Can I turn my LR308 into a hunting rifle?

[Bobbeedigi]

I have a DPMS Panther LR308 with a 24" stainless fluted bull barrel. Other than that it's bone stock. I want to build an AR platform rifle for hunting but this thing is a BEAST!! Gotta save some weight. Can it be done, or is it a lost cause. I'm gonna need everything but an optic. I have an AccuPoint 3-9x40 for it.

 

[TIMC]

A scope is all you really need. I pretty much did nothing to my Bushmaster BAR-10 except put a nice scope on it.

I am a big fan of the Ace Skeleton stocks. What are you looking to do with your rifle?

A pic of my AR-10; I recently added a Burris Eliminator laser scope. The new scope is sighted in and going to get it's first woods time this season.

 

[taliv]

hard to get around the weight on those. cutting 8" off the barrel is your best bet.
it'll still be heavy

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

if you hunt out of a stand, you already got a hunting rifle and a good one at that.

 

[Brian10]

I have an LR-308 24" as well. I had thought about the same thing and the only real solution is to buy an upper in 16-18". The 24" upper is a beast and is pretty much a bench rest gun only.

 

[scythefwd]

Cut 8 inches off the barrel. Get a light weight skeletonized stock. Get some iron sights. The scope will weigh a whole lot more than the irons will and with a good set of irons you can take a shot out to as far as you can see. Use a 5 rd mag and you save a bit of weight there as well. It's a little heavy, but I suspect you can get it down into the 8lb range, which is what all of my hunting rifles weigh except one.

 

[Art Eatman]

Outside of a scope around 4X or so, it's already plenty good for hunting from any stationary position. My limit for weight during my young and healthy years for walking hunting was 9.5 pounds, which by evening usually gave me a severe case of shoulder sag.

Only alternative I see would be adding a lightweight upper to your collection of treasures.

 

[jpwilly]

You can get that LR308 into the 8.5lb range with a different upper but for the money spent you could settle and get an inexpensive hunting rifle that doesn't weigh much to begin with. Your call.

 

[redbullitt]

push ups? seriously though, maybe look into a NICE sling set up if you are going to be humping it around. Otherwise, go hunt! It makes a hell of a bush gun lol.

 

[Kurt_D]

You need to build/buy an upper with a 16-20 inch barrel and a ".gov" profile. That'll shave a few pounds off, especially coming from a bull barrel. If you're running a PRS stock switch to a A2 or tele-stock. I'd definitely go with a complete upper though; keep the bull barrel for long range/accuracy and use something like their 308 AP4 for hunting.

On my AR-15s going from a 20" h-bar to 20" A2 shaved off a pound and really shifted the balance back toward me. Much nicer. Even with my M4gery going from a full 16" barrel w/a2 to a 14.5" w/ phantom shifted the weight back enough to be noticable. Should be no different with the LR308.

 

[jmorris]

I have a short barrel on one of mine and it still weighs a ton compared to a model seven. If you walk a lot when you hunt get something else.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

Cut off 8 inches? Negative!

@TIMC I have two AR10A4's one black, one OD. They're 16" bbl. though. Could I turn one of them into a bulletproof hunting setup for all kinds of conditions and game?

I have an Ace Skeleton stock on my M&P15PC. It was on there when I bought the rifle brand new.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

The reason for this is I have a bunch of stock AR's laying around and I want to use them. I thought the LR308 was my best bet for the hunting rig but a whole new upper just adds to my "problem". I really appreciate all the suggestions.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

I think. If I'm wrong tell me and why.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

BTW I already have a Model 700 SPS in .308Win. I want an AR platform hunting rifle as well.

 

[Zundfolge]

If you can afford a new upper you can also probably afford a nice used bolt gun for the same cost.
EDIT: apparently you already have one

A padded, backpack style sling might make humping it out into the woods easier and should cost a lot less (you'll also likely need some hunting mags ... showing up with 20 rounders will probably get you in trouble with the game wardens).

What kind of shape are you in?

Lots of hunters complain about the weight of their rifles, but I figure if our boys can lug a Garand all over Europe, lugging a little weight on a weekend hunt shouldn't cause that much consternation.

 

[68wj]

What are you hunting with it and how far do you need to shoot?

If you are wanting an AR platform hunter, a lightweight, 16-18" barrelled ar-15 in 6.8 SPC will do very well for deer and pigs out to 300-400 yards depending on ammo used. Still lighter than the LR308, an ar-15 in 6.5 grendal, 6 BR, 6BRX, or 6.5BR will reach out as far as anyone could reasonably take game.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

@68wj

I've got a Stag Model 5 in 6.8SPC I could put that scope onto but that's my CQB rig and I want the dedicated .308 hunting AR.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

whats the process required to post pics?

 

[CraigC]

If you don't want to use a shorter barrel or a lighter upper, then exactly what is it you want from us? Just put the scope on the rifle and commense to dragging it around the woods.

 

[Bobbeedigi]

I just bought a DPMS .308 18" Light Hunter upper assembly for a thousand bucks. Thanks to everybody for your help. Anyone want or need a like new unfired DPMS 24" fluted bull barrel upper or know anyone who does?

 

[mljdeckard]

I'm in the process of building one, I plan on a heavy .308 upper for stationary distance work, and a lighter weight .243 for more mobile work. Same lower, same magazines. You could also get the new Pmags and underload them. (Unless you plan on needing 20 rounds of .308 to drop a deer.

 

[baldeagle93]

No offense to the OP, but my suggestion is to just put on your man pants...and I say that as nicely as I possibly can. If you are still or stalk hunting, it may be a bit heavy or you may need to do a little conditioning to be able to carry it. IMO, no matter if you are stand hunting or still/stalk hunting one thing I NEVER sacrifice is my weapon and loosing weight off your weapon is a sacrifice to accuracy. Get other gear that is lighter; back pack, carry lighter or less food, lighter stand and/or consolidate equipment.

Just my $0.02. My rifle is 18 lbs and I've been accused of looking like a Sherpa headed into the woods.

 

[MattTheHat]

Sure, just shoot critters instead of paper.


-Matt

 

[Zane]

Along the same lines, can you take a carbine length gas system upper and put it on a lower that previously had a rifle length upper and expect it to work? This would be for the DPMS 308 series and not an AR15.

Thanks