What next AR 15 to build??

[ThreeHundredBlackout]

I had the same dilemma a while back...I had two unused lowers sitting in my safe and I couldn't stand seeing them in there all by themselves.
I thought about gifting them to my two oldest daughters. I built an entire AR for my youngest daughter that she still has but I never gave my two oldest daughters any guns. But then I got a little bit selfish and just decided to build them for myself.
Like you, I already had 2 in 5.56, 2 in 300blk and 1 dedicated 9mm lower with both a pistol upper and a rifle upper. I also had an old M&P15-22 that I was never really happy with. That 15-22 had over 3500 trouble free rounds shot thru it, but every time I picked it up it felt like a toy to me and I always wished I had a real AR15-22...so I sold the M&P15-22 and built a dedicated AR15-Pistol-22 and an AR15-Rifle-22 with my two lowers and couldn't be happier! They run just as well as the 15-22 only they look and feel real. The rifle is WAY more accurate than the 15-22 ever was and I can't tell with the pistol since it just has a red dot on it and I usually just shoot steel with it. I haven't put a real scope on it to check it's accuracy, but witha 4.5" barrel...it's certainly no less accurate than my Ruger 22 pistol! I'm pretty happy with my AR collection now, but then lately I've been getting the bug to have an extra lower or two in the safe again...sheesh. It's a downward spiral.

I might have to stop reading this forum, people keep making me want to build stuff.

I have 2 lowers and lpk's for my boys when they get older, got them for them when they were 3 and 5.....should be a blast !

I will have to force myself to buy another lower though, i couldnt do that to them, plus their serial #'s are each only 1 digit from mine. ( all same Aero lower)

I keep wanting a long range bolt gun, then i think " why not a 300 blk bolt gun?" Then another shooting happens and i think " i need a couple more lowers to build, some more 30 rd mags, and more primers, powder, and projectiles !"

( yes... the 3 "P"s)- i never have enough bc i always shoot them...

[BulletFactory]

.50 Beyowolf or however you spell it.

[Xinaustin]

.277Wolverine - slightly cut down 223 brass

.358 Yeti- .308 brass cut down to std AR length

[USBP379]

Maybe a .277 wolverine? I've said it before, it comes down to brass for me.

277 is a fun cartridge. I've found it to be surprisingly accurate from my 12.5" AR. There are some good bullets for it too. It looks like pretty much anything meant for the 6.8 SPC will work pretty well in the Wolverine.

[Mike7.62]

I'm leaning towards the 6.5 Grendel. It seems to be very close to duplicating the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer ballistics in an accurate semi auto, so what's not to like? Since it's based upon the 7.62x39, forming brass shouldn't be a problem, and I have a number of C Products 20 and 30 round magazines for the 7.62x39, which might work with the 6.5 Grendel, but if not, Alexander Arms still has their proprietaries for sale.

My only concern is the bolt face issue that most AR's have with the 7.62x39 cartridge head diameter. Brownell's was having a sale on matched barrels and bolts a few days ago for the Grendel, so I may have to look into this more. I wonder if there is a 6.5 wildcat based upon the 5.56 cartridge case? That would alleviate concerns IRT the bolt face.

[TreeTopFlier]

Grendel or maybe the new 224 Valkyrie. Depends what you want to do with it.

I think the grendel is kinda hard to beat in the AR15 as a total package. I suspect that if you could put all the points of performance in a weighted scale and added it up the grendel would come out on top.

[plant.one]

pick a big bore.

i own a 450bm, so i'm a bit partial, but 50 beowulf is fun too. havent shot a socom, but not much interest in them here in michigan because its not a all-state/all-zones hunting caliber due to the bottle neck.

both the beo and the bushmaster are super easy to load for, and starline offers brass for both these days.

[TreeTopFlier]

I'm leaning towards the 6.5 Grendel. It seems to be very close to duplicating the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer ballistics in an accurate semi auto, so what's not to like? Since it's based upon the 7.62x39, forming brass shouldn't be a problem, and I have a number of C Products 20 and 30 round magazines for the 7.62x39, which might work with the 6.5 Grendel, but if not, Alexander Arms still has their proprietaries for sale.

My only concern is the bolt face issue that most AR's have with the 7.62x39 cartridge head diameter. Brownell's was having a sale on matched barrels and bolts a few days ago for the Grendel, so I may have to look into this more. I wonder if there is a 6.5 wildcat based upon the 5.56 cartridge case? That would alleviate concerns IRT the bolt face.

They have the whole bolt face thing all screwed up.

The 264LBC uses the same bolt as the 7.62x39 This chamber is cut .010 deeper and the bolt face is cut .010" shallower. This is known as Type I (both chambers shoot the same ammo.)

The original bolt is .010 deeper and known as type II even though it is the original spec. They had some trouble with bolt breaking in the past. The problem seems to be solved by going to a 9310 steel bolt.

Nothing wrong with a barrel bolt match but you can be pretty confident in ordering a bolt and barrel individually as long as you match type.

[ncbowhnter]

Grendel for all around goodness. Check out odinworks.
Or 458 socom. Something about 500 grains hitting something at 1050 fps. Check Tromix for socom all the way.

[Mike7.62]

Thanks for the info Tree Top. I went to the Grendel Forum and got the lowdown on one of their "sticky" notices. I believe that I will go for that. I'm a big fan of the 6.5 bullet and its performance in many cartridges, and one in the AR platform should fit right in.

The .458 option may be something to consider in the future, but I already have quite a few big bore rifles in other platforms and and the 6.5 seems to have a bit more utility.