Best Optics for an SBR Hog Wacker?

I am putting together a KAC-SR15 SBR lower with an HK 416 10.5" 1:7" twist upper to shoot handloaded Barnes 70 grains at hogs. SBR will have clip on Flir thermal and Steiner IR laser.

I have astigmatism and red dot sights like Eotech and Aimpoint are out of the question as primary optic.

Am thinking ACOG TA02 or Elcan SpecterDR both with 5.56mm BDC reticules and with a Truijicon RMR09 on top of either of the day optics or the Steiner laser for CQH.


Anyone else using an SBR with clip-on thermal device?

Are you married to a Clip on?

I have six thermal clip-ons and two dedicated thermal scopes.

This will be a hiking gun with shots <200 yards at night.

Chrono on handloaded Barnes 70gr out of 16" pipe is 2,725fps, so am thinking should be able to get 2,500fps from the shorty.

SkyPup,

You were nice enough to help me a year or two ago (even personally calling me) regarding choosing a handheld thermal device, and I greatly appreciate it. I purchased the FLIR device that you recommended and have really enjoyed its use. I'm the guy who is in a similar profession, who lives in a neighboring state, and who also enjoys dispatching swine. I'd like to now return the favor.

IMHO, the Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24 with BRT-I reticle is the ultimate optic for a SBR. The optics are first class, and the reticle offers the ultimately flexibility. I know you favor military optics, but this particular scope is incredibly versatile and has proven very durable for us (and we've beat our Swaros up).

As an aside, though this is an unrelated to your original question, I really think you ought to at some point also look at the 6.8 SPC calibered ARs. You and I have similar equipment tastes (I don't have any Sigs, but I'm a big H&K guy and enjoy using 416s and 417s), but I've found the 6.8 to be the perfect caliber for pigs, and we've used it to great effect over the past couple of years on swine. In 6.8 SPC, we have LWRCi as well as Ambush Firearms guns, and I feel it to have significantly more knock-down power on pigs than the 5.56, yet it carries and recoils more like the 5.56 than the .308 / AR10. It also works very well out of shorter barrels. I mention this merely because I'd like to see the combined results of your other equipment and the land that you have access to, coupled with the 6.8 SPC.

LA airhunter

Thank you very much, that is an outstanding recommendation and I appreciate that.

I enjoy hearing what other people know works best for them. One of my good friends is a Swaro maniac and I love all his gear, even his binos are to die for. I remember the conversation with you well too! We were out at the Human Gene Therapy conference in New Orleans last week.

I have used a 6.8SPC SBR on hogs and I agree it has the perfect match up using 95 grain Barnes or 110 grain Nosler/Hornday bonded bullets, considerably more power out of an SBR than the 5.56mm. I have also used a .300 BLK too and liked that very much as well. I just may have to get a 6.8SPC upper to swap out on my KAC lower in the future.

All our hunting is pure wilderness, no field crops or open areas besides some cattle pastures and powerline grades, most of my shots are sniper shots as after that the hogs/dogs are gone in the brush instantly.

Unfortunately, right now I have 56 pounds of Hodgdon BLC-2 and 3,000 Barnes 70 grain TSX on the reloading bench and already have 1,500 rounds loaded up for the 5.56mm, so I went with an HK 10.5" 1:7" upper and Brevis Delta P suppressor. My 16" chrono on this load is 2,725fps, so I am thinking I should get about 2,500fps out of the shorty which will still work very well with the Barnes TSX out 100 meters plus.

I just got a Truijicon ACOG TA02LED 4X32mm with a Truijicon RMR07 1 MOA red dot for quick day/NV night shots with the SBR.

Now I am thinking the IR Defense MKII 19mm with 22 degree FOV utilized as a clip-on with my ACOG TA02 & RMR09 would be a real nice setup on my KAC SR15 E3 Mod2/HK 10.5" SBR build when my tax stamp comes back!










I think a 6.8SPC upper is in my future though, especially since my .30 cal cans will work great with it too!!!

I bet that Swaro Z6i is a super nice piece of glass.

I got the ACOG/RMR from EuroOptic and already have two Elcan 1-6X-42mm on my .308 AR-10 rifles from them. I thought that six power would be too much for the 556 SBR though?

The only other optic I really considered besides the ACOG/RMR was the Elcan 1-4X and the Leopold Mark4 HAMR, one of my good friends is in Special Forces and he uses the HAMR with his FLIR thermal clip-on and likes it a lot.