300blk or 5.56

[Maverick145]

My birthday is right around the corner and I'm really really wanting to get/build an AR. (I have the wifes permission ) What I can't decide is do I go with tried and true 5.56 or 300blk. Its gonna be range/coyote gun. Any and all thoughts please.

 

[CHALK22]

Unless you plan on getting them yotes to head on inside 100 yds, and are going to load your own ammo, I would go 5.56/.223. It will be a while before you can head down to the LGS and pick up a box or two of .300 BLK off the shelf. Don't get me wrong, I want a .300 BLK also, but for what you said, a 5.56 would fit the bill. Especially for your first AR. You can always get another upper for your bday next year!

 

[Hawthorne2k]

5.56mm. Cheaper ammo, for one reason. Availability of parts for another.

 

[rcmodel]

.223/5.56.

Nobody at Walmart has heard of .300 BLK ammo yet, let alone sell it at a price you can afford to shoot it.

And appartently you don't reload it yet, or you wouldn't be asking.

rc

 

[scramasax]

5.56 is an excellent coyote caliber. It is also a good starter due to ammo cost and the ability to get a .22lr kit. I've got one in 5.56, one in .22lr,one in 300BLK, and one in .458SOCOM. Next one on the way is 5.7x28. Then I'm going for a 6.8 or 6.5.

Thier tinker toys and just multiply in the dard gunsafe.

Cheers,

ts

 

[68wj]

Walmart is a very poor metric for choosing much anything. Between the two, especially if this is your first AR, I would day .223. Later you can add a different upper in .300, 6.8 SPC, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

 

[firesky101]

Like everyone said, start with the standard (5.56). It wont be your last upper, and probably not your last AR.

 

[snakeman]

skip the hassle and go for the 5.56 especially for yotes. The 300 blk will be much harder to hit them with at range or while running.

 

[KingTiger]

The 300 blk will be much harder to hit them with at range or while running.

What are you talking about?

 

[bearfoot]

For what it's worth, I saw boxes of .300 BLK at Academy last night. I'd like to eventually get into that caliber, too, but I'll probably start with 5.56, as recommended by most here. (I'm on the cusp of my first AR purchase)

 

[Jason_W]

My first AR purchase will likely be the .300 BLK. I like how it pretty closely mimics the ballistics I used to get from my .357 carbine, and how it can be reloaded with Lil'gun, of which I still have about a pound and a half.

 

[aubie515]

I ditched all of my ARs last year...and now I want one again since the 300 blackout is offered. If you plan to use a suppressor...the 300bo is the way to go. Plenty of companies are coming on board to offer 300 bo, so ammo prices are priced well considering it's a new caliber.

To the OP...seems like 223/5.56 will do what you require.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Another vote for 5.56 for a first AR for those uses.

 

[RyeDaddy]

300 BLK uses all the same parts other than the barrel itself, just FYI. Same bolt and mags, unlike all the other hybrid AR cartridges out there.

Still, for your first AR I'd go with 5.56. Around here it isn't difficult or expensive to buy 300 BLK ammo at the store, but I can't think of a store you can't get 5.56 at. For coyotes the 300 BLK isn't any advantage to you. As has been said you can still buy a 300 BLK upper later, they're coming out in ridiculous numbers now, I saw a ton of them at SHOT show.
Or you can really save some money and buy just a barrel and change it yourself down the road if you don't feel like buying a whole extra upper.

 

[shabba]

check out the 300 blackout forum.the 300blk is the fasted growing gun/ caliber in America today.it is sammi approved, every co. can make stuff for it, and fwiw, it was made primarily as a supersonic round, not sub. not that aac doesnt want to make $ from the sale of 762sdn6s.it makes a great deer gun or pig gun out of the standard ar. it is becoming the go-to gun for piggy hunters in texas. it is a great caliber, but you have to use the right caliber for the right job. coyote hunting at distance, unless standing still, would probably require somthing different. although the remington loaded barnes ttsx goes at about 2300fps. and ammo is being sold by lots of places right now and more later. freedom group will make sure of that!! oh did you know freedom group is remington,aac,bushmaster...........

 

[moxie]

Either will get your job done. As otherwise stated, the .223/5.56 option is way cheaper. But, the .300BLK is a nice option. It has better ballistics than the 7.62X39. Similar to a 30-30 in some ways. Should be potent coyote, or boar, medicine.

 

[Fiv3r]

I'd also say .223/5.56 for your first AR. It's a good all around caliber for plinking, varmints, and home defense AND it's cost effect to burn through.

Like the others have said, start with the .223 and buy a 300 upper at your leisure. Happy birthday

 

[Nikdfish]

+1 on .223/5.56 as the first for the same reasons - mainly cheaper practice (especially if you add in a .22 conversion bolt!). Having said that, I have to admit I'm waiting on a backordered 300 BLK upper myself and have already picked up reloading dies & components...

Nick

 

[wildchild2010]

Stay old school for now, The 300 may fall to the waste side one day.

 

[jmstevens2]

check out the 300 blackout forum.the 300blk is the fasted growing gun/ caliber in America today.it is sammi approved, every co. can make stuff for it, and fwiw, it was made primarily as a supersonic round, not sub. not that aac doesnt want to make $ from the sale of 762sdn6s.it makes a great deer gun or pig gun out of the standard ar. it is becoming the go-to gun for piggy hunters in texas. it is a great caliber, but you have to use the right caliber for the right job. coyote hunting at distance, unless standing still, would probably require somthing different. although the remington loaded barnes ttsx goes at about 2300fps. and ammo is being sold by lots of places right now and more later. freedom group will make sure of that!! oh did you know freedom group is remington,aac,bushmaster...........

Sounds like a paid advertisement to me.

 

[Jason_W]

I wonder how any new cartridge ever beats the new cartridge conundrum:

A new round is released, but no one wants to buy for fear it won't last, but if no one invests in it, it definitely won't last.

the .300 BLK does look like it's starting to go mainstream, though.

 

[wildchild2010]

Sounds like a paid advertisement to me.

People jump to the new things all the time, latest and greatest.

 

[rjrivero]

The 300 Whisper is a VERY successful wildcat. The thing holding it back from mainstream popularity was the proprietary nature of the round.

Now that the 300 BLACKOUT is SAMMI approved, you'll see a LOT more folks with renewed interest in this "classic" combination of 308 caliber bullet in a short bottleneck case that happens to work with the most popular rifle in the country, with the change of just a BARREL.

 

[briansmithwins]

300 BLK is much more of a specialty cartridge. Unless you're planning on running a suppressor I don't see much of a advantage.

5.56 is much more of a generalist round.

BSW

 

[Hammerhead6814]

If/when .300 Blackout get's below .40 cents a round I can see it overtaking 5.56. But as long as you can buy two brass cased, boxer primed .223's for less than one .300 BLK, 5.56 will stay stronger.