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AR for coyote hunting

LoessHillsArcher

LoessHillsArcher

PMA Member
So got myself an AR. Nothing fancy, just the DPMS Oracle in 223. I know little to nothing about ARs, dad ended up purchasing it on a benefit auction on a whim. I've got a 6-24x40 Barska scope on it with BDC reticles specifically for a 223 shooting 55gr ammo. I've got a box of 50 Hornady Vmax and hoping to shoot this gun tomorrow.

What is a realistic range for this gun on shooting coyotes? I'll be only calling, not chasing coyotes. So pretty much mostly standing shots. This past year I did have a couple situations where I had 300-350yd shots on dogs that either hung up or stopped after I missed or killed their partner. Is it realistic for this gun to be a 300yd yote killer? I'm also starting to wonder if I went over board on the scope power. Any other suggestions for a new AR owner? Thanks!
 
You can go onto C0ueswhitetail.com down here in AZ and see all kinds of information on shooting them out to distances well beyond 300 yards. Most guys out here shoot a heavier bullet (69 gr SMK I think), but I have a friend who regularly rings steel out to 900 yards with his AR. His 15-year old daughter does it all the time with him. I have that same rifle and, while I don't hunt coyotes, I wouldn't hesitate to take it out to 400 yards on a coyote with no problem and the right bullet. January 2017, my daughter shot her javelina with my DPMS and a Nikon 3x32 P223 at 180 yards. 6-24 is probably a little overkill for an AR out to that range, but its better to be overpowered than underpowered. Those Nikon P223 scopes are awesome, though!
 
It will kill them just fine at that range, my AR is a tack driver at 200. With the BDC reticle i dont think it will be an issue.
I mean i watched a guy shoot a sow on a dead run at 385 and that .223 killed the crap out of that pig.
 
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The caliber is easily a 300 yard caliber. 400-500 isn't out of the question IF the gun will shoot it well enough to be consistent at those distances. Rule of thumb is wanting a gun that will shoot an inch or less at 100 yards (MOA). If you have a gun that can only hold a 2" pattern at 100 yards, that spreading out to 6" at 300 yards which is an awfully big pattern to be consistently hitting dogs. Shoot it and you'll know. If it shoots good groups, then practice with it out to longer ranges so you know what it does at those distances. I have a 6-24 power scope on my 22-250. It very rarely gets turned up beyond 6 power, but it's nice to have on occasion.
 
Thanks fellas! May have to sneak out tonight and set the bench up quick at 100 and see what it does! Thought about putting a red dot on a 45 degree side mount for up close shots. Or just keep carrying the shotgun with buck shot
 
LYON said:
The caliber is easily a 300 yard caliber. 400-500 isn't out of the question IF the gun will shoot it well enough to be consistent at those distances. Rule of thumb is wanting a gun that will shoot an inch or less at 100 yards (MOA). If you have a gun that can only hold a 2" pattern at 100 yards, that spreading out to 6" at 300 yards which is an awfully big pattern to be consistently hitting dogs. Shoot it and you'll know. If it shoots good groups, then practice with it out to longer ranges so you know what it does at those distances. I have a 6-24 power scope on my 22-250. It very rarely gets turned up beyond 6 power, but it's nice to have on occasion.
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Exactly. Make sure and try various ammo types/brands and bullet weights. If memory serves me correctly, yours should be a 1:9" twist, which should handle a wide variety of bullet weight ranges. Find the one that gets you that 1" group and you'll be set. My Oracle shot 0.5" groups at 100 yards with Barnes Vortx ammo (55 gr) and that was with the old factory trigger. I had a crisp drop-in trigger put in after Syd's hunt and I haven't had time to test the accuracy with that trigger. That's also something to think about. There are some great drop-in triggers for under $150 that will improve your overall accuracy.
 
Mine don't get out to hunt much, but I prefer something heavier than a 55 grain. But if you get good stability and groups then by all means shoot that. You can definitely shoot out to 400 with those rifles with good glass and a rest.
Welcome to the club man, they're a blast to plink with too!

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I have a Colt LE 6920 with a Vortex red dot dot can put a lot of rounds on target fast. Ultimately would be nice to have a Nikon and a red dot. Seldom get any long shots around here.
 
Its good to 300 and then some. Highly recommend Fiochi 50 gr Vmax. They make 30 round mags for a reason just keep walking it in if you miss on the first shot .
 
Got a chance to shoot the gun tonight, need an even higher scope mount. It sucked shooting, scope was too low and far back. Was real hard shooting in the lead sled too with the 30rd clip. Trigger was junk I thought but gun shot great! All of the above are easy fixes. Going to get a higher scope bracket tomorrow and start looking into triggers. Ended up getting sub 1” groups at 100 and sub 2” groups at 200 with Hornandy 55gr VMAX.

Here’s my 1st 100 ya group once I got it close to centered.

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Second 100yd group

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Third 100yd group

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If I wasn’t going to change the scope base out I’d have fined tuned it at 100 more, was a hair high and right yet. But here’s my one 200yd group. I did make some adjustments here and started to stack them in the center. Was pretty pumped for the first quick trip to the range!

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May put a red dot on a 45 rail soon or even mounted on top of the scope for close range shots. Starting to research those more



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20 round mags are much more friendly for shooting off a rest I think. Those 30s are a pain to shoot off a sled. Good shooting regardless .
 
Nice shooting. Leupold mark II scope mounts are $84 on Optics planet right now. Highly recommend. Lots of guys use Burris too. I'll be curious what drop in trigger you get and how you like it over the standard AR trigger. Never changed that out, but I'd like to one day.

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Great groups! I also learned that 20-round mags are much more conducive for shooting from a rest. I hated the factory trigger on my Oracle, too. Look at the Timney, CMC, and Geissele drop-in triggers. I had a buddy in town that had custom drop ins and he put mine in for $130, which was his cost. He was closing up shop and made me a helluva deal. Changing out the trigger will only group it tighter!

Vortex also has a great line of scopes for ARs that you might want to look into.
 
30 round mags are a pain in the ass to shoot from a bench, i prefer the 10 round mags for hunting and targeting. A drop in trigger is on my to do list but even for a crappy trigger the gun shoots awesome.
 
meyeri said:
Nice shooting. Leupold mark II scope mounts are $84 on Optics planet right now. Highly recommend. Lots of guys use Burris too. I'll be curious what drop in trigger you get and how you like it over the standard AR trigger. Never changed that out, but I'd like to one day.

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Just ordered the Rock River Arms 2 Stage 3.5lb pull trigger. Read some great reviews on it, and the ones mentioned above, but landed on this one.
 
I agree with preferring 10 round mag and different trigger. Also look at the PEPR scope mount, wonderful mount
 
Timney triggers are nice, but you can get something like a "Velocity" brand and itll be just as good for half the price. Ive got Velocity 3lbs in all mine and theyre awesome. I prefer single stage.
As for bullets if you really want to squeeze all the accuracy you can out of it Id suggest giving Black Hills ammo a try... Ive had amazing luck with their 60g. V-Max
 
I have a Rock River 223 that is a tack driver but it has a bull barrell and is too hard to hold for off hand shots and running shots so I broke down and ordered the new Savage MSR15 in 224 Valkyrie. This will be my calling rifle and long range gun. If it fails I will go back to my trusty 25-06 bolt action.
 
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