The AR-15 rifle is a popular choice for self defense and shooting sports, but in recent years, the rifle is being embraced by a new demographic: hunters.
A standard AR rifle, that is, the civilian equivalent of the US military’s M16/M4 rifles, will generally perform sufficiently as-is for hunters, but just a few adjustments could make it a perfect hunting AR-15. In 2008, Remington released its own version of the AR-15 rifle called the “R-15”. I consider it the first AR style rifle branded specifically for hunters. Remington added all the ideal features to turn the standard AR-15 into a great hunting rifle.
Hunters have two options when buying an AR-15. They can either buy a hunting branded AR-15, such as the R-15, or they can buy custom parts for an AR-15 to suit their hunting needs. I will briefly identify some of the most important characteristics I appreciate in my own hunting AR-15s?
Stock
A fixed stock is important because it will insure a consistent shooting simply because there is less moving parts compared to an adjustable stock.
Barrel
Hunting AR-15 barrels are typically heavier and thicker than regular AR-15 barrels. Most hunting barrels also feature a recessed crown at the tip of barrel, which allows the expanding gasses (from firing a round) to escape more uniformly from of the barrel, improving accuracy. Another difference of hunting AR-15 rifles is they typically have a 20 inch, or longer, barrel instead of the mil-spec 16” barrel.
Optics
My ideal hunting AR-15 would have a picatinny rail for mounting scopes/sights, preferably, a long picatinny rail that extends onto the barrel to give me a more options for where I want to position a scope/sight. Hunters also need precise sights, so they may be likely to opt for quality telescopic sights.
Trigger
Many hunting AR-15s will have a crisp single stage trigger, which removes any “slop” during the pull. However, some hunters, like myself, prefer a two stage trigger because the pull is a bit smoother.
Camo Finish
Last but, not least: camouflage. Okay, yeah, maybe it is the least important element of a hunting AR-15 hunting rifle, but it is the most distinctive trait. Gun manufacturers typically give their hunting rifles a camo finish, which seems to serve the purpose of helping customers to identify the firearm as a hunting rifle, more than anything else.
If you decide to build your own AR-15 hunting rifle, remember that none of these features are necessarily crucial for hunting, but they ought to help improve accuracy and comfort when using your AR-15. Also the features mentioned here are just a few of the most important parts, to me, on a hunting AR-15. There are plenty more customizable parts for ARs that may work even better for you. Most importantly, build your rifle for your own hunting needs. It’s your rifle after all. Make it how you like it.
Featured image courtesy of rifleshooter.com
Why are hunting barrels heavier than regular ones?
Heavier/thicker barrels are typically thought of as overall better. Heavier barrels are considered more accurate because they are just more stiff allowing the bullets to consistently travel through and leave the barrel. There are debates whether this is true. Some people say the thickness of the barrel just doesn’t matter, I personally have a standard barrel on my AR so I can’t say whether it’s true or not. I think it could make a difference with super long range shots. The other advantages of a heavy barrel is it takes longer to heat up (for hunting involving shooting many rounds like prairie dogs) and it’s supposed to cause less recoil. Hope that helps!
protias The barrel vibrates, like a guitar chord, when you shoot. Heavy barrels are more rigid and their vibration amplitude is lower than the vibration amplitude of a thinner barrel. This is why heavy barrels are more accurate.
You can obtain the same accuracy from a thin barrel adopting the Optimal Barrel Time (OBT) concept. Practically, you develop a load that allows your bullet to exit the muzzle in the exact moment between two consequent undulation, in the so-called “node”, that is the moment when the barrel stays at repose.
If you are experiencing great accuracy from a thin barrel, you probably have accidentally found the load for your OBT.
I’d add a free float handguard, it is essential for accuracy 😉
If you want to squeeze as much accuracy out of your rifle a free floating hand-guard will definitely help. Essentially it all depends on what kind of hunting you do, how much accuracy is needed, and how much money you want to spend.
As someone poorly versed in the realm of hunting rifles, I found a lot of good info in this post. Thanks, Mike!