What is the coolest caliber for a defense/assault type AR-15? Is it the .458 SOCOM? What a hog stopper!

223

OK, I would say the 5.7X28

223AI

those ackley rounds just are plain cool!

The 50 Beowulf has definite cool factor. Anything with a half inch bore can't be anything but cool.

I would second that !

I should say... I already have the. 223. I have two stripped lowers to use and I would like to make one of them into a version of the DPMS Arctic Panther. The second, I would like to do something like the SOCOM or the Beowulf.

well ya know you can swap uppers... so I'd personally skip building the lowers, and build the extra uppers first, then you can go back and build the lowers.

For defense I'm just not sure, there is a difference between defense and cool IMHO. I would not want to use my 50 beowulf as main defense gun.

Actually I'd probably think really hard about an AR in 7.62x39 or the 6.8 SPC. Although I'm totally confident in the 223 as is.

After a day of defending the Hacienda, I think the 6.8spc would be a fan favorite over any of the three big bores, both from recoil and carrying ammo. Anyone/thing hit is gonna be just as dead from 120 grains at close distance as 250 grains.

Rost495,

Now that C Products seems to have the bugs worked out of their 7.62x39 magazines, who makes a decent upper in that caliber? I'd love to find a pre ban Colt, but the only ones I've been able to locate are made by Model 1 Sales with the E.R. Shaw barrels, and Bushmaster. Sabre Defense made one for a short time, but have since discontinued them. Any suggestions?

I'm going to be different and say the 6.5 grendel.

After I made that post I did a google search and look what I came up with..

6.5 grendel

And in reality as dead as from a 77 also...

Mike

Nope, I don't have a clue honestly.... I do know the more I shoot my nephews Model 1 upper, the more I like the round. That happens to be a solid MOA shooter and with 125 BTs its just about right.... Even knocked off a yote around 500 or so with it by accident.... I mean we didn't know the distance, his dad had missed it closer and it came back out and sat down, so I grabbed his gun, guessed the complete shot and rolled it.

Of course when I get that far I'll be trying to see if anyone would chamber a barrel for it.... Dtech maybe?

I've always thought a 300 whisper with a can would be cool.

I take it that the Model 1 is a .308 diameter barrel vice a .311. I'll have to research this some, as the appeal is that I have a boatload of 7.62x39, and would like to be able to shoot it out of my AR.

I think the 243 WSSM is pretty cool on the AR platform, but then, I'm prejudiced.

Considering you want to be able to stockpile a LOT of ammo and will be primarily concerned with eliminating people, a 22 LR conversion with lots of magazines is my choice.

His does not shoot surplus ammo well. His AK shoots surplus better. I suspect the answer is there.

Sounds like the reason. Thanks. I'll call Bushmaster today and find out.

Just got off the phone with Bushmaster, and they didn't know off the top of their heads whether it is .308 or .311, but he said the engineers had designed the upper around the cartridge, so he suspected that it was .311, which is good for my purposes. He did say that he would contact me with an answer ASAP. He did also confirm that the barrels/chambers ARE hard chromed, which is also good for my purposes. I will advise when I get a definitive answer from BM.

edited for update

Would be good info to know... just in case I do one eventually. A man could have 2 barrels, one for junk, and one for good accurate deer ammo..... easy enough to spin off and on...

This guy is a [bleep] idiot.

He rights two almost identical articles whoring both the 6mm Optimum and the 6.5 Grendel as the answer to the best assault rifle cartridge. Nevermind the idiot has probably never fired either on full auto at length and in the varying conditions to ascertain if either is reliable at feeding in a MBR.





http://www.65grendel.com/art0036mmopt.htm
http://www.65grendel.com/

Just got an e mail from Bushmaster, and they state that the bore diameter is .300+/-.002 and the groove diameter is .310+/-.002, so that tells me that surplus/foreign will shoot better than our domestic 7.62x39.

