AR-10 experience, big bores?

[SeabeeMan]

I'm entering into the AR-10 game and just finished my 80% lower with a matching big bore upper. I cannot decide what cartridge to go with and am curious what experience you all have. This would mainly be for punching paper out to 300 yards and maybe whitetail if the itch strikes.

The low hanging fruit is good ole .308. However, that would fill a slot between my 6.5 Creedmoor and 30.06 rifles that doesn't really need to be filled. I have the itch to go more towards a bigger cartridge, something like the 338 Federal or 45 RAPTOR. Other options...thoughts on these? I know this is kicking open a can worms but you can only tolerate AR forums so much before having to reach out for some real wisdom.

[adcoch1]

358 Winchester. 35 cal fun, cycles through the ar 10 with ease. Lots of knockdown, but enough velocity to reach out there. That would be my pick.

[zymguy]

358 Winchester. 35 cal fun, cycles through the ar 10 with ease. Lots of knockdown, but enough velocity to reach out there. That would be my pick.

I want one too

[Moleman-]

If I could use 358Win to deer hunt with I'd go with that. Since I have to use a straight walled case no longer than 1.8" I have hunted with the 44 version of the raptor in an AR10/LR308 type upper for the past two years. Lots of knockdown power and accurate but the AR10's get heavy quick. Ended up finding a 22-250 AR15 bolt and extension and built another 44x1.8" with it for an ar15 which ended up about 1.5 pounds lighter without trying very hard.

[Texas by God]

The only advantage the .338 brings is long range j-word bullets. Threefiveeight Win would be my pick because it is very close to perfect.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Kevinakaq]

Putting together my first ar10 as well in 308...but if I wanted to go big bore I think I would have to try out the 458 socom... just leaks coolness imho

[bruce drake]

I went opposite on my AR10 in 308 Winchester. I recently bought a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel for it and have went downwards in size to a caliber of bullet (.264/6.5mm) that I'm preferring to shoot due to its lesser recoil and its impact on my surgically repaired neck and shoulder.

[SeabeeMan]

Kevinakaq, 458 SOCOM is an AR-15 platform cartridge.

I'm doing some more reading on 358 Winchester and really like the sound of that. I had thought about 6.5 Creed to match my Bergara HMR, but I'm a bit of a massochist and feel that I should have to reload for as many cartridges as possible.

[Lloyd Smale]

how about a 450 marlin if you want some real snort.

[jmort]

How about the rimless 45/70
That is the one that make sense to me

[am44mag]

I'm entering into the AR-10 game and just finished my 80% lower with a matching big bore upper. I cannot decide what cartridge to go with and am curious what experience you all have. This would mainly be for punching paper out to 300 yards and maybe whitetail if the itch strikes.

The low hanging fruit is good ole .308. However, that would fill a slot between my 6.5 Creedmoor and 30.06 rifles that doesn't really need to be filled. I have the itch to go more towards a bigger cartridge, something like the 338 Federal or 45 RAPTOR. Other options...thoughts on these? I know this is kicking open a can worms but you can only tolerate AR forums so much before having to reach out for some real wisdom.

I have thought about going down the same route as you when I finally get around to building an AR-10. 338 Fed, 358 Win, and 45 Raptor were what I looked into. Any will do fine for what you're wanting, though the 338 will have an edge for longer range paper punching. All will knock a deer into the next county. For me, the ability to use cast is a top priority. All will again do that, but the 358 and 45 will have FAR more selection than the 338. The 358 is regarded by many here as THE cast bullet round. The 45 though doesn't give up much, but hits harder and makes a bigger hole.

Out of the two you choose, I'd go with the 45 Raptor. If you're open to 358 Win, then that's a harder choice. You are probably going to find a lot more experience and data for the 358, and it will probably be easier and cheaper to set up. That 45 though is a beast.

[Texas by God]

how about a 450 marlin if you want some real snort.

That makes good sense if it will fit. Might have to turn the rims down to .473". It does have the snort for sure!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[jmort]

https://www.phoenixweaponry.com/45-70-auto

[Texas by God]

https://www.phoenixweaponry.com/45-70-auto

There it is. That may be the biggest you can go in the AR 10. I'm probably wrong, though. I still recommend the .358 Win.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

there are ar10 uppers for the 450 marlin. 50 beo is about as big as it gets in an ar15

[Jack Stanley]

My pal recently had a Remington 700 action barreled to the Raptor . He enjoys it very much , with it he can reach anything in the ten acre field out back . Chambered in an AR-10 sounds like a lot of fun and useful if you are in a state that won't let you use the potential of the .358 .

Jack

[jmort]

You can get more juice from the rimless 45/70 as opposed to the .450 Marlin. The .50 Beowulf is way down the food chain powerwise.
I would just settle on the .338 Federal. That is where the .308 case maxes out power wise. If you really want to go for it, the .500 Phamtom is the direction I would go. 300 grain to 700 grain bullets. With 300 grain bullets you are around 4,500 ft lbs. The 700 grain is a freight train.
http://www.ncweaponry.com/complete-uppers.html

[Rainier]

The answer is "Yes" - 6.5 Creedmoor, .308, or .358 will do anything you want to 300 yards. I don't own the .338 or Raptor so I can't address them. It seems the question is, what do you want to load and shoot? For full disclosure my AR-10 is in .308 and I have zero complaints.

[Lloyd Smale]

way up on the food chain if you don't want the weight of an ar10 and still want some serious horse power as are the 450 and 458 socom. All three of them are balisticaly similar to the 4570 and will with the right bullet take any game animal on earth. My wife shot a 1600lb Asian water buffalo with mine and I shot a 1000 lb bison. Never left me saying I need more power. You can get more juice from the rimless 45/70 as opposed to the .450 Marlin. The .50 Beowulf is way down the food chain power wise. What game animal in American needs a 700 grain bullet?? I hunted one year with my ar10 in the very week 308 chambering. I hauled that heavy sob around for two weeks. Had enough of that. My beo weights 2lbs less and unless im going to shoot over 200 yards its plenty flat shooting and hits like a hammer and shots moa at a 100 yards. If I need more power then that I can use my nice 7.5 lb 338 bolt gun. I would have to guess that any ar platform pushing something to 4500 ft lbs of energy is going to not be much fun to shoot and get beat up fast. That's 458 level medicine. Nothing in north America needs that kind of power. I can see rounds like the creedmore and 308 ect for long range target shooting and long range hunting. but big bores no matter which one you choose are more of a close up hard hitting hunting round and the three big ones in the ar15 platform leave nothing to be desired for hunting in north America. If you want big just to have big then go for it but don't pretend your fixing a problem because no problem exists.

You can get more juice from the rimless 45/70 as opposed to the .450 Marlin. The .50 Beowulf is way down the food chain power wise.
I would just settle on the .338 Federal. That is where the .308 case maxes out power wise. If you really want to go for it, the .500 Phamtom is the direction I would go. 300 grain to 700 grain bullets. With 300 grain bullets you are around 4,500 ft lbs. The 700 grain is a freight train.
http://www.ncweaponry.com/complete-uppers.html

[jmort]

OP said he wanted an AR10 to punch paper and for occasional deer hunting. So the simplest answer is .308, that is what I have. But we got into the weeds a bit, which shows how much you can do with an AR. Why a 700 grain bullet, because you can. Why a 700 hp car, just because. That is why a .50 BMG or S&W .500 would be fun, 700 grains, just because. Raw Power. Don't need any of it.