Building an AR-15 for Coyote - 24" barrel?

[rdsii64]

I am working with the Mk-262 round. With a 1:7 twist it is good out to 800 yards. You really have to load your own to make it cost effective. The load calls for a 77g bullet. I am using IMR 8208 XBR or sometimes Varget for powder. I built my lower using a Geissele trigger. I bought the 18 inch bull barrel upper from White Oak. I use a Weaver 6-24x42 Varmint scope with the .223 reticle. When shooting the extreme distances, you might want Burris signature zee rings using the 20 moa inserts. Hard to miss.

I'm loading a 75 or 77 grain bullet in my AR as well. I normally run the Hornady because its less expensive than the Nosler or Sierria 77's and my AR will shoot all three equally well. When I built my lower I used an ALG trigger which is made by the a company owned my Mr. Geissele's wife. Anyway I have full faith an confidence that my Mk262ish load will will carry the mail. Some folks hunt deer with that round (obviously not at long range) but I don't want to start that debate again. Besides thats what my 308 is for. I can't wait to take this rig pig hunting.

 

[Ron Bitters]

I am working with the Mk-262 round. With a 1:7 twist it is good out to 800 yards. You really have to load your own to make it cost effective. The load calls for a 77g bullet. I am using IMR 8208 XBR or sometimes Varget for powder. I built my lower using a Geissele trigger. I bought the 18 inch bull barrel upper from White Oak. I use a Weaver 6-24x42 Varmint scope with the .223 reticle. When shooting the extreme distances, you might want Burris signature zee rings using the 20 moa inserts. Hard to miss.

Sounds like you have a nice setup with your AR! Nice trigger choice! I'm not familiar with the MK-262 round. I currently have a Simmons AETEC 2.5-10x44 scope mounted usind Nikon M-223 one piece mount with 20 MOA. I have a Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x50 with BDC reticle on order from Cabela's coming Monday. I can'y wait to get it mounted and sight it in.

 

[Ron Bitters]

I'm loading a 75 or 77 grain bullet in my AR as well. I normally run the Hornady because its less expensive than the Nosler or Sierria 77's and my AR will shoot all three equally well. When I built my lower I used an ALG trigger which is made by the a company owned my Mr. Geissele's wife. Anyway I have full faith an confidence that my Mk262ish load will will carry the mail. Some folks hunt deer with that round (obviously not at long range) but I don't want to start that debate again. Besides thats what my 308 is for. I can't wait to take this rig pig hunting.

That's interesting about ALG being owned by Geissele's wife. So far I have only fired 50'ish grain bullets in mine. I need to get back into reloading. I haven't done it in 15 years! I no longer have the equipment. With today's prices, I'll be looking to buy new equipment soon. The AR is great for pig hunting! I just picked up some hand predator calls. I need to practice and get better at it so I can hunt coyote. I have never hunted coyote. Should be exciting!

 

[Bman940]

Ron, You're going to love the MONARCH 3 you have coming. I had the pleasure of using one recently and the 4-16 BDC reticle had me pinging steel at 500 yards every time I pulled the trigger. 10 for 10 was my best.
Good luck with the coyote hunting, it can be addicting the first time you call one with in range and with what you're using,in range will almost be as soon as you see one.

 

[sscoyote]

Sounds like you're deep into it with that AR. Sure are fun ain't they? I went a bit different route than most of the guys here for a predator hunting AR. I wanted as much downrange performance as i could get out of it so had mine chambered in 223AI, with a 9-twist 26" Hart[shoulda' been an 8-T though]. I also scrounged up a couple of the old DPMS VLD magazines they used to make so i could shoot 75 A-Maxes efficiently in the magazine. Worked great. My best load gave me .75 MOA accuracy at 2940ish fps. I also tried the 65 JLK Low Drag with fantastic long-range accuracy, but have moved away from that bullet for hunting and now use the 65 Sierra GK for most of my AR hunting these days, as i feel it gives me the best ALL-AROUND performance at both short and long-range out of a 22 cal. AR.

IMO the longest practical range for shooting/killing predators efficiently is 500-600 yds. with a 22 caliber AR. That's the best i've been able to accomplish anyways with any degree of consistency/accuracy in the field on basically a 6" live target.

 

[Ron Bitters]

Sounds like you're deep into it with that AR. Sure are fun ain't they? I went a bit different route than most of the guys here for a predator hunting AR. I wanted as much downrange performance as i could get out of it so had mine chambered in 223AI, with a 9-twist 26" Hart[shoulda' been an 8-T though]. I also scrounged up a couple of the old DPMS VLD magazines they used to make so i could shoot 75 A-Maxes efficiently in the magazine. Worked great. My best load gave me .75 MOA accuracy at 2940ish fps. I also tried the 65 JLK Low Drag with fantastic long-range accuracy, but have moved away from that bullet for hunting and now use the 65 Sierra GK for most of my AR hunting these days, as i feel it gives me the best ALL-AROUND performance at both short and long-range out of a 22 cal. AR.

IMO the longest practical range for shooting/killing predators efficiently is 500-600 yds. with a 22 caliber AR. That's the best i've been able to accomplish anyways with any degree of consistency/accuracy in the field on basically a 6" live target.

I love the AR platform. Nice pic you posted. Beautiful coyote and And AR. You mentioned the 223AI. I'm not familiar with it. How does it compare to standard 223?

 

[sscoyote]

Ron, the Ackley Improved [AI] configurations of any cartridge is just the factory case shot in an Improved chamber. The case is blown out on the sidewalls and the shoulder gets a bit sharper shoulder angle, in effect creating a bit bigger case capacity. I net maybe 100-150 fps. more velocity over the std. 223 case-

 

[Ron Bitters]

Ron, the Ackley Improved [AI] configurations of any cartridge is just the factory case shot in an Improved chamber. The case is blown out on the sidewalls and the shoulder gets a bit sharper shoulder angle, in effect creating a bit bigger case capacity. I net maybe 100-150 fps. more velocity over the std. 223 case-

sscoyote,
Very interesting! I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I will have to more about it.

 

[Speed1962]

I have three AR's. Two have the standard 20" barrels, and my Stag Arms Model 6 has a 24 inch, heavy stainless steel barrel. The Stag is by far my favorite. Having said that, it is going to come down to what you are comfortable with. If you are going to be shooting offhand, a heavy 24" barrel is likely to be a bit much. Also, being longer, it is not going to swing as quickly as a shorter barrel. For coyote hunting, a heavy 18-20" barrel may be just the ticket.

 

[notajeep]

+1 for the 20" black dura coat. I've ordered a WOA 1:8, bull, fluted, & crowned. I cannot wait to shoot some critters with it. Kansas relaxed our White Tail deer regulations a few months ago. So my son might even get to take his first deer with my first AR-15 hunting rifle build.