2 Hunting AR uppers: 204 or 1/9 5.56 and 6.5G or 7.62x39?

D

Dust

New member
I have a carbine that shoots 5.45 well, and was looking into "rifles", and keep going to those that I don't have already. I currently have a 20" M&A parts unfired 5.56 Hbar, and a 20" M1S 7.62x39 that shoots fine. I went with the x39 because of the ammo that we already have, and thought it would be interesting to get into reloading, and subsonic stuff. Thinking about the amount of ammo I will probably shoot, I don't see reloading as something to consider right now.

The 204 will work with the magazines that we have already for the 5.56, so sell 5.56 and buy the .204 would be all that is needed to convert.
6.5G is not as simple as sell the 7.62x39 and buy the 6.5G, but some have said their C-products mags feed 6.5G well. Sell 7.62x39 and mags, buy upper and mags.

I am not a volume shooter, and if I was, there is cheap 6.5G available (or soon), and all but the Hornady 5.45 is cheap, and even the Hornady is relatively cheap.

All that said, for hunting
204 for farther varmints, predators, crows etc. shooting.
6.5G for the rest of the animals crawling and walking in the southern 48 at comfortable ranges.

6.5G embarrasses the x39 in everything but price per round(soon to change) and entry hole
it seems that the .204 would embarrass most 1/9 twist useable 5.56 offerings as well.

Does anyone have comments on the topic? Look for a faster barrel for the 5.56? Selling or trading is not a problem, as I have seen many come and go, for what little I have.
 
Just my opinion but unless you're a dedicated prairie dogger, selling a 223 and buying a 204 would be wasting money. I'm looking at the 204 but not in an AR as an alternative to 223 w/o stepping up to 22/250 in terms of recoil and loading expense.
Like wise trading a 7.62 for a 6.5G is going to escalate your ammo cost exponentially.
Depends on what you want to do. 204 gives you some speed and lower recoil over the 223 and 6.5G gives you range and precision over the 7.62 at the cost of expensive hard to find ammo.
 
Wolf will be coming out with plinking ammo, and for the amount of ammo I will probably be shooting, I don't see 200-500 rounds being that much more compared to the x39. Still have an SKS if I need to shoot what I already have.
 
It's been a few months, wanted to see if anyone else had comments? Been thinking about sell ing the 7.62x39 upper and building an x39 pistol, as well as the rifle(s).
 
Ok, since you asked twice, nicely (and politely)...
:)
I have a 7.62AK upper for my AR that I use for deer hunting in heavy woods. Shots wouldn't be more than 125 yards. I feel that the 7.62x39 is fine for deer at those distances in those conditions. I also have an SKS, so the narrower logistics is nice for my pocketbook. If I were hunting over broken terrain with an AR, I'd use a 6.5 or a 6.8 upper.

I don't know if I would say that the 6.5 is qualified to shoot anything in the lower 48, but if I had a cow elk tag and I knew my shot would be 200 or less, I would take either 6.8 or 6.5 and be confident.

For what it's worth, I haven't chosen a side in the ongoing 6.5/6.8 border wars. I see the beauty of both and if I were given either one for Christmas, I would use it and be happy.
 
6.8 has never interested me. .277 just isn't my thing. My thoughts were 6.5G for the stand (longer barrel), and the 7.62 in a pistol for tracking. Short barrel won't matter as much with the 7.62, and it will make a bigger cheaper hole if something wicked this way comes.
 
I have a 1:9 twist AR15 that will shoot wolf into MOA groups past 300 yards(my farthest so far has been 345 yards). I dont see a 204 out performing that anytime soon.
 
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