I was kicking around the .300 Blackout for a SBR and came to a screeching stop due to ammo costs/availability. I don't reload, and each magazine costing the the same as a tank of gas was an eye opener.
5.56 is where I'll stay. Maybe 5.45 too.
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I was kicking around the .300 Blackout for a SBR and came to a screeching stop due to ammo costs/availability. I don't reload, and each magazine costing the the same as a tank of gas was an eye opener.
5.56 is where I'll stay. Maybe 5.45 too.
I would get a 12.5 Noveske SS barreled upper and put a good 1x6 scope on it. You will be able to shoot heavy grain bullets and it will be a very accurate "urban" precision upper. You can switch the uppers out or just SBR another lower. I have that set up and it is very good.
I was wondering when 300 USELESS would get brought up.
I like that concept. But there's way more bang for the buck in barrels. Noveskes are way overpriced, but don't shoot any better in my experience. They shoot fine, and I've never shot a disappointing Noveske... but on the flip side, I've never had a noveske barrel impress me like a White Oak or a Bergara.
Ash, you've seem my 16" BCM 410 Stainless gun with 2.5-10. it's an honest 1 MOA gun but doesn't get shot much past 200 due to access/time issues. I have other carbines for closer distance however this one would work at any distance I wanted to in a pinch.
somewhere I heard about Defoor's Rule of 4's - 5.56 mm for 400 and closer, 7.62x51mm for 400-800, 300 WM for 800-1200, 338 Lap Mag for 1200-1600 - and it made sense to me. this is his rule for effective combat ranges, not for simply putting holes in paper or dinging steel (there are plenty of people shoot 5.56 way past 400 and if you have issue with his rule take it up with him)...
based on this I think there is good justification for .308 for extending range and for use against barriers at closer range, and I think a 2.5-10 is a great optic for it. I know it bugs some people to have something they never use but I look at tools as use specific, ie: I don't often use my Stihl chainsaw with 20" bar but when I need it, the 16" homeowner saw is no substitute.
if I had that .308, I would take the time/effort to get proficient with it both at long range and closer. I know it's not cheap to feed but that's the cost of doing business...
Thanks for all the input guys, lots to think about! I guess I could continue with the current setup and add the 12.5 as time allows. Probably looking at a 9-12 month process without selling anything to offset costs. I guess in reality that's not too long. I already have a Noveske lower I planned to form 1, so I could just start there. I could have it immediately if I sold the .308, but I'm afraid I would just want the .308 again. There is some peace of mind in having it available even if it's not used regularly...sort of like a CCW.
ETA: The 12.5/1-4 would probably see a helluva lot more use than the .308, though.
Dump the .308, sell it.
Get an exact setup to what you have in 5.56MM. Take whatever you have left over from the sale and build and purchase more mags and ammo.
All of my rifles are 5.56 shooters. All but 1 of my pistols are 9MM shooters. I have pretty much hit the point where going outside my lane of 5.56/9 is pretty much useless to me. It makes my life a whole hell of a lot easier in regards to shooting. Like you my guns are for defensive/offensive (If needed) purposes. It just makes life easier to have things standardized.
Of course this is all just my opinion.
I'd keep it. IMO, it's becoming a buyers' market. If you wanted to sell it, you should've sold it during the craze. AR15's are becoming plentiful now, including magazines and ammo. If you can't afford an AR15 without selling an AR10, maybe it's best not to buy anything as even when you buy the AR15, you're going to have to buy stuff to support it, even though I know you already have 1 AR15. Also, like others have said, 2 hours is nothing to drive to a range, but I guess that's personal opinion. I regularly drive 2 hours just to attend matches and my home range is 1.5 hours away, because it's the closest range out to 600 yards that I know of. Finally, I think you may someday want to venture into precision or tactical shooting (doesn't everyone? LOL), where I think you will be glad you have the AR10. While it's true the 9mm and 5.56 will serve 99% of your needs, we shoot for fun too, don't we, and also to learn new things. I know a lot of the 3-gun matches around me are stretching the rifle distances out to way past CQB. You almost need a DMR to compete in some of them. So for me, striving to excel inside 100 yards will cover 99% of the situations, but I want to be able to shoot out to 600 yards too. So, in the end, as other have said, it's up to you and what you want. I know I'm in the market for an AR10 someday.