Where does the large frame AR fit in your tool box?

[rlsmith1]

Specifically the 6.5CM version? I have an 18" 6.5CM on a large frame platform (MK5 3.6-18) and love how it shoots, balances, and runs. However I'm trying to downsize and keep things as efficient as possible without having too many gaps. Right now I have a short 300blk (RDS) for that work, a 14.5" 556 that is pretty utilitarian (1-8 LPVO with piggyback RDS), and an 18" 6 ARC that gives me some reach (MK5 3.6-18). After that I have a bolt gun that can swap between a handful of rounds with the 300NM being the one oriented for true long range (MK5 5-25).

I'm trying to figure out if I really need the Creed (which has a few hundred ft/lbs of KE over the ARC at all ranges), but am torn because it's one of those rifles that just feels right and shoots well. I've always got a 308 gasser in the safe in case I want to treat cover and concealment with a similar approach.

Day to day, I run the ARC for yotes (day and night), and use that and the bolt gun for pretty much all my night stuff at distance. Of course the 300 and 556 do the other night stuff well.

I appreciate your thoughts, just trying to simplify but don't want to sacrifice capability if I shouldn't

 

[MarshallDodge]

Years ago I had a large frame AR and realized that I didn't care for the size. Sold it and never looked back.

I prefer a standard AR for 5.56 and a bolt gun for everything else. One day I may do a 6ARC

 

[hkguns]

I don't sell guns, period, end of story. If your kids aren't fed, then have at it, otherwise, keep it and you'll thank me later in life. Its good to have options.

 

[Evolution 9]

You love the 18” Creedmoor and the 308 sits in the safe… so sell the 308, not the Creedmoor.

Finding specific items of cover in the real world that stop 6.5 but are defeated by 308 is going to be a meticulous task. If you find a bad guy behind one of those rare items your luck has run its course and it’s your day regardless of what equipment you brought.

 

[MadDuner]

You owe it to yourself to try and own everything in every caliber....

Yes. I know. We’re all a bad influence.
You should have known better than to ask people like us!

 

[GIXXER2000]

I have a Scar 17s,Sig716 and a DPMS that needs a barrel. I am going to set the DPMS up as a DMR rifle. Thinking of going with a 22in 6.5cm barrel so it can shoot out passed 1000 yards.

 

[ArTeeKay]

I'm gonna echo @hkguns, don't sell guns unless you really need to. I've posted about that before, and tl;dr, it doesn't cost you anything but space in the safe and on the shelf to hold onto it and keep a few hundred rounds of ammo for it at minimum.

 

[RTH1800]

My unpopular opinion. Absolutely sell guns. Collecting things you don’t use is foolish. No more need for unused guns than unused hammers or saws. They are just tools.
This from a guy who had hundreds. Now a dozen or two and still getting rid of them.

Put your assets where they are useful, earn you income or bring you joy. No joy, move them along.

 

[MadDuner]

My unpopular opinion. Absolutely sell guns. Collecting things you don’t use is foolish. No more need for unused guns than unused hammers or saws. They are just tools.
This from a guy who had hundreds. Now a dozen or two and still getting rid of them.

Put your assets where they are useful, earn you income or bring you joy. No joy, move them along.

I'm happy to report that owning guns brings me joy.....

I sold one gun, one time, and had two ATF agents knocking on my door.
Never happening again.
My kids can sell my guns after I'm dead.

 

[GIXXER2000]

I have sold 2 in the last 2 years and both transactions went thru an FFL. If a gun leaves my possession my name comes off that's the deal. If a buyer won't use the FFL no sale. Not going to have ATF/ local LE at my door... And if they do show up at your home don't let either in your house without a warrant!!

 

[ArTeeKay]

@RTH1800, if I bought a tool to do a job, I'm not going to sell it when the job is over. I'm going to keep it for the next time I need it, whether that's tomorrow or in 20 years. Or loan it to someone who really does just need it for one job. Or give it to a friend or family member when I truly have no more use for it, or if I've replaced it with something that does the job better in some way.

You did say your opinion would be unpopular... But in truth I find it pretty indefensible for reasons beyond just those above.

 

[RTH1800]

I’m not here to defend it.

You missed my point all together. The point is I don’t keep 80 hammers. Nor do I mind if anyone else does so. Hell, buy more. I don’t care, I just expressed my opinion.

