The Other AR Calibers.

A huge variety of cartridges have been designed to work in the AR action, from the .22 Nosler varmint round to the .50 Beowulf. I will cover the better known "Other AR Cartridges" and give my 2 cents on which ones will last.

[@DavidBrown-uc4yv]

Great essay. I really enjoyed this vid. I had a “bundle” built, an AR15 triumvirate, which I keep in a large Pelican Vault case with mags and ammo. It’s heavy. It is a custom AR lower with three uppers (barrels, suppressors, bcgs, so on) in .458 SOCOM, .450 bushmaster and .50 Beowulf. I use it for home defense; not my home but the neighbor’s home, which I’ve calculated I need to go through 7 walls, a credenza, a dresser, 3 chairs and a big screen tv and the invader needs to stand on a taped X in the neighbor’s family room. What? Ok…it’s a get together with buddies on buddy’s farm combination and shoot silly things for fun. That’s really all the triple is good for but it surely is good.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Still a free country (barely), still can have guns just for fun. Three big boomer calibers for sure!

[@reallycoooool]

Great series on self defence cartridges. I would recomend watching every single episode. It's a very good and comprehensive overview of what is currently on the market in the US. I'm looking forward to your 1911 series. You obviously have extensive experience useing firearms, and just for fun, you might consider a series on hunting cartridges after the 1911 series. I do know that hunting cartridges are covered extensively on KZbin, but this also means that there are a lot of viewers interested in hunting cartridges. Thank you for an excellent series!

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Glad you enjoyed the series. I have considered a series on hunting cartridges ... there are so many.

[@mk-of6px]

the more things change the more they stay the same

[@Future-Preps35]

6.5 Grendel in a shorter barrel such as 16” or less (M-4 is 14.5”) loses a lot of its effectiveness at longer ranges. The 6.8 SPC had a pressure problem due to Remington mucking up the chamber specs. The lower pressure cartridge that initially solved the problem also hurt its performance greatly. The SPC II chamber is like a Wildey chamber. This lowered the pressure greatly, allowing the usage of much hotter rounds. Also, projectiles have now been designed specifically for the 6.8 SPC instead of using .270 Winchester projectiles. You now have boattail rounds available where before you only had flat base. It’s a great cartridge now, and a higher pressure military version (because ammo manufacturers are afraid of lawsuits should somebody use a higher pressure loading in a rifle with an SPC 1 chamber) would make it a preferred loading to replace the 5.56 in carbines. The .224 Valkyrie is a 6.8 SPC case necked down to 5.56MM. A 55 grain round will go 3400fps. This makes for a better body armor penetrator than 5.56, especially if you use the AP projectile from the 5.56 cartridge. Disclaimer: I own AR-15’s in 5.56, .224V., 6.8 SPC, and 7.62x39. Love all of them!!!!

[@brucestarr4438]

On the 6.5x55 Swede, they had the FN M/21 & M/37 BAR variants & the Ag M/42 a semi auto service rifle. .A new up and coming AR cartridge is the 6 MAX, a 6mm based off a necked down .350 Legend, that is showing real promise. It doesn't have the bolt breakage problem that is seen in the 6 ARC & 6.5 Grendel.

[@dougwilkinson-uq3xr]

Thanks again for a great series!

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@roykiefer7713]

Dick, thank you for another excellent video . . . and I look forward to your series on Saint John Moses Browning’s 1911. I know this is off-topic, however, I hold the 6.5x55mm Swede in high esteem. Contrary to what appears to be a popular contemporary conclusion - especially among the non-Fudd crowd - not every rifle should be an AR-based design . The fact is, bolt action firearms certainly are appropriately enduring for many purposes. Obviously, you agree with this, but I mention it only because (imho) so many of the comparatively rare AR designs (some of which you discussed in this video) seem to be torturous attempts utilize a semiautomatic AR platform when - realistically - a bolt action rife would likely be more applicable.

[@user-ps6gu5xo4k]

The AG42 was a semiautomatic 6.5x55 rifle used by the Swedish military. I used to see them for sale at gun shows until about 15 years ago. Now they seemed to disappear, like those millions of mausers that you used to see everywhere.

[@Rubicon1776]

The original, the Armalite AR10 was in 7.62x51mm NATO /.308 Winchester, the AR15 is a scaled down AR10 in 5.56x45mm NATO/.223 Remington. If you need more than 5.56 in an AR style platform get an AR10 .308. Everything else is junk!

