AR-10s: safe to fire hunting ammo?

Gas operated autoloaders are sensitive to the gas pressure at the point gas is bled off from the barrel.

Piston operated systems like the M1 Garand and M14 depend on ammo producing enough but not too much pressure at the gas port in the barrel.

Commercial ammo and handloading specs for .308 Win and .30-06 bolt action rifle use often exceed gas port pressures optimum for piston operated autoloaders.

I like others have been told that that the gas impingement system of the original Armalite will dissipate excess gas. I am not sure that I would trust this "common wisdom" to hold for hot reloads in an AR10.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

I made some hot reloads of .308 and fired quite a bit of them in a AR-10. Aside from leading, the rifle is fine however I want to know if it's okay if I continue this practice?

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Sounds like a question best asked, before you fired them maybe?

And what does hot reloads exactly mean. What's the recipe. Or home brew. Any pressure signs in the cartridges etc. The only clues you offer are, the mentioned leading. Which implies cast lead bullet tips.

I don’t know about too hot for the rifle, but you are too hot, or too small, for the bullets. If they fit better they would probably not lead the barrel.

A hotter load will be harder on the rifle and cause faster wear, but it won’t bend or break anything like a Garand. An adjustable gas block solves most of it.

Do you know what the bullets measure, or do they already shoot well in your Weatherby?

Either way, I guess this combination isn’t good for this rifle.

I’ve never used a lead bullet in a gas gun.
Does the gas system get lead in it if the barrel leads?
My Desert Eagle is specifically warned against it, as the gas tube gets obstructed. But the gas port is nearly at the chamber, where much violence is taking place.

M118 LR (military issue sniper round) is pretty hot. 175 grain SMK doing about 2650 from a 24" barrel. I shoot these regularly from my AR10's. Lately I have been hunting with my AR10 using Winchester 150 grain power points. I never chrono'd them, but the recoil impulse is considerably less than the M118 LR.

for the most part, if it fits in the mag, yes. many people hunt with AR platform.

History of the M118 Ammunition - Sniper Central

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/M118long.jpg

https://s3.amazonaws.com/mgm-conten...472_01_lake_city_m118_lr_match_7_62x5_640.jpg

Anything that is SAMMI spec will function in an AR-10.

By the way, the name AR-10 is a registered name/trademark of the Armalite Corp. It does not apply to the DPMS style or LAR style rifles or actions. The AR-10 also takes a totally different magazine, different BCGS, barrel extension, upper and lower action, from the other 308 ARs. Try buying a true AR-10T VS a “match” PSA, Aero or other DPMS design and see how that works for your wallet.

Depends--if you are talking about an original Dutch or Portuguese AR-10, then, you probably want to stick to milspec FMJ.
If it's a modern "AR-10" (or SR-25 or the like), then it should not be an issue. Those were meant (and designed) to fire everything (just about) in .308 (and most of the 7.62nato, too).

So far, my PA-10 shoots both Winchester and FNM NATO ball, along with PMC 147 gr .308 FMJ-BT, and Federal Powershok 150 gr JSP, all with equal aplomb.

Do you mean AR-10 as in Armalite vintage original or "AR-10" as it's known today as a type of firearm? Considering the level of my "hot" loads I shoot regularly (and occasionally en masse) through my R-25 with no issues whatsoever, I wouldn't be worried. It has held up perfectly for about a decade now and it's not even in the upper echelon of quality AR:s.

In a AR 10 that you go buy off the shelf new there would be no problem. Say a DPMS AR 10.
I see that the specs for an M1 Grand for designed pressure is 50000 cup or Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) 58,740 psi or Maximum pressure (SAAMI) 60,190 psi
30 06 ammo conforms to these specs
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) 58,740 psi
Maximum pressure (SAAMI) 60,190 psi
Maximum CUP 50,000[1] CUP

So why can`r one use modern ammo in an M1 Grand or the 308 M14?

GAF said:

In a AR 10 that you go buy off the shelf new there would be no problem. Say a DPMS AR 10.
I see that the specs for an M1 Grand for designed pressure is 50000 cup or Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) 58,740 psi or Maximum pressure (SAAMI) 60,190 psi
30 06 ammo conforms to these specs
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) 58,740 psi
Maximum pressure (SAAMI) 60,190 psi
Maximum CUP 50,000[1] CUP

So why can`r one use modern ammo in an M1 Grand or the 308 M14?

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Chamber pressure is not the same as port pressure, and that is what must remain at a safe level to avoid bending the OP rod. Slower burning powders that are sometimes used in commercial hunting ammunition develop higher port pressures and are not compatible with Garands and M14's.

Okay, Thanks I get the problem now.

I learned a long time ago to stick to published loads. And not to ever trust someone elses loads.

My DPMS LR-308 has no issues with anything in the powder maker's load tables.

Aside from power, I don't recall who's loading it was but some 15 years back I thought I had a good Medium-Game round picked until one day when I extracted an unfired round from the AR-10 and saw the horrendous abuse that feeding had imparted on the tip.

Re-charged a couple more times and each came out looking like a Dr Seuss bullet.

No more of those. But then, I shelved my .308 ARs as far as deliberate hunting was concerned anyhow.

Nice thing about the Stoner platform is that if you pay attention.... ONE round tells you if the load is too high power.

You'll know immediately as with some Argentine and Venezuelan ammo among others.

Isn't the Brit RadwayGreen hot in AR10s too? I seem to recall that as well..... ONE round!

Todd.

Your AR-10 does not have an operating rod to be bent... think about your firearm design, and you’ll realize why restrictions and limitations for OTHER designs don’t apply.