6.8 or 5.56: Worried About Not Enough Ammo?

[Sharpstick]

The military issue M4 carbine has a 14.5 inch barrel and works just fine. My 16inch shoots minute of angle with decent ammo, thats plenty accurate for even precision work.

 

[tommyzDad]

The military issue M4 carbine has a 14.5 inch barrel and works just fine. My 16inch shoots minute of angle with decent ammo, thats plenty accurate for even precision work.

I was going to reply that I didn't want to budget in--at least not yet--a $200 tax because I would be getting an NFA weapon if I were to get something that length, but then I would be getting only a Class 3 lower receiver, wouldn't I? (Or is the "NFA length" 14-inches and under, not 14.5?

 

[youngbuck]

(Or is the "NFA length" 14-inches and under, not 14.5?

If you got an NFA you'd be covered no matter what. But I do believe that anything under 16" is NFA.

 

[Sharpstick]

Anything under 16inches is a SBR and requires the $200 tax. The way this is done is you apply for the permission to own it and provide your tax fee as well as a few other things, photo, fingerprint card. Any rifle can be made in to a SBR provided you fallow this posses, so you can buy an AR15 lower and have it registered as a SBR you will need to number it but thats minor.

If you were to get a Full auto you would be covered for the SBR, but full auto AR15s are 10,000 and up.

I have a SBR and a silencer, in my opinion its worth the cost and effort, though if this is just an Ar15 you should be fine with a 14.5 with a permanently attached flash hider, this is done by silver solder or welded pin. Of course nothing wrong with a 16 inch barrel either.

 

[luke-gr]

Gunny, thank you for pointing out the Appleseed project. I did a bit of looking around on their site. I really hope to make the July dates. It has been a good while since Ive done any serious shooting. I was on the JROTC rifle team in high school back around 1990 but aiming for a larger rifle within the next month.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Gunny, thank you for pointing out the Appleseed project. I did a bit of looking around on their site. I really hope to make the July dates. It has been a good while since Ive done any serious shooting. I was on the JROTC rifle team in high school back around 1990 but aiming for a larger rifle within the next month.

Anytime! As I mentioned, I still recommend Appleseed even for USMC certified Rifle Experts. And don't worry so much about the 'larger rifle' except for a real SHTF scenario. The best rifle in the world for practice, is a Ruger 10/22 with Tech Sites.

You don't get to try your hand at 500 yards with it, but you can fine-tune your basic rifle marksmanship skills through 1000 rounds without denting your wallet.

The drop compensation for trajectory is actually the LEAST of your worries. Maybe wind compensation could be helped with a little range, but once you have the 25 yard practice locked and cocked with the 10/22, the rest is just academics.

 

[Kalifornia]

Im glad to see my opinion is in good company.

Generally the exotic chamberings should be avoided. Unless you have some kind of specialized use for a specific weapon, stick to the basics. .556 and 7.62x51 (which can use their civilian counterparts .223 and .308, but dont make the mistake of buying rifles chambered for those calibers, because they dont always work backwards), .45, 9mm., .357/.38 special, .22, and 12ga. Although, personally, I would add 30.06 to this pile, simply because half the deer rifles in the closets in closets of America are chambered for that round.

Everything else is is either mildly redundant or for some kind of special purpose which most people simply have no real use for.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Im glad to see my opinion is in good company.

Generally the exotic chamberings should be avoided. Unless you have some kind of specialized use for a specific weapon, stick to the basics. .556 and 7.62x51 (which can use their civilian counterparts .223 and .308, but dont make the mistake of buying rifles chambered for those calibers, because they dont always work backwards), .45, 9mm., .357/.38 special, .22, and 12ga. Although, personally, I would add 30.06 to this pile, simply because half the deer rifles in the closets in closets of America are chambered for that round.

Everything else is is either mildly redundant or for some kind of special purpose which most people simply have no real use for.

Right except for one caveat -- you have the 7.62x51 and .308 backwards. .308 is hotter than 7.62x51 NATO.

Get the NATO chamber for 5.56/.223 but get the civilian chamber for .308/7.62x51

also, I agree wrt 30-06 I am a big 30-06 fan for it's specialized purpose as a long long rage gun and penetration.

 

[OddballAZ]

I have a 6.8 SPC AR-15. I am not that worried about ammo in a short term SHTF situation but that is because I handload and I keep a decent supply of the components for reloading on hand. In a long term situation then yes I'd rather have 5.56 due to the sheer availability. I plan on getting a 5.56 upper and stocking up on ammo for it but I'll probably shoot the 6.8 at least just as often if not more. I choose 6.8mm because the brass seems to last a lot longer than the brass for 5.56 so I save money there. I do spend more money on the bullets, but right now everyone and their mother wants 5.56 bullets. Sometimes you can't even find them and many times web sites like Midway are sold out of any decent priced .223 bullets. I can find .270 bullets anywhere. So cost wise it's almost a wash but I get decent availability with 6.8 SPC (the components anyways). And the bigger bullet sure isn't going to do less damage than the 5.56 if I needed it for that purpose.

But in the mean time before I get a 5.56 upper, the chances are if I outlast the ammo I have in a SHTF situation, I'll be able to "acquire" myself a 5.56 upper and the ammo for it.

If you don't know what to get, decide if you want to reload or not. If you don't want to reload, then the choice is easy, get a 5.56. You will spend a small fortune buying factory 6.8 ammo as well as you'll have a hard time finding it. Make sure the upper is a 5.56 NATO upper and not just .223. If you reload then you can consider 6.8. Reloading is the only way the price will be affordable and you can ensure you have a decent supply of ammo.

 

[tommyzDad]

Thanks for the input, Odd. I don't plan on doing any handloading--just scraping up the pennies right now for the rifle itself. (And here I am going on about trying to get an NFA lower.... On my budget. )

 

[TruckinMike]

The RWVA Appleseed - "Liberty Training Rifle" -- Ruger 10/22

Here is a link for the details, such as tech sights, and other upgrades.


http://www.rwva.info/rwva%20pages/libertytrainingrifle.html

TMike

 

[tommyzDad]

Thanks, Truckin'. Good info.

 

[the_british_are_coming]

You have already answered your own question?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


you are not only on a budget, but you are worried about AVAILABILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

availability. meaning being able to find the round, right?


ok.


go to your gun shop. go to wal-mart. go to your hardware store. go to your gun shop again.

go online.


repeat everything above. twice. each day. for a week.


you should be able to count the times you find more 6.8 ammo than .223 on the same finger you count finding more unicorns than fords.


if getting by in a SHTF situation is your goal... asking if 6.8 is a good choice is like asking if the tooth fairy will pick you up from prom.

No, this is not a question to fuel a debate on the "better" caliber.

I'm hoping someone will throw in their opinion as to what would be the more practical caliber when TSHTF. I mean in terms of sheer availability, are any of you who own only a rifle in 6.8mm (or 6.5mm for that matter) concerned at all about being reduced to having nothing but an expensive club when you run out of ammo.

I'm on a budget and torn between 5.56 and 6.8 (I've looked at 6.5 but the as far I can tell, there is only one mfr right now, Alexander Arms...).