[@craigbenz4835]

Be sure to include the 38 Super in your 1911 discussion.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

One of my favorites!

[@julian9898]

I second this! 😁

[@Razor-gx2dq]

Im looking foward to the 1911 series.

[@jdblackwell2873]

22ARC, 6ARC, and 6.5Grendel are kinda a family of alternatives for the AR15 and might get long term support. I want so much to like them. None really have enough boiler room to become special. All there have special uses at shorter distance, smaller people, smaller targets. Or target.

[@hamspud35]

Great information, thank you

[@johnstokes7797]

6 ARC is one that is growing in popularity. Rumors have it that it was developed by Hornady for Delta to be able to reach out past 5.56 ranges.

[@RME1911]

Great presentation, thank you. It’s certainly hard to not appreciate the platforms modularity.

[@davidstuck2866]

Personally, I think that the U. S. military should have adopted the 6.5 Creedmoor (a military variant of it) as their new rifle. Rather than setting off a mini nuclear bomb next to your face (80,000 psi!) is NUTS! And the 2 piece cartridge case is expensive, and I would bet 5 years from now there will be some kind of issues from the 2 metals and the chemicals used in the gun powder reacting, and there will be problems because of it. at a time when this country should be thinking about cutting spending, this is the wrong time for this program.

[@joshuacovel8365]

I’m excited about the upcoming 1911 videos! I would love to see you do a series on the HK 45 USP series of pistols!!

[@craigbenz4835]

A buddy has a 7.62x39 AR, and I think it's a winner.

[@kevinramsey3490]

I was interested in the 6.8 SPC. It seems like it was a flash in the pan. I toyed with a .450 Bushmaster for awhile. I still may pick up an upper some day

[@johnlacasse8893]

Bear Creek Arsenal is making a BC8 AR variant that chambers long action 270 & 30-06, I believe... As for the 1911, John Moses Browning designed not only this, potentially ultimate handgun, but even military machine guns still in service in modern fighter jets... I think timeless applies to nearly all of his designs... I am a huge 1911 fan, but honestly I understand the argument some make for the Browning hi-power and clones, being his best design... I personally favor the 1911, but after acquiring a Springfield Armory SA-35, I can appreciate the argument... In full disclosure, I think that SA-35 might be the softest shooting 9 mm I own... It is amazing.

[@SDMacMan]

The 6mm ARC is the Grendel's sleeker, faster younger brother. Very efficient cartridge that should be more popular than it is. It kind of got abandoned by Hornady when the DOD didn't adopt it.

[@Miazger]

Because for civilian market it isn't as good as 6.5 Grendel 6arc had slightly less case capacity due to military focus and ballistics near identical to 6.5 even if it had sleeker bullet Hornady introced .22 arc recently the look near identical but .22 was designed for civilian market (hunter and long range shooters) it focuses on maximizing performance intend of reliability There is 1 big downside of 6.5 Grendel and 6/22 arc cardridges they stack poorly in magazines, they have to use AK curve or reduce the capacity to feed rifles with maximum reliability

[@antpassalacqua]

its not abandoned by hornady lol, and its one of the most popular bolt gun target cartridges right now, its quickly becoming what 6BR is to benchrest for NRL hunter and PRS fantastic round for gas competition as well

[@SDMacMan]

@@antpassalacqua With all due respect. When Starline is the only company producing brass for it. And people were forced into fire forming their own from other cases, because Hornady never made the brass available. I call that semi abandoned.

[@antpassalacqua]

@@SDMacMan Hornady just released a new 80 grain load recently, idk a couple months ago at most, maybe it was February. Even Ruger getting into it with their new line of American rifles. Its not even a five year old round, and two of those years were the covid panic buyiing years. like by this standard 30 super carry was abandoned when it was released, but really it takes years and years to develop a cartridge infrastructure.

[@SDMacMan]

@@antpassalacqua I hadn't heard about the 80gr. Good to see. Not everyone is looking for ultra high BC. I'll amend my comment and say that they mostly neglected hand-loaders.

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

Looking forward to the 1911 video. And would kindly ask if you cover it maybe a video on the Browning High Power. It doesn’t get the credibility that the 1911 does in the USA. But it’s not wrong to say it was the 1911 to the rest of the world.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

I'm going to be interviewing custom builder Richard Heinie in one of my 1911 videos. He worked over some amazing High Powers early in his career, I'll have him talk about that and maybe show one.

