What is the “go-to” ar10 caliber now?

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d2wing said:
Hold on, new cartridge better than the 6.5 Creedmoor is now on the market. The 6.5 PRC. New bandwagon already rolling.
Click to expand...

Better? If "bigger, stronger, faster" defines better then I suppose that is true.....but "bigger, stronger, faster" comes with "louder, costlier, heavier recoiling and more barrel wear".
We choose chamberings for a variety of reasons. I truly like 6.5s.....and am a big fan of the 7-08 but I'd choose my first AR10 in .308. Why? Ammo cost and availibility. Enough cartridge for almost any practical application. Long useful barrel life. The original cartridge match to the rifle design.
 
I've got a .308 and a 6mm Creedmoor. I shoot the ..308 a lot and the CM a little.
 
Finished my AERO 18 " light build , less than 9 pounds with scope last year when I moved to Oregon. Last fall got a 6.5CM Aero heavy 22" upper and used an ATN 4K sight on it . I figured I would go for the really NEW rig , so nice to be able to change uppers in a minute and it's pretty sghted in . The .308 for serious troubles and the 6.5 to push the limits. :)
 
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I started my build with the assumption I’d go with 308. I already have smaller and larger 30cal chambered rifles, so the reloading infrastructure was already there. Then I thought about other options that might kick the 308 out.

The 6.5CM is a great long range target and medium game round. But I already have a 224valk for LR target, and I have a 270win ultralight mountain rifle for medium game. Same with 243win.

I liked the idea of the 7-08, but the velocity and energy curves are pretty much the same as the mid weight 308 options. No advantage and far fewer options.

The 338fed is a slow mover, not good for me as I hunt with coppers and need more speed for expansion. It uses a nice big 338 pill, but it wastes the best feature of the 338, it’s high BC.

So, 308 was really the only choice, in my case. For someone with fewer other choices, the 6.5 might make sense. I don’t think the 7-08 would make any sense at all, unless you had other 7mm reloading components that made the 7mm attractive.
 
Don’t have a clue as to the go to AR-10 cartridge. Nor do I care. I just don’t care how other people dress, what they eat or drink or what cartridges they shoot out of what type of gun.

If you come to my house and you want lite beer you’ll have to bring your own. There will be beer but it won’t be lite-ever. There will always be Bohemia, Negra Modelo and either Spaten or Pilsner Urquell. There will be no lo-cal food of any kind.

My leopard print thongs will be well hidden and you will see much wool and little high tech cold weather clothing.

I’d like to have a 7mm-08 and a .338 Federal AR with 22” barrels, A2 stocks and Timney 3 lb triggers.
 
Joelpat said:
I started my build with the assumption I’d go with 308. I already have smaller and larger 30cal chambered rifles, so the reloading infrastructure was already there. Then I thought about other options that might kick the 308 out.

The 6.5CM is a great long range target and medium game round. But I already have a 224valk for LR target, and I have a 270win ultralight mountain rifle for medium game. Same with 243win.

I liked the idea of the 7-08, but the velocity and energy curves are pretty much the same as the mid weight 308 options. No advantage and far fewer options.

The 338fed is a slow mover, not good for me as I hunt with coppers and need more speed for expansion. It uses a nice big 338 pill, but it wastes the best feature of the 338, it’s high BC.

So, 308 was really the only choice, in my case. For someone with fewer other choices, the 6.5 might make sense. I don’t think the 7-08 would make any sense at all, unless you had other 7mm reloading components that made the 7mm attractive.
Click to expand...

I went through the same thought process on mine. I don't really want it for a long range target gun, I like bolt actions for that. I don't need a varmint caliber, I have a much lighter AR15 for that. I'm never going to take it on a hunt out west because they are too heavy. Don't really plan to deer hunt with it because I have a lot of other guns I like better for that. I thought really hard about a 338 federal because I always wanted one and it would be fun to have a big semi auto thumper. I do want to do a moose and black bear hunt in Canada which I think a 338 fed would be superb for but I don't think canada would let it in the country anyway. That thought led me to 45 raptor because I like med power big bores, but I already have a 444 marlin and a 45-70 so again I don't really need it. Whats a guy to do? Well I got a good deal on a 6.5 creedmoor barrel so I did that. I will re-evaluate in 6 months and see if I have thought of something to use if for that justify's a different caliber. Barrel swaps are easy enough. For now its just a steel banger.
 
.308 for barrel life... and surplus can be surprisingly accurate. ( And inexpensive )

6.5CM ( My choice ) for the much better long range ballistics... but, at the cost of barrel life.

Which ever caliber is chosen, make sure you have a decent barrel... since firing either is not "cheap"

Money spent on a better barrel, ultimately, will save you the money you spent trying to make a moderate barrel shoot well.

.308 FN CHF 20" .308... 100yds, 10rds...( 155gr Horn. AG )
index.php


6.5CM 22" Criterion ... 100yds, 10rds ( 140gr Horn. AG )
index.php
 
Interesting... the photo I just used in another posted here, in both positions...

Lemme try again...
.308
index.php


6.5CM....
index.php
 
My build as a .308, the later 6.5CM upper not picture d
Gordon said:
Finished my AERO 18 " light build , less than 9 pounds with scope last year when I moved to Oregon. Last fall got a 6.5CM Aero heavy 22" upper and used an ATN 4K sight on it . I figured I would go for the really NEW rig , so nice to be able to change uppers in a minute and it's pretty sghted in . The .308 for serious troubles and the 6.5 to push the limits. :)
Click to expand...
The .308 build in Oregon :)
IMG_20180402_151131930_HDR_1.jpg
 
Did this several years ago. Bought an Armalite AR-10T green gun in 308 and then bought a Scott Madisha upper in 260. Also bought two long distance scopes. The T with a 20 inch SS bull barrel, 11 glass lense scope, Harris bipod and loaded mag pretty much needs a gun barer to haul that heavy mother around. They both were great shooters, but the 260 with H-414 and a 120 SMK in the Kregier barrel was absolute magic. The 308 family cartridges use the same mag.
Ed
 
I don't think greece or pakistan is going to float us a shipload of 6.5 so my vote goes 308.
 
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