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Posted: 11/2/2010 7:41:34 AM EDT
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I have been thinking of getting a new upper in another caliber for my Bushmaster AR .5.56. What uppers/calibers will swap out directly and use standard AR mags and readily available inexpensive ammo. I would like to use it for deer/varmint hunting and would like a round that would be effective on elk as well.
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I have been thinking of getting a new upper in another caliber for my Bushmaster AR .5.56. What uppers/calibers will swap out directly and use standard AR mags and readily available inexpensive ammo. I would like to use it for deer/varmint hunting and would like a round that would be effective on elk as well. None. Any of the "other" cartridges that will fit in a AR15 upper will either us different mags or ammo will be expensive; or require reloading(6x45). |
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Moreover, anything which fits into a standard AR lower and will be effective on elk is going to be a big-bore cartridge which will only be effective at relatively short ranges and will not be cheap at all, even if handloaded.
If there were a wonder cartridge which fit in a standard AR lower, used standard AR magazines, was effective on all North American game, and offered inexpensive widely-available ammo, we would be all over it. Unfortunately, the limitations of the AR magazine on case length and a limited (though growing) market for ARs as hunting rifles make such a creature unlikely to come to fruition. |
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Moreover, anything which fits into a standard AR lower and will be effective on elk is going to be a big-bore cartridge which will only be effective at relatively short ranges and will not be cheap at all, even if handloaded. If there were a wonder cartridge which fit in a standard AR lower, used standard AR magazines, was effective on all North American game, and offered inexpensive widely-available ammo, we would be all over it. Unfortunately, the limitations of the AR magazine on case length and a limited (though growing) market for ARs as hunting rifles make such a creature unlikely to come to fruition. 6.8spc and 6.5 grendel would work fine for elk at reasonable distances <300yrds. But ammo is expensive off the shelf($1/rd) and they require different mags. I love my 6.8spc and am even considering a 6.5 grendel, but will mostly use for predators and deer. |
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Moreover, anything which fits into a standard AR lower and will be effective on elk is going to be a big-bore cartridge which will only be effective at relatively short ranges and will not be cheap at all, even if handloaded. If there were a wonder cartridge which fit in a standard AR lower, used standard AR magazines, was effective on all North American game, and offered inexpensive widely-available ammo, we would be all over it. Unfortunately, the limitations of the AR magazine on case length and a limited (though growing) market for ARs as hunting rifles make such a creature unlikely to come to fruition. 6.8spc and 6.5 grendel would work fine for elk at reasonable distances <300yrds. But ammo is expensive off the shelf($1/rd) and they require different mags. I love my 6.8spc and am even considering a 6.5 grendel, but will mostly use for predators and deer. Not trying to start a pissing match or a hunting discussion, but while certainly the 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel cartridges have killed elk, they are very marginally suited to the task. I know a fair number of guides and similar which would promptly boot anyone proposing to use such a cartridge out of elk camp. In my experience, the realm of accepted and appropriate elk cartridges begins at the .30-06 and its variants. Just my $.02. The do-it-all cartridge the OP is looking for still doesn't quite exist. 
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| I know Bill Wilson has been using the new AR 15 in Rem AR 30 caliber cartridge which uses the 450 bushmaster casing for the parent cartridge and shoots around 125 to 130 caliber bullet. If I remember correctly the biggest question on this cartridge is the true velocity of the factory loads out a typical AR 15. It seems like Remington got a little optimistic on the published velocity for the RAR 30. I looked at a box of factory ammo last week so it is becoming available. I saw where Midway had some DPMS 30 RAR uppers in stock a couple of weeks ago. I know the only mags available basically single stack the rounds in the mag and I think there are 4 and 9 round mags available. I think you can also load the 30 RAR into 5.56 20 round mags (like the 458 SOCOM). I just bought a 16" 6.5 Grendel last month and so far I really like it. Hopefully I'll start reloading my new brass tomorrow and start to ring it out. I know it doesn't have big bore power but it has more energy than my 16" 5.56 carbines. Life is full of trade offs and I made my decision, laid down my hard earned bucks and will make the best of my decision. |
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Ok so it doesn't exist, how about taking using it for elk out of the equation, are there any options ? I'm still going to have to say no. There are cartridges which are better suited to hunting and use standard AR magazines, but these are mostly wildcats (no factory ammo - must be handloaded) like the 6x45, .25-.223, and 7.62x40. There are cartridges which are better suited for distance-shooting and hunting and do not use standard AR magazines, but ammo is expensive ($.75 - $2.00 a round) like the 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC. There are big-bore cartridges which are well-suited to hunting at closer ranges and may or may not use standard AR magazines, but again ammo can be both expensive ($1.00 - $2.00 a round) and difficult to find, like the .50 Beowulf, .450 Bushmaster, and .458 SOCOM. There is one 'variant' cartridge which offers significant quantities of relatively inexpensive ammo and is better suited than .223/5.56 for hunting at moderate distances but does not use standard AR magazines - the 7.62x39, which of course is the chambering of most AK rifles. And if you want neither the long-range punch of the 6.8/6.5 rifles nor the short-range wallop of the big-bores, and are interested in duplicating 7.62x39 ballistics with ammo that costs three times as much, better check out the new .300 Blackout. 
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.257 WSSM and .300OSM would work fine for elk. The ammo isn't cheap though. Why do you need two uppers that shoot cheap ammo anyway? It would be nice to have a dual purpose rifle. That with quick switch of uppers would shoot ammo that wouldn't break the bank. |
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