2nd AR 15 Upper Chambering?

6.5 grendel, or in a few months to a year. 6mm ARC.

6.5 Grendel. I -might- play around with a 6mm ARC but given how invested I am in the Grendel, probably not.



Though I see the advantages of the new ARC for target shooters (and using it instead of a much heavier AR10 for a DMR roll), my non 223/556 ARs are primarily for hunting, and the Grendel brings the most to the party as far as factory offerings go.

Oh boy, hang on to your hats.

You are going to get all kinds of responses to your question. Hopefully a "which caliber is best" war doesn't erupt.

I will say that 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC are very popular alternative calibers to 5.56, they both do very well for their intended uses. 6.8 SPC has a slight edge for hunting within 250-300 yards while 6.5 Grendel does better at longer ranges and is used a lot for longer distance target shooting. 300 Blackout is also a popular caliber. 300 does well at close range hunting and shines when using subsonic ammo with a suppressor. There are quite a few big bore and straight walled cases available too.

I have a 26" heavy barrel AR-15 chambered in 204 Ruger that is good medicine on prairie dogs and other varmints. But you would probably want a dedicated lower for it with an appropriate stock and target level trigger.

Deleted - Double tap

I certainly can’t pretend I am comfortable with the premise of only owning AR’s chambered in 2 different cartridges.

So if I pretend my house burned down tonight and I start over in a few weeks or months when my insurance claims are processed... it’s fair to expect my first “replacement AR” would be chambered in 5.56, and I can imagine what might be my second cartridge:

6 ARC. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 243LBC and see value in the slight extra speed, but I see greater value in the opportunity to use factory ammo in a pinch.

These would be quickly chased by several others. Admittedly, I would exclude 6.8 SPC from the line up, as I don’t see it fruitful for my future.

My second was 6.8 SPC for a dedicated hunting rig.

.22 LR.

Do some homework and check out the 7MM Valkyrie. One of the most powerful rounds you can get to shoot out of the AR-15 platform.

It's also good for target shooting and hunting.

www.7mmvalkyrie.com

Go big or go home. 458 SOCOM. Pretty much the same range as the 300 Blackout but with a lot more meat on the bone. What can you shoot with it? Just about anything.

Oh yeah, 458 Socom is sweet.

I went with 450 Bushmaster for my second.

I like .45 pistols and have many, it seemed a natural choice to have a pistol and a carbine in the same caliber.
I’m a modern cowboy, but I don’t like hats or horses. Especially horses.
Coincidentally, the bushmaster is good for horse to Buick sized game.

A Valkyrie arrived third, for distance.
And a Blackout snuck in quietly, at an amazing price.

I found I needed a shotgun, too. I thought I might stay with the theme...



I’m currently talking myself down from the ledge of a Noreen.
It’s an AR. And 30-06.
Muhahahahaa!

In all reality, my next AR could be a Six ARC. Or a Seven Valkyrie. I am impulsive. And a good collection will have all three anyway!

It’s funny. I shoot my second far more than the others. A fourteen twist Bushmaster with 250 Speer Deep-Curls is a 45 caliber varmint rifle. With a 400grain solid, a freight train!

ExAgoradzo said:

What would be your second upper you’d buy for an AR 15 not a 5.56?

Click to expand...

Well, what are you going to use it for?

If Bison stampedes are a concern in your area, a 50 Beowulf is in good stead.

If the closest you can get to a prairie dog is seven hundred yards, a .224 Valkyrie is good medicine.

Need a shorter upper for house clearing? A heavy barrel for the range? A light one for walking around?
All in 5.56 to share ammunition with your first?
Wait, in .223, you said you wanted a different caliber...

A .277 wolver... No. No .270s.
Odd numbers are bad Mojo.
Aren’t they SIG? Camouflaging it with a 6 and an 8 didn’t work, did it?


With so many, it’s hard to choose just one!

Demi,
Is that a 12ga upper on your lower? Do tell, links, info, how's it shoot....

Come on man, details, we need details!

It’s a VR80 by Derya Arms of Turkey, imported by Rock Island Armory. 12 gauge, interchangeable chokes, gas ring and action bar operated.

It is not really an AR, as the magazines are too massive for an AR-10. The way it operates is extraordinarily similar but not identical to an AR. Only furniture will swap.

Designed well and machined excellently. After I took in down and assembled it properly(sigh), it functions perfectly.
Even rubbing salt in the wounds of my shooting friend, his “brownchester” SX4 has been back twice and still won’t shoot all three.
I mock him with volleys of ten straight in the air, to rain awesome down on us...


