What do you feel should be that largest game taken with a .556 platform?

nwlr82

nwlr82

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Location
Lompoc, CA
Having an AR is awesome and usually ends up being the most tricked out and tuned up gun in your arsenal. If you are going to go hunting with your AR what do you consider to be the biggest game you should hunt with that platform?
 
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Deer are small animals, especially in this state. Killing them isn't rocket science so long as you have the skill to do it. I would say a 5.56 is fine for most game that stays under 200 pounds on average. It all depends on the shooter ultimately, I know a guy who hunts caribou with a 22-250. My first choice? no, but does it work? well as my shop teacher used to say "it'll work if you will"
 
Lets take feelings out of this. If you think you can kill it with 556, and you want to kill it with 556, then kill it with 556. There are plenty of examples of people using poorly regarded small bore weapons to vanquish every critter on the planet. Whether its a guy who got treed by a buffalo and all he was carrying was a 357 revolver that he used to dispatch said buffalo, or the guy who really just loves his caliber and has something to prove decides to annihilate an elephant with a 257. Some people use way destructive calibers, some use less destructive calibers.
 
I'm kind of unsure about how to respond to this.
For the record, I've hunted deer since 1980. Sucessfully During the last 8 years I've been on a DMAP. (deer management assistance program)
I also assist in youth hunting programs, where we take kids and a parent deer hunting.
So, that being said, I've field dressed a lot of deer.
Well over 200, and have seen the results of lots of bullets.
Some have devastating results, some not so much, but what I've seen is that one put into the proper area will kill.
The difference is, will the kill occur instantly or take awhile.
Death occurs when blood ceases to flow to the brain.
A shot to the lungs/heart will still allow the animal a few seconds of life to run. They can cover a lot of distance in a few seconds.
Shots to the central nervous system will drop them, but the target area is small.

I've shot them with everything from a .223 to a 30-06, and have never had a problem killing them.

Here is the answer to the whole thread.
Make sure you have a bullet designed to kill a deer, and make sure you know the anatomy of a deer, and where to shoot it.
 
I have taken a couple of problem deer (had a farm permit were I used to live)... 223 will do it... but you really should pick your shot carefully.

The ones I shot were targets of oppourtunity... (killing wood chucks is a spring thing up north... so are deer eating the tops off your corn crop as it sprouts)... Deer are about the outer limit of what a 5.56 will kill reliably (for a very average shooter).
 
nwlr82 said:
Having an AR is awesome and usually ends up being the most tricked out and tuned up gun in your arsenal. If you are going to go hunting with your AR what do you consider to be the biggest game you should hunt with that platform?
Click to expand...

Man.
 
I shot a 120# doe with 55 gr Accu-Tip. Dropped her where she stood. I've shot 30# coyotes and they've ran off never to be found. Shot placement is key. I would hesitate to shoot a water buffaloe with .223, but if it was all I had, I'd sure use it.
 
Ok well got lots of good responses and that's why I asked the question. So from my personal experience as a hunter and active duty military here is my opinion. Bullet type and shot placement can make this round deadly to any game all the way up to an elephant, however I wouldn't try it myself. Why? Because it would be inhumane, just as it is for us to use .556 in warfare. For those who have never served in the military while we are at war we have to abide by LOAC aka the Law of Armed Conflict. I'm not going to spew the whole thing but do recommend you look it up and read it. However according to the LOAC military cannot use hollow tip rounds unless warranted by Washington. We are to use FMJ and are restricted to how and when we can shoot at someone. So this brings me to shot placement if you are a great shot regardless of FMJ or HP you can make a kill shot. However I have been hunting quite a few times and I've never run across a deer with an AK47 or a bear with a SKS. (Funny image in my head) SO rushed shots should never be an issue with hunting as they are when fighting combat. Bullet type is a different story though. You can be an ok shot and use a round that will expand on impact creating massive internal trauma and cause blood loss that a FMJ couldn't provide.
My thoughts =
1. Sniper with a .556 you can shoot up to a large Black Bear
2. Great shot with the .556 you can take a large White Tail or Hog as long as you have traumatic ammo
3. Ok shot with any rifle I think a coyote would be ok to hunt with a .556
4. Poor shot would probably say prairie dogs, because as long as you can hit them more than likely they will die

I'm not trying to step on anyones toes here, and I know everyone above that wrote in this forum is a "Sniper" with any rifle they grab, but for most common hunters out there I would say smaller game than Deer or Hog would be the way to go with a .556. No matter human or animal when shooting something I do not want it to suffer or even worse run away and become untrackable. "One shot, one kill" should be every hunters and soldiers motto as they get ready to pull the trigger.
 
