Building a woods AR - caliber selection?

[Wingshooter]

I'm trying to pick a caliber. 6.5 Grendel, 6.8SPC, 458Socom, 300BO...?

I've decided to build a "woods" AR. It's primary mission will be to ride in the rack on my ATV while riding on my land to check deer stands, cameras, fence maintenance,  etc. I use a Win94 30-30 for this purpose now, but I'm wanting to build another AR

It needs to be able to handle varmints at distance, hogs, deer and defend against whatever sasquatch might lurk in the East TN woods. I won't really be hunting with it on purpose (I have other platforms for that). I just want a ride-along partner that's also a capable hunter.

I want a 16" in something other than 5.56. I'm leaning towards 6.5Grendel, but the 458 has caught my eye. 300BO?6.8? What would you choose? 

This will probably wear a rattle can paint job and a light weight 1-4 optic, so it may double as a good truck gun on occasion too. I will also reload for it.

[1gewehr]

For Sasquatch, go with the .458.  For anything else you're likely to find in TN, the 6.5 Grendel can handle it.  There is inexpensive steel-case ammo for plinking, or really high quality ammo for getting out as far as you can shoot.  With handloading, the variety of projectiles is staggering.

BTW, I've got over 600rds of the 100gr steel-cased ammo through one of my rifles, and have been very happy with it.  Very consistent for cheap ammo.

[Mindless-Focus]

While I love the 300BO, it's a close in round. Yes, it can get out there, but it does best up close. The 458 is the same. It's a heavy round and while it'll stop a T-Rex at 100 yards, I wouldn't trust it past that. 

My pick is the 6.5. While you kind of neuter it in a 16" barrel, it gets out there with both force and authority. I would love to do a 6.5 personally. It'll drop everything here in Tennessee. 

[mikegideon]

I have all of the above calibers except for 6.8. Gotta agree that the Grendel will reach out lots better. The only caution I have is that it doesn't play as reliably in high cap magazines. If you think you need more than 10 in the gun, that would be the only down side.

[KKing]

I'll be crucified for this, but...

[TNWNGR]

You might want to look at a 6mmx.223, it uses your once fired .223 brass and is easy to fire form and load for. It used to be kind of popular but the 6.8 SPC kind of took over.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6×45mm

I know a few guys who've killed deer and hogs with this round and love it.

[mikegideon]

1 hour ago, KKing said:

I'll be crucified for this, but...

Speaking of Grendels not liking hi cap magazines

[KKing]

Speaking of Grendels not liking hi cap magazines [emoji4]

Actually, that's a new "multi-cal" magazine I'm trying out that's recently released. Fed 25 rounds at a time over 10 times on Friday

[mikegideon]

13 minutes ago, KKing said:

Actually, that's a new "multi-cal" magazine I'm trying out that's recently released. Fed 25 rounds at a time over 10 times on Friday

I wish you luck. That straight magwell and that cartridge shape  just wanna give each other problems. The Grendel is the same basic deal. 

[Wingshooter]

2 hours ago, 1gewehr said:

For Sasquatch, go with the .458.  For anything else you're likely to find in TN, the 6.5 Grendel can handle it.  There is inexpensive steel-case ammo for plinking, or really high quality ammo for getting out as far as you can shoot.  With handloading, the variety of projectiles is staggering.

BTW, I've got over 600rds of the 100gr steel-cased ammo through one of my rifles, and have been very happy with it.  Very consistent for cheap ammo.

I didn't realize they had the steel case ammo out there like they do for it. Good to know

[Wingshooter]

2 hours ago, Mindless-Focus said:

While I love the 300BO, it's a close in round. Yes, it can get out there, but it does best up close. The 458 is the same. It's a heavy round and while it'll stop a T-Rex at 100 yards, I wouldn't trust it past that. 

My pick is the 6.5. While you kind of neuter it in a 16" barrel, it gets out there with both force and authority. I would love to do a 6.5 personally. It'll drop everything here in Tennessee. 

I'm leaning grendel, but it would be nice to have that big thumper up close. How reliable are the 458 mags?

[KKing]

I wish you luck. That straight magwell and that cartridge shape  just wanna give each other problems. The Grendel is the same basic deal. 

Yeah the CPD mags I have for it have functioned really well with it in 30, 28, and 10 round flavors. Just thought this thing was interesting since it will supposedly feed any cartridge that will fit inside an AR mag well. It's several thousandths wider all around than a standard GI magazine, won't drop free in any lower I have. I suppose that's to give some play to some of the longer calibers, not sure. I'll gladly ship it to a Grendel owner for them to try and see if it works. Supposedly it will.

http://www.primaryarms.com/rze-mag-001b/p/rze-mag-001b/

[Wingshooter]

1 hour ago, mikegideon said:

I have all of the above calibers except for 6.8. Gotta agree that the Grendel will reach out lots better. The only caution I have is that it doesn't play as reliably in high cap magazines. If you think you need more than 10 in the gun, that would be the only down side.

