Talk me out of it...or into it.

[mikefraz]

So I have an AR that is chambered in .300 BLK. It's a complete rifle that I have put a few hundred rounds through and enjoy shooting. I have a silencer in ATF jail that will be used for this round. I shoot 90% of the time in the prone position and I take slow methodical shots. I don't think I've ever fired more than 1 round in 5 seconds. I enjoy the mag capacity, but sometimes won't even go through a full mag in a range session. I get great accuracy out of it at 1 MOA on a good day(mostly my fault when I don't, I'm guessing). My problem is, I have had the itch to buy a bolt action rifle for a few months now. There's something about running the bolt that I like(hopefully not a novelty that wears off) along with supposed better accuracy and reliability. I'm the type of guy that has to convince himself to buy a new gun. I have to show that it has a practical application before I can allow myself to drop the cash. The bolt action that I'm looking at is the Remington 700 SPS in 300 BLK. To have two guns that pretty much serve the same role for me, I have a hard time justifying keeping both. The bolt action would be a quieter suppressor host due to the lack of gas operated bolt, which is an obvious pro, and a huge reason why I picked up the caliber in the first place. The bolt action would weigh less and cost less. In fact, if I sold my AR, I'd be able to have a decent stack of change left over after buying the bolt action for more ammo(or college tuition...but let's face it. It'll probably go towards more ammo).This would also be a SHTF type of gun too though. The AR is kinda hard to pass up in that category due to it's flexibility. I know most of you are going to say, "Well shoot, get both!". I just don't see myself shooting both on a regular basis enough. And I won't own any safe queens.

My question is: With the type of shooting that I do. What would INGO recommend that I do? If I left any variables out that you guys need to know, I'll be glad to provide them for you.

 

[Cameramonkey]

If you are happy with your current gun, why buy another in the same calber? Can you guarantee that your MOA will decrease on the new rifle? Do you NEED smaller MOA? Given the caliber I doubt you are thinking about competitive shooting.

I'll say save your pennies for something else. If your current 300 is accurate enough for what you need, why duplicate? (notice I differentiate between want and need)

Note I didnt say "dont buy another gun.". Quite the contrary.

 

[pierce195]

I'm a big fan of bolt guns for precision shooting, but the AR platform does give you a high capacity.

If you are looking at a stock Remington 700. There are a few questions that come to mind. What optics will you need or do you currently have. The factory stock can hold you back when you are trying to get the best groups

 

[short308]

Pro's and cons to both. That bolt gun will be scary quiet with subs and a can. Me, I'm an AR guy. I can take slow shots and drill steel dead center all day. Or I can dump a magazine in 10 sec or less and have them all be on target at minute of man accuracy. Plus you can add different uppers if you want to diversify.

 

[netsecurity]

I would definitely stay with the AR platform, unless you just need the money. I doubt the accuracy improvement would be noticeable, except in competition shooting (and I hear a lot of vuys are using AR's for that now even). I see the AR as an excellent home defense gun, a role the bolt action does not fit well in. Plus you have the modularity and all that. Why would you want to give all that up? The 300blk was made for the AR supressed wan't it? So why would you need quieter?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I would definitely stay with the AR platform, unless you just need the money. I doubt the accuracy improvement would be noticeable, except in competition shooting (and I hear a lot of vuys are using AR's for that now even). I see the AR as an excellent home defense gun, a role the bolt action does not fit well in. Plus you have the modularity and all that. Why would you want to give all that up? The 300blk was made for the AR supressed wan't it? So why would you need quieter?

 

[loony1]

With your style of shooting, a bolt gun sounds like a good choice. The Remington platform is a great bolt gun and .300 blk is an awesome caliber to pair it with. So I personally would try try something new and run a bolt gun for awhile.

 

[confused89]

How about you put an adjustable gas block on your ar so that if you wanted you could make your ar a single shot by closing the gas system making it just as quiet as a bolt action.

 

[Fordtough25]

Sounds like you have a great setup already with good results, I would keep what you have and enjoy it.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Get both OF COURSE. I'm like you, I don't care for just blasting away and I rarely shoot rapidly. I do appreciate a semiauto for hunting because of the rapid followups without moving at all, but that's only a minor consideration. The AR platform is easily worked on and has a very wide range of options available. Bolt guns less so, even though I LOVE all of my bolt guns.

I have an AR in 300BLK that I love shooting and have been patiently waiting for Mossberg to actually release their MVP Patrol Rifle in 300BLK since it can take AR mags. I currently have an H&R Handi Rifle in 300BLK and I love shooting it too and that's even slower than a bolt action...

Regardless of what route you go, since you reload (I am assuming anyone who shoots a 300BLK is a reloader), you can make frugal use of your brass by shooting it a few (3-10) times through your AR with full-length resizing and then retire it to the bolt action where you can neck size it and shoot it til it fails.

That's one reason I own a bolt action rifle in every semiauto caliber I own.

 

[avboiler11]

This thread might help.

EVIL LITTLE BLACK RIFLE.......psssstt

Also, if you didn't know the Rem model number is 84205. I had this same rifle (16.5" 700 Tactical) in 308, and while I only kept it for about 6 weeks it was a stupidly handy little stick. Throw it in a Bell & Carlson (or better, if you've got the scratch) and go shoot!

