First AR-15 caliber?

[jag09]

I am planning on buying my 2nd ar this coming week. I sold off my OA basic ar and miss having a rifle around. I have been looking heavily into Radical Firearms, but I am unsure whether to start off with 300BO or 5.56? In the future I plan to suppress this rifle but that won't be for a year or two. The main uses for the AR will be casual shooting, a future hog hunt, and maybe a 3 gun competition.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Do a quick Column A and Column B.

Column A: list all nations that use 5.56 ammunition.

Column B: list all nations that use .300Fashionable.

Now, which do you think you will have better ammo availability and best price. Go.

 

[seedubs1]

300 BO is awesome for everything at shorter range except range / game fun.

I'd only go 300 BO if you reload, though. Otherwise, for me, it's too dang expensive. I like to shoot my ARs, and I get to shoot less with 300 BO.

If this will be the only one in the safe, go 223/556.

After you have a 223/556 AR, when funds allow, get a SBR 300 BO, and throw a suppressor on it.

And if you have to ask which caliber for an AR, the answer should always be 223/556.

 

[Tombs]

For a first AR, for the love of all that is holy, get a 5.56.

After you've been shooting 5.56 through a suppressor and you decide that's too loud for you, then it'd be time to think about a 300 blackout. There's no other reason to run a 300 blackout. There may be arguments for 6.5 or 6.8 over a 5.56 if you're hunting, but there's no argument for a 300 except for suppressed use.

 

[Bfish]

For your first AR I feel like you'll want to go 5.56. The only reason to go 300blk is if you reload. I LOVE my 300blk but I also reload which makes it affordable to shoot, and have a can on the end of it. I am not discouraging you from it but you can always buy a 300 upper or put one together closer to the time you get a can. I love 300 and don't want to ever tell one not to get it, but to start I must say you can't go wrong with 5.56.

Now looking at others posts it sounds like you are getting an echoed response, but choose what you will.

 

[DanVoils]

For your first AR I feel like you'll want to go 5.56. The only reason to go 300blk is if you reload. I LOVE my 300blk but I also reload which makes it affordable to shoot, and have a can on the end of it. I am not discouraging you from it but you can always buy a 300 upper or put one together closer to the time you get a can. I love 300 and don't want to ever tell one not to get it, but to start I must say you can't go wrong with 5.56.

Now looking at others posts it sounds like you are getting an echoed response, but choose what you will.

I agree. Plus a decent suppressor for 556 will also work on .22.

 

[bobjones223]

If you can only have one I would go 556 but then again I am a bit bias to the 300 BO. I am sorry and I am sure I am going to poke the bear but 7.62X39 has better ballistic numbers that the 300BO in the 154 gr range at half the price for those of us that don't reload. You can pick it up for less than $5.00 a box OL and I am not sure you can even press 300BO for that?

 

[croy]

I love 300 but if youre only gonna have a few I'd keep them in 5.56

 

[jd4320t]

223/556 now then build a 300blk upper later. Get a 30 cal suppressor. Then you could work on building another lower for the 300blk.

 

[sgreen3]

For your first there really isn't a reason to get anything other than 5.56 other that you just want something different. As far as ammo availability and such 5.56 would be the way to. Unless your planning on suppressing the 300 your not really getting from the cartridge what it was intended do anyway IMO.

 

[Snipercop]

223/556 now then build a 300blk upper later. Get a 30 cal suppressor. Then you could work on building another lower for the 300blk.

What he said!