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Posted: 9/14/2014 1:36:10 AM EDT
[#1]
Sort of like discussing the merits of toenail clippers vs. fingernail clippers in a lightweight BOB.
It depends on a lot of things. No easy answers to such profound questions... |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 1:45:39 AM EDT
[#2]
IMHO I'd rather be setup for the more common calibers. I'm setup for whatever Leo and .mil use. 9mm, .40, .45, .223/5.56 and .308/7.62.
Seems to me, you chances of being able to resupply and be compatible with others are greater with common ammo. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 3:06:03 AM EDT
[#3]
Don't confuse SHTF with TEOTWAWKI.
6.8/6.5 are fine for SHTF, you should have enough ammo on hand for that. Good for the beginning of TEOTWAWKI, but have a 5.56 upper or another rifle for later. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 3:08:02 AM EDT
[#4]
After the recent run on ammo and arms, I think you need to have stock in any caliber you intend to use. If you're considering battlefield pickups, you'll probably find a corresponding weapon.
Trade, or standardizing with a group might dictate something more common, or bigger stocks. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 11:43:54 AM EDT
[#5]
Nutnfancy had a similar discussion but it was 6.8 vs 5.56 (yes I know the hate for him but did bring up good points) After the babbling he would choose 5.56 over 6.8 just because on availability alone. Just on cost alone you can get 5.56 around .40 (that's the high side) but 6.8 still going to be close to $1 per round. In bulk purchasing the 5.56 make much more sense. Also as a load out a magazine of 5.56 will weigh less than 6.8
As for myself I do think 6.8 would make a better truck gun/ get home gun than the 5.56. Chances are your alone and do not want to engage at all but if you have to mind as well has better ballistics. Plus you would already have limited room in your truck/car/suv anyways so to me it makes sense as far as 6.5 I want to get into but for myself I cannot buy one box locally at all which I cannot afford bulk purchases via online |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 12:51:59 PM EDT
[#6]
I started my shooting sports hobby in handgun metallic silhouette with a 7mmTCU...fire forming brass is a tedious process, never again....I don't need the ballistic coefficient of anything more than a .308 168grain BTHP...YMMV.... with an ACOG and M193/M855 I can scare clay birds on the berm at 600m...my game gun for 3 gun is a 16" AR, and that is what I'm most comfortable shooting
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Posted: 9/14/2014 7:25:36 PM EDT
[#7]
I think any of the 6.5 level offerings exceed at longer ranges. No personal experience with any of them, just going off what I've read.
The 5.56 is good to 500 meters, at least in the USMC. Anything outside of that range, I'd opt for 7.62 mm. Commonality and availability being the rationale. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 7:44:59 PM EDT
[#8]
When reloading components were scarce for .308 and .223, there were plenty of .277 bullets available for loading 6.8
Just saying... |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 7:55:15 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't confuse SHTF with TEOTWAWKI. 6.8/6.5 are fine for SHTF, you should have enough ammo on hand for that. Good for the beginning of TEOTWAWKI, but have a 5.56 upper or another rifle for later. +1 imo. Have to remember that shtf situations happen pretty regularly, albeit usually on a small, local scale. Even some huge things - even WW2 - I'd call shtf's and not full-on teotwawki situations, simply because 'the world as we know it' didn't actually end. Full-on teotwawki to me means The Postman, an ice age, Night of the Comet, etc; and those almost never happen. And by 'almost never' I mean literally that, usually not one time over the course of many generations. For that, I'd suggest a multi-generational supply of common-caliber, cheap-to-stock-up-on ammunition; but if you're really planning that route, don't forget multi-generational supplies of spare parts, toilet paper, diapers, medicine, tools, socks, etc. Whole different thing, a much-less-likely thing, and a whole other 'level' of preps involved. For a typical shtf situation (Katrina, ice storms, flash mobs, etc), I'd agree with Desert_AIP that caliber almost doesn't matter, as long as it's a decent caliber and you have what you believe to be 'enough'; whatever that number is to you personally. Give my one or two of my guns and a few magazines, and I'm probably fine defensively for most shtf situations. But while my gun might be critical in getting me thru a common shtf situation, it's my family and my home-situation that are a lot more likely to be critical in teotwawki. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 8:20:06 PM EDT
[#10]
Multiple uppers and mags might provide some flexibility for using found stashes of ammo, but you can buy a LOT of 5.56 ammo for the price of a couple quality uppers with BCGs.
