Caliber dilemma

[garbear]

I was lucky and bought 3 AR lowers just before all the mess. I sold one to a famly friend for the price of a back ground check. I was going to sell the second one and keep one. I have been offered locally upwords of 300 for one of my lowers. I decided to keep 2. One I am building a A4 rifle. I like the 20 barrels and I carried a m16A2. I have the furniture and BCG. I found me a trigger group and installed on the lower. I could build me a carbine which I have considered.

Close friends have suggested building a 6.8 spc. or 6.5 grendall I even thought maybe a 6mm-.223 and use strickly for coyote hunting. I already have a savage axis in 223 and my 12 yr old has repeatly tries to claim the rifle. My brother has suggested the 300 black out. I like the black out becasue I can use my AR mags and same bolt as an AR just need the right barrel.

What caliber would you build on the AR reciever.

Garbear

[nhrifle]

I have built several and so far I have to recommend the 300 Blackout. It is more fun to shoot than you can imagine. Also, it takes light pistol powder charges and shoots cast boolits very well so it's cheap to shoot. Brass is super easy to reform from .223 and if you want to shoot j-words through it, there is an excellent selection as you know. The only mags I havn't gotten to work are P-Mags, but they work great in my .223 so it's good. Trust me, there is no easier way to put some real a*# in your AR!

[wcp4570]

My brother-in-law has 2 blackouts and both shoot very good. One is an upper from CMMG and the other is a build using a heavy barrel AR Stoner barrel from Midway. If I were building one it would have a Midway barrel on it. The blackout is perfect for shooting boolits or jacketed. You just can't find lowers to start a build with at this point and it may be impossible if the politicians have there way.

wcp

[Doc Highwall]

I would build one in 223 with a quick twist seeing as you have a Savage axis in 223. I like 6.5 Grendal better then 6.8 SPC but I am waiting for the price of brass to come down. The 300 Blackout you can make cases out of 223 so you would never have a case problem and factory cases are being made for this now.

My vote is one of each, 223 Rem. and 300 Blackout.

Make sure of what twist you get.

[kweidner]

.223. call me a purist. I think if this is your first do .223. Fast twist wylde chamber just in case. Second would be the grendel for it's awesome ballistics.

[MJR007]

My three, .223 - 6.8SPC - and 25wssm. I am thinking HARD about a 358wssm.

[Moonie]

I have 2 uppers, one in 6.8SPC for hunting and the fun one, in 300 AAC Blackout. One of my sons also has 2, 5.56 and 300 AAC Blackout. The 6.8 and 5.56 almost never leave the house, the 300's get used often!

[chrisw]

look at the ballistics... .223 for tin cans/small game 6.8 for deer, even maybe larger depending on your skills.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I personally am building a .223 on the one Upper I was fortunate to find and am picking up today. This is because I am build a "Modern Sporting Rifle" and not an "Assault Weapon."

Please spread this new moniker for the AR 15 and other variants around as quickly as possible, as the Left has "defined" the basic AR as an Assault Weapon, when we all know that an Assault Weapon must the either fully automatic or select fire with full auto or burst fire as options.

Time to redefine and reclassify this gun.

Someday I might get a .300BLK upper for the gun but just finding a regular .223 upper right now is a big problem as there is nothing available

But when looking at building a new gun, you must first have the basics covered.

Randy

[migtek02]

Cool.... I would no longer own an AR15 I own MSR in 223!

[xacex]

Well, I have or are building all of those calibers besides the 6.8. I have built several 5.56 rifles, but I get board with em fast because they just don't pack enough punch downrange, and it uses more powder than the 300BO. I have two AR's in 300BO and those are the two that most often go out to the hills with me. I found casting, and loading .308 easier than .223. The 6.5 Grendel will be done this week, but probably wont get used much. Until a good boolit is developed for it I am stuck reloading .264 j-words. Why no 50 Beowulf? That thing is more fun than the blackout to shoot!

[garym1a2]

Midway finally got a blackout barrel in stock today. Mine was ordered just a little while ago. Now off to find loading info for it.

[Lloyd Smale]

no doubt one in 223. that would be a given. The second would be a toss up between the 6.8 or the 300. The 6.8 would give you a bit more range in the hunting field but if you want one to be suppressed the 300 will still kill deer and would be a better choise for a suppressed gun.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I think it is interesting to look at the results of the poll above. The 300BLK has only been out a few years)(unless you count the .300 Whisper) and yet it's popularity has exceeded the other two rounds 3:1.

This is when you know something is right.

The .40S&W is another example of this phenomenon. Brought out as a reduced 10MM so it could be chambered in existing small frame pistols, it took off and in less than 20 years is the number poilce caliber out there.

When a design of something is right the popularity reflects it quickly.

Randy

[o6Patient]

:???:What are you going to use it for??

[Artful]

:???:What are you going to use it for??
Ding Ding Ding - a winning answer

Myself first one was 223, I then looked at what I wanted to do with the next one and 300 Whisper or 300/221 Fireball as my uppers not a JD Jones one - now Remington came out with their version of 300 Whisper as the 300 Blackout - pretty much all the same cartridge.
Why did I choose the 300?
Cast Bullet Friendly cartridge and you only have to change the barrel to be back in 223 / 5.56 configuration.
Uses 223 brass to make the cases - split the neck on 223 - shorten it to 300.
Uses Standard AR15 Magazines, I prefer the 20 rounders - keep the 30 rounders for 223.
Cartridge with it's fast twist barrel will handle long boolits at subsonic velocity and if you want it handles shorter lighter boolits with aplomb
30 caliber that give similar ballistic's to the old 30-30 WCF but has a higher capacity magazine.
Capable of shooting lightweights like 125 grain with pretty good velocity, Medium weights like 150 grains with good effect and 220+ subsonic for use with suppressor.
Get a Flat-top receiver and a scope with correct reticle and your good for multi ammo use at multiranges with practice.
Oh, and recoil is less the the 1894 Winchester Lever action due to the Semi-Auto action.

