Thinking about buying an AR-15
01-22-2018, 07:21 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
Thinking about buying an AR-15
For several years now, I've been interested in the AR-15 platform. Specifically, the 450 Bushmaster, which I've always though would make a neat close and medium range deer hunting rifle. Then there's the ubiquitous 223 Remington chambering that would be simply fun to shoot.
With deer season over, I've begun to shift my focus towards the elusive coyotes that have repeatedly evaded me for years. What's different this year is I have access to three more farms, one of which has reported many run-ins with coyotes. From constant howling at night to chasing neighborhood dogs right up to the nearby houses, they've evidently grown to be more than a nuisance. Given the problems coyotes present to the numerous livestock farms, I have no problem leaving the handguns at home and taking out the rifles after them.
Unfortunately, I've long since sold my old coyote rifle, a Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special 22-250. Since then I've hunted sporadically mainly due to the unusually low concentration of them around our farm. However, with the prospect of many opportunities this year, I figured this might be a good opportunity (or excuse, lol) to get an AR.
What I'm wanting is a good, accurate rifle for relatively close range shooting, as in about 200 yards maximum that won't break the bank. What brands should I look into? I'm also considering a separate lower and upper, just because I have a few uppers I'm thinking about in addition to the 450 Bushmaster I'll eventually get. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
With deer season over, I've begun to shift my focus towards the elusive coyotes that have repeatedly evaded me for years. What's different this year is I have access to three more farms, one of which has reported many run-ins with coyotes. From constant howling at night to chasing neighborhood dogs right up to the nearby houses, they've evidently grown to be more than a nuisance. Given the problems coyotes present to the numerous livestock farms, I have no problem leaving the handguns at home and taking out the rifles after them.
Unfortunately, I've long since sold my old coyote rifle, a Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special 22-250. Since then I've hunted sporadically mainly due to the unusually low concentration of them around our farm. However, with the prospect of many opportunities this year, I figured this might be a good opportunity (or excuse, lol) to get an AR.
What I'm wanting is a good, accurate rifle for relatively close range shooting, as in about 200 yards maximum that won't break the bank. What brands should I look into? I'm also considering a separate lower and upper, just because I have a few uppers I'm thinking about in addition to the 450 Bushmaster I'll eventually get. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
01-22-2018, 02:49 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,650
22 valkerie, or 22 nosler for coyotes, I would opt for the 458 socom over the bushy, (socom shoots .458 rifle bullets, the bushy shoots .452 pistol bullets. If you look, anything that will fit down the magwell of an AR-15 can be had.
RR
RR
01-22-2018, 04:58 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,905
Personally, for hunting 200yrds and less, especially varmints and coyotes, I'd go with the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC. For years, the 6.8 was the better option because ammo and brass were hard to find for the Grendel, but the last few years, this has swapped.
The heavies like the 450B or 458soc are fun, but they drop a LOT. As Ridge mentioned (and I agree), the 458soc generally has the advantage of more good hunting bullets in the market, but the 450B does have the advantage of using cheap pistol bullets for practice - and since you have that 460S&W, you'd be able to share bullets between the two.
The new 22's for the AR are impressive, but when you compete for economy with the 223/5.56, and consider the performance needed for 0-400yrd coyote killing, I just can't find a need for either the Valkyrie or the Nosler in my safe. Just too hard to compete with the availability and affordability of 223/5.56 brass and ammo.
In your shoes, I'd get one well featured lower, then two uppers, one in 223/5.56 the other in 6.5, 6.8, or 450B. My latest two AR's for myself have been this way - multiple uppers for one well featured lower, each. One lower has matching 223/5.56, 204R, and 6.8SPC uppers, and the other lower has matching 223/5.56 and 6.8SPC uppers. I'm currently building a complete 458 Socom rifle as well though, as a complete rifle. Any of them would swap around, of course. I have enough lowers to have fun with friends when I want, so I really don't need to spend extra money on more lowers, just more uppers. A guy is usually better off getting ONE $500 lower than having two $250 mil-spec lowers.
Having watched your range report threads, I'd expect you'd get more mental satisfaction from the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC than the 450B. You'll see 15-20" drop at 200yrds from the 450B or 458soc, so it's a bit much to manage.
So I'd really recommend one lower with two uppers, one in 5.56/223 and the other in 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC, or 450Bush if I can't talk you off of a heavy.
The heavies like the 450B or 458soc are fun, but they drop a LOT. As Ridge mentioned (and I agree), the 458soc generally has the advantage of more good hunting bullets in the market, but the 450B does have the advantage of using cheap pistol bullets for practice - and since you have that 460S&W, you'd be able to share bullets between the two.
The new 22's for the AR are impressive, but when you compete for economy with the 223/5.56, and consider the performance needed for 0-400yrd coyote killing, I just can't find a need for either the Valkyrie or the Nosler in my safe. Just too hard to compete with the availability and affordability of 223/5.56 brass and ammo.
In your shoes, I'd get one well featured lower, then two uppers, one in 223/5.56 the other in 6.5, 6.8, or 450B. My latest two AR's for myself have been this way - multiple uppers for one well featured lower, each. One lower has matching 223/5.56, 204R, and 6.8SPC uppers, and the other lower has matching 223/5.56 and 6.8SPC uppers. I'm currently building a complete 458 Socom rifle as well though, as a complete rifle. Any of them would swap around, of course. I have enough lowers to have fun with friends when I want, so I really don't need to spend extra money on more lowers, just more uppers. A guy is usually better off getting ONE $500 lower than having two $250 mil-spec lowers.
