Wednesday, December 16, 2009

6.8 & other AR oddities

Well, I have to admit it, I have been suffering from BRD a little lately (Black Rifle Disease). and ARs (Another Rifle)s have found there way into my gun collection.

I have had a 5.56 for about a year or so, and my latest add is a 6.8. Both of them are effective at far less range than the M14, but for women, children, and guys who don't / won't train, well let's say that a 150meter rifle is fine for them!

Saw a chart the other day recommended to me by a friend. Over at the ammo oracle.

Interesting stuff about what velocity the 5.56 stops fragmenting, and what length of barrel keeps the bullet going that fast out to certain ranges. Turns out that my 16" M4gery is good with 55grain projos out to 150 meters, but a 14.5" is only good to about 100 meters!!

Black rifles will never replace my M14 for that AT&T moment.. (For you young guys AT&T made famous a commercial about "reach out and touch someone"...)

3 comments:

tom said...

6.5 Grendel Reaches out FURTHER than your .308. No offense, but you picked the wrong 6mm AR platform, albeit the cheaper one to get into.

Various 6mm claibers knock at the same doors .50BMG knocks on at the long range bench rest matches. Google the results of the various Bench Rest and Long Range shooters and you'll be surprised, perhaps.

5.56mm/AR-M rifles are effective, officially speaking according to the US military, to a greater range than the 7.62mm/M-14 combo, BTW. I've killed large animals at past 200 yards with 5.56mm on occasion. Didn't go looking to do it, but a monkey rifle in the hand with a good scope is worth 10 bigger caliber rifles more suited back in camp :-)

To Borrow from Mike Williamson's M-16 Rant:

"Then there's the mere 550 meter effective range, which can't possibly compare to the M14's range of...what does the 1969 USMC Infantry Operations manual say it is? Ah, here: 460 meters.

True, it's not 7.62 X 39 Russian. Of course, the Russians don't use that anymore, either. Western Decadence got to them and they downgraded to a 5.45mm cartridge. Oh, dear. Nor is it 7.62 X 51 NATO. Though the AR-10, it's predecessor, is. And it's in use with the US Army, too. All you have to do is shoot well enough to be assigned as a DM or sniper and the 7.62 is yours...if you're good enough to need the potential range it offers in the proper platform (though the M14 is apparently not that platform anymore). If not, the Army suggests you stop whining. The cads. Nevermind the fact that most troops can't SEE the enemy at 800 yards, much less shoot well enough to matter. We MUST have a weapon we can "volley fire" at that range, when the wireless operator on the Sopwith SE5 calls down to us.

Yes, it's been in service now, all variants, for 44 years. That's not nearly as impressive as the venerable M1's 25 years or the M14 ("Seven Selected Turkeys of the 20th Century"...hehehe...I LOVED that article. The Hakim, Colt .38 military's, the Ross, the Chauchat, the M14, the Type 94, the Bren Ten. Jim Thompson's a hoot! But I digress)'s 20 years. Clearly politically motivated. Especially that winning every test that was rigged against it. How rude! Proves nothing.

The years upon years of top scores its had at the National Matches are a mere aberration. The fact that it outshoots the M14, M1 and Springfield in every event aren't an indication of its worth.

Nor should we pay attention to all those units that used it from 1965 to the mid 90s, who clearly have no clue about weapons. Like the SAS, the Special Forces, the SEALs (although some of them used the Stoner, too...hmm...that name's familiar), the Ghurkas, the Israeli commandos....why, the Negev, the jungles of Burma, southeast Asia, the Falklands...are they trying to pretend it works in every climate? And who are THEY to endorse weapons?

Yes, maybe it's time to move on to the G-36: an updated AR-18 with the bugs worked out already, before it sees issue. Hey! A proven Armalite/Stoner design. How about that? Don't I recall that name? AR-5, AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-16, AR-17, AR-18, Stoner system...THAT Eugene Stoner?

Want to bet the same experts won't like it, either? After all, it's not 7.62 or .30-06 or .30-40 or .45-70 or .58 or .69 caliber. Or whatever they were using when they were young. Walking everywhere. Uphill, in both directions. Eating dirt. And proud to eat that dirt.

Yawn."

Happy Shooting.
Only Accurate Rifles Are Interesting Rifles.

tom

MPA dragon said...

nah, it was the right one, had I wanted a (nother) long range SART, I would have maybe picked up a .416 or something, but I don't like the AR platform for a sniper role...

My ARs are all as I posted for women children and those unprepared, so an effective range of 200 meters is plenty.

I do like the ballistics of the 6.5 Grendel, and since i am hearing that Wolf Gold is producing reloadable quality rounds for the 6.5, it may be that the caliber finally 'comes out'. My problem with the 6.5 has always been ammo availability.

tom said...

I've got an Emma and a M1A1 too, among other things that take NATO and COMBLOC standard fodder. Just razzing you a bit.

6.5 isn't bad to reload for compared to many of my other oddballs. I've been sorta a reloader rifle guy since forever. Why have a .22-250 when you can have a .220 Swift. Why have a .223 when you can have a .223 Ackley. Screw 45-70, I like 50-110 better ... Guilty of multiple .300 magnums, none of which are WinMags. As my hunting buddy points out at times, "you can shoot above average in a whole lot of calibers instead of being REALLY good with a couple chamberings/rifles." :-)

Guess it depends on how much free time you have and whether you'd rather mostly do range time or split it a lot towards loading time. Equally valid options. 6.8SPC is easier to run without bothering with dies.

My SHTF rifle choice would be highly contextual of where the SHTF and what kinda Sh*t was hitting it...375H&H Magnum Mauser is as likely of a choice for me as anything battle rifle-ish. My .375 and .300 H&H have killed more things than about anything I own other than my thuddy thuddies, but I've shot a lot of things with 5.56 and 7.62 as well. Context and circumstances. If there was a perfect answer there'd only be one rifle for sale, right?

Hadn't gotten around to hunting anything with the Grendel yet. Don't know why, as I've had it plenty long enough. Ought to take it in search of coyotes one of these days.

Happy Shooting,
tom