I am planning to put together a new AR build, and am going to go a direction I have not gone before and wanted to get some input.
To start, since I am a big proponent of keeping the goal in mind, I am looking at a hunting build that my vertically challenged oldest son can handle with ease (~11, but he has celiac disease and is a good bit shorter than he should be thanks to a couple years awaiting the diagnosis). He can handle an AR pistol with a 10.5 bbl with ease, so the thought was an AR pistol for him to use hunting. He manages to carry a 20 ga pump with a 20" bbl, but I am thinking AR pistol will be a little less unwieldy for his small size (and more accurate). We hunt rifle counties, so no concern there.
All of that said, I was thinking to go with a .300AAC bbl in 10.5, and already have a barrel lying around, as well as a couple spare stripped uppers. But, I got to thinking about it, and am really interested in using one of the big boys - .450 bushmaster, .458 socom, or .50 Beowulf. Of those, I like the .458 socom the best because it has a tapered case and I understand may have some inherent accuracy benefits over the other two straight cases (and also a wider range of loading options).
But, I don't know much about moving to these calibers and what modifications are required compared to moving to say, .300 or 6.8. I know the bolt will need to be changed, but are standard AR uppers compatible without modification? What about magazines? I believe the .458 will work in standard mags, but I'm not sure about the other two.
My son isn't taking shots beyond 200, goal is less than 150, and hope is to stay under 100. From what I have read, the .450 bushmaster came first, and was designed to be effective to 250 yards, and the other two have similar goals.
So, opinions on using one of the three in a pistol length set up? What to expect in accuracy potential (MoA or Mo-barn)? Potential problems with compatibility beyond bolt?
I have a slew of .30 cal rifles, so the more I think about this, the more I want to try out something "less traditional." I'll still put together the .300 AAC, but want to do this too. Suggestions - and warnings for potential pitfalls - appreciated!
To start, since I am a big proponent of keeping the goal in mind, I am looking at a hunting build that my vertically challenged oldest son can handle with ease (~11, but he has celiac disease and is a good bit shorter than he should be thanks to a couple years awaiting the diagnosis). He can handle an AR pistol with a 10.5 bbl with ease, so the thought was an AR pistol for him to use hunting. He manages to carry a 20 ga pump with a 20" bbl, but I am thinking AR pistol will be a little less unwieldy for his small size (and more accurate). We hunt rifle counties, so no concern there.
All of that said, I was thinking to go with a .300AAC bbl in 10.5, and already have a barrel lying around, as well as a couple spare stripped uppers. But, I got to thinking about it, and am really interested in using one of the big boys - .450 bushmaster, .458 socom, or .50 Beowulf. Of those, I like the .458 socom the best because it has a tapered case and I understand may have some inherent accuracy benefits over the other two straight cases (and also a wider range of loading options).
But, I don't know much about moving to these calibers and what modifications are required compared to moving to say, .300 or 6.8. I know the bolt will need to be changed, but are standard AR uppers compatible without modification? What about magazines? I believe the .458 will work in standard mags, but I'm not sure about the other two.
My son isn't taking shots beyond 200, goal is less than 150, and hope is to stay under 100. From what I have read, the .450 bushmaster came first, and was designed to be effective to 250 yards, and the other two have similar goals.
So, opinions on using one of the three in a pistol length set up? What to expect in accuracy potential (MoA or Mo-barn)? Potential problems with compatibility beyond bolt?
I have a slew of .30 cal rifles, so the more I think about this, the more I want to try out something "less traditional." I'll still put together the .300 AAC, but want to do this too. Suggestions - and warnings for potential pitfalls - appreciated!