This was to replace another Turkish Delight. An O/U Artemis Khan. Works well, just can’t hit anything with it. For some strange reason an AR just fits me. I have gotten ten clays in a row with the VR80! (I’m no shotgunner. Obviously.)
I’ve used it once at the Trap night. Taking the gas ring off turns it single shot. The look on the faces of the curmudgeons as I took my station was amazing. Opening the action and plucking one shell out, like they do, comedic! But actually breaking my highest number was priceless! (14 of 25. My personal best. Tom Knapp has no worries.)

The picture above is from crashing around the woods last Rabbit season. Got five.

Can you believe I do not have a 22LR upper yet?!

Mine would definitely be 7.62x39. More accurate in an AR than an SKS or AK (unless you get lucky.).

Ammo is cheap and usually available.

My second was a .450 Bushmaster since I actually had a need for it.

It's my camp carbine and is a hoot to shoot.

I definitely like the VR80, looked at their website and the bullpup version is nice also.

I think they need a 25 round drum to go with it, now that would make it more fun!

I'm gonna have to look at their site some more, I see they have a CA compliant version.

List of the ones I have or have tried out:
204 Ruger. Basically trading bullet size for speed. 32gr to 40gr loadings are fairly common. Currently I have great accuracy with the 39gr Sierra BKs.
6.5 Grendel. Great little round with potential for very good accuracy. Effective on anything from varmints to deer. A friend had to have this more than I did and I haven't had an overwhelming desire to replace it.
6.8 SPC. My go-to round and the main reason why I never felt the need to re-visit the Grendel. Seems to have a loyal following but is not gaining much if any popularity it seems lately. Either way it's certainly another effective round for varmints to deer.
300 Blackout. Pretty much a short-range, 30cal chambering that is based on shortened 223 brass with the ability to run super or subsonic loads. Most people have no interest in it unless they are using a suppressor. I had a couple of carbines which are now gone and have been replaced with a 10.5" pistol. It mostly collects dust and lately I've been thinking about changing the barrel/bolt for a 7.62x39...
458 Socom. Everyone needs a big-bore ar15 IMO and I went with the Socom. In reality it's a toss-up between that and the 450bushmaster. I like the ability to handload 400+gr .458 rifle bullets, just a personal preference.

My choice would be 6:5 Grendel. I prefer the ballistics of the 6:5 over the 6:8 SPC and it is hunting legal in my state for deer and antelope where the .223 is not.

7.62x39
Ammo is cheap avaiable almost everywhere, kinda hard to say that about some of the calibers listed. Plus, as a reloader its nice not having to trace down my brass for once. I have 500-700 rounds through mine, zero problems and its a 1.5 to 2.0 shooter with cheap russian ammo.
I do have a 450 bushmaster and plan on doing a 6,5 grendal or now maybe that new 6mm ARC

So for SAMMI accepted cartridges, I’m sure a 17 could be done if a 22LR can do it.

Then there’s 204 Ruger,
.223/ 5.56,
6ARC,
25-45 Sharps,(also an odd one. At least a quarter-bore is four equal pieces...)
6.5 Grendel,
something, I forget what,
300 Blackout,
350 Meh, oh, I mean, Legend,
9 Sillymeter,
10 MM/40 short.,
45 Auto,
450 Bushmaster,
458 Socom,
50 Beowulf.

And let’s not forget the Super Single Shots!
416 CheyTac and 50 BMG.

Are there any others?
(Besides Wildcat and propriety part type cartridges like .358 Yeti and 30 AR?
As if these wouldn’t cover it...)

My ARs are for carbine/PDW range work, targets to 100m-ish. For that, I chose 5.56 and 300BO for short barreled variety.

My 300BO eats cheap .308 FMJ surplus, cheap .308 cast, and the brass is plentiful and easily made. For $/effect, I think it's second only to 5.56, and far more civilized in a short barrel.

300 AAC/BLK was my choice. This was largely because it is less obnoxious, from a 10.3” barrel, and I like the AR15 platform better as a pistol/PDW than as a carbine.

My usual environments are usually quite close, due to structures, vegetation, or both.

Demi-human said:

So for SAMMI accepted cartridges, I’m sure a 17 could be done if a 22LR can do it.

Click to expand...

Yup, 17 Remington works quite well in an AR-15. I have a 24" heavy barrel version.

Shilen used to make a barrel, I'm not sure if they still do.