Post by coyote6974 on Jan 5, 2014 11:43:43 GMT -5
During the run up to the legalization of pistol caliber rifles for deer in Indiana I was a strong supporter of the rules that were finally passed. Since then I've used my .44 Magnum Marlin 1894 carbine to take several deer, and it works very well. Seeing the many hunters around Indiana who have been having rifles built in calibers such as the 358 Hoosier, and others, HP rifle chambered handguns, along with the modern muzzle loaders and fully rifled shotguns, that can take deer at over 200 yards, I decided I'd really like to try my 6.8 SPC II AR on deer. I'd built this upper a few years ago to give my AR more punch on large Indiana coyotes, and I've been very satisfied with it. Obviously though, the 6.8 SPC cartridge is not a legal cartridge for deer when shot from a rifle. I examined the handgun rule and concluded that if I were to assemble an AR 15 pistol lower, that I could simply pin my 6.8 SPC II upper to it and be perfectly legal. The 6.8 SPC uses a .277 caliber bullet, and the case is greater than 1.16 inches. I found there was no maximum case length, nor was there any maximum barrel length for a handgun. I know that 14" barreled Contenders in .270 Winchester are out there so maybe a 16" handgun wasn't really too ridiculous of an idea. I had a stripped RRA lower receiver in the safe, so I ordered up a pistol receiver extension, and put it together using a RRA lower receiver kit and a three pound Timney trigger. The receiver extension I selected is padded and it lays against your cheek when you raise the pistol. I added a vertical fore end grip so that I can push on the pistol grip as I pull back on the fore arm grip allowing for a very steady hold. My greatest worry was that the pistol would fail to function as I held it in my hands robbing the bolt of some of its rearward momentum as recoil pushed it back in my hands without a stock to limit its rearward travel. When I test fired the pistol, it did just that on the first round. It ejected and chambered another round, but it had failed to cock itself. I used a bit firmer hold after that and the pistol functioned as it should. I also learned that I had to be careful of the scope hitting my eyebrow. The use of a monopod or other supporting device eliminated the function and scope strike problems though. It also allowed for a very steady hold on targets out to 200 yards and I was able to shoot it nearly as accurately as I shoot it as a carbine.
Due to the new antlerless gun season, I was able to try my new handgun on an Indiana deer. I'd set up on the ground along the edge of a shelled corn field. I'd adjusted a monopod rest to allow me to hold the pistol steady, and I waited for some deer to come into the field. Just before the end of legal shooting hours a group of 15 or 20 deer began to pour into the field and began feeding at about 120 yards from where I sat. I picked out a large doe and sent a 110 grain Sierra Pro Hunter through both of her lungs. She ran about 30 yards then slowed to a stop. I then sent a second Pro Hunter through both of her shoulders, and she dropped to the ground.
The pistol functioned perfectly as I fired the two rounds off the monopod, and it had chambered the third round, and was cocked when I unloaded it. I think I've assembled a very useful Indiana deer weapon at a very reasonable cost. As deer season closes this evening, I'll unpin my 6.8 SPC II upper and pin it back to its carbine lower, and go shoot some coyotes.
