all around SBR caliber

I'm an idiot. Simple guy, old skool wondering whats the best all around caliber for a short barrel rile in an AR platform for home defense, hogs, truck gun, ect, that I could get that would get me through in a pinch...

300 AAC

How short do you want to go?

5.56

6.8

I'll 2nd the blackout. 300BLK aka 300AAC uses pistol powder and has burned all the powder in about 9 inches. 5.56 has a lot of unburned powder when shot through a short barrel. Another bonus, 300BLK works well with subsonic and supersonic rounds.

5.56 in a 10.5 is a great platform. Not the best in every scenario, but it’s plenty for almost all scenarios

Another vote for 6.8

I have a .223 Wylde load that shoots pistol powder. Hornady 68 gr BTHP coming out at 2400 fps from a 7.5" barrel.

I've got a 5.56 with a 8.75" barrel. I never been too picky about what I shot through it. Maybe I should? It hits 8" plates at 100 yards with a red dot all day long with Hornady Spire point, 55 gr. I don't hunt with it, but just might. I have some Hoghammer, Barnes TSX 62 gr that I might try and put into a hog here soon.

300 HAM'R if you are not working with a suppressor.

Just curious, why?

One SBR lower...with interchangeable uppers for (5.56, 300 BO, 6.8 or 6.5)

That has been my chase the last year. Started off with 556 and didn't like the ballistics and bullet performance shorter than an 11.5". I also like the idea of a bigger heavier bullet so I moved to 300 AAC Blackout in an 8.5" using 115gr Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos round. I choose to stay supersonic, so I've never considered any of the subsonic Blackout rounds. The ballistics out of an 8.5" with this 115gr round is moving at roughly 1900fps and 1000fpe out to 75 yards or so.

Then I stumbled across the Wilson Combat HAM'R thread on this page and after researching that I put together an 8" and an 11.3". The HAM'R round pushes the 8" out to around 100 yards holding those same minimum ballistic numbers and the 11.3" gets out to 175 to 200 yards still getting that 1900fps and 1000fpe depending on the bullet of choice. I feel like the bullet options for the HAM'R far exceed what I've found for the blackout. Again. that is may be because I've never considered the subsonic rounds for the blackout. Or maybe I just fell in love with that Lehigh round and stopped looking.

I've also been toying with the idea of a 12" 6.5 Grendal. Ammo is not as abundant from what I've found and even more expensive. Ballistics on that with a 123gr round should reach out to 250-275 holding those minimum velocities.

For me it came down to how short I wanted to go like TLew stated and how far you want the round to reach with terminal velocity and accuracy.

So far, that is where my journey has taken me. Either way it has been fun and I've learned a ton.

I have SBRs/pistols in 300BO, 6.8, 458, 10mm, 45acp and have shot 5.56 and 6.5G. In my book they are all varying lengths with all varying purposes. I built the 6.8 to be the swiss army knife of them all with a 11.5 inch barrel

I’d get a 45acp or a 10mm ar platform pistol..
Lean more towards the 45 since it’s already sub sonic

Energy/velocity/accuracy and bullet selection.

Now with that said, I am not really a fan of SBR's. If I need to grab a firearm and shoot from inside a car it will be with a handgun. And I really don't think a 16" barrel will hinder me what so ever outside of a vehicle.

16 becomes 23 when you hang a can off the end.

A truck gun for hogs. One upper or two?

Are you thinking of specific hogs, or a hypothetical pig?

A 5.56 SBR wouldn't be my first option if I expected to hunt. I like the .300 BLK. It's quiet suppressed. No recoil. Decent knockdown power closer than 100.

Ammo is also easy to find. The 6.8 would also be a good option.

Yep.

Anyone shoot those SBR rifle rounds unsuppressed? that's the reason i went with 10mm banshee . super short & can be shot without suppressor . And it will whack pigs. You can go from mild to wild with 10mm ammo & uses glock mags And for now no NFA

I have a 10mm banshee that I run Underwood xtreme hunters through but I have a hybrid 46 on the end.

I'm not a fan of anything shorter than 11" and will go with this in 300 HAM'R which will give me a little more than .300 Blackout 16" velocity. With a 7" can I've basically got a 18" carbine. Second choice would be an 11" .350 Legend.

Based on our sales of 6.8 barrels it looks like this caliber is waning and I'm not a big fan of the Blackout except for subs.

300 BO if you intend to get a suppressor (which I highly recommend). Otherwise, the 300 HAM'R OR 6.8 SPC.

Thanks for all the input guys, I've been out of commission for a few days. I don't have any pre-conditions as to length or caliber so I'll do a lot of research based on this.

6.8 all others are a waste or inferior

2nd 300 blackout

Welcome. Good to have another Buzz on the forum.

6.8SPC

If I didn't already have two I would find an excuse to buy another.

6.8 is perfect with a suppressor. 300 BO doesn't own the corner on suppressor compatibility.

I would just keep it simple and roll with 5.56. If Russia keeps heading our way, you’re gonna want a round you can pick up off the ground. Thats not 300blk or 6.8.

Come on. Everyone should own a 5.56 but you shouldn’t plan an SBR build around a Russian invasion of the US.

If I was going to replace the 223 with another caliber, it would be the 6.8 SPC. But, if a combat situation ever occurred again in our lifetime, which isn’t likely, I’d want the generic 223/5.56 as my primary.