Ar-10

[TSchwab25]

Does anyone make a sub 6.5 lb ar-10 for less than $2000? How about $3000? It also needs to shoot 1 moa and I would like a "guarantee" from the factory. I'm looking for a new hunting rifle and would really like an ar-10, but dont like the weight of most ar-10s. With the optic I will put on it, I want it to be sub 9 lbs, and the scope weighs about 1.75 lbs. Plus a sling, ammo, possible modifications/attachments, etc. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

This is an older thread on the subject and probably still has some relevance. I’d be surprised if you find one in your price range with a accuracy guarantee.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/sub-moa-ar10-308-under-2k.763121/

 

[mshootnit]

I enjoy hunting with my 18" barrel Smith and Wesson M&P10. The model I have is apparently no longer available. It is outfitted with an American Defense mount and Leupold 2-7X33 scope.
My optic is much lighter than you are considering. The whole outfit is at your weight target, and ulimately handles very nicely.
Once I was shooting prone during a weather event with mist and sleet. I noticed at 200m I had no problem discerning the target with the scope but could not make it out while looking through 1-4X24.
I have owned two M&P 10, both very accurate.
I replace the triggers with parts from Geissele. My first one did not like lower powered 308 ammo. I don't care about that anyway. I shoot full powered reloads for deer.
It is by no means a lightweight rifle, but is not even close to the heft of a full-on AR10T. More like slinging a scoped magnum rifle or Weatherby. Certainly doable and not objectionable. I was slinging a scoped Weatherby several miles through the hills while Covid pneumonia was battling my body for posession of my right lung. Still had no complaints.

 

[marksman13]

POF Rogue. 5.9 lbs and most parts will interchange with an AR-15. I have not had a chance to shoot mine yet, but should be able to give a range report on Friday. I gave $1600 or so for mine during this crazy panic.


I also own a POF Revolution and it tips the scales at 7.3 lbs with the piston system. It seems to be a shooter though I’ve yet to really wring it out since ammo is hard to replace at the moment.

My other 308 AR is a rifle I put together with Aero Precision M5 receivers and a Faxon Gunner 18” barrel. It’s only four ounces heavier than the Revolution, but feels bigger due to the larger receivers.

 

[JDeere]

I have an Armalite AR10 20" from back in the early 2000s that does well with my loads. I had JP do a trigger job on it which makes a huge difference. I also put a Sightron 3x12 with mils on it back then. I always used 5 round mags for a little less weight. I shot a few deer with it but after the new wore off I got tired of lugging that heavy rifle around. I Just did not see the need when making 1 shot kills to lug the old girl around. Now for hog hunting that's a whole different game...

 

[army_eod]

Don't own it but looked hard at the POF above because of the light weight. Bought an M1a instead, for reasons.
Hard to find a really light AR-10 that is reliable and accurate probably.
I decided if I were ever to buy another AR-10 I would go with Wilson Combat because I like their work.

 

[IdaD]

If you're stand hunting it may not matter, but if your hunting involves lots of hiking an AR 10 is not only on the heavy side, it also isn't real comfortable to carry being all metal (cold) and with the magwell location. You can carry it with a sling to mitigate that I suppose. There's nothing at all wrong with hunting with AR style rifles, I've just always thought the advantages of that platform don't necessarily add much value in hunting situations. The exception may be hogs where you can benefit from the capacity and quick follow-up shots. There aren't hogs where I live so I have no personal experience, though.

 

[someguy2800]

I would definitely be looking at a direct impingement POF Revolution. They are so much smaller and better handling than an AR10. If you were handed one in the dark you would never know you were holding a 308 rather than an AR15

https://pof-usa.com/firearm/revolution-di/

 

[mshootnit]

Don't own it but looked hard at the POF above because of the light weight. Bought an M1a instead, for reasons.
Hard to find a really light AR-10 that is reliable and accurate probably.
I decided if I were ever to buy another AR-10 I would go with Wilson Combat because I like their work.

Which model of Wilson?

 

[army_eod]

Which model of Wilson?

Any of them. Pick your cartridge.

 

[mshootnit]

I been thinking about the Smith 6.5 Performance center...

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Why do you need 1 moa for hunting purposes? I have an Armalite AR10 as well as a Springfield match grade M1A. The latter is much heavier than the former but are about equally accurate in my hands at killing minute of pop can at 100 yards.. I would think minute of pop can would suffice for deer or elk.

 

[Trey Veston]

If you're stand hunting it may not matter, but if your hunting involves lots of hiking an AR 10 is not only on the heavy side, it also isn't real comfortable to carry being all metal (cold) and with the magwell location. You can carry it with a sling to mitigate that I suppose. There's nothing at all wrong with hunting with AR style rifles, I've just always thought the advantages of that platform don't necessarily add much value in hunting situations. The exception may be hogs where you can benefit from the capacity and quick follow-up shots. There aren't hogs where I live so I have no personal experience, though.

Amen! I built an AR-10 for hunting/SHTF and it came out at around 10lbs. Put a comfortable sling on it and took it out in the Idaho mountains for a hike. It was awful. Too heavy and the mag and pistol grip were either digging into my side or getting banged into.

But, most people in the Midwest and South have no idea what hunting is like out here. I hunted in the Midwest when I lived out there for a few years and it is incredibly easy. First of all, the areas you can hunt in are so small that the furthest I ever hiked while hunting was maybe half a mile. And the rolling hills and deciduous forests are park-like and relaxing to hike in. Plus, there are 10x as many deer per mile out there than out here. Hunting in the Midwest was like hunting in a zoo.

So, using an AR when you have so little hiking to do and no challenging terrain is vastly different than hunting out here in the mountain West.

 

[Skeptic13]

I recently bought a Smith and Wesson M&P 10. I really like the rifle but living in Colorado I don't think that I will be hiking around the mountains looking for elk with it on my back. Just to awkward and bulky.

 

[Gordon]

I have a 9 pound AR10 in .308 with a 4-14 scope, a 10 pound M1a scoped with a 1.5-6x scope in QD rings and a 11 pound 6.5CM AR10 with a 6-25x scope. Yes a bare bones S&W MP10 is down to just over 7 pounds rather inexpensively and will shoot what your eyes will do. ,add a scope and mount it will be 8 pounds +- . The big mazazines on the .308s are very heavy also. In consideration of that, and the fact my remaining hunting rifle are very pretty high end wood stockes, I have decided to get an inexpensive but highly rated Mossberge Scout rifle in .308 that uses either the AR 10 Magazines OR the M1a Magazines , both of which I have plenty of.. I will probably put a Leupold Freedom VX 1.5-4x with Pig Plex, a conventional, non scout typescope on the Mossy's 11" ling pic rail in QD mounts to access the BUIS it comes with . Ill be in it less than $1000 ready to go and it should weigh right at 7 pounds which is a good weight minimum for a .308 I have found . That rifle will be a hard use no coddling use rifle thrown in vehicles and dragged thru the woods. I expect i could hunt out to 400 plus yards if needed and it's combat range would be 600 yards.

 

[Gordon]

And that combo seems to hunt elk and deer very well
https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/mossberg-mvp-scout-rifle-review/386622



Certainly better than this 9.5 pound 18" Criterion barreled AR10

 

[Trey Veston]

That was my thinking in building my Ruger Predator in .308; a reasonably light, handy, and durable rifle that I don't worry about dragging through the woods...