Why don't they make AR style rifles in traditional hunting calibers?

[Phillyfan]

Calibers like .270 win, or .30-06?

Or does someone make them?

I would love to get an AR style rifle for hunting, but it just seems like the calibers are so specialized that you would need several different ones to cover north american game as well as you can with a .30-06.

Making these style rifles in calibers that many hunters and gun owners trust could move them more into the mainstream and help to kill the "assault rifle" stigma.

I did find this link to Cobb, but heard that they were bought out by Bushmaster and the MCR program had kind of died. MCR stands for Multi-Caliber Rifle, by the way, and seemed like a really cool idea. I especially like the MCR-300.

Cobb MCR Multi Caliber Rifle

P.S.
I fully admit that I don't know much about these types of firearms so please be gentle in pointing out my idiocy if I am way off base on this.

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[branson4020]

Uh, .308?

 

[Phillyfan]

I know .308 is out there, but Why not .30-06?

 

[eldbillbo]

they have and they are really heavy

one company made one "cobb" in 30.06 they went out of business. no one picked up the ball too expensive too heavy for practical use.

DPMS made them in .300 WSM and they discontinued it same reasons

can you imagine carrying a 11-14 lb rifle while hunting? and thats without the scope

the .308 and .243 versions are heavy enough

kind of defeats the purpose of using a light weight rifle for hunting when they weigh twice as much as a traditional hunting rifle

 

[dustinm]

Armalite makes them. ArmaLite Inc You can buy the uppers online and its a common AR-10 lower.

 

[eldbillbo]

Armalite makes them. ArmaLite Inc You can buy the uppers online and its a common AR-10 lower.

not really. only in a few like the .308 .243 and .338 fed other than that it leave the AR semi auto platform their .300wm weights 12lbs and is bolt action

 

[Phillyfan]

Couldn't find the one you are talking about on the link. Do you have a model number?

 

[eldbillbo]

the .308 is well suited for most North American game

the 6.5 and 6.8 are great for deer.

 

[Phillyfan]

Just thought it would be cool to be able to hunt deer and elk with one AR. I know .308 guys swear by it, but I just don't trust that caliber at long range on an elk.

 

[Phillyfan]

Correction. Just looked at the downrange ballistics and the .308 isn't that far off from the .30-06. Maybe it was just my perception of it. Might have to look further into this .308 thing.

 

[eldbillbo]

Correction. Just looked at the downrange ballistics and the .308 isn't that far off from the .30-06. Maybe it was just my perception of it. Might have to look further into this .308 thing.

30.06 has some advantage when it comes to heavier bullets . i still prefer a 30.06 or .300wm for elk but a .308 will do the job . shot placement and judge your distance well are key points

 

[branson4020]

Just thought it would be cool to be able to hunt deer and elk with one AR. I know .308 guys swear by it, but I just don't trust that caliber at long range on an elk.

No,NO. It's way cooler to have an excuse to buy a whole bunch of guns!

 

[Phillyfan]

No,NO. It's way cooler to have an excuse to buy a whole bunch of guns!

OK, that is a valid point!

 

[Mark W.]

If you want a semi auto 30-06 look to a Remington 750 or Browning BAR both excellent semi auto DBM rifles. The Remington can be equiped with 10rd mags for your zombie hunting fantasys. You can also get the Remington in .35 Whelen (necked up -06) and the BAR in 300 win mag.

or just buy a M1 Garand and hunt with 8 rounds (you will want to make sure you get an adjustable gas piston for hunting ammo)

The older Remington 740 742 and 7400 also come in 30-06 and use the same Mag as the 750.

And the .308 is not a military caliber adapted to civilian use its in fact a 60 year old hunting cartridge adopted by the Military and NATO. So the idea that a .308 is not a traditional hunting round is quite silly. The .243 has been a hunting round since 1955. Granted not suited to Elk or Bear. Will take anything up to a Mule deer and does hundreds of times every hunting season.

 

[Nwcid]

The simple answer about "why not" is the length of the mag well. It is only so long. You cant put a bullet in the gun that is longer then the mag well.

Yes you can make a longer/different mag well, but then you would also have to have a new upper. Then different bolts and other misc pieces. This means very expensive guns that have very specific parts.

Besides they come in at least all these calibers and if you cant kill it with one of these you have a problem:

Pistol cal using standard size lowers:
.32 ACP
.357 Sig
.380
9mm
.40
.45 ACP
10mm
50 A&E

Rifle cal using standard lower:
.17 Remington
.20 Tactical
.22lr
.204
.221 Fireball
.222
.223/5.56
.223 WSSM
.243 WSSM
.25 WSSM
.30 carbine
.300 Whisper
.338 Whisper
.410
.450 Bushmaster
.458 Socom
.499 LWR
5.45x39
5.7x28
6 MM PPC (JDJ)
6 MM Whisper
6mm x 45
6.5 MPC
6.5 MM PPC (JDJ)
6.5 MM Whisper
6.5 Grendal
6.8 SPC
7 MM TCU
7 MM Whisper
7.62x39
.50 Beowulf
.50 BMG (single shot upper)

Rifle cal using .308 lower
.22-250
.243
.257 Roberts
.260
.284 Win
.300 Savage
.308
.300 Remington SAUM
.325 WSM
.338 Federal
.35 Rem
358 Win
6.5 Creedmoor
7mm-08
8mm
.338 Federal


Cobb makes a .30-06 but I believe it uses a special lower.

 

[Triplebuckshot]

Just thought it would be cool to be able to hunt deer and elk with one AR. I know .308 guys swear by it, but I just don't trust that caliber at long range on an elk.

Why not? What is long range to you? 500 meters? 800 meters?

Load up the right mix and at 800 meters the .308 will kill your Elk dead.

IMHO the shooter is more often the problem than the round. Check out Buffalo Bore ammo if you want to buy some top notch stuff.

 

[branson4020]

If you're really interested in a semiauto large caliber hunting rifle, look at this:

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/ri...57-browning-bar-safari-338-wm-price-drop.html

 

[eldbillbo]

Why not? What is long range to you? 500 meters? 800 meters?

Load up the right mix and at 800 meters the .308 will kill your Elk dead.

800 meters ? wow are you serious? we are not talking about punching paper. Sure you can hit one at that range , but drop it? your really gambling with wounding and wasting a Elk.

 

[Phillyfan]

If you want a semi auto 30-06 look to a Remington 750 or Browning BAR both excellent semi auto DBM rifles. The Remington can be equiped with 10rd mags for your zombie huting fantasys. You can also get the Remington in .35 Whelen (necked up -06) and the BAR in 300 win mag.

or just buy a M1 Garand and hunt with 8 rounds (you will want to make sure you get an adjustable gas piston for hunting ammo)

The older Remington 740 742 and 7400 also come in 30-06 and use the same Mag as the 750.

And the .308 is not a military caliber adapted to civilian use its in fact a 60 year old hunting cartridge adopted by the Military and NATO. So the idea that a .308 is not a traditional hunting round is quite silly. The .243 has been a hunting round since 1955. Granted not suited to Elk or Bear. Will take anything up to a Mule deer and does hundreds of times every hunting season.

Good points, and I never said that .308 wasn't a traditional hunting round. I just picked .270 and .30-06 off the top of my head as traditional hunting rounds.

 

[parallax]

aramlite makes ar-10 rifles in:
.260
.243
.308
.338, the .338 weighed in at 9 lbs.