AR for night hunting??

J

jwdakota

New member
Opinions Wanted!! Im looking to have an AR built for night hunting. I'm currently shooting a 18in Rock River suppressed. I tend to walk several miles a night, and I'm looking for a shorter barreled, lighter AR. My main concern is accuracy and reliability, and weight. I will be shooting suppressed, and I'm not sure how short of a barrel I can go too without sacrificing accuracy? Tax stamps for sbr's don't scare me. Most of my shooting is less than 150yds, but out here in the plains I would like to still be accurate out to 225-250yds. I'm limited to any 22 cal bullet due to state regs. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Barrel length has nothing to do with accuracy, just range due to reduced velocity. In theory, a shorter barrel can be more accurate because it's stiffer so don't worry about that. Just match the twist rate with the bullet weight you'll be shooting. I have a suppressed 11.5" .223 SBR for home defense, but would have no problem using it for hunting. You should look at putting together a similar setup.
 
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like anything else, as long as your terminal velocity is above the minimum expansion for the bullet your shooting, the biggest concern is going to be knowing your holdovers.

have you considered a optic with a BDC type reticle? it might be handy to have since you wont be running as flat of a trajectory with a shorty.
 
You might check out RRA's new Mountain Rifle, or upper. I'm thinking about getting an upper myself. Along with my Pulsar thermal and all my other gear to carry, I need "light weight".
A 200 yd zero on your scope should work for you. Not sure what kind of night rig you are running. A 250 yard shot at night is a long shot for me.
 
Pick up a MMR AR15, thread it and go calling. I have 2 of them for my night caller and walk more than a few miles.
They have a 20" bbl and run under $600 usually.
Have it cut to 18", thread & go if you want a tad shorter.
 
For a night calling rifle using a can: I'd plan on a fluted Hbar profile type - basically BHW's National Match profile - in 16" or less. 11.5" would be a grand plan. Adjustable gas block, forend all the way out to the end of the barrel. Nice and stiff with the short, fat barrel, but still not heavy enough to ruin your day.

There isn't a factory model I'd buy except for a bargain basement, mil-spec carbine, where it's cheaper to start with a factory model. When I want an AR, I build it, or I pay someone to build it.
 
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One of my lighter AR's has a Daniel Defense 16" 7 twist M4 Profile barrel and it shoots 50gr NBT great at 200 yards.
I want to try one of the Carbon Fiber Hand guards that weigh 5 ounces along with a pencil barrel. Just haven't gotten around to it.
 
I appreciate the advice. I ended up purchasing a 16in with adjustable gas block, carbon fiber handguard, RR lower, with extra light stock. I got a fair price on a custom AR that shoots less than a 1/4MA. Super light and extremely happy. Again, thanks for all the input!!
 
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