AR redux (psst - Zak...)

[rbernie]

OK, I admit it. I've not been paying attention to most of the AR threads, and now I'm gonna pay for it; I may be enticed into to build one. I have no need for a combat rifle per se, but it could be fun to make a hunting rifle outta one of these new-fangled AR gizmos.

So, if I was getting a AR lower but didn't want the 223 chambering, what would my choices be? Off the top of my head, I can think of the 6.8SPC, 6.5 Grendel. and the 50 Beowolf - what else am I missing?

Of the available caliber choices, I'm thinking that the 6.8SPC would be most useful as a game-getter - no?

If I wanted to build a 50 Beowulf upper and a 6.8SPC upper, would I have any issues swapping them onto the same lower?

 

[Bufford t. Justice]

All of which use a 5.56 lower. FYI

 

[Darkside]

rbernie wrote

new-fangled AR gizmos.

It's almost 40 YEARS OLD

Darkside

 

[TC66]

Well you have left out a lot of others. There is the 7.62x39, 9mm, 10 mm, 40 cal., 45 cal., 30 carbine, 243, .25 WSSM and 308. You have a lot of choices to choose from.

TC

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If you step up to the AR10 platform, there is also a .300WSSM in the wings.

 

[444]

SSK has a pretty complete list of what is possible on their website: http://www.sskindustries.com/ar15.htm although he lists the 6.8 Rem SPC on a different page and the AR10 info on yet a different page that I am sure you can find with the original link.

 

[TechBrute]

I don't know anything about the ballistics, but the 6.8SPC barrels and mags are going to be the easiest to come by.

Just before anyone dog piles me with, "but such-and-such a caliber uses the standard 5.56 mags," I'm not aware of any other calibers that are 100% reliable from a standard 5.56 mag. If there is one, please let me know.

 

[VaughnT]

Were I going to buy/build a hunting AR, I would go with the .308 that uses FAL magazines. From a cost/logistics standpoint, this makes the most sense.

6.5, 6.8, .50,.458.....All great rounds in their own rights, but hard to come by and not cheap.

The .308 rifles don't use the 5.56 lowers, though.

 

[rbernie]

It's almost 40 YEARS OLD

Yes, I know. In fact, several decades ago my rich uncle gave me a M16A1 and told me to toe it around for him for about six years. I've just been playing with the early-20th-century MilSurps for a while now, and I was making a joke about that.

The .308 rifles don't use the 5.56 lowers, though.

And I'll be constrained to use a 5.56 lower, if I decide to use it to build something up.

Thanks for the SSK link, 444 - the 458 SOCOM sounds kinda interesting.

 

[Zak Smith]

Sorry for not showing up sooner.

AR15 lowers are all interchangable with all AR15 uppers, regardless of caliber. The only exception are some Colt uppers and lowers which used "large" holes.

I really recommend getting at least one upper in 223/556, just for the ubiquity and utility of it.

The other calibers are really low-volume prospects, for the sake of cost if nothing else.

 

[landon74]

I may be wrong, but I thought you could use standard AR 30 rounders for the .50 Beowulf, although you can only put 7 or 8 of them single stack in the mag....

 

[MagnumCaliber357]

The 50 beo doesnt work "100%" with all ar mags. some of them you might have to take a pair of pliers and move the feed lips around to make it feed more relayibly. I have a friend that owns one and has had some trouble with mags, especially with polymer based mags. What i like about the 50 beo verus other weird calibers is that it uses the 7.62x39mm bolt, which is kina cool. AND IT SURE KICKS LIKE A DOG

 

[raz-0]

well, if I wanted to go hunting with one, I'd consider one of the .50AE sledgehammer uppers. The ammo isn't TOO hard to find, reloading components are plentiful, the caliber should be large enough for any state that would allow the rifle, and it should have the kind of bullet drop that keeps a rifle round from going too far when it misses or goes through the deer etc.

IIRC either .50 beowolf or 458 socom performs like a .444 marlin or light loaded 45-70. So those are other similar options.

One caliber that wasn't metnioned ia 6mmx45. Uses necked up .223 cases, but as far as i can tell you are really flying solo on things like magazines and ammo. No idea if it is remotely useful for deer.

I've been looking for something that would let me get .308 performance without having my ar-10, or even just make major for IPSC, and there really are few options.

the 5.56 ar platform is better geared to varmints rather than deer etc.

 

[rbernie]

AR15 lowers are all interchangable with all AR15 uppers, regardless of caliber.

There is NO delta in FCGs or anything like that? I seem to dimly recall reading that certain chamberings introduced differences in the FCG... Or is the hammer and such considered part of the upper?

(It's been over two decades since I last had a AR15/M16 in pieces, so you'll have to forgive my lapses in memory on this....)

 

[Zak Smith]

the 5.56 ar platform is better geared to varmints rather than deer etc.

That's why we're talkin' about 6.8SPC and 6.5 Grendel, and others.

There is NO delta in FCGs or anything like that? I seem to dimly recall reading that certain chamberings introduced differences in the FCG... Or is the hammer and such considered part of the upper?

No.

Colt did some wierd stuff with high-shelf/low-shelf, sear blocks, large and small pins. But all that was due to M16 vs AR15 differences, perceived or legal, not caliber differences.

 

[444]

" the 458 SOCOM sounds kinda interesting"

I have one. It is interesting. It has become much more mainstream than it was when I bought mine. There is now factory ammo available and brass is now readily available. It uses a very common bullet.
BUT, if I was looking for an AR15 type rifle for hunting, I would just buy an AR10 in .308. If I was thinking about buying a rifle for big game hunting in the US of any action type the .308 would be a stong consideration, so why not with an AR ?

 

[TechBrute]

I agree with 444. There is plenty of factory support out there for the .308 AR. Heck, you can go with the Bushmaster that takes cheap FAL mags. Of course, the old standard is the AR10.

 

[Zak Smith]

BUT, if I was looking for an AR15 type rifle for hunting, I would just buy an AR10 in .308. If I was thinking about buying a rifle for big game hunting in the US of any action type the .308 would be a stong consideration, so why not with an AR ?

Having lugged around an AR10 all day for different field matches (even my 20" with a lightweight barrel profile), an AR10 would not be my choice for carrying around hunting. It's just too heavy. With the amount of recoil and the movement from the reciprocating mass, it's not dramatically faster to deliver rounds on target than a good bolt rifle. I would prefer an AR15 chambered in something more potent than 556, or a lighter bolt rifle.

-z

 

[444]

It isn't my choice either. I hunt with bolt action rifles. But, I am not the one that was asking for advice on an AR15 type rifle to hunt with.
I own a pretty fair collection of guns, nine of them are AR15 platform rifles. When I hunt, I use the same rifle every time: Remington 700ADL, Leupold Vari-X III scope, .30-06. The rest of the collection are toys.

 

[Darkside]

rbernie, I guess my attempt at humor failed, I am sorry. I thought the grin/smilley would convey my since of humor.

As for the cailber for hunting, I think the 6.8SPC round, in a Carbine, would make a great coyote/deer getter inside 200 yards. I don't have the balistic charts handy, but it would be like a 270 short. As long as the shooter could keep all the shots in a 9" circle at 200 yards, a well designed bullet would do it's job fairly well on deer sized critters and smaller.

Darkside