Taller mags, yes, but not 20 rounders. A 30 (or 25 in 308) rests on the mag or needs a taller bipod, but with 20 round mags, all of mine rest on the butt. Those 20s are the same height as the grip. I don't see any advantage in going shorter, for how I use an AR.

Edit - look at the picture I posted above with the two black rifles. Both have 20 round mags in them; you can see the 20round 5.56 mag is the same length as the grip. The 20rd 308 Pmag is a little longer but still not enough to matter. I could see a 15 rd being a nice size there if they existed, but really dislike very short or flush mags.

My DPMS LR .308 with a 20" heavy barrel with mounts & scope weighs 11lbs.3 oz.

A 5 round .450 Bushmaster IS a 20 round 5.56 mag with a different follower.

"Bushmaster .450 Bushmaster 5-round Magazine.

High-quality construction. While the new Bushmaster .450 utilizes a standard 20-round AR-type magazine box the similarity ends there. A single stack follower is installed above the anti-tilt type follower to facilitate feeding the large diameter .450 Bushmaster. A special magazine spring is utilized and cartridges are single stacked to yield a full capacity of 5 rounds. As this .450 cartridge is too wide to fit through the feedlips in the conventional .223 manner this magazine must be loaded by sliding the cartridge under the feedlips."

Ok... You knew I was talking about the same size mag then several posts ago...
Jpro and Reloader28 were talking about 5 and 10 round 5.56 mags.

Honestly, I didn't know they even MADE 5 round mags for 5.56! I doubt I could get 3 rounds in one.