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Posted: 9/14/2014 8:20:54 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When reloading components were scarce for .308 and .223, there were plenty of .277 bullets available for loading 6.8 Just saying... Primers were still hard to find. |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 9:51:41 PM EDT
[#12]
I would stick to common calibers. 6.8 spc is a great round but availability will remain limited.
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Posted: 9/14/2014 10:23:15 PM EDT
[#13]
I don't ever, even for one second, fantasize about a SHTF scenario where I'm forced to protect myself and family with a rifle, nor do I expect to see such an event in my lifetime , however I'm not ignorant enough to say it won't happen. Should it though, I for sure will be shooting a 68 until I'm out of ammo before switching to 556. I've never shot anyone, but I do know anatomically humans and pigs are quite similar and have experience repairing pig tissue and organ systems as a cell biologist and destroying them as a wildlife biologist, and the 68 does a hell of a lot more damage. If you're able, and specifically prepping for the scenarios in your OP, why not stock up on a caliber that gives you the best advantage possible for as long as possible. Kind of like my golf game; I load up on the best balls I can afford and when I'm out I just use whatever else is lying around.
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Posted: 9/15/2014 7:15:39 AM EDT
[#14]
For SHTF I'd say it doesn't matter. In the USA I've never heard of an event where a person had to discharge significant amounts of ammo against other people for personal/family survival. Since the legal system survives in SHTF there would a grand jury involved in any situation where you fired more than half a pmag.
TEOTWAWKI is different once the government has disappeared from life you could find yourself in that situation. I'm fine with a 6.5/6.8 or for that matter any wildcat caliber upper as long as there is a common caliber upper and plenty of ammo right behind it. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 8:46:01 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Primers were still hard to find. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: When reloading components were scarce for .308 and .223, there were plenty of .277 bullets available for loading 6.8 Just saying... Primers were still hard to find. And unlike the 6.5 Grendel which can be formed from 7.62x39 brass, the 6.8 can only form from .30 Remington brass, which is even more rare. As a side note, 6.5 bullets were quite plentiful when all the .308" and .224" bullets were gone. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 11:20:06 AM EDT
[#16]
I have a different take on this. Since the recent panic I have noticed more and more companies getting into the "niche" calibers like 6.5, 6.8, .300blk, etc. I believe they were doing it to capitalize on profit. For example, you can reload a .300blk for about $.20/round. Most places are selling ammo at closer to $.90/round now. However, this year alone .300blk ammo has gone from non-existant under $1.00/round to places that are selling at $.55/round. Reloading for a .300 and a 6.8 is rather inexpensive, as they use common bullets. However, powder still has not caught up.
I just plan to stock it as deep as I can, and perhaps have a 5.56 barrel for each of my .300blks since that is the only difference between the two. My 6.8 will still be with me though. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 1:35:18 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I don't ever, even for one second, fantasize about a SHTF scenario where I'm forced to protect myself and family with a rifle, nor do I expect to see such an event in my lifetime , however I'm not ignorant enough to say it won't happen. Should it though, I for sure will be shooting a 68 until I'm out of ammo before switching to 556. I've never shot anyone, but I do know anatomically humans and pigs are quite similar and have experience repairing pig tissue and organ systems as a cell biologist and destroying them as a wildlife biologist, and the 68 does a hell of a lot more damage. If you're able, and specifically prepping for the scenarios in your OP, why not stock up on a caliber that gives you the best advantage possible for as long as possible. Kind of like my golf game; I load up on the best balls I can afford and when I'm out I just use whatever else is lying around. I think this is great advice, and an excellent way to approach the issue. I think far too much effort is spent debating/wondering/hand-wringing over firearm caliber. I do think it's wise to have a few firearms in your arsenal chambered in relatively common calibers, and to stockpile some ammunition for these since, being common, it's also cheap. And that's it. Whatever else you want to shoot, go for it. I'm probably going to be getting into either 6.8 or 6.5 pretty soon, mostly because I can't hunt with 5.56 in my state. Whatever AR variant I end up with, I'll certainly keep a reasonable stockpile of ammo and magainzes on hand. If, by the slimmest of chances, there is a TEOTWAWKI scenario, I'm lucky enough to survive, expend all of my primary rifle ammunition on fighting off raiders/reavers/whatever, transition to my 5.56 rifle, and shoot up all my 5.56 on cannibals/zombies, then my plan is to pick up my 10/22 and come up with a new plan to get some centerfire rifle ammo. 
