556 or 300BO if I no longer compete?

[steviesterno]

I'm thinking about standardizing to a single caliber for my non-22lr long guns. I used to shoot 3 gun a lot, so 223 made a lot of sense. it was cheap, easy, and I ran a ton of rounds hrough it. I currently have one SBR lower, a few pistol lowers, a few regular lowers, and enough spare parts to go kinda crazy with building.

 

Truth is, I don't shoot 3 gun anymore. I'm not allowed to shoot rifle rounds at my home range, and I only go to a neighboring range like once in a while. Maybe a few hundred rounds a year anymore. I still like the platform and want one for HD/end of the world/emergencies, etc. But i switched out my HD gun to a 300 BO pistol the other day and got to thinking well damn, now I have to switch the mags in the bug out bag, the extra mags in the truck, the box-o-mags I have loaded, etc.

 

Would I be better off switching to all 300 BO? I could change over all the mags and my ammo stock pile (i'd keep the 223 stuff I think). But then I could do a 300 pistol with supers in it for the truck, and the SBR with subs for the house. I would/will eventually get a 300 can to maximize it's usefulness.

 

I'll still get to practice and play with a 22 version of whatever I have, and all it would really take is a barrel change for my existing guns.

 

the price difference between 300 and 223 doesn't seem so major now that I'm just not shooting the volume I used to. I don't really hunt much if at all, so that doesn't  really factor in. 

 

what do you say? is it worth while to switch all to one caliber or just get out of the AR platform completely? 

[RangerTrace]

If money is a factor...all .223/5.56 all day long.  If it's not and you want the most versatile round our there...  .300BLK.  Sure 5.56 will get you an extra couple hundred yards compared to .300BLK, but in a self defense/hunting scenario 200 yards is plenty.  I like the flexibility to run heavy/quiet subs or 125 supers in the exact same rifle.  

[jkrispies]

I just made a similar decision and sold all my .223 stuff.  For me it was an easier choice because I’m all about 9mm PCC anymore (still have a .308 bolt if I need a real rifle though) but it came down to the fact that I virtually never shot the .223 mainly due to limitations in rifke rangess where I could shoot it.  By the time I sold my .223 stuff, it financed a lot of 9mm ammo and do-dads that I’m actually using, including a really kick butt HD upper to compliment my competition upper.  If I’m you, I’d be all about the .300blk due to it’s superiority as an HD round IMHO, along with the fact that you can shoot it at home, especially if there’s a can in your future.  

Edited March 22, 2018 by jkrispies

[steviesterno]

11 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

If money is a factor...all .223/5.56 all day long.  If it's not and you want the most versatile round our there...  .300BLK.  Sure 5.56 will get you an extra couple hundred yards compared to .300BLK, but in a self defense/hunting scenario 200 yards is plenty.  I like the flexibility to run heavy/quiet subs or 125 supers in the exact same rifle.  

 

@RangerTrace Well money is always a factor, but I thought with only going through a few hundred rounds a year the difference between 223 and 300 becomes much less of an issue. Same reason I still shoot 45s. I only shoot 100 rounds a month or so, and the extra $9 won't kill me. 

 

I shoot at the Dallas Pistol Club more often than anywhere else, so not able to stretch legs or shoot anything more significant. Part of me wants to get a scorpion or MP5 with a brace just to practice with 9mm, but the other part of me remembers how much 22 ammo you can buy with that expense. 

[RangerTrace]

4 hours ago, steviesterno said:

 

@RangerTrace Well money is always a factor, but I thought with only going through a few hundred rounds a year the difference between 223 and 300 becomes much less of an issue. Same reason I still shoot 45s. I only shoot 100 rounds a month or so, and the extra $9 won't kill me. 

 

I shoot at the Dallas Pistol Club more often than anywhere else, so not able to stretch legs or shoot anything more significant. Part of me wants to get a scorpion or MP5 with a brace just to practice with 9mm, but the other part of me remembers how much 22 ammo you can buy with that expense. 

Yeah, I think it's gay that we can't shoot a PCC or any center fire rifle at DPC.  You're much less likely to put one of those over the wall.....

[Larry White]

One thing to consider, the end of the world emergency part of the thinking, the 556/223 is the U.S. military round. 5.56 will be aviable, 300 not so much.------------------Larry

[rishii]

4 minutes ago, Larry White said:

One thing to consider, the end of the world emergency part of the thinking, the 556/223 is the U.S. military round. 5.56 will be aviable, 300 not so much.------------------Larry

Bingo

my criteria for ammo is can I go to a gun store/Walmart anywhere and get ammo for it, 223 yes anything specialized or exotic no

[steviesterno]

1 hour ago, RangerTrace said:

Yeah, I think it's gay that we can't shoot a PCC or any center fire rifle at DPC.  You're much less likely to put one of those over the wall.....

 

sucks. Subsonic suppressed 300 would actually do less damage to stuff than some of the handgun calibers they allow. oh well, i'll probably build a 9mm AR "pistol" with brace just so I can stay legal. Dumb I could do that with a 20" barrel but can't test fire my Kel Tec sub2k 9mm. though with those new signs I'm thinking they are having people breaking rules

 

[steviesterno]

1 hour ago, Larry White said:

One thing to consider, the end of the world emergency part of the thinking, the 556/223 is the U.S. military round. 5.56 will be aviable, 300 not so much.------------------Larry

 

1 hour ago, rishii said:

Bingo

my criteria for ammo is can I go to a gun store/Walmart anywhere and get ammo for it, 223 yes anything specialized or exotic no

 

sure and I get that. to be fair, my SHTF thought is I need 300 rounds of stuff on hand. If I'm getting in that many gun fights I'm either dead or entitled to field pick ups. so either way, no need to hoard it. 

[jkrispies]

2 hours ago, Larry White said:

One thing to consider, the end of the world emergency part of the thinking, the 556/223 is the U.S. military round. 5.56 will be aviable, 300 not so much.------------------Larry

I have to agree with this as a general principle.  I'd love to rock a .300blk but my pragmatic inner self refuses to allow me to invest in anything that isn't compatible with US/NATO ammo.  9mm, .45, .308, and (formerly) 5.56.  The only thing that keeps me thinking about .300blk is that I understand .223 brass can be converted to .300blk brass, and since I load all my own centerfire anyway...  

 

Well, someday after I retire and live in a free state like Texas, maybe!

[Joe4d]

3 hours ago, Larry White said:

One thing to consider, the end of the world emergency part of the thinking, the 556/223 is the U.S. military round. 5.56 will be aviable, 300 not so much.------------------Larry

yeh but in that case will also be plenty of 556 rifles around as well..
 

[Larry White]

5 hours ago, Joe4d said:

yeh but in that case will also be plenty of 556 rifles around as well..
 

True, but you will still be ahead of the curve if you already have one. If the big push and shove comes the ammo to have on hand will be 22lr, 9mm, 556/223 and 7.62. 22lr will be the the gold standard trade and barter currency.----------------Larry