Building a woods AR - caliber selection?

[Wingshooter]

14 minutes ago, raildog said:

Also look at 25-45 Sharps or the 50 Beowulf the sharps is good to 800 yards on deer and smaller Beowulf is great out to 150 yards or so I've dropped a lot of pigs with the 50

Both good ideas. I'll check them out

[Smith]

I went with the 6.8 for all the reason you mentioned. It's better than 300BLK at 300 ranges, better than 5.56 at all ranges, and better than 6.5 Grendel until you get past 300 yrds or so. They are all compromises, but the 6.8 seems to have the best parts of the others without any unique negatives.

[Jct1911]

6 hours ago, raildog said:

Also look at 25-45 Sharps or the 50 Beowulf the sharps is good to 800 yards on deer and smaller Beowulf is great out to 150 yards or so I've dropped a lot of pigs with the 50

I think you've got your ballistics mixed up. The 25-45 Sharps is barely more efficient than .223 or 6x45. It's got nothing on Grendel or 6.8. There is another wildcat that is slightly shorter, the 25-223 that will allow use of heavier and higher BC bullets. The Sharps gets its best number from 20" barrels using the 87grn Speer hot core bullet.

Beowulf is as effective as any other large bore rifle, it is only limited by the shooters ability to learn holdovers and use them affectively. 45-70 killed thousands of buffalo and men from much further than 150yds with black powder shooting cast 405grn bullets. I run 500's in mine, I'd have no qualms shooting large deer or black bears with it at 200yds. 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Jct1911