AR-15 chambering for elk size game? 300 ossm?

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Pistoler0

New member
This post is just for curiosity's sake, as I already own a .308, but...

.. are there any commercially available chambering options for the AR-15 (not the AR-10) suitable for big game up to elk size?

Researching on possible chamberings for the AR-15 platform I have stumbled upon the 6.5 grendel and .450 Bushmaster as alternatives to the 5.56 for hunting big game. The 6.5 grendel seems to be too light for elk. The Bushmaster very short range.

Is there anything (non wildcat) in 30 cal available for the AR-15 platform (other than 7.62x39) suitable for larger game)

I read about the 300 OSSM from 2010, olympic arms, promising round bud sadly it never went anywhere.
 
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burrhead

New member
No. Get an AR 10 or, better yet, a bolt gun in .308 at the very least. A bolt rifle will be lighter and often cheaper.

Don't experiment on live animals.
 
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5whiskey

New member
Yikes! If anything would be suitable for elk beyond 100 yards or so, it would probably be 6.5 grendel with as heavy of a projectile as can be made to work. Also 100 yards might be pushing it for .458, 500 bushmaster, and 300 blk (which is probably marginal on elk anyway).

I would choose another platform but that’s me. I see no real benefits to elk hunting with an AR over a more traditional rifle. The AR has an obvious handicap in the size and power of rounds available, if it does hold more of them. Now get an AR10 and the world is your oyster.
 
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NWPilgrim

New member
The case capacity of any cartridge fitting the AR magazine well is too limited to push a large enough bullet fast enough to be effective beyond 200 yds or so for elk. Yes elk can be taken with the correct placement of smaller caliber bullets but very few hunters are willing to pass up several sightings and wait for that perfect shot.

As others have said you need to be in the .308 case capacity range and probably 7mm 140-150 gr at least. AR10 platform, or bolt action, or semiauto like the Browning BAR. Today’s advanced bullet designs blur the boundaries of acceptable cartridges but when hunting game why go with a marginal cartridge when so many suitable ones exist?
 
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MarkCO

New member
.350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster are probably the two best for big game in the AR15 platform. Both have enough power for Elk at close range when loaded at the high end of their power levels.
 
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Crankylove

New member
.450 Bushmaster, .458 Socom would perform adequately against elk. You’d give up some range with the big slow bullet, but they would get it done inside 200 yards.

If it had to fit in an AR15 sized lower, the 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel would be my choices (or 7.62x39, but looks like that’s not an option.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
The .350 Legend delivers slightly less than the .35 Remington. The .450 Bushmaster slightly less than the .444 Marlin, and the 6.5 Grendl slightly less than the 6.5mm Swede. (and, by slightly less I mean bullets of approximately the same weight at speeds of about 100fps less)

Also, there are other limitations on the "AR15" cartridges. Both the .350 and the .450 do not use the standard rifle bullets for their calibers. The .350 is made to use .355 (9mm) bullets not .358" and the .450 is made for .452" and not .458 rifle bullets.

Therefore the selection of big game bullets in each bore size, made for the velocity of these rounds is quite small.

The .458 Socom throws a 300gr slug to the 1900fps range, essentially matching a hot loaded .45-70.

The .30 Remington AR would send a deer bullet out at slightly below .300 Savage speeds but isn't commercially available now.

So, there are several options for an AR15 lower that will handle elk at shorter ranges (200yds and under) though some are better used at about half that.

Personally, I wouldn't bother carrying an AR for hunting unless I didn't have any other suitable rifle. Not because there is anything actually wrong with the AR, but because using it is extra weight (and a degree of awkwardness) not needed for game hunting. There are tons of manually operated repeaters that are lighter, better handling, AND can be found in much more powerful cartridges than what an AR15 can handle.
 
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HiBC

New member
I'm not exactly answering your question.
You are asking for an elk specific rifle in an AR-15.
I don't know how you hunt elk.
For me,its about one well placed shot with an adequate cartridge.The availability of a follow up shot is useful.
For me,elk hunting is generally between 7000 and 10,000 ft elevation,One spot we used several years,we parked the pickup at 10.320 ft then walked down to about 9200 ft elevation with camp on our backs.

