AR build for coyotes?

[wildwilderness]

So I must be one of the few without an AR! I would like to build one for coyotes, since I unfortunately tend to miss them on my first shot! I have plenty of bolt action rifles so it’s time for an AR style.

From your collective wisdom what would you do for an AR that is accurate, relatively light, reliable, and did I mention accurate? Also what cartridge? I already load for a 22-250, can I make an AR for that?

 

[weekender7]

You can make a 22-250 AR but you mentioned "relatively light". AR's especially AR 10's and light don't usually belong in the same sentence.

 

[dirtytough]

Following. I would like a 22-250 AR for coyotes also.

 

[wildwilderness]

You can make a 22-250 AR but you mentioned "relatively light". AR's especially AR 10's and light don't usually belong in the same sentence.

I don’t know much about ARs . So Are there different action sizes? How about carbon barrels? I guess you are saying the 22-250 would have to use a bolt off an AR 10? Is the 223 a standard bolt? What other cartridge is recommended? What options are there in calibers?

 

[weekender7]

Some of the AR10 family of calibers
AR-10 calibers

• .220 Swift.
• .22-250 Remington.
• 6mm-250.
• .243 Winchester - same bolt as 7.62×51 (worn-down barrels can be re-bored to take 6.5 Creedmoor or 7.62×51)
• 6mm Remington.
• 6mm Creedmoor.
• .257 Roberts.
• 6.5×47mm Lapua.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I don’t know much about ARs . So Are there different action sizes? How about carbon barrels? I guess you are saying the 22-250 would have to use a bolt off an AR 10? Is the 223 a standard bolt? What other cartridge is recommended? What options are there in calibers?

There are different actions sizes. Just loke long action short action. You have Ar15's and Ar10s.
I would stray away feom 22-250. They are known to have feed issues.
Carbon barrel's are certainly thing. However pricey and only saving a few oz's.
I personally shoot a 6x6.8spc. (6.8spc necked down to 6mm) I have ran everything from 55gr's at just over 4000fps to 70gr nbt at 3800fps.
However there are so many rounds to run in a Ar15 just pick one and have fun. I would choose one however that fits your needs a little better. How far are you planning to shoot? How windy is it? Things to take into consideration.

 

[Lionhound1975]

I would buy an AR-15 lower and an AR upper in 224 Valkyrie. I bought a 224 Valkyrie upper from Palmetto State for $399 and it will shoot sub MOA with the 60 gr Nosler and around 1 MOA with the cheapo 75 gr American Eagle ammo. The round is a great long distance target round and has a high enough BC to allow it to buck wind well, even when shooting out to 1000 yards. The 60 gr Nosler will be almost as fast as your 22-250. You can shoot up to 90 gr bullets depending on what you are doing.

It doesn't compare with a 6.5 CM at distance, but a 6.5 CM in an AR will be an AR-10 build which will be more expensive and quite a bit heavier. The 224 Valkyrie recoil is like shooting a hot 5.56. Less recoil and cheaper ammo than a 6.8 SPC although a 6.8 would be a better deer and antelope caliber in an AR-15 platform.

With the same AR-15 lower, you can add:
- a 224 Valkyrie upper for coyotes and varmints
- a 5.56 upper to shoot for plinking with cheap 5.56 ammo and hunt varmints with decent hunting ammo
- a 300 Blackout for home defense and deer/black bear/hogs out to 200 yards

An AR-15 is like Legos, you can mix and match parts, stocks, grips, etc. and set it up just how you want. It takes less than 30 seconds to switch out uppers onto the same lower. And the lower is what is considered a firearm by the ATF. So you are actually only going to the FFL once since you can buy whatever upper you want and have it sent to your house. You can spend $1500+ on a nice Mercedes Benz AR like a Daniel Defense or Larue but you can also get sub MOA accuracy with good ammo out of some mid-priced versions like PSA, Springfield, and S&W.

 

[isu22andy]

I run a thermal and shot about 15 coyotes with it this year. Ive had more runners with a .223 then I care to admit. The 22-250 bolt gun lays them out . I will be going to a 243 ar or 6.5 ar. Something with a little more meat to the bullet . When you hit them with a 22-250 it sounds like a pillow hit with a baseball bat, not so much with the 223.