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Posted: 9/15/2014 2:55:58 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Do the benefits of the 6.8SPC / 6.5G override the problems such as limited availability versus the more common NATO calibers? I think they look good on paper but will turn into Unobtanium during TSHTF. If you don't already have 10,000 rounds, you won't find any anywhere. If you think you're going to 'find' ammo when TSHTF you're already in trouble. I like the 6.8, it's in my plans, I have a nice stock and the capability of making more. But the real beauty of most 6.8/6.5 rifles is they are ARs, so you can (AND SHOULD!!!) have uppers in the much more common 5.56 caliber. (and I mean 5.56, not a .223 rifle). |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 2:58:32 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
.. Reloading for a .300 and a 6.8 is rather inexpensive, as they use common bullets. However, powder still has not caught up. .. One of the things I like about the 6.8 is the same powder I use for reloading is the same powder I use to load 75gr OTMs for 5.56. 
I can (and have) used other .223/5.56 powders to load 6.8; some work better than others but they work. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 9:19:54 PM EDT
[#20]
Just playing devils advocate: why not step up to a .308 over a 6.8?
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Posted: 9/15/2014 9:54:25 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Just playing devils advocate: why not step up to a .308 over a 6.8? 6.X class rifles use AR15 parts, and are AR15 light. They use the same magazine holders as your 5.56 AR, and in a pinch 6.8 rights can use 5.56 magazines with 5 round. Thus minimizing differences in slate parts, tools, and being easier to tote. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 11:44:56 PM EDT
[#22]
If you can afford 6.8 then you can probably afford 500 rounds of the ammo. I can't imagine a SHTF that has you shooting all 500 rounds. EOTWAWKI...maybe. But even there, unless you are not using a scope etc. why would you be wasting so much? the whole point of 6.8 is to have a bullet that can more or less accurately reach out to 500 yards *(which means it's useful only if you plan on doing long range hunting or sniping and that's 1 shot at a time, not a barrage.)
Anything within 500 yards is well within range of .223 I could see having a dedicated bolt action with nice scope and bipod for long range stuff and the .223 for medium to close in work. Naturally 6.8 could do both. |
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Posted: 9/16/2014 8:03:59 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I could see having a dedicated bolt action with nice scope and bipod for long range stuff and the .223 for medium to close in work. Naturally 6.8 could do both. I'd rescue an Ay Kay from the trash can and give it a good home before I would spend $0.02 on a bolt gun. Then hunting with semi-auto is cool in TX |
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Posted: 9/16/2014 8:50:27 AM EDT
[#24]
i'd rather have a 556 or 308 or 762x39 personally. I just looked on bulk ammo and they have 1000 rounds of 68 for $700. F that. you could get more than 2000 556 rounds for that, probably 3000 762x39 and over 1000 308 rounds.
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Posted: 9/16/2014 9:17:15 PM EDT
[#25]
SHTF could be lack of ammo. Sign me up for common calibers.
I can make 300 blk brass and have a ton of 5.56 and .30cal components. |
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Posted: 9/16/2014 11:39:43 PM EDT
[#26]
.22 LR serve as a lesson to anyone?
$10-$12 a box of 500 went to $50 on sale now really darn quickly. I have stayed with "standard" .22 LR, .38/.357, 9mm and .45 pistols, .22 LR, .223, .308, .30-06 rifles and .410 and 12 gauge shotguns because of the cheapness of ammo which I have stacked deep - many cubic feet worth. The only non-conformist rifle is a lone benchrest .22-250 (which does use the same bullet at .223) that I reload for for fun. Even for it I have several hundred loaded rounds put away. When .223 was $0.12 and $0.18 cents a round I put back some quality ammo ... and now when they're $0.30 to $0.35 I'm buying my limits. When the SHTF stores close and the UPS/USPS aren't going to be delivering so you go to war with the army you have, not the army you want. In a long term EOTWAWKI common caliber ammo will be worth it's weight in a lot of very good things. If neither of them happen the stuff doesn't go bad (in human lifespans) and I don't think will ever go cheaper. I had more than 100 high cap (normal cap!) magazines when CA banned them. I bought enough rifles to register some here and leave some with friends and family scattered across four states. One basket doesn't make for a safe cache. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 3:16:34 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't confuse SHTF with TEOTWAWKI. 6.8/6.5 are fine for SHTF, you should have enough ammo on hand for that. Good for the beginning of TEOTWAWKI, but have a 5.56 upper or another rifle for later. this |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 3:27:19 AM EDT
[#28]
I've always heard that 5.56 NATO and 9mm were the calibers to go with because in a SHTF situation they would be more available...
