AR-15 or AR-10?

[Captain Jack]

Which is "better"? Okay, "better" is really not the word I am looking for. I guess what I mean is which one is the most versatile? Are there any big differences? Still looking around and am getting a little antsy lately, haha. I'm leaning towards the 15 but am curious of the 10.

[Viddi212]

Is ammo cost an issue? 5.56 lake city roughly 31 cents a round... .308. Not sure what that is going for now but may make the difference.

What ranges do you plan on shooting at? Is this gonna be a 100m rifle or do you like to do some long distance shooting?

Is weight a factor for you? Is this going to be involved in any hunting? What type of game?

I would start by listing what you plan on using the rifle for, and what you are looking for in the rifle and that should point you in the right direction.

[chameleon]

Biggest factor is definitely price. AR10's a a good amount more as is .308. You can't go wrong with the AR-15, especially because you can get a .22lr conversion so you can plink and not break the bank.

[spoolup]

Originally Posted by chameleon

Biggest factor is definitely price. AR10's a a good amount more as is .308. You can't go wrong with the AR-15, especially because you can get a .22lr conversion so you can plink and not break the bank.

This is very well said, all food for thought. Also spare parts for the AR10/ 308 variants are harder to find FYI. All but 3 parts in the LRPK is the same, but the buffer, buffer spring, and everything up top is different.

[Mercmar]

AR-10s are heavy. They also thump your shoulder a little; not so with AR-15s. Good friend of mine has an AR-10 that I've shot a few times...nothing I care about doing again.

[MPDC]

IF you are one of a growing number of hunters who likes "tactical" equipment, it will depend on what is appropriate for the game you hunt.

For home defense and target, definitely a 15.

[Groo]

For defense, I'd say the 10. The 5.56 is optimized for automatics. the .308 is what our boys would be shooting overseas if they were still stuck with semi-autos.

the 308 is also head and shoulders above the 5.56 as a hunting round too, as long as your game is bigger than a coyote.

If you are hunting varmints or paper, stick with the 5.56. otherwise, if you can afford it, go with the 308

[Learn2turn]

Originally Posted by Groo

For defense, I'd say the 10. The 5.56 is optimized for automatics. the .308 is what our boys would be shooting overseas if they were still stuck with semi-autos.

Very good point, I agree.
In the new Sportsmans Guide, Shooters edition:
500rds Sellier & Bellot 147gr .308 FMJ for $169.97
= .34c per rd

[Groo]

I guess I ignored the fancy uppers available for the AR15. They might be ideal for some hunting applications, but I wouldn't touch them myself until one or 2 of these fancy rounds gains enough popularity that you know you'll still be able to buy the ammo off the shelf in 35 years.

some of the big bore odd-balls might be legal hunting rounds were rifles are generally prohibited. In MI the .50 beowulf and the .450 bushmaster would be legal with a pistol lower. the 458 socom would not be. There are also uppers for 5.7x28, pistol rounds, and even .50bmg and .338lapua in single shot bolt action.

There is no reason such custom uppers could be made for the AR10, but its not as popular as a platform. I believe you can get an AR-10 in 243 and 450 marlin also if you want to add in the oddballs, but the AR-15 beats out the AR10 in versatility.

I would personally get a Kel-Tec RFB before an AR-10

[Dirty Rod]

What are you planning to do with it? If you want something that you can shoulder, move with, and shoot from 25, 50, etc out to a couple hundred then you probably want the 15. The 10 is too heavy for that and the .308 is not a round for close range work. If you want to sit at a bench or prone and shoot 300, 400, 500, + then the AR10 is probably the one you want.