[Olympus]

Thinking about buying my first alternate complete upper in a different caliber. However, I'm not really certain what caliber I should go with. I'm thinking 7.62x.39 since it's still relatively cheap to shoot and I like that caliber as an option for whitetail hunting also. But there are just so many different calibers for the AR platform that I really don't know what I should be considering.

Any recommendations on calibers and good places to shop for them?

[dog2000tj]

458SOCOM ... go big or go home

[ineverFTF]

7.62x39

Is a an excellent choice for cheap shooting, and hell even a few deer at 150 yards or less.

Go practical or go home

[Dillinger]

Hate to disagree with my young padwan, but 7.62 x 39mm is a HORRIBLE choice for a platform built for accuracy like the AR.

The trajectory of a battleship and the range of 200 or maybe 300 yards at best if you angle for the third star off the moon and hope for the best.

You want cheap ammo, fun to shoot, an abundance of the stuff on the shelf and you didn't mention range being a factor?

.22lr drop in conversion.

Now, factor in the whitetail and I am thinking one cartridge for you.

6.5 Grendel. 140 grain bullets down to about 90 grains. Good and effective out to about 750 yards.

Lots of quality uppers for sale available in 6.5 Grendel to choose from.

Just sayin'

JD

[ineverFTF]

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Hate to disagree with my young padwan, but 7.62 x 39mm is a HORRIBLE choice for a platform built for accuracy like the AR.

The trajectory of a battleship and the range of 200 or maybe 300 yards at best if you angle for the third star off the moon and hope for the best.

You want cheap ammo, fun to shoot, an abundance of the stuff on the shelf and you didn't mention range being a factor?

.22lr drop in conversion.

Now, factor in the whitetail and I am thinking one cartridge for you.

6.5 Grendel. 140 grain bullets down to about 90 grains. Good and effective out to about 750 yards.

Lots of quality uppers for sale available in 6.5 Grendel to choose from.

Just sayin'

JD

I understand the 7.62x39 is no sniper round, but is it really so bad it wouldn't hold a decent pattern at 150 yards?

[Olympus]

I don't think the .458 or the 6.5 are going to be a viable option. Primary function would be plinking and fun shooting with a secondary option of hunting. I've got a ton of hunting rifles, so this wouldn't be a big deal. As long as it will hold a 3" group at 100 yards, that would be acceptable with me. I don't typically hunt in terrain where shots are over 100 yards. And if I did, I'd be bringing a different gun altogether.

No way I'm doing a .22 or 9mm upper. Got enough .22s and 9mms.

Another option is completely scrapping the second upper option and go with a M1 Carbine. Been in love with that gun ever since the first time I shot one. I would be purely a fun shooter. And since I reload, the straight walled case makes things much easier to reload for.

[Dillinger]

Originally Posted by ineverFTF

I understand the 7.62x39 is no sniper round, but is it really so bad it wouldn't hold a decent pattern at 150 yards?

It loses almost 2.5" in flight, but loses 40% of it's energy from 0' to 150 yards.

Add to that the fact that "match grade" and "foreign bloc" are not words ever found together in the ammunition buying realm and the short answer is:

Yes, it can group a pattern, in a gun that was designed to shoot much better and in the hands of a shooter that is FAR more capable than the round deserves.

JD

[ineverFTF]

What about a 243 upper?

Ammo is cheaper than 458 and 6.5 by a long shot (pun intended).

And at 100 you have plenty of kill power.

[ineverFTF]

Originally Posted by Dillinger

It loses almost 2.5" in flight, but loses 40% of it's energy from 0' to 150 yards.

Add to that the fact that "match grade" and "foreign bloc" are not two words ever found together in the ammunition buying realm and the short answer is:

Yes, it can group a pattern, in a gun that was designed to shoot much and in the hands of a shooter that is FAR more capable than the round deserves.

JD

Thanks for the lesson.

[Dillinger]

Originally Posted by Olympus

I don't think the .458 or the 6.5 are going to be a viable option. Primary function would be plinking and fun shooting with a secondary option of hunting. I've got a ton of hunting rifles, so this wouldn't be a big deal. As long as it will hold a 3" group at 100 yards, that would be acceptable with me. I don't typically hunt in terrain where shots are over 100 yards. And if I did, I'd be bringing a different gun altogether.

No way I'm doing a .22 or 9mm upper. Got enough .22s and 9mms.

Well hell, you aren't making this easy.

How about .45 ACP? You obviously have plenty of it.