What AR round should I try next? Bigger than 5.56.

I’m trying out 450BM, I know there are better long range options out there but since I now live in the dense forest my tastes for ARs have changed. I won’t be shooting anything beyond 50-100 range. I’ve been tossing around a few ideas and came up with 450BM.

Really you’re gonna get answers that are other people’s favorites or pet calibers. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s good to see what others are doing.

I have .223/5.56, 300AAC and 6.8SPC. I like those so far and leaning towards 6.8 as being my favorite.
300AAC is pretty quiet unsuppressed, especially with subs but even with supers.

If I were still living in west Texas I may shoot for longer range options, but I’m not, so my next trial is the 450BM. I haven’t bought a complete upper in a very long time but I opted for one this time.
 
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I’m a 6.8 spc fan.Ten years ago that’s what I would have recommended.But some bullets have been discontinued the cheap gold dot bullets are gone and the relatively cheap ammo is gone.Today I would go with the 6.5 Grendel
 
""something that might be used on occasional pig hunt."" - 2 people said AR-10 / .308 and I entirely agree. For knock down with outstanding ballistics and wide availability, the .308 is one of the best out there especially for taking down a sow at distance. A quality muzzle brake and the recoil isn't any worse than a barbie gun with nothing. I had a chance to fire my friend's AR-10 and, if I had a boar problem, it's what I'd reach for.
 
300 blackout is VASTLY superior to 223 when hunting. I know a lot is written that it's not all that much of an upgrade but having hunted boar and other game for many years with both, the difference is night and day. It's effectively the perfect AR round when your goal is not to carry a war full of ammo with you.
 
Hey all. I'm bored with 5.56, tired of building the same old AR's, thinking of building something bigger. .300 Blackout might be an option but...was thinking maybe .350 Legend? 6.8SPC (if anyone shoots that anymore?) Maybe .450 Bushmaster? I'm looking for ammo that's not going to be TOO expensive or hard to find, need something reliable, parts availability that's not too exotic, something that might be used on occasional pig hunt.
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That cartridge already exists. ... It's called the 7.62/.308.

Best platform for it is the AR-10 running SR-25 pattern mags.

You will have no issues.
 
kymasabe said:
Hey all. I'm bored with 5.56...

I'm looking for ammo that's not going to be TOO expensive or hard to find, need something reliable, parts availability that's not too exotic, something that might be used on occasional pig hunt.
Your thoughts ?
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Good, defined desire, potential uses, and not a reloader.

While there are a LOT of calibers that can be jammed into an AR15, once you leave the .223 casehead, cost of ammo and parts goes up significantly.

With a .223 Case head, you are probably looking at one of two...

300 Blackout. Run at Supersonic speeds with a longer gas system, it does a lot of things really well, including Deer and Hog hunting at appropriate ranges. You can buy an upper this morning and be shooting it on your AR15 lower, with AR15 mags, this afternoon. Ammo is the cheapest of the lot of alternative, larger bore AR15 compatible cartridges. Most folks look at the 300 BO for a shorter barrel shooting subsonic, but on the other side, with a properly set-up system, it could be compared to the .30-30 classic.

350 Legend. Also based on the .223 casehead, but you might or might not need to modify or use magazines without the forward rib. Still, a simple purchase of an upper and ammo and you are off to the range. More comparable to the .35Rem, it's a very capable cartridge with ammo a little more expensive than the 300 Blackout.

Those two are my thoughts based on what you said. Both are buy a barrel and then use everything else AR15. When you go to some of the better ballistics calibers, you increase case head diameter, so special bolts and mags in addition to the barrel. So more expensive to build and to feed as ammo is much more expensive.

IF, however, you are open to the large frame AR, then the obvious choice is a .308. You can go mild to wild, and in most cases they are cheaper to feed and build than the higher performance AR15 calibers that others have suggested in this thread.
 
300aac is the most economical option to venture away from .223.
Most barrel options out there are pistol length gas systems.
I’ve tried two configurations, pistol and 16” barrels. The pistol was reliable with supers and subs. The 16” is over gassed and required two tungsten weights to get it to run perfectly, but not a huge issue. It’s a fun caliber and isn’t as loud as other cartridges, even with supers.

6.8spc is a solid performer, but you need a bolt and special mags, and I recommend ARP barrels. 6.8spc ammunition availability has been spotty in the last year or so.
 
7.62x39 is a viable option. They do use a different mag design but with the proper mags mine has been flawless, or if you only load five at a time a standard mag works fine. I just use ten round mag off a bench for load development. It may not shoot bug holes but mine has been sub 2MOA out to 200 yds which for me is it’s usable range and plenty good for hunting. Of course this is with handloads, I’ve only tried PMC factory ammo and it’s slightly larger group wise but consistent.
 
I have been looking at the 7.62x39 too. What groove diameter does the barrel have? 0.310” or 0.308"? Thanks.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
tangolima said:
I have been looking at the 7.62x39 too. What groove diameter does the barrel have? 0.310” or 0.308"? Thanks.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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Mine is .310, which I believe has become pretty much standardized in the US now. The only rifles in 7.62x39 I’m personally aware of were the early Mini-30’s, I had one from the first production run and when I put in some Russian military ammo you could definitely feel a difference in recoil from the tight bore. Not sure how true this is but I’ve also read where the early Mini-30’s bores were tapered from .310 at the bore down to.308 a few inches from the muzzle.
 
jetinteriorguy said:
Mine is .310, which I believe has become pretty much standardized in the US now. The only rifles in 7.62x39 I’m personally aware of were the early Mini-30’s, I had one from the first production run and when I put in some Russian military ammo you could definitely feel a difference in recoil from the tight bore. Not sure how true this is but I’ve also read where the early Mini-30’s bores were tapered from .310 at the bore down to.308 a few inches from the muzzle.
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Thanks. I was hoping it was 0.308". I handload. Bullet selection for 0.310" is way more limiting.

-TL

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tangolima said:
Thanks. I was hoping it was 0.308". I handload. Bullet selection for 0.310" is way more limiting.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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I handload as well and not only is bullet selection more limited, it also tends to be more expensive. I did like the ability to use.308 bullets in the original Mini30, even though when I got it accuracy was pretty horrible I did manage to get it down to sub 2MOA with some trigger work, a good handload, and mounting a scope on it. I killed quite a few deer with that rifle.
 
jetinteriorguy said:
I handload as well and not only is bullet selection more limited, it also tends to be more expensive.
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I agree your selection isn't great on bullets for the 7.62X39. I'd disagree about it being more expensive for the bullet component 16-30 cents seems about the going rate for 123 grain. That's pretty comparable to the 125-130 grain bullets used often in the .300 BLK.
 
I buy bulk .310 SSTs from midway when they get them in, and they usually do at some point. Not only is it cheap in bulk, but it's also one of the best performing 7.62 x 39 bullets in both my AK and 7.62 x 39 AR.
 
I’m probably doing an unfair comparison thinking more like the cost of .224 bullets. I haven’t bought any .308 caliber bullets in a long long time so they just seem pricey. I’ll have to check on Midway again since I have plenty of powder, brass, and primers.
 
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