.308 AR10 or 300 blk upper

[Marine_mike]

I'm sure the subject of 300 blk vs .308 has been broached a million times, but my question isn't merely about the effectiveness of caliber. My question is this: Do I embark on a AR 10 build, or do I buy a 300 blk upper and call it good? My pockets aren't as deep as some on here, so money is a factor. Of course, if I win the aero precision M5 .308 here http://www.gunwatcher.com, I guess it would be a mute point. For those that have done both...or either, what's your experience. The whole purpose of the larger round is for hunting. Thanks

[BoilerUp]

Hunting what and where? I think for deer and smaller at ranges under 200 yards, you're fine with the .300 BLK and will appreciate having the smaller lighter weapon in the field. As a bonus, that is the cheaper alternative.

That said, Aero Precision is certainly doing its part to make .308 ARs much more affordable and you never know what kind of event could happen tomorrow to spark the next panic, so picking up a stripped lower isn't a bad idea even if you choose to go down the path of the .300 BLK build for now.

Personally, I'm kind of going through the same situation and am just about finished w/ my .300 BLK build. However, I do already have a .308 on the G3/PTR platform. I want to build a large frame AR but think I'll hold off for a year or two because a) prices seem to be getting better as more suppliers get into the market and therefore increase supply, and 2) I'm curios to see if the slightly smaller DPMS G II pattern gets traction and copy cats as it actually seems like a good improvement on the platform.

[SINNER]

No comparison to be made. The .308 shoots further, flatter and harder at the cost of only slightly more recoil. I hunt with a .300 BO as much as any other gun but do not kid yourself, it's far from a .308. If you are not intending on hand loads the Blackout ammo has very few choices compared to a .308 also. If you never have a chance at a shot over 150 yds. or have the discipline to allow an animal to walk if no humane shot is possible then you might enjoy the BO.

[alamo5000]

I recently priced blackout ammo and it was more than .308...based on the average prices I found online...

I am in the same boat as to what else I want. I have a brand new AR15 so I'm not getting anything else soon.

I will read responses here so I can mull it over.

So far the pros of the .308 are you can shoot at much greater distances. However the blackout is doable by just building a new upper.

There are other things to consider such as if you want to go suppressed or not.

Cheaper to get into blackout but more to run.

[Marine_mike]

Thanks guys. In hunting, I was referring to deer, but don't want to limit myself to the 150 yard range. Like you said Boiler, I don't want to limit myself to shorter ranges. At those ranges, my AR would do just fine (non-hunting scenario). I may just start with the lower and go from there...picking up sales and blems as they pop up. I'm one to want to do it right the first time.

[Ordnance]

Do you have a suppressor? The 300 BO was mainly designed to shoot subsonic heavies reliably out of semi-auto platform, so in many peoples opinions if you never really plan on suppressing it then it's not really as practical. It was never designed as a longer range platform either despite guys who I won't name doing videos trying to convince people otherwise. If you want to maintain a small frame AR with a lighter weight for hunting then I would look at the 6.5 Grendel. If you want a larger frame AR and you plan on building it yourself then forget the .308 altogether and look at a 6.5mm CM so you give yourself all the advantages with a lesser margin of error especially since you want to hunt with it. Much flatter trajectory with both cartridges, and they perform far better in bucking the wind. Food for thought...

[FortTom]

Thanks guys. In hunting, I was referring to deer, but don't want to limit myself to the 150 yard range. Like you said Boiler, I don't want to limit myself to shorter ranges. At those ranges, my AR would do just fine (non-hunting scenario). I may just start with the lower and go from there...picking up sales and blems as they pop up. I'm one to want to do it right the first time.

Think of it this way. A .308 is almost right on par with a .30-'06 as far as muzzle velocity, with similar bullet weights. So if you're going to be shooting at live animals at 150 yards and beyond , the .300 BO is woefully inadequate and, in my opinion, irresponsible to hunt with at ranges of 150 yards and beyond. It also takes a lot more punch to drop a deer in it's tracks than a human.

In a way, I think you're comparing apples to oranges, as far as these two rounds go, but the simple fact that you stated you didn't want to be limited to 150 yards for hunting big game, a .308 would be my hands down, no-nonsense, choice.

[Marine_mike]

Think of it this way. A .308 is almost right on par with a .30-'06 as far as muzzle velocity, with similar bullet weights. So if you're going to be shooting at live animals at 150 yards and beyond , the .300 BO is woefully inadequate and, in my opinion, irresponsible to hunt with at ranges of 150 yards and beyond. It also takes a lot more punch to drop a deer in it's tracks than a human.

In a way, I think you're comparing apples to oranges, as far as these two rounds go, but the simple fact that you stated you didn't want to be limited to 150 yards for hunting big game, a .308 would be my hands down, no-nonsense, choice.

Exactly the info I was looking for and what I was aiming for.