After the last panic I call BS wholeheartedly. 5.56 and 9mm were the first to go and were completely unavailable for a very long time. Calibers like 30-06, 270 and other similar rounds were available every day. As said earlier, SHTF and TEOTWAWKI are NOT even close to the same thing. The latter as Hollywood has depicted will never happen, the former can happen any day. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 6:01:10 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Just playing devils advocate: why not step up to a .308 over a 6.8? Rifles weight a ton. Ammo weights another ton. Try carrying a MBR with 300 rounds of 7.62NATO for any distance. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 6:05:10 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've always heard that 5.56 NATO and 9mm were the calibers to go with because in a SHTF situation they would be more available... After the last panic I call BS wholeheartedly. 5.56 and 9mm were the first to go and were completely unavailable for a very long time. Calibers like 30-06, 270 and other similar rounds were available every day. As said earlier, SHTF and TEOTWAWKI are NOT even close to the same thing. The latter as Hollywood has depicted will never happen, the former can happen any day. The point is, don't rely on traditional retail outlet for ammo. When you get a firearm, get all the ammo you will ever need during its lifetime. Just assume all over-the-counter stuff is not an option, neither is buying privately from anyone. So if you have a 6.8, you should have x,xxx rounds for it. Only problem is, if you lose all your ammo or its stolen from you or you have to suddenly move and lose access to it. Even then 5.56/9mm should be easier to replace. Realize that TSHTF is a personal thing. It can hit for you but not for others. Or for a group of people or a segment of society but not the entire country. It's localized. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 8:13:00 PM EDT
[#31]
I'd stick with 5.56 or 300blk.
At least with 300blk you have bullet varieties like the 308, but you can also shoot cast lead bullets scavenged from wheel weights. They can be loaded supersonic with gas checks made at home (up to 2100fps) and subsonic 210 grainers. Cases can be formed with spent 223 cases, and all you need to do is switch barrels.
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Posted: 9/17/2014 8:47:03 PM EDT
[#32]
bad idea. even if you have 100,000 rounds. What if you lose the ammo in a fire.
better to have the same ammo, mags and parts as everyone else. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 8:48:39 PM EDT
[#33]
bad idea. even if you have 100,000 rounds. What if you lose the ammo in a fire.
better to have the same ammo, mags and parts as everyone else. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 9:06:27 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
bad idea. even if you have 100,000 rounds. What if you lose the ammo in a fire. . You really don't understand the concepts of 'cache' and "don't put all your eggs in one basket" do ya? 
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Posted: 9/17/2014 10:15:46 PM EDT
[#35]
I think following the concept "better to have the same ammo, mags and parts as everyone else." means not putting all your eggs in one basket.
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Posted: 9/17/2014 10:46:35 PM EDT
[#36]
How did the Taliban manage to stay in the field with ammo for 10+ years in Afghanistan despite the best military on earth interdicting the borders - overwatching the few paved roads through the mountains and most of the main passes over them?
In a SHTF or EOTWAWKI 'new normal' the drugs will still flow and so will the ammo....so besides the Swiss Family Robinson approach of stockpiling a ship's cargo worth of stuff.... one also needs to think through what skills and tools one might need for a new career with which to barter or trade for the things you'll need for the rest of your life once the immediate year-long crisis is over. 1 year of a CONUS-wide grid down catastrophe would result in massive population migrations, borders possibly re-drawn, de-facto independent fiefs carved out around hospitals or airfields or ports.... in such a chaotic situation, having many different platforms in different calibers might very well be the key to success.... |
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Posted: 9/18/2014 4:29:42 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: bad idea. better to have the same ammo, mags and parts as everyone else. Not necessarily a good idea either. During the ammo shortages of 2008 & 2012 that didn't work out for a lot of people! The common calibers were unobtainium. 9, 45, 223/556, 308, and 22 is still pretty rare. Meanwhile 30-30, 30-06, and others were plentiful.