[@jeffreywilson690]

Ruger RPR first gen 243 is a fine rifle with 115 grain burgers

[@rouchenelvann]

Alexander arms and Lehigh Defense make rounds for the 50 Beowulf. I got rid of mines because it wasn’t reliable. Something that fails to eject every mag isn’t worth keeping

[@Kinetic.44]

The real world is not a sterile range with clear lines of sight to the target. Not being deflected by all the brush and branches between you and the target, not being deflected by auto glass (think oblique angles vs sloped surface) and punching through auto body panels on both sides of a standard vehicle, having the momentum and mass to spare to ensure deep penetration in the intended target after the bullet has been stripped of both after passing through most any intermediate barriers is why high weight, low velocity flat nose G1 profile bullets with extremely high sectional density (practically the same projectile weight as near .73 caliber standard 12 gauge slug) make the .45 and .50 caliber straight wall cartridges extremely useful for a fighting rifle... someone using the corner of a standard American house for cover no longer has cover, for example. Being thumped by a bullet like this in someone's ceramic plate is going to do a lot more than most smaller bullets that also dont penetrate. .22-250 and .243 Win are also excellent and are worthy of consideration, for both large frame ARs are bolt actions.

[@touofthehighplains]

The 1911 modern incarnation is the 2011. Nothing fudd about it.

[@arapahoetactical7749]

Great video. Are you planning to continue this series into Shotgun ammo, 12 ga., 20 ga, .410 and 3"/2.75"/1.75" and buckshot vs. slug.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Hadn't really thought about shotgun gauges ... not a bad idea.

[@jeffreywilson690]

If I had to pick a 10 mm it would be the 1911 design

[@MANDING0]

Exotic calibers have super expensive ammo, if you can even find it

[@ecobasetech4558]

No mention of 300 blackout?

[@jdblackwell2873]

Covered in a separate vedio

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

It got its own video, #2 in the rifle series.

[@jac0bbrant]

6 max?

[@RoadTraveler]

Bump

[@waynemensen4252]

6ARC?

[@awathompson]

What do you think of Cavity Backed Bullets?

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Never heard of them, but just looked them up on the net ... would need to see some of their claims proven to think they make a significant difference.

[@user-ci2mn1oy3w]

the only rifle caliber besides 223 and 22lr that I"d even consider owning is the 458 SOCOM and then only if it's subsonic and suppressed. You dont have to get brain hits with that heavy a bullet in order to keep a sentry from yelling after he's hit in the chest with it. This doubles the effective range of your ability to remove him before initiating your raid. especially at night. You then have the option of discarding the 458 upper and it's "can" , replacing them with 223/22lr if speed of movement on foot is an issue. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJSwmnt7fqt_ja8

[@rogerwood5228]

Are you accepting advanced orders on your book?

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

If you mean my "Building a Better Gunfighter" book, the print copies are gone. I hope to have an E-book version of both of my books available soon.

[@RoadTraveler]

Algorithm

[@nikos6220]

Great video. When comparing cartridges for hunting or military use you could consider adding the max range at which a typical bullet still works as designed, so fragments or expands. 2100 ft/s is a good threshold for that. E.g. the 24“ 6.5 Grendel with the 129 ABLR is a 200 yard cartridge by that standard. Apples to apples (24“ 168 ABLR) 308 Win is a 425 yard cartridge and has at that speed a 400 ft-lb advantage. Sure comparing the two cartridges is not apples to apples 😁, but people often tout the long-range capabilities of the Grendel and forget terminal ballistics

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

The problem is knowing the actual effective range for terminal performance ... different bullets vary so widely, even from the same manufacturer. Nosler is one company that lists an effective velocity range for the projectiles, but few other makers do.

[@nikos6220]

@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb that’s of course true. And when they publish one I think we have to take it with a big grain of salt. E.g. I am shooting an ELD-X, do I believe Hornady that it will reliably open up down to 1800 ft/s… nope

[@Americangreetings2008]

ditch the cheesy montage, people just want content

[@Kinetic.44]

Make your own videos, stop telling people what to do

[@CheeseBurgerXJ]

I like the intro, you get to see some of the things he’s done

[@Getssumfreedom]

People want character not content

[@IBDAFFYibdaffy]

Create your own channel quiz kid and stop your jaw jackin".

[@donnieswafford2285]

You people are going to ask creators to stop speaking and just let the tik tok voice read the script soon.😂 If you want a sanitized commercial, there's a shorts section here on KZbin.