Hunting S.AZ with an AR

[Eric Shelton]

Need some advice from some southwestern hunters. I'm not a hunter, though I keep buying a license each year just to be counted and support those who do. But this year, I've decided to do it. I'm putting in for deer. I'm planning on going for Coues (although since I've never hunted deer before, maybe it's more correct to say I don't know what I'm planning at all) and right now I'm wondering if I can use my rifle, or use this as an excuse to build or buy a new upper.

My current setup is a 14.5" barrel with permanently attached Smith Vortex. Really, it was built to have every evil feature and make hippies cry. Barrel selection was just to push the limits w/o having to be an NFA item- again just to push anti-gunners' buttons.

Now I'm being told that shots on coues (south of Tucson) can be a few hundred yards and I'm questioning my velocity. Does anybody have any experience with this? I was even thinking of doing an 18" SPR, or 20" barrel swap. Am I over-thinking this? I don't know jack about hunting, but I had been led to believe shooting much over 200 yards (and certainly over 300) was pushing the responsible limits for a humane kill. Is this wrong? (I have the optic covered. Just wondering about velocity, range, and a good load for deer.)

Obviously, any help or information you guys can provide would be appreciated.

[xfyrfiter]

You can hunt with .223, and you can make 200 or 300 yd. shots, but should you make a less than lethal first shot you will in all probability wound the animal, and unless you are a superb tracker, will probably lose said animal. In my opinion you should rethink using an AR unless you go to 6.8 or other caliber. Good excuse to build :D

[Packman73]

There are a lot of long shots here in the SW so I'd lean toward a larger calibur but if you are sitting a water hole or somewhere where you are not in open terrain, the .223 will work out just fine for Coues deer.

[RyanB]

I hunted quail this year with Duwane Adams and we spoke about deer hunting extensively. He thinks .243 is too small for a coues deer, and no one knows more about it than him.