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Posted: 9/18/2014 5:33:26 AM EDT
[#38]
My question would be 'why?'
You're getting an expensive, hard to find round, with only theoretical* benefits over 5.56. For instance, utilizing the range benefits of 6.5 will make you a tall poppy.(Why shoot when you could put yourself at less risk, and leave the situation/hide?) Then, there's the fact that the 6.5 and 6.8 use different bolts and such. I just don't see the minor gains in terminal performance or long range ballistics as being worth the extra cost and hassle of a non-standard gun. *Yes, we're all aware 6.8 "performs better," and " is bigger," but 5.56 has and will work fine for the same purposes. |
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Posted: 9/18/2014 11:32:34 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
and will work fine for the same purposes. Unless you're target is behind cover. |
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Posted: 9/18/2014 6:47:37 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My question would be 'why?' You're getting an expensive, hard to find round, with only theoretical* benefits over 5.56. For instance, utilizing the range benefits of 6.5 will make you a tall poppy.(Why shoot when you could put yourself at less risk, and leave the situation/hide?) Then, there's the fact that the 6.5 and 6.8 use different bolts and such. I just don't see the minor gains in terminal performance or long range ballistics as being worth the extra cost and hassle of a non-standard gun. *Yes, we're all aware 6.8 "performs better," and " is bigger," but 5.56 has and will work fine for the same purposes. 6.5 (I've no experience with 6.8) uses a different barrel and bolt (which comes with the barrel) and magazines. Other than that, it's the same AR as your 5.56. Spare bolts are on par price wise with .223 bolts. Barrels aren't hugely more expensive than decent 5.56 barrels, and the first major shipment of Wolf steel 6.5g is already being sent downrange, with more on the way. Currently $180 per 500rnds plus shipping and slated to drop as production ramps up. Compare that to the $120-150 for cheap 5.56 and you aren't talking all that much difference. And if you march up to the higher end, the difference gets even narrower. I'm not sure about your "intangible" tag. So far as I've seen, the gains in performance at all levels are concrete and quantifiable. Speaking as somebody who survived the great ammo famine of 2008, I can safely attest that, while the "most common" calibers will start out in much higher quantities than the "fringe" calibers, they'll also go downrange in much more copious amounts, rendering the advantage quickly moot. Like most of the schmaht guys have already said, if you're counting on ammo you don't have to hand, you're fooling yourself. Stack deep and spread the joy so any single catastrophe cannot do you completely in. |
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Posted: 9/19/2014 12:53:29 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unless you're target is behind cover. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
and will work fine for the same purposes. Unless you're target is behind cover. Then you need to step up to something beyond a shoulder fired rifle. You need to stop thinking of a rifle as a combat weapon, and start thinking of it as a personal defense weapon. That's the realistic application for a civilian. Quoted:
6.5 (I've no experience with 6.8) uses a different barrel and bolt (which comes with the barrel) and magazines. Other than that, it's the same AR as your 5.56. Spare bolts are on par price wise with .223 bolts. Barrels aren't hugely more expensive than decent 5.56 barrels, and the first major shipment of Wolf steel 6.5g is already being sent downrange, with more on the way. Currently $180 per 500rnds plus shipping and slated to drop as production ramps up. Compare that to the $120-150 for cheap 5.56 and you aren't talking all that much difference. And if you march up to the higher end, the difference gets even narrower. I'm not sure about your "intangible" tag. So far as I've seen, the gains in performance at all levels are concrete and quantifiable. Speaking as somebody who survived the great ammo famine of 2008, I can safely attest that, while the "most common" calibers will start out in much higher quantities than the "fringe" calibers, they'll also go downrange in much more copious amounts, rendering the advantage quickly moot. Like most of the schmaht guys have already said, if you're counting on ammo you don't have to hand, you're fooling yourself. Stack deep and spread the joy so any single catastrophe cannot do you completely in. It's still using less common parts, even if they're just a couple parts. It's intangible because nobody is going to see a huge benefit by going to 6.5 or 6.8. I know they perform better on paper than 5.56, we all do, but do you really think that someone's going to shrug off a 5.56 wound, that would otherwise be deadly with 6.8? I don't. Are these paper benefits worth the added expense and rarity of parts and ammo? I don't think so. We're not talking .30-30 vs .30-06, parts and ammo for 5.56 is orders of magnitude more available than 6.5 or 6.8. You're correct regarding availability during scares, but, like you said, one should take advantage of cheap prices now, to not be bothered by them. When you're buying thousands of rounds, (going by your numbers) $30-60 adds up fast, when buying in bulk. |
