so looking to make a AR\LR10
want a 6.5 or 7mm08 or 243. should i get a ar10 lower or ar308?
is the ar308 only for 308s? or are the parts kit, upper, etc classified as use for an ar308?
all the google threads I've seen haven't given a straight answer, at least for me

Howdy,

In my experience, AR10s are not modular and often proprietary. Example: I would not expect a Daniel Defense .308 upper to fit on a DPMS AR10 lower. This is the reality.

AR10 is the platform that will house the calibers that you are referring to. .243, 6.5cm, 7/08 and .308 are the same case.

If you build, find a lower/upper combination from the same manufacturer and make sure that they fit. I would try to look at one in person versus online.

I am not big on AR10s but I have owned and used enough of them to see variations.

TC

Buy an upper in the caliber of your choice from Bear creek Arsenal and get a complete blem lower from psa, or just get a bear creek lower. Those are the lr308 platform and what I would go with.

I have an Armalite .260 Rem. It has a 24 inch heavy match barrel on it. It is very accurate, but is also very heavy with a big scope and it wrecks brass. If I had test drove one before buying I would not own an AR 10. They are not handy little rifles like an AR 15.

No need to spend over 600 bucks either. Lots of over priced stuff out there.

What a can of worms you've opened up here lol!

AR10 is the Armalite pattern, which is the lesser used type.

LR308 is the DPMS pattern, which seems to be the most used/copied type.

Rock River has it's own pattern also.

I'd pick one and use matched uppers/lowers from one manufacturer imo. Probably Aero if I wanted something pretty nice, Bear Creek or PSA if I wanted something cheap.

All of those are going to be heavy pigs I wouldn't want to use much.

I have a pair of 243's that are my go-to's, they are the DPMS G2, which aren't made any more of course. But they are smaller and lighter and very accurate, if you can find one. They're getting tough to find on GB even. Many said they were too expensive and went with the old clunky style, but I've since read that they don't use theirs anymore, whereas I use mine lol.

Now Ruger has a SFAR 308, which is a 308 that's the same size as an ar15. If I was buying something to hunt with, that's probably what I'd do. At some point, someone will come out with Creedmoor and 243 barrels I'd bet and you can change it out.

Just one man's opinion, and worth what you paid for it lol.

I won't hunt with any AR that isn't a sidecharger anymore either. So much better for loading and unloading.

You have all the good advice here there is. I researched before I built my first one and had no solid ideas so went with Aero everything except for the barrel. Aero enhanced upper parts are very easy because you don't need to worry about shims or timing the barrel nut. I'll take that back, an AR10 barrel nut does need lined up.

I’d probably just get a psa blem.

thanks all for the info

im leaning towards a complete BCA for the price aspect and just to try it out. and they have a 243 upper i can swap out if i like it. worst case, i can upgrade some stuff. akin to buying a rock island 1911

Get a sidecharger and you won't look back.

already in the cart

I have two.

The problems i have had, and that are in front of me are numerous.

I do not recommend the platform at all.

Unless maybe you are hog hunting from a side by side, and or, you have a lot of money!

The AR15 platform has many nice calibers for short/med range varmint hunting. For long range.... You will get bucked off the target anyway with the AR-308, and follow up shots way out are hard to make on moving targets.

May as well be running a bolt gun with a caliber that is smoking hot!

Seems the AR308 would be good if the 300lb communist hogs from Texas where parachuting down in your back yard and you needed some serious fire power up close.

I moved to an AR10 in 243 this year and it has performed PHENOMENAL!!! Most successful competition hunters in my area are also running AR10 in 243 or 6creed.

Not sure what brand/calibers your running but I couldn't disagree more. I'm running a "cheap" PSA upper and lower, Geissele SSA-E trigger, adjustable gas block with a 22' Xcaliber SPR contour barrel (plus 2" gas), weighs 9.2 lbs..

The gun shoots 58vmax at 3700ish into solid, repeatable .6moa 5 shot groups. It has very very little recoil. Follow up shots are stupid easy, you can plainly see coyotes drop in the scope. It has also ran 100% so far so knock on wood!

I shot over 100 coyotes with it in 23 nights, here is the link to video showing the kills and how it performs.

https://youtu.be/mZt9XsizmkA

I can't speak for other brands but I would buy exactly what I have again in a second.

Ruger has a new lightweight AR 10 out, hopefully they make it in 243, POF makes another but its really expensive. I shoot a 6 DTI but if I was doing it again now. with the advances in the AR 10 to keep it lighter, I would likely just get one in 243, suppressed autta make a pretty awesome calling rifle.

with the side chargers, I don't like the extra metal removed in the receiver. I load and unload my gun everytime doing stands. the regular charging setup is fine with me. plus the brass catcher I run would hate a reciprocating charging handle.

I'm curious as well to see the new ruger in person and hear if the DPMS pattern barrels fits it. I doubt they will make it in 243 because it isn't new or cool like the internet snipers with their 6CMs and I'll bet if its made in 6CM it will be a fast twist, long throat for shooting heavies.

I have 2 different 6x6.8s and they are capable rifles but the 243 is definitely a step up in horsepower. If I had gone ar10 in the first place I wouldn't have them. I also own a POF P308 and its a nice rifle but it weighs the same as the 10ply tires and wheels on my Duramax!!

Great video!

Great success!

Thanks AR Launch, don't give up on the AR10, I too am not a fan of a heavy pig for hunting with but my switch has been great for me.

