AR for deer, which caliber?

[Powerhouse]

The sudden urge hit me yesterday to set my AR up to hunt deer with. I know that the .223 is more than enough with proper placement, but I hunt the thick brushy stuff and prefer a heavier bullet. The three calibers I've looked at are 300 BO, 6.8 SPC and .458 SOCOM.

Looking at the load data I can find, the supersonic 300 shoots a very small bullet for the caliber. Also the higher you get in bullet weight the closer it gets to subsonic velocities, and I prefer a 165 in that caliber. Use the same mags, and bolt if needed in a pinch, as I have now.

The 6.8 data I found lists a 120 gr bullet ( I think I remember right ) as the max. If that is the case I would worry about deflections, I prefer a 140 but use nothing less than 130 in .277. With this I have to buy new mags.

The .458 would be ideal. Heavy bullet, use same mags, hit like a sledgehammer in a short, quick package. The only drawback I see is the ammo is expensive as hell.

Whichever one I did decide on it would be a dedicated upper, not just a barrel swap if I went with the 300 BO. And I know some folks will be rolling their eyes over magazines being a deciding factor, but you guys know the state of the mag market these days. I really, really like the .458, but have zero experience with any of them, help steer me the right way.

 

[TxBoyX2]

.458 SOCOM is gonna destroy your wallet, and that's if you can find it. Look at 300AAC, but I would still lean with .308.

 

[Powerhouse]

308 ain't gonna happen, never even a consideration.

 

[TxBoyX2]

Why the hatred for 308?

 

[Robnotfromga]

308 ain't gonna happen, never even a consideration.

Lol, why not? I've harvested lots of deer with 308 and 223. Lots.

 

[Ken Ford]

Lot's of guys having luck with .223 in Hornady TAP 75gn massive wound channels. 6.8 is a bad ass and you can use your factory mags, you can change the followers but it's not really needed. .300 is a still a 30 cal weapon and should not be discounted.
My opinion would be to go with the 6.8, you can use a 30 cal can in the future if you want to go suppressed. (*Assuming Georgia passes that law*)

 

[Powerhouse]

Don't hate it. It's just not a consideration for this project. I'm wanting to use my existing 5.56 lower, which I understand will not accept a cartridge with the dimensions the .308 has.

 

[TxBoyX2]

Don't hate it. It's just not a consideration for this project. I'm wanting to use my existing 5.56 lower, which I understand will not accept a cartridge with the dimensions the .308 has.

Roger that. Okay, take a look at the numbers for the 300. You might be surprised.

 

[Powerhouse]

I've looked at the numbers till I went cross eyed today. The 300 looks pretty good, and appears to be the most economical of the three to get into.

 

[CraigMo]

25 wssm

Well, it at least looks like an interesting option. $$$ for the upper though.

I use 6.8, but only carry it when after hogs. 115 grain bullets are plenty. 20 or 30 more grains of bullet aren't going to help much with deflection. I mostly carry a .25-06 bolt gun, shooting a 115 grain Berger and haven't had to track anything further than 20 yards in a couple years. You can use 5.56 magazines to shoot 6.8 and they seem to feed fine as long as you don't fill the magazine.