I’m starting to like the idea of an AR for a deer rifle for a young hunter. He likes my AR with a 22 rimfire upper a great deal.

What do you like for an upper for whitetails, under 150 yds, that can be easily used with a suppressor? This will be exclusively for a youngster. Preferably, an upper I can get off the shelf. I can hand load as needed.

6.8, 6.5, 300aac

I have both a 6.8 and a 300 AAC. I plan on letting my kids use either but most likely the 6.8, as it is setup more for hunting. I have used a 6.8 quite a bit on deer and am very fond of the cartridge. The 300 AAC is fun with subs and a suppressor but I just like my 6.8 Wilson Combat better. With a suppressor and Hornady 120 gr SSTs the 6.8 is perfect for kids to use on deer.

223 with Barnes 55 or 62 Tsx will work. Lots of other bullets too, I just really trust these.

The 6.8 pushing a 120 sst at 2550 is a pretty great combo.

I’ve killed my share of deer with a 6.8, along with other animals. For typical whitetail hunting, inside of 300, I’ve used it over 223/6.5 Grendel and blackout. I’ve used all 3 and they all work, but I just liked the way the 6.8 did it, better...for me. I do have my eye on the 300 HAMR, for replacing my 6.8, as it seems to finally be where I wanted my deer/hog AR to be for velocity, range, and energy. Long barrel, heavy ARs are no fun to hunt with where I roam, and getting as much from a 16” tube as possible is a bigger priority than shooting past 250-300. The HAMR or 6.8 will do fine with any suppressor that would work on a 300 BO, though neither is optimized for subs, which aren’t as optimal for typical hunting, anyway. In the end, good bullets at good velocities, do good work. SSA 6.8 120s used to be the best I saw. They seem to have slowed down since Nosler bought them, so they say. I just run the older ones, until...

My son has killed two deer with the 6.5 Grendel and 123 gr SSTs. He is small for his age and the adjustable AR stock fits him better than anything I’ve found. I’ve had the Grendel in three different configurations. Started with a PSA 12” “pistol.” He killed his fist one with it. I wasn’t impressed with the accuracy, so I built another with a 16” Faxon Gunner. I still wasn’t satisfied and went to an 18” Grendel Hunter upper. It shoots Alexander Arms 129 gr SSTs at 1/2 MOA. I really like this setup and Andy Holbein at Grendel Hunter provided great service.

Bang flopped plenty of critters with a 77gr tmk. Start and end there

With bullets designed for big game 223 kills them just as dead as 30-06. With varmint bullets or FMJ a 30-06 will fail just as badly as a 223 with the same bullets. I wouldn't use 223 on game larger than deer. That is where SOME of the other options available for AR's come into play. Others are a step down compared to 223. I could learn to like the 6.5 and 6.8 options. Most of the 30 and 35 caliber options not so much.

Heck, try the new 6ARC out....it’s probably at least as good as the Grendel. 223 with the right bullet works, but most others work better, with the same type bullet. I’ve killed my share with 60+ gr 223 bullets, but I’d still pick something 100-130gr over that....even the 90gr 6.8 is more emphatic, for me. If a 30-30 is worth shooting deer with, the HAMR is at least as much a deer killer. Other than trajectory, I don’t know that anything smaller than the HAMR offers anything over it, under 250-300, but that’s just by the #s. I don’t like to have to load for ARs, to get decent hunting or accuracy loads. I can, but I’d rather use that time loading for other stuff or just shooting. Off the shelf, recoil, blast, velocity vs barrel length, etc....Just more considerations.

This is the way to go if using an AR. A 62 will punch through a 200 lb pig shoulders at 200 yds. Here is some granddaughter shot at 10 yrs old.

Nice!

An experienced kid maybe, but one starting out, not me, not my kid! I’ve seen kids in the excitement of the moment turn around sweep the muzzle dangerously. My kid hunts a bolt .243 and got one bullet at a time as he was learning. An AR is also loud and can be awkward to unload. I own several, I’m by no means anti, I just think there are better choices for hunting, especially for a kid.

I use a 6.8 SPC and a 7.62x39 upper for deer hunting. I’d happily use a .223 with a good bullet, but it’s illegal in my state to hunt deer with .223.

You can load one bullet at a time in an AR also, and make sure it is in the mag until he or she is ready to shoot. The great thing I see about AR's and kids is that those collapsible carbine stocks can fit a kid of almost any size. Buddy's grandson started with one and lots of supervision at 8, he's 12 now and thinks he is ready for an '06.

P.S. I am by no means telling you how to teach your kid, whatever works, works.

I've killed dozens of deer and pigs with a 6.8 and a few of my hunting buddies use it almost exclusively on pigs. Mostly the very common 115gr Fusion ammo--penetrates pretty deeply and is very accurate--but also with the 90gr fusion/gold dot and the 120gr SST load as well. The SST is the most destructive but I had one gun that didn't shoot them great.

I think the 6.8 and 6.5 feel closer to a 30-30 in terms of killing power and speed. Definitely a step up from 5.56/223. Holes are bigger and animals die quicker.

Also killed deer with 223 using 62gr fusions and 64gr gold dots and 75 and 77gr Hornady and Sierra bullets and generic 55gr softnose bullets. They all did pretty much the same thing. Smaller holes, maybe a little bit longer time before the animal dropped.

For under 150 yards it would be real hard to beat the 7.62x39.

Low recoil, 30 caliber bullet @ 2300 feet per second and cheap practice ammo is available everywhere!

I’ve had good luck with 64 grain PowerPoints.

I've had good luck on hogs with 150 gr federal blue box. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

A 125gr .30 bullet @ ~ 2,500fps does make for a nice pink cloud up close and seems to penetrate just fine further out.

I have killed deer and pigs with both the .223 and 6.8, either works fine. I used the 53 gr and 63 gr Barnes TSX bullets in .223 and 110 gr Hornadys in the 6.8 with excellent results

Yes to all of the above

Out to 150, I’d also introduce the .350 Legend into the equation. Last year I used a RAR, but I’m building a 10.5” AR to supplement it this year.

George

Speaking from experience here:

Have killed several deer with the .223 & 70 grain TSX but IMO the 6.8 is a much better deer stomper to 300 yards, the Old SSA 110 Sierra Pro Hunter is about as perfect a deer fetcher as I have seen, very accurate out of my 16 & 18" barreled gas guns and makes a perfect little mushroom when it can be found, Bucky dies quickly with this load and the wife and daughter love it.

Also the Grendel works well but needs a longer barrel to match the 6.8 performance, only killed a few with the Grendel and 123s but it worked well.

Of these bullets mentioned, which would you be comfortable sending straight into the shoulder and expecting it to go through and through? Do I need to stick with Barnes if that’s a concern?

In which chambering? I haven’t caught a 6.8 110gr NAB on any deer or even hog....broadside. I don’t even recall catching a 90gr gold dot in deer, broadside....shoulders or not. Both will scatter some lung out the far side on rib shots. The old SSA loads in 110 NABs have kept me using 6.8, but Wilson’s HAMR loads look better than the new Nosler 6.8s (from what I hear). I haven’t drug out my chrono to confirm the drop in velocity vs the SSA versions. Wilson’s 6.8 loads are nothing to sneeze at, though.

Been a while since I used a 223 on deer, but I only took perfect broadsides, and avoided shoulders. No help there, I guess. Others will have loaded/used far more and more recent 223 stuff for deer.