I like for the rifle with scope to weigh under 8 lbs.I like a minimum of 300 yd capability.
The law limits semiautos to 5 round mags. I have a scoped DPMS LR 308-L rifle that came at 7.9 lbs without sights.Its an AR-10 size .308.While it would work fine,I haven't taken it elk hunting. I think I'm pretty much past my elk hunting days,physically,but I've lived in Colorado since 1966 and been on just a few elk hunts.

I'm not saying a 6.5 G won't work.Some folks swear by them. But generally I think the 308 case based cartridges you get in an AR-10 frame rifle are where you find elk suitable cartridges.

And frankly,while I like AR type rifles,and I have no objection to them in the hunting field,I find a light bolt rifle with a 4X or 6X or 2-7X or up to a 3-9X in anything from 260 Rem through 30-06 IMO,makes an ideal elk rifle and I prefer carrying the bolt rifle.

I personally would not pursue an AR-15 based elk rifle.Its like asking which two horse trailer should I get to tow elk hunting with a Subaru,IMO.
 
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Pistoler0

New member
burrhead said:
No. Get an AR 10 or, better yet, a bolt gun in .308 at the very least. A bolt rifle will be lighter and often cheaper.

Don't experiment on live animals.
Click to expand...
Got the bolt action .308 (Savage 12)
I was just musing about alternative uses for the AR-15 which I also got.

HiBC said:
I'm not exactly answering your question.
You are asking for an elk specific rifle in an AR-15.
I don't know how you hunt elk.
Click to expand...

I've never hunted elk, mule deer is the biggest game I've hunted here in CO. But if I hunted elk, I would do it with my .308 Savage 12.

The question is just for curiosity's sake.
 
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HiBC

New member
You have a .308. Good elk gun.

Musing? Musing is OK.

Some folks muse themselves into trying (IMO) a stunt. "Lookee here,Zeb,I'm gonna shoot a moose with my .300 Blackout Yuk Yuk"

See,if/when it goes wrong,the moose is the only one with skin in the game.He suffers a slow miserable death. Me,I want to shut his lights out,quick.

I do not advocate for the "big gun" that leads to shooting with your eyes closed.

But I want no doubt my cartridge will deliver a quick,clean kill when I do my part and place the shot. IMO,the AR-15 is not a good path to an elk rifle.

I don't mean that as a lecture. Its an honest answer to your question
 
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Pistoler0

New member
HiBC said:
But I want no doubt my cartridge will deliver a quick,clean kill when I do my part and place the shot. IMO,the AR-15 is not a good path to an elk rifle.

I don't mean that as a lecture. Its an honest answer to your question
Click to expand...
Its fine, I heed your advice and I appreciate it.
Don't worry. I will not succumb to the temptation of going after elk with my AR-15, instead of using my .308.
 
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lordvader

New member
I think the only option would be a 350 legend. A 223 will kill an Elk with a well placed neck shot. But give the animal the dignity it deserves and use an appropriate caliber. I have never been on an Elk hunt, but I have hunted Nilgai antelope which get pretty large, a good large bull can get up to about 650 pounds on the hoof. The smallest caliber we have dropped them with is a 270 win.
 
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taylorce1

New member
It wouldn't be easy to find rifle, but if you reload you could always do a .30 Remington AR. 2500 fps seems doable with bullets in the 150 grain range and 130 TTSX bullets at 2800 fps. Not a long range elk killer but normal hunting ranges around 300 yards should be a reasonable expectation.
 
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stagpanther

New member
If I were venturing into the woods and taking a shot inside 150 yds, I'm guessing the 458 socom with the right load would likely drop anything that walks North America.
 
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Scorch

New member
300 OSSM (300 Olympic Super Short Magnum) is an AR-10 cartridge. Probably the best you are going to do for elk with an AR-15 is 458 SOCOM. 350 Legend is about as powerful as a 357 Mag, not enough to take on elk. Would it kill it? Yes, but you would learn a lot about tracking in the meantime.
 
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