AR = Everything

[JimIsland]

I much prefer my suppressed 16" SFAR (.308 win) with a 1x6x24 Credo HX to my AR-15s.

I agree.....the OP mentioned Bear, Elk, Deer, etc. .556 is weak sauce for these larger animals IMO. My instincts tell me 6.5 Grendel minimum or even the 6.8 spc.

 

[RockAndSage]

Any recommendation for a Lower or any other part recommendations in general? Literally just got interested in building an AR this morning but I don’t know squat about who/what is good or who’s opinion to trust.

If you're already familiar with ARs, in terms of all their parts, and the parts & concepts that contribute to cycling reliability, the stuff that's been mentioned above is solid gold. If not, it wouldn't be a good idea to build your first AR - it's not super complicated, but is fairly simple to do wrong, at a number of key spots, and can take awhile to research, diagnose, and fix. As to factory guns, you could overthink it, evaluate all the different rifle/carbine options from different companies, and make a list of acceptable guns, but the easy-button really was listed up above with the LMT stuff, along with the why's.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Standard muzzle forward. 1.75” diameter, 4.5” long, sub 9oz. Looking to be low 130’s dB(A) SE from 18” 5.56.

180 rounds in of continuous fire. This can is legit. Was remarkably quiet on a bolt gun as well.

 

[MeatMissile]

If I were to have just 1:

Aero lower
B5 stock for mil-spec tube
BCM grip
BCM Mk2 14.5 upper, mid-length gas system
Surefire Warcomp pin/welded
BCM M-Lok handguard
BCM ergonomic hand stop
Troy Ind. HK style front BUIS
Troy Ind. rear BUIS
BCM bolt group
American Defense cantilever QD scope mount
Vortex Viper 1-6x
Streamlight ProTac light w/tape switch

 

[Jamie930]

The beauty of an AR is that you don't need one gun to do everything.

One lower yes. Then switch the upper

If you are staying under 300 yds 223/5.56 with +69 bullets and 1-4 or 6 scope with illuminated reticle will do everything

 

[MeatMissile]

I will say, I prefer an 11.5 for indoor scenarios and an 18” or even 20” for critters. My coyote gun sports an A2 stick for consistent eye relieve with the scope.



My “Keep It Simple” shorty. In the confines of the house, one better not be within the focused beam of the light.

 

[justinspicher]

I always wonder how many folks who build a short AR for “indoor scenarios” have actually done any “indoor scenario” training.

 

[MeatMissile]

I always wonder how many folks who build a short AR for “indoor scenarios” have actually done any “indoor scenario” training.

I’ve been an LEO for 21 years. My agency does quarterly training. Lots of applicable experience too, unfortunately.

Edited to add: Whatever system you have, take it and figure out what it’s like to shoot under those circumstances. Not everyone had access to every scenario, but try.

 

[Long Cut]

I’ll be the odd man out and recommend a 5-8” .300 blackout with a suppressor.
-Caliber built for shorter barrels; shines with 5-9” barrels
-Subsonic & Supersonic capability
-Easier to suppress than short barrels 5.56

Granted, I’m an east coast guy where anything beyond 150-200 yards is a “long shot”, so short .300’s make more sense down here.. out West a flatter trajectory/higher BC 5.56 may work better for your needs?

That’s a decision you’ve got to make, how often will this rifle see +200 yard shots, and how often will you encounter 0-199 yard shots?
That’s a big criteria IMO in how I’d set the rifle up with optics, etc…

 

[justinspicher]

I’ve never been a 300blkout fan, regardless of how quiet it can be. A gun can be whisper quiet but if its trajectory and velocity are shit it doesn’t make any sense to me.

In the city type environment, sure, it could work, but so can a 1911. Otherwise it’s an odd choice for a caliber to do anything with.

 

[MeatMissile]

I’ve never been a 300blkout fan, regardless of how quiet it can be. A gun can be whisper quiet but if its trajectory and velocity are shit it doesn’t make any sense to me.

In the city type environment, sure, it could work, but so can a 1911. Otherwise it’s an odd choice for a caliber to do anything with.

I agree. Then there is the logistical side of it.

 

[justinspicher]

Logistical side?

 

[MeatMissile]

Logistical side?

Feeding a 5.56 is a lot easier/cheaper than feeding a 300 BLK.

 

[coyotekilla]

I’ll be the odd man out and recommend a 5-8” .300 blackout with a suppressor.
-Caliber built for shorter barrels; shines with 5-9” barrels
-Subsonic & Supersonic capability
-Easier to suppress than short barrels 5.56

Granted, I’m an east coast guy where anything beyond 150-200 yards is a “long shot”, so short .300’s make more sense down here.. out West a flatter trajectory/higher BC 5.56 may work better for your needs?

That’s a decision you’ve got to make, how often will this rifle see +200 yard shots, and how often will you encounter 0-199 yard shots?
That’s a big criteria IMO in how I’d set the rifle up with optics, etc…

I disagree, as a 300 blkout owner its a speciality cartridge. Most of my experience has been with subs, but its been difficult to find a accurate & lethal load for varmit sized targets beyond 100 yards. 10 yards matter alot with that shell. Id like to see you go 223, 6.5g, heck even 7.62x39 before id go 300blk, and I hate 7.62x39 in ar's. An sks made a dandy beater truck gun honestly.

 

[JimIsland]

Yea, the .300 blackout is often misunderstood. My son and I bought them at the same time 5 or so years ago. I tinkered around with mine, shot a few racoons and coyotes with sub-sonic but that was the extent of it. My son shot the shit of it with different loads, different animals from varmints to Deer and has become deadly with it. From 40- 185 yards verified. Full disclosure, we are East Coast boys and bought these for close quarter work but with the right loads, it's a very capable cartridge.

I chrono'd his hand loads with a 5 shot avg of 1977 FPS. 150sst bullets. They kill efficiently as long as you realize it's limitations.

For the OP's situation, I would still recommend 6.5 G or 6.8 spc II.

 

[Long Cut]

I disagree, as a 300 blkout owner its a speciality cartridge. Most of my experience has been with subs, but its been difficult to find an accurate & lethal load for varmit sized targets beyond 100 yards. 10 yards matter alot with that shell. Id like to see you go 223, 6.5g, heck even 7.62x39 before id go 300blk, and I hate 7.62x39 in ar's. An sks made a dandy beater truck gun honestly.

To each their own. That’s why I stated “that’s a decision you’ve got to make” in my first comment.

Does OP favor a quieter, shorter & generally lighter configuration, or something cheaper to shoot / easier to find ammo with better ballistics?

- Personally quieter & shorter is better FOR ME for my use case. Now OP might be the complete opposite. That doesn’t make one platform “better” or “worse”, it just shows that not every setup works best all of the time.

He doesn’t HAVE to use subs when he’s varmint hunting. He could use subs for HD, then supers out at distance. Not sure about you, I’ll personally take shooting a 5” .300 with subs in a room or vehicle with no ear pro, over a suppressed 10.5” 5.56.