[Combat Diver]

I voted 6.8 SPC II because I already have a 5.56mm AR :D For your first should be the 5.56 becuase of the availablity of ammo, parts, and mags. After that whatever fits your needs/wants.


CD

[hicard]

I have the 223, 6X45, 6.8 SPC, 30 Rem, 300 BLK and 458 Socom and enjoy all of them but my favorite right now is the 300 BLK. One can do double taps with ease and it is just plain fun to shoot and load for.

[45 2.1]

Actually, you need to consider just how to keep it fed. If you already have the 5.56, then a 6x45 and the 300 Blk are your choices, since both take the same brass. Both have some excellent boolits available. The 6mm boolit will be a GB fairly soon and has proven itself very very accurate. The 300 will take a lot of molds already out there.

[oldscool]

Right now, I would look at component cost/availability. If you are not casting boolits, the 6, 6.5, or 6.8 projectiles are probably much easier to find than .224 or .308.

[Blammer]

25-223 would be my pick

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/25%20cal/DSCN8724.jpg

[Possum]

25-223 would be my pick

That picture above is probably going to cost me some $.

[uscra112]

None of the above. I'm not an AR fan at all, but I'd pick the 6mmx45. Why? Well, I just last week bought a large lot of 6mm j-warts for a good pre-famine price, whereas you can't even find 5.56 j-warts to buy, except at insane prices on Gunbroker. My recently acquired Savage .223 bolt gun will be converted to 6x45 ASAP, (I'd go .243 except that I've already got one of those). Because of the longstanding popularity of the .243, there's an abundance of 6mm j-warts of all shapes and sizes, even a 90 grain FMJ. Much better selection than 6.8 or 6.5. The .300AAC I won't speak to - it's just a fad IMHO. (Let the flaming begin! :coffee:)

[grampa243]

i was going to build an upper in 6mm-223. before every thing went crazy. same mags and bolt but the 6mm performance.
and hornady has a nice die set to up size the 223 brass.

[TXGunNut]

I think in your situation I'd build two uppers, 223 and 300 AAC. I'm even considering a 300 AAC and I don't especially like MSR's.

[Coonazz]

If you have a 5.56 already then go Grendel. I have 2 Grendels and they have yet to disappoint me.
John

[singleshot]

I voted 6.8 now that I've seen the 6.8 200 gr subsonic! Impressive ballistics!

[Bzcraig]

Already have 5.56, next receiver which is on its way is going to be 300BO.

[GabbyM]

6x45mm with 1:12" twist barrel.

[Ledslnger]

I don't know how people can discount the BLK. If the Special Forces decided the 5.56 wasn't enough and chose the .300 BLK that is a good reason to buy in at least a little. The 5.56 was designed to wound, not kill. It takes 2 guys to carry a wounded guy off the front lines, so it ties up 3 people. That was the goal of the government. The 5.56 wasn't a one shot one kill weapon for our military.
I put a .300 BLK together to put down feral hogs and to have fun with. Think it will make for a great Hog Hammer! :) I have spoken to a few people that don't recommend even shooting hogs with a .223 because they "are not effective". Just spoke to a guy that has a son working in Texas and he uses a night vision setup on the ranch owners AR. Guess it takes 3 shots to put a hog down most of the time. They hunt in pairs and both are 5.56 caliber ARs that are used. Not saying I don't have a .223, they work great on small stuff. I don't use them on coyote anymore either though. The .204 Ruger has surpassed the .223 there so badly it has relegated the .223 to even smaller game.
On my AR I mounted the Nikon P300 scope, allows for quick acquisition and so far works great. Lots of loads available because of the .30 cal bullet. The .30 cal has been around a while so the bullet powder combos are quite impressive IMO. The only thing tempting to me besides the BLK would be the 6.8 SPC or one of the 6.5s....Creedmore or Grendel. An AR in 5.56 is a waste of time IMO unless you are overrun by groundhogs. I didn't even shoot one bullet out of my RRA barrel. Not even sure where it is right now honestly.

[xacex]

If you have a 5.56 already then go Grendel. I have 2 Grendels and they have yet to disappoint me.
John
^^^^what he said^^^^

After my last post I did get my Grendel done, and have had time to shoot it. It is not cast friendly like the 300 BO, but what a tack driver! Not even fun till you get out to 200 yards because it shoots like a laser. It will be on my shoulder for the general deer season opener this year. I might have time to develop my elk load this month too. there is confirmed elk kills out to 400 yard with a 123 grain bullet with the Grendel. Granted I am no pro hunter so I expect to take no 400 yard shots with it, but if a 200 yard shot presents itself I would, that is if I get the load done if not it is the 30-06.

[bbailey7821]

+1 on 50 Beowulf! Funnet than a barrel of monkeys!

[jlchucker]

None of the above. I'm an old geezer with a 30-30, a 35 Remington, and a 45-70. If I need something to shoot a bit further, I've got a 7mm-08, but I wouldn't pass up a good 30-06 if one happened to strike my fancy. I've got dies and (except for the 7-08) molds for all of the above, and a thin pocketbook. I guess I'm OK with what I've already got.