What ever you can employ the most effectively.
All of the awesome rifle and whiz bang gadgets mean squat if you cannot achieve your task with it.
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What ever you can employ the most effectively.
All of the awesome rifle and whiz bang gadgets mean squat if you cannot achieve your task with it.
I'm thinking a Daisy Red Rider..................in all seriousness what a tough decision,so many guns to choose from,have you narrowed it down yet?
Ditto...Quote:
Originally Posted by cofi
Have you tried to locate any 6.5/6.8? Slim pickings and expensive.
Another +1 for not 6.8 and 6.5. For a while I had the 6.8 craze, and I'm happy I never pulled the trigger. I'm not knocking those rounds, but they are certainly better suited to the hobbyist that has the $ to have numerous toys and the very pricy ammunition/reloading costs of those exotic flavors.
Problem is somewhat the original post. I want a close in home defense, hunting, 500 yard rifle.... it sounds like that animated ascii voice video a while back making fun of random new posters on ar15. (Who also want plate carriers but no plates.)
If you are doing this because of funds and want simplicity, I'd encourage sticking with affordable off the shelf calibres, again like the .308. Yes the fancy ar10's are up there, but there are plenty of reasonably priced ones that will do the job.
One thought is instead of trying to make a rifle do several different generalities. Just get yourself a $300 870 or something for your HD needs and that allows you to focus on a true hunting calibre rifle that will deal with elk/distance/and some fun range needs. (If you suddenly strike it rich, bump fire stock on that .308 with a drum...)
Opposite side, get a $100 mosin or a basic real hunting caliber bolt gun for a few hundred and then focus your HD/Range fun/400 yards need with a 18-22 inch AR15.
+1 If you can't afford a semi auto .308, get an ar in 5.56 (for ammo availability) and a mosin nagant. The 7.62x54r is more powerful anyways, and the money you save on a rifle, will afford hundreds of rounds of 7.62 ammunition. Ammunition is incredibly cheap to shoot. It was my first rifle (even before a .22 as I got my mosin for $75 from a buddy) and as I shoot it, I feel compelled to quote Ivan Drago from Rocky IV "I must break you" and "I can not be defeated. I beat all man. Someday, I will beat a real champion."Quote:
Opposite side, get a $100 mosin or a basic real hunting caliber bolt gun for a few hundred and then focus your HD/Range fun/400 yards need with a 18-22 inch AR15.
I did a lot of research before spending money and bought a 6.8 then reamed it to spcII. I love the way it shoots. I have a Mini14 and am working on the upper for my AR15. Go to 68forums.com, there is a world of information there and many of the top manufacturers involved in 6.8 are on there.
I saw a Stag 7 in 6.8 at the last gun show for under $1000.
If it had to be just one...I'd have to cast my vote in with the 308 crowd. Ammo options and availability are PDG. Another option in 308 is the M14.
Of the two you mention, I would (and did) choose the 6.5 for several reasons. First, the 6.5 has a far greater variety of bullet weights and styles to choose from. (Same argument holds for the 458 SOCOM over the 50 Beowulf...) The 6.5 bullet has a better BC, which translates to greater efficiency. The 6.5 has the added advantage of being able to have the case formed from 7.62x39 brass if you don't want to buy Grendel brass; and it's a simple process. Here are a couple of links for a little info-
http://www.atgreloading.com/t315-car...-to-65-grendel
http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...-Grendel-Brass
You'll hear all sorts of things about the two, and some folks get downright heated in their defense of one or another, but the bottom line is that inside 400 yards they'll do about the same thing. Still have the lack of choices in bullets with the 6.8, and past 400 the 6.5 takes over.
The other usual nice thing about one of these two is the ability to get more low cost (compared to the whole gun) uppers, like a .22, a 5.56, a .300 Blackout, later on in the game when you can. Can't do that with one of the .308 platforms.
My 2 cents.: Don't do it. Get a home defense rifle ($200-300 shotgun). And pick your hunting rifle with the big scope. There are all kinds of good deals for under $500. For the 'having fun' rifle use the same caliber as the hunting rifle. The two ideas of home defense and hunting don't mix.
Never used the 6.8 or 6.5, but if you are looking for a do-all rifle that you can stock ammo for, i'm putting my chips on .308 as well. I've seen multiple dpms 308's that were sub moa from the factory and at the $1200-1500 price range it will be cheaper than the 6.5 or 6.8 for the platform and the ammo. also, by going .308, you've just increased your effective range out to 700-800 yards if you have the barrel for it! I'm a 7.62 junkie so i may be alittle biased, so grain of salt and all that :)