5.56 options

[tk390]

I am looking to bump up my AR in the horse power area. I would like to use it in a hunting role and would like a little more power at a little longer range (300 yards or so), I probably wont ever take a shot that far but would like to know I could if needed. I would like to keep my platform and keep my changes to the barrel, bcg and mags. What are my options 300blk, 6.8, 6.5,???????. What advantages/disadvantages are there of each round?

[Onyx Z]

A heavier bullet 5.56 would be the easiest transition with many, many different bullets available. 300BLK will need a new barrel and is a max ~250yd round, and that's pushing it. 6.8 will need a new barrel, bolt, & mags. The downside is if 6.8 ever falls out of production (doubtful that it will), you are screwed on brass since it uses an obsolete parent cartridge. 300BLK uses one of the most popular parent cartridges (223) and bullet size (.308).

Check out this thread:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?156566-Heavier-hitting-round

[markm]

I'd say 6.5 in a minute if it weren't for the lack of readily available barrels and stuff.

6.8's issue has mostly been the Mags. But for hunting, you'd probably only need to make a single shot, maybe two. So it might work fine for that.

[IraqVet1982]

What kind of hunting? If it's medium game, I really love the 450 bushmaster.

[WadeP]

Depends on what you are hunting and where.
Within reason, dropping medium game humanely depends more on shot placement and bullet choice than caliber.
A heavy .223 that expands and stays intact with sufficient penetration will work fine for whitetail up to 200 yds, maybe 300 if the velocity to expand is still there.
BUT, 6.8 seems to work better according to a lot of my hunting buds who have switched to it.

[Regalkismet]

6.8 is excellent.... Never have had any mag issues and there isn't any significant mag issues that I've seen on any forums including the 6.8 forums unless your referring to feed lips needing to be adjusted on some early magazines which hardly equates to unreliable as suggested ...6.8 has plenty of industry support, great parts availability, and plenty of factory hunting ammunition available...

[railpig314]

I would go with the Black Hills Mk262 round. We shoot that out to 600m. That is a 5.56mm open tip match round. 77grain bullet.....
That would be the most cost effective way to give your rifle a little more range......

[cbx]

Not that this fits your criteria, but I found last night a company called Noreen that makes an auto loading 30-06......less than 2k.

More go than 308 for big game.

For the same gun, 6.8 and 6.5 are probably the most power? I have no experience with either.

I'll second the heavier bullet suggestions. I've started shooting heavier rounds occasionally, and what a difference. But those have limits too.

I think your best bet will be another rifle in a larger caliber. You could sell the one you have to fund it.

Again I know that doesn't achieve your goal, trying to get one to do all results in more compromises.

[cbx]

The rifle is noreen BN36. Price 2k. Other calibers are 270 and 25-06. One of these would probably make a great autoloading hunting rifle if you didn't want 308. But I imagine it's all proprietary parts.

[BufordTJustice]

70gr TSX or 70gr GMX.

[FlyingHunter]

70gr TSX or 70gr GMX.

This ^^^ if your sticking with 5.56. If you need more than that for whatever your purpose is then...
Get matching a .308, then set them up very similar so the transition back and forth is easy.

[rcoodyar15]

This ^^^ if your sticking with 5.56. If you need more than that for whatever your purpose is then...
Get matching a .308, then set them up very similar so the transition back and forth is easy.

My next step in the AR platform will be the 6mmAR turbo 40.

of course I don't hunt with an ar. Use my bolt guns for that.

[Cap'n Crash]

The rifle is noreen BN36. Price 2k. Other calibers are 270 and 25-06. One of these would probably make a great autoloading hunting rifle if you didn't want 308. But I imagine it's all proprietary parts.

Does anyone have any experience with the BN36 in 30-06? Searching here yields no info, and the web has nothing of substance--save for a few reports of head space issues between 2013 and 2014.
I'm interesting in hunting hogs with this. It interests me because I am already invested rather heavily in 30-06 (reloading, other rifles, etc.).
First person experience regarding quality, or a link to a good long term evaluation? Thanks.

[skimbleshanks]

If you have the 5.56 ar and I'm assuming an 06 bolt gun I would try and split the difference with the 6.5 grendel or 6.8spc. Either one would get you your proposed max range with more bullet than than your current ar and less gun than your 06.

[LRRPF52]

6.5 Grendel takes the AR15 into different territory really.

For me personally, it made .308 obsolete, and I've had 5 different AR10's in both .308 and .260 Remington.

Whoever said there aren't many barrel options isn't familiar with the market. The market is saturated with 6.5 Grendel barrel options.

Alexander Arms
AR-Stoner/Midway
Brownell's
BHW
Criterion
DoubleStar
JP Enterprises
Lilja Rifle barrels
Precision Firearms
PSA
Satern
Templar Consulting
Underground Tactical

I'm sure I'm missing a few. I put my toes in the water hesitantly with 6.5 Grendel back before it was SAAMI approved, skeptically evaluating it myself, and it slowly grew on me until I realized that my heavier guns didn't make a lot of sense for most of what I do.

It's killing everything it's pointed at. There have been several DRT's on elk even with 16" barrels this season, shooting 123gr SST, which wouldn't be my first choice in bullet, but the elk never got the memo I guess.
There are 34 factory loads for it, and mags are cheap, plentifully available.

These are both 6.5 Grendel AR15's, very light, but hard-hitting, with less than half the recoil of a .308 Win.

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j422/LRRPF52/IMG_02691_zpsgua8pnnm.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j422/LRRPF52/IMG_02732_zpsw7y0fsui.jpg