Best caliber for night hunting?

Don’t get excited I pop in here to see if they are getting close to shipping night stalkers. I don’t think I need my left testicle so you never know some day.
 
I’ve got a 6.5 creedmoor that I use for my night hunting but can see the advantages of using something in the AR platform. I’ve got a 5.56 Daniel defense collecting dust , can I replace that barrel for a 22 nosler?
 
Originally Posted By: jk2paintworxI am getting into thermal and figure I will end up with a dedicated rifle for night hunting. I currently have a 22-250 Tikka, AR .223. AR 6.5grendel. I almost always choose the Grendel since its light weight and Puts em down consistently. I can put my thermal on my .223 but I have had too many runners when I used it so I am hesitant. I like my 6.5G but want to use it for daytime. I have enough parts laying around to build up another AR but not sure of caliber. I don't handload so it needs to be something with factory options. How does the 6.8SPC stack up against the 6.5 Grendel? What are you guys using at night?

IF your already have a Grendel it would make more sense to go ahead and do another one of them.
I really like the 6.8 but have very little experience with the 6.5G. By looking at the numbers i dont see much of a difference if you choose the same barrel length.

I use a 12.5" 6.8 more than anything, mostly for hogs and the occasional coyote..
But i threw together a .22-250 Savage and really want to try the FLIR on it.
I used it on deer depredations last year and found the 53gr Nosler and Vmax are silly flat for a 22" barrel.
 
I've been using the .223 for several years now in 2 AR's with 18" barrels using 55gr Vmax and never lost one yet. Do you consider a runner one that gets away? I've had them run, but just don't know their dead yet till they pile up. Average I would guess is 50 yds. Longest might have made it around 100. Plenty have just dropped. Seems like the .224 Valkyrie might be a good option. Probably 98% of my shots have been between 75 and 150 yds. I zero 1" high at 100 so have no issues shooting out to 300 although in all honesty have only tried 1 shot at that distance and it was in some fog so didn't hit it. I guess you know your terrain and situations you come across the most.
 
Well before buying a new rifle, how about trying hornady superperformance ammo. They average 200 ft/sec faster than standard 223. That would put them not that far from some of these other options.
 
I had some bad luck with the superformance ammo shooting about 300 FPS slower than advertised. I will stick with my RPR In 243 slinging 70 grain ballistic tips at around 3600fps. That sucker is flat and hammers just about anything it hits
 
With thermal, the ability to take multiple shots quickly makes the AR a very attractive weapon. I've always liked bolt-actions and used a 243 Ruger Predator with my Apex for about 6 months. Killed a good number of coyotes with it and made some long shots, but I realized I was not taking the fullest advantage of the thermal's ability with the bolt gun.

So, I put together a 6x45 upper for one of my AR's. There are other options of course, standard .223, 22 Nosler, now the 224 Valkyrie, 243 LBC, 6x6.8, etc., etc., and so forth.

I really like the 6x45. I've determined to call it the 6mm Parvo from here on. If you reload, it is a no-brainer with plenty of .223 brass and dies to make it happen in one pass. Losing brass while hunting is a non-issue with the 6mm Parvo.

I'm shooting 55 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips at just under 3,400 fps (at sea level). The upper also shoots 55 Varmageddon's and 58 V-max very well plus 70 gr. Ballistic tips. I just like the speed of the somewhat tougher 55 BT's in this upper (20" barrel). No, it isn't pushing them at 3,900 fps like the 243 does easily, but it does whack coyotes plenty hard.

The 6mm Parvo has been a very solid performer for me, and while I like several of the other new AR caliber's I'm just not sure that I gain enough to make it worthwhile. If you don't reload of course then all this goes out the window and you have to go with something in a factory loading like the Grendel.
 
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