After seeing hundreds of estates sold when gun guys (and other collectible guys) pass it’s clear that keeping the excess was almost always a bad decision for the family. They seldom have interest. They almost never have the ability to market what they don’t have interest in.

I simply don’t want to burden my family. I have no need for non productive, unused assets. I keep what I need for use, replacement, current and potentially future security. Beyond that, I move them along.

Just an opinion.

 

[W54/XM-388]

I’m not here to defend it.

You missed my point all together. The point is I don’t keep 80 hammers. Nor do I mind if anyone else does so. Hell, buy more. I don’t care, I just expressed my opinion.

After seeing hundreds of estates sold when gun guys (and other collectible guys) pass it’s clear that keeping the excess was almost always a bad decision for the family. They seldom have interest. They almost never have the ability to market what they don’t have interest in.

I simply don’t want to burden my family. I have no need for non productive, unused assets. I keep what I need for use, replacement, current and potentially future security. Beyond that, I move them along.

Just an opinion.

Here is what I'd suggest
And of course stupid greedy unwashed heirs can and often will mess everything up and wind up with pennies instead of dollars because they are that stupid, selfish, greedy and insane.

If you have a collection and think that your family probably isn't the "collector type" work out some deals with some good friends to be willing to help sell things for your estate, in exchange for a cut of the proceeds or several items they want. This is especially true with accessories and parts which can sell for a lot to the right people but nothing to idiots.

If your heirs are decent, they can get a lot more money that way.

If they want to be raging asses, well they can enjoy the pennies they fought for instead.

Or you can put everything into a Trust and have it taken care of that way.
(Stupid heirs could still be assholes)

 

[RTH1800]

Fortunately I don’t have stupid or greedy heirs.
Most of the estates I have seen pillaged were pillaged by “friends”.
I prefer to market my excess myself.
I agree about parts. I had rooms full of parts which had a lot of value “just in case”.
One day I realized that the simple interest off the value would buy any part I might need. I have been selling parts for 15 years and still have truckloads. Selling is liberating for me. I understand other opinions as I once felt the same way. Just different points in life.

 

[RTH1800]

I once pulled out a single, large drawer of sights and obscure parts. Would fit into 3-4 shoe boxes. Put it out on a table at a gun show. Sold everything. A bit over 15k. I have not missed a single item from that drawer. If I did I could buy if for far less than the interest on the money.
If my wife needed to sell, it would have brought next to nothing.

Just my experience. Your opinions and experiences are likely far different.

 

[rlsmith1]

You love the 18” Creedmoor and the 308 sits in the safe… so sell the 308, not the Creedmoor.

Finding specific items of cover in the real world that stop 6.5 but are defeated by 308 is going to be a meticulous task. If you find a bad guy behind one of those rare items your luck has run its course and it’s your day regardless of what equipment you brought.

If the 308 win wasn't so ubiquitous I would do that for sure, but that's kinda like not having a 556 or 7.62x39...

If things continue on their current trajectory, I want to make sure I've got the tools to make as much of a difference as I can. And thermal is a very real thing so a few rifles set up right is better than a ton set up for fun in my opinion. Just want to make sure I set up the right tools for the job (whatever that may be). Thinking through logistics, feeding a 6.5CM will likely be much easier than a 6 ARC so there's a benefit there

 

[mkollman74]

@RTH1800, if I bought a tool to do a job, I'm not going to sell it when the job is over. I'm going to keep it for the next time I need it, whether that's tomorrow or in 20 years. Or loan it to someone who really does just need it for one job. Or give it to a friend or family member when I truly have no more use for it, or if I've replaced it with something that does the job better in some way.

You did say your opinion would be unpopular... But in truth I find it pretty indefensible for reasons beyond just those above.

Indefensible...? FFS...

 

[zeroz]

You said yourself you like shooting it. Keep it.

 

[MK20]

I have sold 2 in the last 2 years and both transactions went thru an FFL. If a gun leaves my possession my name comes off that's the deal. If a buyer won't use the FFL no sale. Not going to have ATF/ local LE at my door... And if they do show up at your home don't let either in your house without a warrant!!

This is an extremely ignorant and slavish statement.

Selling through an FFL does NOT "take your name off of something". Having worked for an FFL before, I can assure you that is not how it works.