5.56 was made for 150# and less it still does a good job in that weight class, but you can't get sloppy on bullet placement or bullet selection. Heavy end of the weight limit = heavy end of the bullet scale. 65gr seirra GK is good for 90-150#,

I saw daniel horner take an adult male bison, medium size 1200-1500# with a 55gr 5.56, and I have it on video. But it was stupid to try, he got lucky on the shot, and the guide was stupider to allow him to do it.

trapr
 
I feel that while SOME people should hunt with nothing shy of a 458 Lott cause they never practice the acerage person or at least the average person I know can take deer with a 223/5.56 with no problem as long as the correct bullet is being used. I grew up shooting things not so close or what some would call unethical for hunting ranges, not with 223 but I have stretched a 223 furthur than I probably should have.

The trick here and with any caliber is do you game a favor and make a good shot, put the bullet where it needs to go so your game doesn't suffer and practice so you know what you can do repeatably. As for the largest game with a 223/5.56 I'm gonna say whitetail deer and hogs if you can get a side head shot. Later,

Kirk
 
As trapr said, a bison fell to the mighty 5.56.
Which has been my point. The guy obviously used a properly constructed bullet for the game he targeted. Had he used a varmint round, the bison might have had little damage, but the damage may have been ultimately fatal as the animal died of infection from the wound.
Put three or four 5.56 rounds into the chest of a charging griz, will kill it, but he will be using your leg bone as a tooth pick before that happens.
It's our responsibility as hunters to make sure the game we pursue is dispatched as ethically as possible.
Btw, the packing house that processes my deer, also does beef outside of deer season.
To kill a 1000 lb steer, they use a .22 long rifle.
2000lb bulls get a .22 mag. Drops em instantly. Proper shot placement.
 
nwlr82 said:
Ok well got lots of good responses and that's why I asked the question. So from my personal experience as a hunter and active duty military here is my opinion. Bullet type and shot placement can make this round deadly to any game all the way up to an elephant, however I wouldn't try it myself. Why? Because it would be inhumane, just as it is for us to use .556 in warfare. For those who have never served in the military while we are at war we have to abide by LOAC aka the Law of Armed Conflict. I'm not going to spew the whole thing but do recommend you look it up and read it. However according to the LOAC military cannot use hollow tip rounds unless warranted by Washington. We are to use FMJ and are restricted to how and when we can shoot at someone. So this brings me to shot placement if you are a great shot regardless of FMJ or HP you can make a kill shot. However I have been hunting quite a few times and I've never run across a deer with an AK47 or a bear with a SKS. (Funny image in my head) SO rushed shots should never be an issue with hunting as they are when fighting combat. Bullet type is a different story though. You can be an ok shot and use a round that will expand on impact creating massive internal trauma and cause blood loss that a FMJ couldn't provide.
My thoughts =
1. Sniper with a .556 you can shoot up to a large Black Bear
2. Great shot with the .556 you can take a large White Tail or Hog as long as you have traumatic ammo
3. Ok shot with any rifle I think a coyote would be ok to hunt with a .556
4. Poor shot would probably say prairie dogs, because as long as you can hit them more than likely they will die

I'm not trying to step on anyones toes here, and I know everyone above that wrote in this forum is a "Sniper" with any rifle they grab, but for most common hunters out there I would say smaller game than Deer or Hog would be the way to go with a .556. No matter human or animal when shooting something I do not want it to suffer or even worse run away and become untrackable. "One shot, one kill" should be every hunters and soldiers motto as they get ready to pull the trigger.
Click to expand...

Been a while and things could have changed or memory may be bad. That stated I believe it was the Hague Accord that discussed expanding bullets and the U.S did not attend. I looked at what I believe to be LOAC on the web. Did not see anything about ammo though I did hastily skim it. It did refer to the Geneva Conventions which was not about expanding bullets. Please point me in the right direction so I will be up to date other than RoE and that we adhere to the LoLW, where does it state in the LOAC that U.S forces can not use expanding bullets? Just hate being wrong or uninformed. Thanks
 
bigbrowndog said:
5.56 was made for 150# and less it still does a good job in that weight class, but you can't get sloppy on bullet placement or bullet selection. Heavy end of the weight limit = heavy end of the bullet scale. 65gr seirra GK is good for 90-150#,

I saw daniel horner take an adult male bison, medium size 1200-1500# with a 55gr 5.56, and I have it on video. But it was stupid to try, he got lucky on the shot, and the guide was stupider to allow him to do it.

trapr
Click to expand...

Taking the shot to me was a gross lack of hunting ethics.
On topic as been stated and it goes for every caliber and situation. Pick the right bullet to get the job done. In most cases accurate enough, skilled enough and a bullet that will drive to the and hopefully through the vitals doing as much damage as possible as it passes through tissue.
 
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