 

[mikefraz]

I fear that I'm gonna have to get both.....sigh.... I'd just regret selling the AR too much. I built the thing from parts...it grew up so fast!

 

[Leo]

In my opinion, you better buy the bolt action, or if precision shooting is your wishes, go all the way and buy a Stolle Panda action, and have a HART barrel fit to it. Whatever you decide for your bolt action, keep your AR, and buy a couple of extra uppers in other calibers. NEVER sell a firearm you like.

 

[teddy12b]

I'm not going to try to knock another gun owner for their choices, but what is it about that caliber that you like so much? You could run a 308 with subsonic loads and heavy bullets and then you'd be using the same brass as the rest of the world. I get the appeal of having something a little different and I jumped on the 6.8mm SPC when it first came out, but after using it for a while I just scratched my head and went back to the old trusty 5.56.

You mentioned use as s SHTF gun. If that ever came around I think you'd get more of a warm fuzzy feeling with the AR and mags full of ammo than a bolt action. If you're wanting to use it as a precision rig though, I'd also recommend that you take a look at the heavy barreled Savage rifles.

 

[TAT7]

I know I'm late to the party, but I like Shib am a 300blk shooter and love the round. I love to blast away at times, and other times I just like to take my time and shoot at a 1,000 yards, so I get the need and want for both rifles. Now, we both know your not going to be shooting 1,000yds or even close to it with 300blk but like you said each gun is its own tool and each tool has its own job. The job for your AR is what it is... an AR, we all know and can talk about what that is. The bolt action seems to be what you like to do for the most part and you are getting by, by sorta treating your AR like a bolt, and kinda wishing it was a bolt, lol.....long story short, GET THE BOLT! lol. I know it doesn't help much, but we have the Remington 700 AAC 300blk in stock way down here in Greenwood. I swear if it doesn't sell soon its going home with me!

 

[shibumiseeker]

I'm not going to try to knock another gun owner for their choices, but what is it about that caliber that you like so much?

You can make the brass out of .223 brass, it can be run in an AR platform without ANY modifications other than the barrel, and it can run an extremely wide range of loadings in the AR platform with only minor tweaking.

The .308 just does not have the same capabilities. Subsonic loading in a .308 is tricky and you won't easily get it to reliably cycle a semiauto without major modification, and even in a bolt action, subsonic .308 is harder to make consistent ammo for. Semiauto .308 is much larger and heavier.

So, instead of crippling a .308 to fulfill a function, the 300BLK, -for its intended purpose- is a very capable round and fills its roles very well. If it were Indiana deer legal it would be a great deer round.

 

[TAT7]

I'm not going to try to knock another gun owner for their choices, but what is it about that caliber that you like so much? You could run a 308 with subsonic loads and heavy bullets and then you'd be using the same brass as the rest of the world. I get the appeal of having something a little different and I jumped on the 6.8mm SPC when it first came out, but after using it for a while I just scratched my head and went back to the old trusty 5.56.

You mentioned use as s SHTF gun. If that ever came around I think you'd get more of a warm fuzzy feeling with the AR and mags full of ammo than a bolt action. If you're wanting to use it as a precision rig though, I'd also recommend that you take a look at the heavy barreled Savage rifles.

Just a few points that you may or may not know to help with the question;

-308 wasn't meant to be subsonic, 300blk was.
-300blk uses the same brass everyone else uses, even more than 308...its 5.56 brass.
-300blk has a great sub-sonic ballistic coefficient so it will fly better sub-sonic than 308.
-OP says SHTF, IMO the argument could be made that your bolt gun will be used more than an AR, but that depends entirely on what kind of SHTF we are talking of course.
-300blk doesn't need the barrel length that the 308 or others need, not even close really. So its nice, light, quiet, and short with a suppressor on it.
-No it doesn't have the power of a 308 and no I am not a ballistic guru, but in reading I have found it has roughly 15% more energy out of a 8" barrel than a 7.62X39 out of a 16" barrel to 300 yds. Thats nothing to shrug off. Also on that note, at 100-150 yds 300blk has the same energy as a 44 mag from point blank range.
-300blk's effective range is around 400+ yds...out of a 8.2" barrel. You can have 1MOA accuracy to that 400 yds as well. Ask me how I know

Its just a really cool mid-caliber that is effective, accurate, simple. It uses very common components (brass of 5.56, bullets of 308) and is a heavy hitter for as light as it is to carry around (load out). It only needs a 8"-81/2" barrel instead of a 16"-20" like 5.56 or 308. It is extremely quiet suppressed while still being very accurate. If you are using an AR-15 the only part that need be changed to fit 300blk is the barrel! Nothing else, you even get the same mag capacity! You also get the same reliability out of the AR because its the same casing as the 5.56 (thats one reason why the 7.62X39 uppers have had issues with reliability).

Anyway, hope this helps.

 

[TAT7]

Looks like Shib beat me to it by a few seconds.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Looks like Shib beat me to it by a few seconds.

Yah, but yours was a more complete answer. If I wasn't set on trying the MVP that 700 you guys have would be mine.

 

[TAT7]

Yah, but yours was a more complete answer. If I wasn't set on trying the MVP that 700 you guys have would be mine.

I still have them on order and on my watch lists. We will get them...eventually, lol. I have had many requests for them now so I hope they live up to the hype because I have yet to see one in person. It would be a shame if they pulled a Springfield and had to have a recall after all the anticipation