People like you who thinks this makes the deal "safe" for them are the useful idiots who will help usher in universal background checks.

If you sell a gun in a person to person transaction, as is your right, and the ATF shows up asking questions, just tell them you sold it to and if you remember, who to, and they will generally leave you be. If they don't, you can absolutely tell them to leave and they, by law, have to.

Just remember, when you transact through an FFL, a PERMANENT, GOVERNMENT record which IS a defacto registration form is generated for that firearm.

This is not good.

 

[Ronws]

Years ago I had a large frame AR and realized that I didn't care for the size. Sold it and never looked back.

I prefer a standard AR for 5.56 and a bolt gun for everything else. One day I may do a 6ARC

Beat me to it. I have been hearing good things about 6 ARC as a varmint and predator AR.

300 Blackout is good at short ranges. Same with .308 in an AR-10, such as I have.

But 5.56 with varmint rounds out of my M4 A3 with the 16.5 inch barrel can also do the job.

Of these, I think 6 ARC is going to have the best accuracy. And while it might be tempting to say that a 168 gr .308 will do anything, the weight is not the issue. How well the tip opens up and petals out is what really helps.

That being said, I could see taking my AR-10 for a hog hunt, especially from a blind or stationary position.

As opposed to hiking to hunt, as I do on public land. For that, one of my 308s in a hunting (with chassis or composite stock) configuration or my 7 PRC in a chassis is going to be lighter and better for me. Especially since, for hog hunting, I would have to change to a thermal for that.

Just thoughts from an amateur hunter. As a gun expert, I am a pretty good electrician.

 

[eklarsen]

Middle drawer of my toolbox.

 

[shields shtr]

I have a .308 gasser I mainly use for plinking and the occasional hog trip. I like it. My 6.5 gasser feels about the same to shoot, but it's not that accurate compared to it's bolt gun brethren 6.5s and not as accurate as my .308. If I ever do sell one, it probably will be that one. Or maybe I will mess around with it a little to try and make it more accurate. For my purposes, the 6.5 won't do anything the .308 won't at the ranges I shoot them at.

 

[hkguns]

Man this one sure took some wild ass twists.

How dare you ever be "slavish."

 

[Supersubes]

Mine doesn't fit anywhere. I removed the scope and stuffed in the darkest corner of my safe, where it will stay for the foreseeable future.

 

[rlsmith1]

Mine doesn't fit anywhere. I removed the scope and stuffed in the darkest corner of my safe, where it will stay for the foreseeable future.

That’s exactly what I’ve done and will see how badly I miss it. What are you grabbing instead? 18” 6 ARC for me

ETA: I don’t currently have a ft/lb of energy threshold I need so the smaller cartridge is fine

 

[diggler1833]

There is no better combination of cost vs. lethality in removing feral hogs (shooting) than a large frame AR in .308 if you're using a thermal. 6.5 isn't far behind, and those cheap hunting soft points are very effective.

I love the 6.8 and 6.5 Grendel for weight, and they are very underrated cartridges...but the large frame AR (.308) will still beat them in ammo/component costs and percentage of hogs dropped .

 

[Supersubes]

That’s exactly what I’ve done and will see how badly I miss it. What are you grabbing instead? 18” 6 ARC for me

ETA: I don’t currently have a ft/lb of energy threshold I need so the smaller cartridge is fine

Anything but a AR.

 

[rlsmith1]

There is no better combination of cost vs. lethality in removing feral hogs (shooting) than a large frame AR in .308 if you're using a thermal. 6.5 isn't far behind, and those cheap hunting soft points are very effective.

I love the 6.8 and 6.5 Grendel for weight, and they are very underrated cartridges...but the large frame AR (.308) will still beat them in ammo/component costs and percentage of hogs dropped .

This is exactly why I have kept them both. We don’t have hogs here in Iowa but communists have been called pigs before!

You ever played around with a 6 arc?

 

[diggler1833]

This is exactly why I have kept them both. We don’t have hogs here in Iowa but communists have been called pigs before!

You ever played around with a 6 arc?

No 6 ARC for me. I see the reason for the round, but I'm invested in the Grendel, and most of my hunting is < 200 yards...so no real reason to invent a situation where I needed to buy another barrel, dies, and bullets .