Need help in picking next AR upper

[crackback 135]

I am having a really tough choice of what upper to get one of my lowers. I can only pick one as the add-on's/ammo will eat up the gun budget for the next 3 to 12 months depending on which is chosen. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

1.) 50 BMG (Ferret 50, Bohica, Safety Harbor (3 to 5 rd magazine) Cost: $1300 to 2100

 

Pro: Cheapest way to get a 50, Can get mag fed option (Safety Harbor), Fun as hell to shoot,ammo widely available, ITS A 50!

 

Con: Requires $1000 -$2000+ scope+rings to get the most out of it, Many ranges do not allow 50BMG, Ammo is $$$

 

2.) 6.5mm Grendel (Alexander Arms, Sabre Defense, Rainier Arms Custom) Cost: $950 to 2700 Note: Only considering 19.5/20" railed models

[3ac6ucb 24]

Two big questions: First what kind of shooting do you do? Second, do you reload?

 

I don't reload (yet), but would like to. .50 BMG doesn't appeal to me that much in an AR platform, and if I did invest in one it would be its own rifle rather than an AR upper.

 

.204 Ruger AR uppers, however, are pretty nice. It's a great varmint round for groundhogs, prairie dogs, coyotes, etc. Shoots flatter and bucks the wind better than 5.56, and the cost and barrel life aren't too much worse than 5.56.

 

Pistol caliber uppers: meh... Doesn't really appeal to me, but it's not a bad idea.

 

Big Bore AR's: meh again.... Costs more, too. I'd rather have a nice Marlin in .45-70 or something

 

6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC... now you're talkin! I don't mean to start a holy war between those cartridges, but if it was my money I'd probably go for 6.8. Seems to be a bigger market and more choices. 6.5 Grendel does seem to have a ballistic advantage at longer ranges, though.

 

Or, if you really want Grendel type performance, how about an AR-10 with a 260 Remington upper? That'd be my first choice for a tactical semiautomatic in an intermediate caliber. Grendel and SPC are compromises made up to fit in the shorter AR-15 platform.