I thought about titling this one Fun with Beer and an AR, but thought that might not present the best image.
I parked my boat under the shed this year thinking I'd be using it again in a few days. The river flooded, haying started, and that never happened. Emptying it out didn't either, got busy and didn't do it. I had a cooler of beer I forgot about in the boat that got hot this summer, then froze enough times the cans are all bulged out and the beer is skunky. It was alcohol abuse I know.
I've been doing most of my predator calling with an AR this year. I've used them some for the last several years, but kept going back to my familiar bolt guns. I have always just shot the bolt guns better. This year I have been practicing a lot more with the AR's but mostly at closer targets from offhand, kneeling, and kneeling with shooting sticks. I just set up the AR's for the Stoney Point or Primos Rapid pivot bipods I've always liked for the bolt guns this week. I shot another coyote last night at 135yds with the DPMS Prairie Panther AR in 223. I could only find one hole in it clear back near the hip. I knew I shouldn't have hit it there and shot from prone over a rock so figured I'd better check the gun. I was 90% sure I just never found the entrance wound and that was the exit but wanted to be sure. The coyote had mange so I wasn't going to skin it to find out.
Rather than just go to the bench I decided to do some field shooting. I took the cooler of ruined beer and several rounds of firewood to a big brome field with a big hill behind it, good spot for longer shots with a great backstop. I set the beer up on the firewood rounds scattered around the field with the UTV and then backed off to shoot. I took my bolt 204 and 243, plus the DPMS. The wind was 15-25mph so it was pushing me around a bit as I shot, but straight at me so I didn't have to hold for it.
I shot sitting off the bipod, sitting off the bipod with my back rested against a tree, and prone over the pack. With the bolt guns that are heavier, have crisper triggers, and have better scopes with finer crosshairs I could reliably bust the cans to about 130yds with my back un-rested. I could add 30yds to that with my back against something solid and using my knee under my elbow. It took a lot of the wind wobble I was getting out if I did that. I could bust 200yds cans prone over the pack with no problem. I pinned a part of a busted can to one of the firewood rounds and hit that at 310yds prone with the 243 also. Bolt guns and my shooting of them was fine for what I do.
Then I got out the AR. I started out with my back un-rested off the bipod and busted two cans each at 80 and 115yds. I hit 50% on the four 150yd cans this way. I rested my back against the tree, used my knee, and then busted 4 straight. Prone the 200yd cans were no problem with the AR either. I never could get the wind wobble down enough with any of the guns to try 200yds off the bipod, a 12oz can isn't very wide and I couldn't keep the vertical crosshair on the can.
After seeing that the AR was capable in my hands, I started having fun with it. I would drive out with the UTV and set cans/firewood chunks at random distances and positions and then go back to where I'd left my pack. I'd take the farthest can first like I'd do with a group of coyotes, then try to shoot the rest as quick as I could left to right or right to left. There must have been 50 cans in that cooler and I got them all shot. The bipods I like pop off the gun instantly with a straight push so I even shot some close ones without it after taking a far can. An occasional missed can showcases the advantage of the AR, the quick follow up. The 6" top of a round of wood I lay down made for a good 250 and 300yd target after I ran out of cans. I was having great fun until I ran out of bullets. That's easier to do with the AR too.
While the cans don't move like coyotes, they are bigger than cans too! I feel more confident now than ever in my ability to shoot the AR's at them off the bipod especially inside 200yds.
The DPMS is picky on what it will shoot well, but it's favorite load is a cheaper locally made reman ammo. In my rifle it pushes a 55gr V max at 2962fps. My rifle recently got an aftermarket trigger that isn't quite as good as my bolt guns, but is pretty darn nice. The scope is a Bushnell 3200 Firefly 2.5-10x50 with a plain duplex reticle that works alright for 223 ranges. I like having 14x or more on the top end, but can't see where it hurt me only having the 10x even prone. I also learned that it's easier to use the pack as a good rest when it's full of gear and soft clothes instead of a giant Prairie Blaster FoxPro call. If I ever get another call I'll get one of the smaller ones, that thing fills my Eberlestock X3 pretty much by itself.
My other AR is a 204 and it's off getting a new stock at the gunsmith right now. The cheaper collapsible one that it came with the lower I use on it rattles to much for me. It's getting a better one with a wider top for a better cheek weld. I'm getting myself talked into a 22 Nosler upper for it also this summer, then getting both uppers Cera-koted to blend in where I hunt. My 243 has that cera-kote and I have to be careful where I lay it down. Before spending the money I figure I need to make sure I am going to get good enough with the AR's to actually use them instead of the bolt guns. I'm thinking so. Even after I get the other AR set up for predators I'll probably use the DPMS some hunting, and a lot for practice. It will be much cheaper to shoot.