Hmm... hadn't thought of that. I would like to be able to load it up as much as possible (just in case a family of sasquachie chase me down the trail). Is it a follower issue or curve of the mag thing?

[mikegideon]

4 minutes ago, Wingshooter said:

I didn't realize they had the steel case ammo out there like they do for it. Good to know

Won't be any steel cases running thru my match barrels. I have $450 in one, and $550 in the other. They get. brass only. Should be good for a woods gun with a cheaper barrel, though.

[Mindless-Focus]

5 minutes ago, Wingshooter said:

I'm leaning grendel, but it would be nice to have that big thumper up close. How reliable are the 458 mags?

If you use lancer mags, you're fine. Takes some modifying to the upper and feed ramp, but it's fine. I just wouldn't trust it too much past 100 tho. The again, where I hunt, 100 is about the max I can shoot. 

[mikegideon]

1 minute ago, Wingshooter said:

Hmm... hadn't thought of that. I would like to be able to load it up as much as possible (just in case a family of sasquachie chase me down the trail). Is it a follower issue or curve of the mag thing?

The parent case for a Grendel is a .220 Russian. Same problem as a 7.62 x 39. The cartridge needs a pretty good curve in the mag, and the mag well in an AR is straight. The 300 blackout isn't that short on range, and hits pretty hard. It has the ballistics of an AK47.

[mikegideon]

3 minutes ago, Mindless-Focus said:

If you use lancer mags, you're fine. Takes some modifying to the upper and feed ramp, but it's fine. I just wouldn't trust it too much past 100 tho. The again, where I hunt, 100 is about the max I can shoot. 

That's what I use with my .458. I uses the good uns too. Didn't have to modify anything. I have an RRA upper.

Edited June 27, 2016 by mikegideon

[Mindless-Focus]

4 minutes ago, mikegideon said:

That's what I use with my .458. I uses the good uns too. Didn't have to modify anything. I have an RRA upper.

Mine was a custom build. Had to have the upper modified with larger port and had to modify the lip at the ramp to feed reliability. Used a Tromix barrel. 

[Wingshooter]

3 minutes ago, mikegideon said:

Won't be any steel cases running thru my match barrels. I have $450 in one, and $550 in the other. They get. brass only. Should be good for a woods gun with a cheaper barrel, though.

Yeah, I'll be doing a cheaper barrel for this one. I'm brass only through all my precision barrels though, but sometimes I'll buy some cheap bulk steel ammo to save up if the price is right. I'll reload for this one, so it'll be fed brass.

[Mindless-Focus]

8 minutes ago, mikegideon said:

The parent case for a Grendel is a .220 Russian. Same problem as a 7.62 x 39. The cartridge needs a pretty good curve in the mag, and the mag well in an AR is straight. The 300 blackout isn't that short on range, and hits pretty hard. It has the ballistics of an AK47.

Yeah, 300 is my all around favorite cartridge for it versatility. And with a can, it's fun. 

[Mindless-Focus]

1 minute ago, Wingshooter said:

Yeah, I'll be doing a cheaper barrel for this one. I'm brass only through all my precision barrels though, but sometimes I'll buy some cheap bulk steel ammo to save up if the price is right. I'll reload for this one, so it'll be fed brass.

Call me weird, but I really don't like running steel case if I can help it. 

[Wingshooter]

12 minutes ago, mikegideon said:

The parent case for a Grendel is a .220 Russian. Same problem as a 7.62 x 39. The cartridge needs a pretty good curve in the mag, and the mag well in an AR is straight. The 300 blackout isn't that short on range, and hits pretty hard. It has the ballistics of an AK47.

 

2 minutes ago, Mindless-Focus said:

Yeah, 300 is my all around favorite cartridge for it versatility. And with a can, it's fun. 

I'm considering 300bo for this also.  I have an 8.5" 300 pistol. I really like the round, and I'm already setup to load it. I haven't really done my homework to compare the ballistics to the 6.5, but I know the 6.5 is moving a lot faster. I like hard-hitting rounds for a woods gun. 

I do have a 30cal can on the way

[Mindless-Focus]

That's why I consider the 6.5 more of a long range round than the 300. It does hit hard. 

[Jct1911]

300blackout is fun, but if you're not wanting to run subsonic, there are better options. 7.62x39 bests 300blk by about 200fps, and with real rifle bullets, x39 carries its energy better and further than 30-30(even with the 30-30 having about 200fps on it with 125grn flat nose bullets). The 6.5 will stretch to the 400-500yd mark and stay in the velocity envelope of bullet performance with 125grn bullets, this is roughly 100-150yds further than the 30's. BUT, the x39 has sweet cheap steel cased ammo for all around shooting and practice. I have the AR's in x39 and 300blk, both serve different purposes. For 6.5, I went 260rem in the AR308 platform, it'll knock the socks off any the small platform cartridges, but obviously in a larger, heavier platform. 

Edited June 27, 2016 by Jct1911

[mikegideon]

12 minutes ago, Wingshooter said: