.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

[crich]

View attachment 673621

I have 4 bought my first T3 in 2015. Whats one more right?

 

[RC51kid]

Looking like I might have a .223 to try out. This should be fun. Hopefully my 2nd suppressor is out of jail too. If it works as advertised I might start building one of those ultralight ultralight ARs.

Let me give my opinion on this. I have built a bunvh of ARs over the years but am no expert at all. EVERY problem I personally have had has been as i deviate away "mil spec" parts. Not tru mil spec but lets say "quality standard" AR15 parts. Also using "non standard" parts makes it harder to repair, replace and update in the future. All of the malfunctions i have ever had have been when i messed with spring rates, buffers, magazines or BCG. Now I tend to stick with quality "standard" AR parts if possible. Obviously on my Grendel or other calibers some of that isnt possible and i will tune it with buffers or gas systems. But with 5.56 just stick with QUALITY standard parts.

Also you spend a LOT of money and get non standard parts trying to save 1oz on parts like recivers, buffer tubes, BCG and those things.

All that being said. Parts like stock and grip, find ergos you like and be consious of weight. Stocks alone can range in weight be 5oz. Hand guards have ahuge range of weight. If you are not using NV or aiming devices on your rail a nice light carbon rail will make a huge difference in a are that will really be felt. Even a simple BCM rail is relatively light, cheap and pretty good quality. Barrel weight is another thing. I really like the Gunner profile barrels for how they handle. Trimming weight off the muzzel end is the most important to me.

But you also mentioned suppressors. I switched feom a AAC SDN6 at 20+ oz to a Nomad Ti at 12oz. Absolutely night and day difference. All that weight removed right off the muzzel. So pick the right suppressor for the job. The light barrels handle nice and hunting shouldnt heat up the barrel with just a few shots. But the ultra thin barrels do give me more POI shift. For me it is repeatable and i always run supressed. So no big deal. But my last build i went a little heavier to decrease POI shift. But barrel weight and profile is extremely important in how the rifle will handle.

Also look at weight on scopes and mounts. I really like Larue mounts but they are almost 8oz. I also used a Aero mount which is 3.5oz. Thats 4.5 oz right there. The aero worked well but i didnt have confidence in it and switched to a DD mount at 5.5oz. The DD, Nightforce and Reptila are all around 5.5oz. Thats about 3oz lighter than a lot of mounts. Optics are also a big weight factor. Choose carefully and they will completely change the way the rifle handles.

My point is that i would skip the lightweight go fast parts on the internals critical parts. You can still build a very reasonably light weight rifle by avoiding needlessly heavy parts. For example i love the Geissele rails. But dont have any becouse i dont want that weight that far forward on my rifles. Now if i was running IR aiming devices where rigidity was key it might be worth it for me. Or on one of my SBRs the weight difference on a 9" rail is not as big. But a 13" quadrail or Geissele is a LOT heavier than a 13" carbon fiber rail or even a BCM rail.

Its all a compromise. I built my Grendel to be light. Used a Gunnar profile barrel a cheap used Odin Works rail that weighs nothing, aero mount (originaly) and a VX5HD 2-10 at 18oz. Handled like a dream. Next build in 5.56 I used a light weight match barrel that was still "light" but about 4oz heavier, DD scope mount, and a Centurion CMR rail (bomber but still only 10oz). I wanted a little more durability and accuracy/less POI shift. Still a handi rifle but the small amount of weight difference is noticable.

 

[Luke S]

Yeah, I've generally heard going lighter on ARs tends to introduce more complications. If I'm making a semi auto AR I'd keep it fairly conventional because I'd want to be 100% reliable if I ticked of a grizzly. If I really wanted to trim weight I'd consider one of the manually operated ARs with a poly lower etc. I assume that would resolve some of those issues but you'd still have a more fragile gun with a slower rate of fire. It would be a fun project but I don't know if I'd use it enough to justify the cost.

But back to focus of the thread...

I need to start handloading some TMKS. The advantage of a .223 is I can take the kids out and have them cheaply bang away at longer range targets to see how they do. I'm not up for super long range shooting but after caribou hunting with kids I'm beginning to think a carefully place 300 yard shot might be more likely to work then a rushed 100 yard shot with a kid who thinks he needs to shoot RIGHT NOW. I never felt comfortable letting kids shoot a .308 for too long between the cost and the chance that someone started to flinch.

I really want to get a spring grizzly with a .223 just so I can compare and see how it works. If I like what I see a whole new world of spending will open up...

Easy button would be a Tikka, especially as a kid's rifle.

Maybe a lighter weight AR, possibly in SBR for the adult to carry (bear defense, etc.)

Or fiddle with some kind of bolt action and make a sub 5 pound .223 with a solid scope and the suppresssor. Something like that Uberlight Kimber but in .223.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Yeah, I've generally heard going lighter on ARs tends to introduce more complications. If I'm making a semi auto AR I'd keep it fairly conventional because I'd want to be 100% reliable if I ticked of a grizzly. If I really wanted to trim weight I'd consider one of the manually operated ARs with a poly lower etc. I assume that would resolve some of those issues but you'd still have a more fragile gun with a slower rate of fire. It would be a fun project but I don't know if I'd use it enough to justify the cost.

But back to focus of the thread...

I need to start handloading some TMKS. The advantage of a .223 is I can take the kids out and have them cheaply bang away at longer range targets to see how they do. I'm not up for super long range shooting but after caribou hunting with kids I'm beginning to think a carefully place 300 yard shot might be more likely to work then a rushed 100 yard shot with a kid who thinks he needs to shoot RIGHT NOW. I never felt comfortable letting kids shoot a .308 for too long between the cost and the chance that someone started to flinch.

