Today is opening day of modern firearms season for deer in Maryland. I recommend using a .350 Legend over a 350 Chevy.
A Hunting Recommendation
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Tag Archives: Deer Hunting
Hunting Deer with an AR-15?
I own a Colt AR-15 Sporter chambered in the unusual caliber (for an AR) of 7.62X39mm. I use it for hunting deer in wooded terrain. Because of the taper of the cartridge case, a magazine that would normally hold 20 rounds of 5.56mm NATO ammunition will only hold 5 rounds of 7.62x39mm. Other than being semi-automatic and having lower ammunition capacity, it’s the functional equivalent of a typical .30/30 lever action rifle.
When I first moved to Maryland in the early ’90s, I had hunting privileges in an overgrown orchard next to a 6,000 acre no-hunting environmental area and a 200 acre corn/soybean field. The woods were dense enough that the longest shot possible was less than 100 yards, so a .270 Win. or .30/06 was overkill. I used a .45/70 rifle for the first few years but decided that something like a .30/30 would make more sense. I went to a gun show looking for a deal on a Marlin 336 lever action rifle and stumbled on a dealer who had a Colt AR-15 in 7.62×39 mm that he wanted to sell cheap. The price was right, and I bought it. It’s been a nice woods gun, performing well with Winchester 123 gr. soft points. I’ve had even better results using the now-out-of-print Hornady Zombiemax and the Hornady 123 gr. Black ammo.
So, yes, you can hunt deer with an AR-15. I’ve been using mine for woodland hunting for almost 30 years.
Team Kimberlin Post of the Day
One of the recurring lies that Brett Kimberlin has told about Aaron Walker and me is that we have ever threatened him with violence. The TKPOTD for six years ago today dealt with one of the false claims he made in the RICO Retread LOLsuit.
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This is from The Dread Pro-Se Kimberlin’s Kimberlin v. Most of the Universe, et al. RICO Retread LOLsuit.
These are what lawyers call conclusory allegations, that is, they are offered with no evidence to support them. TDPK makes those allegations without actually specifying when or where or how we did any of those things. Come Thursday, we’ll see what Judge Mason thinks about them as he rules on the various defendants’ motions to dismiss.
Stay tuned.
BTW, the most recent blog post that I’ve published about a trip to the range was in 2013.
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Of course, I occasionally post pictures of targets I’ve shot. Here’s one. Deer season is coming, and this is the result of zeroing my Mossberg .243 Winchester at 200 yards with Hornady 95 gr SST ammunition.
I’ve always been the worst shot in the family.
You Can’t Buy Back What You Never Sold
Only two of the firearms in my collection were ever sold by the federal government, a Model 1903 Springfield rifle I inherited from my father-in-law and an M1 carbine that I’ve owed for decades. Even though there were at least two intervening owners between the government and me for both rifles, I suppose it would be technically possible for the government to say it wanted to buy them back, but they’re not for sale.
Now, about my AR15 … Mine is a Colt Sporter in 7.62x39mm. That’s an odd chambering for an AR15, but the cartridge is legal for deer in Maryland—the more common .223 Rem/5.56 NATO round isn’t—and it’s my preferred deer rifle for hunting in the woods. I didn’t buy it from the the government, and even if Colt were to make an offer, it’s not for sale.
BTW, the Springfield is an interesting collector’s item. It was produced just after World War One, so it was one of the first made using the improved heat treating process for the receiver. It also has the cutout for a Pedersen Device.