The key to ARs is put money into the barrel and trigger and even though mine is built on a cheap receiver set, the most important parts are outstanding quality. My partner has the exact same rifle as me except he runs a Proof barrel and the results are the same only he's about 3oz light and his barrel cost twice as mine, accuracy is the same.

One thing I'll add that I think is very important is the plus 2" gas and adjustable gas block. Really makes a difference in gas blowback and maybe recoil a little.

This is great advice...one of the biggest problems that most large frame AR owners run into is that many of the .308 based cartridges over gas the guns and they have a tendency to malfunction. If you want your AR-10/LR-308 to run right, invest in an adjustable gas block. You also need a good quality BCG. I know there are a lot of opinions out there, and I am not going to smash on any of them, but I will recommend Rubber City Armory for a BCG. You want a quality, nitride BCG. Some BCG manufacturers sell you a phosphated BCG. Phosphate coated BCG's get dirty fast. Nitrided bolts and carriers don't get as dirty as fast, are easy to clean, and are a great choice.

You may also need to polish your feed ramps. Just because most of the calibers are based off of the .308 doesn't mean they should all be running a .308 feed ramp.

You should also realize that there are just some calibers that do not like running in either a small or large frame AR platform. I am a fan of many of these calibers, but some just do not have the right pressures or the right dwell timing to run correctly in an AR platform.

Finally, select a manufacturer who will stand behind their product. There are some manufacturers who will just leave you in the cold should you experience a problem. Just because they have a "big" name doesn't necessarily mean that they build the best product nor offer good customer service.

Good luck, and good hunting...

Forgot to add the quality BCG high pressure bolts! I too an running a Rubber City and all my ARs have nickel boron or nitride BCGs as I run suppressed so its much much easier to clean up.

Newbi AR owner/shooter..been using and still do bolt guns but am playing the AR angle as well.

on that Ruger AR SFAR in 308, couldnt a person put a different barrel on it, say like a 243 or 6cm and all should match up wouldnt it?

as long as the barrel extension was the correct pattern, you are correct it could be swapped out as those share the same bolt face. the trick will likely be finding someone who makes replacement barrels this early on.

+1 to what Plant posted. The barrel extension helps set up and keep the head space when the chamber is bored...so assuming it's a good quality barrel manufacturer it should be an easy swap...when/if they are available...

Because most AR-10/LR-308's are based off of .308 family of calibers the extensions are the same...in the AR-15 things can get a bit trickier...most barrel manufacturers us M4 extensions but some calibers have a bit more width to the cartridge and may have issues getting up the ramp...

dpms LR308 pattern and armalite AR-10 pattern use different barrel extensions. its one of the things that do not cross over on the various ar-308 pattern firearms as i understand it. i also know that DPMS-GII are also a proprietary barrel extension - or at least not compatable with a DPMS/LR-308 pattern barrel and barrel extension. so thats at least 3x different barrel extensions on various ar-308 platforms.

i suspect (stipulated - cannot confirm at this time) that this new ruger being a otherwise proprietary platform due to the nature of its design, likely uses its own barrel extension too.

Isn't that always the case...if they can make our lives more complicated they will...

Just to stir the pot, I bought a new AR-10 in .243 from Rock River Arms. As some of you know Rock River makes much military arms. I enjoy shooting it, barrel is cryogenic, so shooting on the range doesn't change the point of impact that much. Only heat waves from it. Enjoy whatever you decide on.

A couple of points here: I accidentally ordered an Armalite pattern barrel from BHW years ago and ran it with a DPMS bolt, other than the gas port is 1/4" further forward so my gas tube was short, it ran just fine for over 1k rounds. No issues or dimensional differences that I could tell, but that doesn't mean that there isn't and I don't recommend trying it.

Second, the G2 is much smaller in diameter and completely different.

Third, the SFAR is also going to be much smaller and completely different than any of the others. I'm not sure how close it is to the POF it closely mimics. Honestly I don't know how they found enough room in that small of an upper, there can't be much meat left on the barrel tenon, I would love to see one taken apart.

So to answer Meyerwy, yes you could put a different barrel on the SFAR, but nothing that is currently available. I suspect there will be at some point if Ruger makes the barrel extensions available or someone copies them.

Whats amazing is how much difference an ejector spring has on where your brass lands.

My JP bolt will throw 308 cases back into the next county, over at the 4:00

The DPMS bolt coughs them out close, at the 12:45 - 1:00

My Brownells Nitride bolt seems to put them at the 1:30 or so with somewhat normal force.

I found things work fine with the rifle stock, 308 rifle buffer and a Tubbs flat wire spring.

FYI for everyone, i asked BCA about their right side charging BCGs.


Anthony Oriolo bcatech@bearcreekarsenal.com via bearcreekarsenal.zohodesk.com
10:25 AM (17 minutes ago)
to me

BCG is nitride, Bolt is phosphate

maybe they made some changes, i just checked my 6.5CM upper from them (20" heavy SS fluted, RH sidecharger) and both the bolt and the carrier are melonite. its a couple years old at this point [beeep]

I’ve got a Larue ar10 OBR
A little heavy? Yes
Nightforce 2-10 X42
But on those windy days calling, the 130 grn hollow points from federal are absolutely bug hole shooting RPG’s
And I mean graphic…..

I shoot suppressed also with a brake/adaptor
I get to see it all

I’ll take an ar10 on windy days for multiple dogs coming in over anything else