Having watched your range report threads, I'd expect you'd get more mental satisfaction from the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC than the 450B. You'll see 15-20" drop at 200yrds from the 450B or 458soc, so it's a bit much to manage.
So I'd really recommend one lower with two uppers, one in 5.56/223 and the other in 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC, or 450Bush if I can't talk you off of a heavy.
01-22-2018, 05:37 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 995
Or you could go a little nuts and go with an AR-10 variance with all the long range cartridges there are for it. You can then go with a 6.5creed or a 260rem and really reach out and smack some coyotes if the need arises and either would be good deer medicine for close or far off. If you are stuck on 15 though, I have .223, 6.8spc (2 of them with dad's old one) and dad's .458socom. As Nomercy said, the 6.8 would get my nod over all of them for your needs but the .458 sure does slap a hog into the dirt post haste. I don't think he ever grease spotted a coyote with it though he did behead a squirrel that was pissing him off with it.
01-22-2018, 09:11 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
Personally, for hunting 200yrds and less, especially varmints and coyotes, I'd go with the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC. For years, the 6.8 was the better option because ammo and brass were hard to find for the Grendel, but the last few years, this has swapped.
The heavies like the 450B or 458soc are fun, but they drop a LOT. As Ridge mentioned (and I agree), the 458soc generally has the advantage of more good hunting bullets in the market, but the 450B does have the advantage of using cheap pistol bullets for practice - and since you have that 460S&W, you'd be able to share bullets between the two.
The new 22's for the AR are impressive, but when you compete for economy with the 223/5.56, and consider the performance needed for 0-400yrd coyote killing, I just can't find a need for either the Valkyrie or the Nosler in my safe. Just too hard to compete with the availability and affordability of 223/5.56 brass and ammo.
In your shoes, I'd get one well featured lower, then two uppers, one in 223/5.56 the other in 6.5, 6.8, or 450B. My latest two AR's for myself have been this way - multiple uppers for one well featured lower, each. One lower has matching 223/5.56, 204R, and 6.8SPC uppers, and the other lower has matching 223/5.56 and 6.8SPC uppers. I'm currently building a complete 458 Socom rifle as well though, as a complete rifle. Any of them would swap around, of course. I have enough lowers to have fun with friends when I want, so I really don't need to spend extra money on more lowers, just more uppers. A guy is usually better off getting ONE $500 lower than having two $250 mil-spec lowers.
Having watched your range report threads, I'd expect you'd get more mental satisfaction from the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC than the 450B. You'll see 15-20" drop at 200yrds from the 450B or 458soc, so it's a bit much to manage.
So I'd really recommend one lower with two uppers, one in 5.56/223 and the other in 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC, or 450Bush if I can't talk you off of a heavy.
The heavies like the 450B or 458soc are fun, but they drop a LOT. As Ridge mentioned (and I agree), the 458soc generally has the advantage of more good hunting bullets in the market, but the 450B does have the advantage of using cheap pistol bullets for practice - and since you have that 460S&W, you'd be able to share bullets between the two.
The new 22's for the AR are impressive, but when you compete for economy with the 223/5.56, and consider the performance needed for 0-400yrd coyote killing, I just can't find a need for either the Valkyrie or the Nosler in my safe. Just too hard to compete with the availability and affordability of 223/5.56 brass and ammo.
In your shoes, I'd get one well featured lower, then two uppers, one in 223/5.56 the other in 6.5, 6.8, or 450B. My latest two AR's for myself have been this way - multiple uppers for one well featured lower, each. One lower has matching 223/5.56, 204R, and 6.8SPC uppers, and the other lower has matching 223/5.56 and 6.8SPC uppers. I'm currently building a complete 458 Socom rifle as well though, as a complete rifle. Any of them would swap around, of course. I have enough lowers to have fun with friends when I want, so I really don't need to spend extra money on more lowers, just more uppers. A guy is usually better off getting ONE $500 lower than having two $250 mil-spec lowers.
Having watched your range report threads, I'd expect you'd get more mental satisfaction from the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC than the 450B. You'll see 15-20" drop at 200yrds from the 450B or 458soc, so it's a bit much to manage.
So I'd really recommend one lower with two uppers, one in 5.56/223 and the other in 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC, or 450Bush if I can't talk you off of a heavy.
Well, I guess I don't necessarily need a 223 upper, but then again I don't really need something for long range shooting. My 270 covers that niche. Unless the AR ends up being more accurate.
Or you could go a little nuts and go with an AR-10 variance with all the long range cartridges there are for it. You can then go with a 6.5creed or a 260rem and really reach out and smack some coyotes if the need arises and either would be good deer medicine for close or far off. If you are stuck on 15 though, I have .223, 6.8spc (2 of them with dad's old one) and dad's .458socom. As Nomercy said, the 6.8 would get my nod over all of them for your needs but the .458 sure does slap a hog into the dirt post haste. I don't think he ever grease spotted a coyote with it though he did behead a squirrel that was pissing him off with it.
AGH! So many options, but not nearly enough money for all of them!
01-23-2018, 08:20 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,905
If I were getting another WSSM upper for AR-15, I would get another from Mike Milli. However, I will admit to selling both my 243 and 25wssm, and built a 243win LR-308 to replace it. Will rebarrel soon with a fast twist 6 Creedmoor, I believe.