Between the decent 25 rd mags now available, and the correct upper from Bushmaster, I think a new caliber is in my future.

That is good informtion!

One can't hardly argue that the 6.5 isn't a superior round over the 6.8 though. Regardless of articles.

Sure you can, IF you are debating an "all around military type round". The 6.8spc case is an inherently better feeding cartridge and provides more mag capacity for given magazine size.

Reliability and logistics, that's 66% of the equation. Add in no appreciable difference in performance at MBR common use ranges and you see why the 6.5 grendel has failed to garner any legitimacy with the major AR manufacturers or any military.

Now if we were talking some type of long range competition or medium range hunting use, different story. But the claim was "Best assault weapon cartridge" and the 6.5 Grendel just cannot be taken seriously there.

Never said combat round... rounds in general.

Of course I'd take a 223 any day over anything in .277 other than the 270AM.. I just can't stand that caliber.
Now my 6mm WOA off the 6.8... that I do like.

Though the grendels I've shot were greatly accurate, and fed just fine, but they do squash the mag capacity a bit, and as to feeding, well thats inherent in case shape for sure. But the round still fed perfectly in all the guns I shot it in, assuming the mags were correct. Much like SPC mags, get good mags and they are fine, try to use non SPC mags, good luck.

Fair enough, that's why I mentioned IF we were talking about the topic of the article.

All biases aside, why would you prefer a .223 to a .277 for a MBR caliber, if let's say we were building a MBR from scratch and the physical constraints of the AR were nonexistent?

I could see 6mm or 6.5mm using the 6.8spc cartridge as a MBR cartridge just fine. The extra .013" doesn't bother me though.

My opinion on the Grendel is that they wanted so badly to highlight performance, they traded potential reliability by dropping the 7.62x39 taper and moderate neck by using the 6mm PPC. Feeding was never a concern for the 6mm PPC, so blowing out the shoulder was an attribute to performance.

I agree. I have to say I've found the 6.5 Grendel to be pretty "cool" so far. Very accurate long range plinker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbYlKXPbH0k (1000 yds)

And while I didn't build this to hunt with, it'll surely fill the freezer when needed:



(420 yds)

7.62 x 51 is by far the best. . . . . . .

Why, cause I hate .277 for some reason I can't answer. Same reason I wouldn't hunt with a pink gun or a nice walnut stock or shiny blue job. Just cause.
You want common sense reason to use 223 over 6.8 and such. Ain't got one. About the only thing I can say there is for a lot of things a 77 bthp will settle the issue quickly and I can carry more ammo... And thats not really a legit enough argument.

I love the 6.5 grendel(ppc) never had owned one YET though but have shot them enough to know they are GOOD.

Here are my three favorite:
.338 Federal
.325 WSM
.50 Beowulf

The is a reason none of the name brands build the grendel.
Same could be said for the wssm's.

AA has a death grip on licensing and only a few manufactures are producing (quality) rifles. JP,Les Baer, Sabre Defence, AA and hopefully LaRue in a near future? Looks like Hornady is going to produce ammo soon and hopefully others will as well. This should make Grendel more available.
6x45 is a great ar-15 cartridge. All you have to do is rebarrel your rifle and get a new set of dies. Better ballistics and stopping power (compared to 223).
Don't have any of the WSSM, but can't argue w/the performance.

How 'bout a 22lr? More rounds/less heat.......



Or did you mean a different kinda cool?

I'll also be different and say the 300 RSAUM. An AR so chambered could do it all, IMO.

I'm a dull guy. I'd stick with the round the rifle was designed around, kind or like the way I feel about the 1911 and .45 ACP.

by far the 'coolest' caliber is 5.56X45 NATO

I have a 6PPC on an AR-15 platform 12.5 pounds of "Cool"

The 6mm WOA is at the top of the "cool" list IMO. I can see myself picking one up in the near future.

The "coolest" is 5.56x45 NATO.

Fight's on.