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Posted: 9/19/2014 1:16:04 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Then you need to step up to something beyond a shoulder fired rifle. You need to stop thinking of a rifle as a combat weapon, and start thinking of it as a personal defense weapon. That's the realistic application for a civilian. It's still using less common parts, even if they're just a couple parts. It's intangible because nobody is going to see a huge benefit by going to 6.5 or 6.8. I know they perform better on paper than 5.56, we all do, but do you really think that someone's going to shrug off a 5.56 wound, that would otherwise be deadly with 6.8? I don't. Are these paper benefits worth the added expense and rarity of parts and ammo? I don't think so. We're not talking .30-30 vs .30-06, parts and ammo for 5.56 is orders of magnitude more available than 6.5 or 6.8. You're correct regarding availability during scares, but, like you said, one should take advantage of cheap prices now, to not be bothered by them. When you're buying thousands of rounds, (going by your numbers) $30-60 adds up fast, when buying in bulk. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: and will work fine for the same purposes. Unless you're target is behind cover. Then you need to step up to something beyond a shoulder fired rifle. You need to stop thinking of a rifle as a combat weapon, and start thinking of it as a personal defense weapon. That's the realistic application for a civilian. Quoted: 6.5 (I've no experience with 6.8) uses a different barrel and bolt (which comes with the barrel) and magazines. Other than that, it's the same AR as your 5.56. Spare bolts are on par price wise with .223 bolts. Barrels aren't hugely more expensive than decent 5.56 barrels, and the first major shipment of Wolf steel 6.5g is already being sent downrange, with more on the way. Currently $180 per 500rnds plus shipping and slated to drop as production ramps up. Compare that to the $120-150 for cheap 5.56 and you aren't talking all that much difference. And if you march up to the higher end, the difference gets even narrower. I'm not sure about your "intangible" tag. So far as I've seen, the gains in performance at all levels are concrete and quantifiable. Speaking as somebody who survived the great ammo famine of 2008, I can safely attest that, while the "most common" calibers will start out in much higher quantities than the "fringe" calibers, they'll also go downrange in much more copious amounts, rendering the advantage quickly moot. Like most of the schmaht guys have already said, if you're counting on ammo you don't have to hand, you're fooling yourself. Stack deep and spread the joy so any single catastrophe cannot do you completely in. It's still using less common parts, even if they're just a couple parts. It's intangible because nobody is going to see a huge benefit by going to 6.5 or 6.8. I know they perform better on paper than 5.56, we all do, but do you really think that someone's going to shrug off a 5.56 wound, that would otherwise be deadly with 6.8? I don't. Are these paper benefits worth the added expense and rarity of parts and ammo? I don't think so. We're not talking .30-30 vs .30-06, parts and ammo for 5.56 is orders of magnitude more available than 6.5 or 6.8. You're correct regarding availability during scares, but, like you said, one should take advantage of cheap prices now, to not be bothered by them. When you're buying thousands of rounds, (going by your numbers) $30-60 adds up fast, when buying in bulk. Those of us that DO get to shoot out beyond 600+ yards quickly learned that bucking the unpredictable wind works better with some cartridges than others... I wouldn't sneeze at a 556 headed at me from 800yds, but I know it is less likely to hit me than a 308 or 300 win mag in winds over 20mph...
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Posted: 9/19/2014 3:42:43 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Even at 1000yds, the 5.56 still has the energy of a 380 ACP at the muzzle. Still deadly. Those of us that DO get to shoot out beyond 600+ yards quickly learned that bucking the unpredictable wind works better with some cartridges than others... I wouldn't sneeze at a 556 headed at me from 800yds, but I know it is less likely to hit me than a 308 or 300 win mag in winds over 20mph... Of course there are better calibers for shooting 600+ yards. But, recreational shooting isn't the topic of discussion here, the OP was asking what firearm would be better for a disaster situation. I vote 5.56 because ammo and parts are cheaper and move available to stock up on, and it does everything that a civilian is going to reasonable need it to do. I don't consider engaging at 600+ to be a good course of action, when my goal should be flying under the radar, and shooting only when it's necessary. |
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