 

[SoDaky]

Joe Biden uses AR14s.At least he talks about them.

 

[dirtytough]

I run a thermal and shot about 15 coyotes with it this year. Ive had more runners with a .223 then I care to admit. The 22-250 bolt gun lays them out . I will be going to a 243 ar or 6.5 ar. Something with a little more meat to the bullet . When you hit them with a 22-250 it sounds like a pillow hit with a baseball bat, not so much with the 223.

I want a 22-250 because of hunting with thermal. Its hard to judge distance at night. So the further your PBR is the less chance you have of missing. I got a double the other night and I thought both were a lot closer then they were.

 

[isu22andy]

I want a 22-250 because of hunting with thermal. Its hard to judge distance at night. So the further your PBR is the less chance you have of missing. I got a double the other night and I thought both were a lot closer then they were.

Yep I agree. I would like an AR platform though . Not many 22-250 ARs so thats why I was leaning 243

 

[280Ackley]

I would look at the 6.5 Grendel. You can build it on the AR-15 lower. That’s what my current build is!

 

[h2so4]

Light weight AR= Era3 Grunt
4.7 lb of coolness before scope and bipod. Not my pic.

 

[wildwilderness]

So looking at the options on an AR 15 it looks like the 22 Valkyrie and 22 Nosler are the new options to the 223. I’m leaning towards a 22 cal because I do hunt in CO where they have the rule of 22 cal and smaller if hunting during a big game season.

Any opinions between the Valkyrie vs Nosler?

 

[Mt Al]

Wild, I don't know about the 22 Valkyrie or Nosler but certain that either one will do the trick, nor did I know about the limitations in Colorado. I used a 223 AR for years and it was fine, though I'm not as serious into coyotes as I'd like to be.

Just food for thought depending on your budget and how you hunt.
-I went with a side charging upper, which added weight but that wasn't a big concern for me. Reason is the charging handle wasn't as easy to operate with a big prairie dog and coyote scope on top. Honestly not sure the cost and weight penalty is worth the convenience of the side charger.
-I put a Law folder on mine for compactness when strapped to my pack. Just like the side charger, it adds some weight, cost and, once again, not sure if it's worth the convenience. Hey, a guy can make mistakes!
-Finally, I converted my barrel, magazine and bolt to 6.5 Grendel, which sounds like not an option for you in Colorado. Great round and I did so to be more confident with antelope or deer should the opportunity arise.

The ability to have follow up shots is SO nice with coyotes, especially when they're traveling in a group, which is quite often. Plus follow up shots for misses, not that I've ever missed anything, ever, other than sometimes or often.

 

[chefcreed]

If you already reload 22-250, take a look at a 22 Grendel. If you want something a little bigger out of AR 15 for anything from predators to deer and pigs, another vote for 65 Grendel. Very versatile round.

 

[Smid]

I would avoid anything that uses ar10 platform. Ar15 generally is interchange with any milspec parts, but that is not always the case with ar10

 

[cmahoney]

Joe Biden uses AR14s.At least he talks about them.

Indeed, he fires all three barrels at the same time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Varminterror]

The 22-250 doesn’t fit into an AR-15, and you’re taking on a lot of extra weight to get there with an LFAR. An all around coyote hunting AR should be in 223/5.56, with a distant second place for 6.5 Grendel. When the new 6mm ARC from Hornady hits the shelves, I’d put it as a close second to the 223/5.56, although it is superior in several ways. I have been shooting a 243 LBC wildcat for a bit over a year, after lusting over various 6mm Grendel variants for a long time - It has delivered everything I wanted from it. More range and knockdown power than 223/5.56, but still fitting into an AR-15 with commonly sourced components, and still running exceptionally light recoil and small powder appetite.

 

[PONYBOY]

i'm using a BCM upper with 18' stainless barrel on an Anderson lower in .223. Trigger Tech comp trigger @ 3lb. I've had great luck with this rifle and made some good shots out to around 400. Is it as accurate as my bolt guns? No... but it has been solid for predator hunting. .223 is so easy to get hold of and shoots perfect out of the 15 platform.. Can't go wrong with this setup in my opinion unless you are really looking to stretch things out. In that case, I just bring the bolt gun.