Alright this is a simple question, but feel free to elaborate with your response: for paper punching, deer hunting, coyote hunting, and hog hunting, which 20" upper, 5.56, or 6.8 spc?? Why? This is basically the same as asking which of the two is the better option for an all around 20" ar15 utility rifle
which 20" config for all around utility
- Thread starter mshootnit
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gotboostvr
Member
I'd vote for 5.56. Premium ammunition allows game up to deer sized and inexpensive plinking ammo allows for a lot of practice.
mohunter55
Member
If you are deer hunting, please use the 6.8. In most states I thought the 556 was illegal to hunt deer with as well. I'd want to use a 6.8 on hogs as well. for coyotes id use 556. Different calibers are better for different animals. As for barrel length. I have a 20" 556, but a 16" 6.8. It's my understanding that the 6.8 is meant for shorter barrels and doesnt gain near the velocity something like a 556 does by going up to 20".
madcratebuilder
Member
For deer and hogs I would go with the 6.8. The 5.56/.223 is not a legal big game round in many states.
What are your priorities? Cost is an inhibiting factor for many and even the cheap Russian import .223 gets grumbles of being too expensive to shoot. If you plan on doing a lot of mag dumps into dirt then think as cheap as possible.
For a rifle where the primary focus is what happens on the receiving end of the bullet, a 6.8 offers greater possibilities. Current hunting loads are priced competitively with .223 options but bring more to the table. Practice is important though, so you will still need to pony up for range ammo.
There are some potential price breaks coming since Federal announced that they will be producing 6.8 in their American Eagle line, and Tula is claiming early 2013 for their version too. It is anyone's guess what the prices will be and when they will be on the shelf.
For a rifle where the primary focus is what happens on the receiving end of the bullet, a 6.8 offers greater possibilities. Current hunting loads are priced competitively with .223 options but bring more to the table. Practice is important though, so you will still need to pony up for range ammo.
There are some potential price breaks coming since Federal announced that they will be producing 6.8 in their American Eagle line, and Tula is claiming early 2013 for their version too. It is anyone's guess what the prices will be and when they will be on the shelf.
Internet myth.
The 223 is illegal in 12 or 13 states last time I counted. About 1/2 of those are shotgun only, so if it is otherwise legal to hunt with a rifle there are are only 6-7 states where it is not allowed.
Those laws were written years ago to exclude the 22 Hornet. No reason to not deer hunt with a 223.
All around is pretty vague.
One thing to consider is that the 6.8 won't need a 20" barrel - it was designed and intended for a 14.5", at 16" it's already gained. With some of the smaller loads, shooters are chronographing speeds nearly identical to 5.56. What that delivers is the extra foot pounds of force from the increase in mass, making it deliver even more power to handle larger game more efficiently.
That makes the choice more like a 20" 5.56, or a 16" 6.8, which then adds the difference of rifle vs carbine. Now we're talking overall size, where and how you hunt, etc. I've used the M16 for decades in the service, and built a 6.8 with 16" barrel for myself. I preferred the advantages of lighter weight, shorter barrel, and more power on deer. That's what the rifle does most of the time.
All around is a nice goal, but what the rifle will do 85% of the time is the reality. Choose the caliber and barrel length to fit that job, and the rest will be easier.
One thing to consider is that the 6.8 won't need a 20" barrel - it was designed and intended for a 14.5", at 16" it's already gained. With some of the smaller loads, shooters are chronographing speeds nearly identical to 5.56. What that delivers is the extra foot pounds of force from the increase in mass, making it deliver even more power to handle larger game more efficiently.
That makes the choice more like a 20" 5.56, or a 16" 6.8, which then adds the difference of rifle vs carbine. Now we're talking overall size, where and how you hunt, etc. I've used the M16 for decades in the service, and built a 6.8 with 16" barrel for myself. I preferred the advantages of lighter weight, shorter barrel, and more power on deer. That's what the rifle does most of the time.
All around is a nice goal, but what the rifle will do 85% of the time is the reality. Choose the caliber and barrel length to fit that job, and the rest will be easier.
henschman
Member
Get the 5.56, and with the money you save over the 6.8 rifle and ammo, you can buy an actual bolt action deer rifle, if you want something that puts more ft./lbs. on target for that role.
Well thanks Tirod I appreciate the input. Part of my reasoning fo 20" is that I hunt open ground and feel like I need the max velocity I can get for 5.56 to be legal in the ft pounds category, and I do feel that 6.8 can benefit from every foot per second of velocity gain you can give it even if it amounts to only 50 fps. There are folks onhere with valuable input regarding factors I may not have considered . So yeah, whi h one to put in the truck and go to most of the time? (Dam this smartphone)
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