Big Bore AR as my "Big" Rifle

[bratch]

I'm wanting to add a large bore rifle to my collection sometime in the future. At this time I'm not looking for any super-mags so 458 Lotts etc are probably out unless I hear a good arguement.

This will probably just be a for fun rifle but may see some light hunting use. I don't have any reason for one other than just to have something that could do anything I could ever need.

I had originally looked at the 45-70 Marlins but recently looked at the 50 Beowulf and a little into the 458 SOCOM.

The Marlins are definatley cheaper but the ARs are just plain neat. For a while this would probably be my only .30+ rifle.

What are your thoughts?

 

[only1asterisk]

If you want a big bore AR, there is little else that that is comparable.

If you want to throw big heavy bullets there are more cost effective ways to do it.

If you don't reload, the price of the 458 Socom or 50 Beowulf ammunition is enough induce a stabbing pain in wallet. $1-2 a pop. Ouch. For what, a semi auto 45-70? Of course, most big bore ammo gets a little pricey if you dont reload.

It's your $1200. For the price of a big bore AR, I'd buy a 45/70, a 338 Win Mag and set up to reload.

David

 

[Commissar Gribb]

I wonder if you could get armalite to make a 30-06 AR with BAR magazines like Stoner made

 

[Onslaught]

Originally posted by Commissar Gribb:
I wonder if you could get armalite to make a 30-06 AR with BAR magazines like Stoner made

Just curious why that would be considered as an option, since Armalite already makes a .308 which wouldn't require any custom or special anything and you lose nothing when going with the .308 over the '06.

I don't like lever guns at all, (they're Dad's favorite, so I don't know what happened) and the AR is my favorite platform. Saying that, I've owned several bolt-guns in .30-something, but they got boring really fast. My next project HOPEFULLY will be one of the new .270-ish ARs (6.8 Rem SPC or 6.5 Grendel). I can't think of anything around here that I couldn't do just as well as a .30 with one of those two, and I can build them using my existing tools to boot!

 

[pauli]

What are your thoughts?

my thoughts all involve making levering motions and loud noises.

edit: and smiling a lot.

 

[Redlg155]

I looked at the Tromix website and they say they can shoot a 300gr projectile at 2100 fps. That's pretty respectable. However, Cor Bon says their loads run at 1950 fps for a 300gr JHP. A couple hundred FPS less, but still pretty hefty. Oh...and $30.50 a box of 20. YOWSER!! You definitely need to either reload or have a deep wallet.

The Corbon .45-70 load spits a 350gr bullet out at 1800 fps, but at $35.45 a box, it is still pretty hefty. In both cases you still need a big wallet or need to reload.

Of course you could get cheaper ammo for the .45-70...but we are talking "BIG" loads!

If money isn't a problem, then order some Garrett Ammunition 420 grain .45-70 bullet at 1850 fps!! Oh..the ammo runs from $50 for the load listed a box of 20 to an astounding $180.00 a box!

My thoughts? For the "NEATO!" factor, go with the AR. I personally would go with a Marlin or even better, a Ruger #1 or Browning Hi Wall in. 45-70.

GOod Shooting
Red

 

[Father Knows Best]

Cobb MCR400

You need one of these:

It's the Cobb "Multi-Caliber Rifle", series 400. You buy the rifle in the caliber of your choice, and you can then change to any other caliber in the series by just changing out the barrel and bolt. The 400 series are the BIG cartridges, including: 257 Weatherby Magnum, 264 Winchester Magnum, 270 Weatherby Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, 300 H&H Magnum, 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, 300 Weatherby Magnum, 308 Norma Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum, 338 LAPUA Magnum, 338 Remington Ultra Magnum, 340 Weatherby Magnum, 350 Remington Magnum, 358 Norma Magnum, 375 H&H Magnum, 8mm Remington Magnum, 378 Weatherby Magnum, 416 RIGBY, 416 Remington Magnum, 416 Taylor, and 458 Winchester Magnum. How awesome is that? Buy it in .338 Laupua Magnum (the ultimate sniper cartridge), and for $500 MSRP you can get caliber conversions for other very useful cartridges from .257 Weatherby Magnum to .458 Winchester Magnum.

Oh, and by swapping uppers and magazine modules, you can convert your Cobb MCR400 to -100, -200 or -300 series configuration, allowing you access to just about any centerfire rifle chambering, and even some handgun chamberings like 9mm.

For more info, see here: http://www.cobb50.com/mcr.htm

 

[rbernie]

Handloading and semi-auto rifles are not a match made in heaven - I HATE chasing my brass all over the range. If I'm gonna shoot a semi, it's gonna be chambered in something cheap enough that I don't feel compelled to reload for it (e.g. 223, 7.62x39).

Me? I think that a Savage 99 in 358 is all the medicine that anything that *I'll* ever hunt will need. That, or an Enfield rechanbered into something big and interesting (45/70, etc.). For range play, a strong single-shot in 45-70 would be just nifty.

 

[GunGoBoom]

If you do do it, do it right - get the really big boy, the .50 beowolf! That would be a kick in the pants, and you could in theory load up subsonics, put a suppressor on, and have an almost-silent gun with a hell of a wallop.

 

[landon74]

If it were me an my 1200$, I'd go with the 1895 Marlin (actually I have one already, and an AR). With the money you save over the Socom or Beowolf, if you don't reload already, you could purchase and Rockchucker Supreme kit and a crapload of brass, powder, primers and bullets...... lots more trigger time for you... just my 2 cents....

 

[Parruthead]

Funny Thing is I've been looking over this same thing lately. I think im headed towards the 458 Socom from Tromix and The 600 Grain Corbon loaded Sub Sonic should sound nice out of a can... Or the 338Spectra from what i understand can be shot though a 9mm can I don't reload but if I make either one of these purchases I'll have to start..I can hear the arguements with the wife already starting.....lol

 

[studebaker]

I don't see the point, unless it's suppressed.

or you are limited to "one gun" as in some countries. I'd get a BAR in 308 or 300 win mag (probably 308, for the low cost milsurp practice ammo) and save a lot of money.

 

[bratch]

The Beo 50s I was looking at I figured would be around $800. $600 for the upper(Midway) and $200 for a lower.

I don't reload at present but plan to for whichever rifle I get; for the amount I shoot and the calibers I shoot presently it hasn't been needed.

I'm not planning on a can anytime soon.

 

[444]

I just sold my .458 Socom upper.
I didn't even want to. The guy hounded me for weeks, calling me a couple times a week on the phone. I finally just let him have the damn thing. I hadn't shot it in a year anyway.

 

[only1asterisk]

The Beo 50s I was looking at I figured would be around $800. $600 for the upper(Midway) and $200 for a lower.

That's a reasonable estimate, but the upper doesn't come with sights, so you'll have to add $100-175+ for irons or whatever you want to spend on glass. Your upper doesn't come with magazines either. Figure $20 each for 2 mags. Of course your rifle still doesn't work without ammo. Figure $20 each for 3 boxes.

When you add in shipping and FFL fees, your $800 rifle just went to $1050-1175. I said $1200 to cover to the 458 SOCOM (the better of the 2 rounds)as it will run at least $100-150 more in the final total.

A 458 Lott would be cheaper.

David

 

[nyresq]

if you are serious about hunting with it consider what a .308 AR weighs. with optics etc you are going to be trecking around the wood with a HEAVY gun. unless you're superman, you're not going to carry a 12+ pound rifle around the woods for very long.

take the same money and buy an used AR for fun and a bolt action for the big bullets and the infrequent walk in the woods.