6.8 is ballistically better than .223 . But still is pricey. If looking in an AR platform i would go 6.5 grendel over 6.8 .. either way ammo is more expensive then .223 but 6.5 is WAY better then the 6.8
If I were looking for an AR for Hogs I'd go with an AR-10 in .308. The 6.5 and 6.8 are great calibers, but could easily become "bastard calibers" in 10 years.... .308 isn't going anywhere, just like .30-06... .223 is a good round and can easily take hogs, but I prefer to have a little extra bang when I pull the trigger on a Piggy!! My two cents... Good luck with your selection.
i am sticking with the .223 . the right bullet and good shot placement will take down any hog out there. And ammo is cheap, even good hunting ammo is not to expensive.
Having an AR in 308 sorta defeats the purpose of having an AR, IMHO. Ar's are designed to be a short, fast rifle with little to no recoil. May as well just get a 308 bolt rifle
A 223 with a well placed shot, with a quality bullet is plenty. If you don't feel comfortable with placing your shot, I recommend more range time, not a bigger gun
I would concur if we are shooting hogs at night, with or without lights in the open, from a permanent box stand, or from a tree stand. Most hog hunting we do is walking the thick stuff along the river bottoms and suddenly you might walk up on 1 hog or may be surrounded by 20 or more hogs within 10-50 yards. No time for ear shots with a .223. It's heart/lung shots or no shots at all. Personally I would use a .308 bolt instead of an AR in .308 in the first scenerio from a fixed position and a 12 gauge with slugs or .30 caliber or better rifle for stalking.
The AR platform was designed for the military as an offensive weapon to mame and criple and not to kill the enemy, thus the smaller caliber. You won't find a military sniper rifle in anything smaller than .308 which was designed for one shot one kill.
It's very cool to use an AR in .223 as a hunting gun and I'm glad you guys have been successful. I can tell you that the first time you have to shoot a hog 4-10 times because your first shot was off by a half inch and you pissed that hog off at 10-50 yards that I'd recommend you have something with a little bit more bite than a .223 to make sure the job gets done quickly.
My two cents.