I really want to get a spring grizzly with a .223 just so I can compare and see how it works. If I like what I see a whole new world of spending will open up...

Easy button would be a Tikka, especially as a kid's rifle.

Maybe a lighter weight AR, possibly in SBR for the adult to carry (bear defense, etc.)

Or fiddle with some kind of bolt action and make a sub 5 pound .223 with a solid scope and the suppresssor. Something like that Uberlight Kimber but in .223.

T3x Compact cut and threaded with a can, vertical grip, UM or Sportsmatch T084 rings with a SWFA 6x milquad mil/mil is the simplest ‘easy button’ solution.

 

[crich]

Yeah, I've generally heard going lighter on ARs tends to introduce more complications. If I'm making a semi auto AR I'd keep it fairly conventional because I'd want to be 100% reliable if I ticked of a grizzly. If I really wanted to trim weight I'd consider one of the manually operated ARs with a poly lower etc. I assume that would resolve some of those issues but you'd still have a more fragile gun with a slower rate of fire. It would be a fun project but I don't know if I'd use it enough to justify the cost.

But back to focus of the thread...

I need to start handloading some TMKS. The advantage of a .223 is I can take the kids out and have them cheaply bang away at longer range targets to see how they do. I'm not up for super long range shooting but after caribou hunting with kids I'm beginning to think a carefully place 300 yard shot might be more likely to work then a rushed 100 yard shot with a kid who thinks he needs to shoot RIGHT NOW. I never felt comfortable letting kids shoot a .308 for too long between the cost and the chance that someone started to flinch.

I really want to get a spring grizzly with a .223 just so I can compare and see how it works. If I like what I see a whole new world of spending will open up...

Easy button would be a Tikka, especially as a kid's rifle.

Maybe a lighter weight AR, possibly in SBR for the adult to carry (bear defense, etc.)

Or fiddle with some kind of bolt action and make a sub 5 pound .223 with a solid scope and the suppresssor. Something like that Uberlight Kimber but in .223.

Do you reload?

 

[Luke S]

Yes I reload. Haven't had time to lately with family obligations so I'll probably run factory ammo for everything except hunting/site in loads for the .223. I stocked up on good 6.5 Grendal ammo and .308 ammo already.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I have 4 bought my first T3 in 2015. Whats one more right?

Exactly!

 

[PNWGATOR]

Was that Humerus from your Ex's moose in 2020 the front or off side leg? That thing was obliterated.

Front.

There is ZERO concern or doubt this combination delivers a substantial wound channel within terminal velocity perimeters.

 

[Thegman]

Awesome that you've found a rifle to take hunting for bear this year.

However I would advise against the ultra-ultralight AR. I run tactical rifle and pistol courses as my side-gig and I have seen way too many reliability issues with the super ultra rifle that have came to the classes. Some of those have been minor, like failure to feed or light strikes, but quite a few have been major, like BCG's bulging or cracking and gas blocks blowing out.

But don't let that complete dissuade you, you can easily build a reliable AR that falls right around 5ish pounds.

Not to stray off topic too much, but to clarify, I think Luke S is talking about these https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/ultralight-ultralight-rifles.329402/ not a gasser AR. They don't have the same (potential) issues of what you're describing. And as for being fragile, if done right, they aren't, by any stretch. My Montana (stock) has proven more fragile by far.

 

[zdc1775]

Not to stray off topic too much, but to clarify, I think Luke S is talking about these https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/ultralight-ultralight-rifles.329402/ not a gasser AR. They don't have the same (potential) issues of what you're describing. And as for being fragile, if done right, they aren't, by any stretch. My Montana (stock) has proven more fragile by far.

Yeah, that absolutely changes everything I said. They are just not the first thing I think of when people mention building an ultralight AR.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Looky what I found. Testing some this weekend.

 

[BlackHillsShooter]

View attachment 674019
Look is what I found. Testing some this weekend.

That's the stuff I shot a deer and a cow elk with last season. Been reloading alot of 223 but theirs performed well on both paper and animals.

 

[sierracharlie338]

That's the stuff I shot a deer and a cow elk with last season. Been reloading alot of 223 but theirs performed well on both paper and animals.

Bought this for a gas gun I have but will be loading TMKs for my daughters rifle

 

[mtnwrunner]

Up top cause it don't belong on page two.....

Randy

 

[Juan_ID]

Up top cause it don't belong on page two.....

Randy

 

[Tahr]

The 77TMK don't work if you don't hit 'em, but are devastating when you do. Watch to the end where I redeem my self. Centre of shoulder hit. 254 yards.

 

[sierracharlie338]

The 77TMK don't work if you don't hit 'em, but are devastating when you do. Watch to the end where I redeem my self. Centre of shoulder hit. 254 yards.

Nice follow up!

 

[SBR Sarge]

The 77TMK don't work if you don't hit 'em, but are devastating when you do. Watch to the end where I redeem my self. Centre of shoulder hit. 254 yards.

Nooooo. You did not ‘miss’ on the first shot. You were intentionally shooting past them to herd them closer. A crafty, cunning move on your part.

And the second shot sure anchored the critter.

 

[FacePlant]

77 tmk shown in stock at Dillon Precision.
Ordered a couple boxes last night, we’ll see if they ship!

Dillon Precision

 

[gbflyer]

Just flesh and bone. Lots of it.