I parked my boat under the shed this year thinking I'd be using it again in a few days. The river flooded, haying started, and that never happened. Emptying it out didn't either, got busy and didn't do it. I had a cooler of beer I forgot about in the boat that got hot this summer, then froze enough times the cans are all bulged out and the beer is skunky. It was alcohol abuse I know.
I've been doing most of my predator calling with an AR this year. I've used them some for the last several years, but kept going back to my familiar bolt guns. I have always just shot the bolt guns better. This year I have been practicing a lot more with the AR's but mostly at closer targets from offhand, kneeling, and kneeling with shooting sticks. I just set up the AR's for the Stoney Point or Primos Rapid pivot bipods I've always liked for the bolt guns this week. I shot another coyote last night at 135yds with the DPMS Prairie Panther AR in 223. I could only find one hole in it clear back near the hip. I knew I shouldn't have hit it there and shot from prone over a rock so figured I'd better check the gun. I was 90% sure I just never found the entrance wound and that was the exit but wanted to be sure. The coyote had mange so I wasn't going to skin it to find out.
Rather than just go to the bench I decided to do some field shooting. I took the cooler of ruined beer and several rounds of firewood to a big brome field with a big hill behind it, good spot for longer shots with a great backstop. I set the beer up on the firewood rounds scattered around the field with the UTV and then backed off to shoot. I took my bolt 204 and 243, plus the DPMS. The wind was 15-25mph so it was pushing me around a bit as I shot, but straight at me so I didn't have to hold for it.
I shot sitting off the bipod, sitting off the bipod with my back rested against a tree, and prone over the pack. With the bolt guns that are heavier, have crisper triggers, and have better scopes with finer crosshairs I could reliably bust the cans to about 130yds with my back un-rested. I could add 30yds to that with my back against something solid and using my knee under my elbow. It took a lot of the wind wobble I was getting out if I did that. I could bust 200yds cans prone over the pack with no problem. I pinned a part of a busted can to one of the firewood rounds and hit that at 310yds prone with the 243 also. Bolt guns and my shooting of them was fine for what I do.
Then I got out the AR. I started out with my back un-rested off the bipod and busted two cans each at 80 and 115yds. I hit 50% on the four 150yd cans this way. I rested my back against the tree, used my knee, and then busted 4 straight. Prone the 200yd cans were no problem with the AR either. I never could get the wind wobble down enough with any of the guns to try 200yds off the bipod, a 12oz can isn't very wide and I couldn't keep the vertical crosshair on the can.
After seeing that the AR was capable in my hands, I started having fun with it. I would drive out with the UTV and set cans/firewood chunks at random distances and positions and then go back to where I'd left my pack. I'd take the farthest can first like I'd do with a group of coyotes, then try to shoot the rest as quick as I could left to right or right to left. There must have been 50 cans in that cooler and I got them all shot. The bipods I like pop off the gun instantly with a straight push so I even shot some close ones without it after taking a far can. An occasional missed can showcases the advantage of the AR, the quick follow up. The 6" top of a round of wood I lay down made for a good 250 and 300yd target after I ran out of cans. I was having great fun until I ran out of bullets. That's easier to do with the AR too.
While the cans don't move like coyotes, they are bigger than cans too! I feel more confident now than ever in my ability to shoot the AR's at them off the bipod especially inside 200yds.
The DPMS is picky on what it will shoot well, but it's favorite load is a cheaper locally made reman ammo. In my rifle it pushes a 55gr V max at 2962fps. My rifle recently got an aftermarket trigger that isn't quite as good as my bolt guns, but is pretty darn nice. The scope is a Bushnell 3200 Firefly 2.5-10x50 with a plain duplex reticle that works alright for 223 ranges. I like having 14x or more on the top end, but can't see where it hurt me only having the 10x even prone. I also learned that it's easier to use the pack as a good rest when it's full of gear and soft clothes instead of a giant Prairie Blaster FoxPro call. If I ever get another call I'll get one of the smaller ones, that thing fills my Eberlestock X3 pretty much by itself.
My other AR is a 204 and it's off getting a new stock at the gunsmith right now. The cheaper collapsible one that it came with the lower I use on it rattles to much for me. It's getting a better one with a wider top for a better cheek weld. I'm getting myself talked into a 22 Nosler upper for it also this summer, then getting both uppers Cera-koted to blend in where I hunt. My 243 has that cera-kote and I have to be careful where I lay it down. Before spending the money I figure I need to make sure I am going to get good enough with the AR's to actually use them instead of the bolt guns. I'm thinking so. Even after I get the other AR set up for predators I'll probably use the DPMS some hunting, and a lot for practice. It will be much cheaper to shoot.
