Bushmaster Upgrade

I know that hunting with a AR-15 isnt popular but im going to. Any tips?

Ok my dad is buying a Bushmaster AR-15 from one of his friends and its for me. Its never been shot before so its in really good condition. It has a 1:9 twist barrel. I did some research and found that the heaviest bullet for that twist rate that should be shot is a 55-70 grain. Im more so focused on accuracy. Im a pretty clean shot myself never shooting a AR-15 before. Of course im going to shoot and sight in the weapon and get used to the feel. Should I shoot a deer behind the shoulder or in the neck/head. Same goes for a hog. Right now the AR-15 has a carry handle on it. I plan on upgrading it to a flat top so I can add a scope. Please don’t leave me comments that I’m stupid for hunting with a AR-15 because if a 7 year old boy can shoot his first doe in the head with a .22 lr then I can definitely kill a deer with a 5.56mm x39 round. Just Im asking for tips on shot placement and what grain should I use for the gun.

A bayonet for hog hunting? Hilarious.

This is one of those instances where you’re going to do whatever you want, because that’s what you want. Everything else from here is basically rationalizing your decision. Not to say you can’t hunt deer with a .223 – I wouldn’t, but many people do and have good results. It just usually comes from a more thoughtful place. A hunter’s first obligation is a humane, quick kill.

Use the heaviest bullet you can get, and if you can get into handloading between now and deer season and that gives you access to heavier bullets than what are commercially available, do it if you can. You and your dad may also enjoy it, and have more access to ammo. Get really good with the rifle, and be able to shoot from a rest and off-hand.

Head shots for less than an a very experienced hunter are generally a bad idea. Get targets that score based on hits to vital areas – you’ll be glad you did. You can probably order them on-line.

The .223 is probably at the bottom margin for deer, but again, a lot of people use it effectively. I’d reconsider using it for hogs. Hogs are much tougher killing, and you’re going to need to penetrate thick skin, a dense layer of fat and a cartilage belt around their vitals. I use a heavier bullet for hogs than I do for deer. I’ve had good luck with the .308 at 150 grains – this year I plan on using my new 7mm-08 with either 150 or 162 gr, maybe even 175 gr, just because I handload and I can.

See the website below for rifles and load information – great information, and though he does recommend .22 calibers for hogs, he draws the line at the .22-250 and the .220 Swift. I know – if you shoot them in the ear-hole at 50 yards, they’ll go down like Lehman Brothers. That’s the best case, if everything lines up perfectly. Good luck – if you decide to do it, go all out and do it well. Practice, practice, practice.

Bushmaster XM 15 E2S upgrade