Hi all. I have searched the site and read everything I think has been said re: .308 vs 7.62 ammo choices for the AR10. I'm sorry to bring up some old topics again, but I have done several hours of research on this forum alone, besides hours and hours elsewhere, and I just can't seem find the answers to the following questions. I am new to this, please bear with me. As I describe in my latest "Introduction", I have a Noveske N6 (carbine, fluted) about to be in my hands sometime next week. It is the Noveske "Mod0" 7.62 NATO chambering. I have tried to learn from Noveske and all over the web about this specific chambering, and from what I've learned it is of tighter tolerance than standard NATO chambering... at least as the headspace is concerned. From my understanding it is somewhere near midway between a true match chambering and a standard NATO.. i.e. the bullet is closer to the lands and grooves.
Noveske reccomends "only quality 7.62 NATO ammunition" and that "some commercial .308 ammuntion may not function reliably due to projectile design or improperly staked primers" (just to show you I have *tried* to do my homework before asking questions, I just repeated that from memory, no cut and paste!). I've also read up and it's not like you absolutely can't shoot .308, you just have to know what you are doing. NATO ammo is obviously harder to find, so I'm trying to find a safe happy medium here. This barrel is 1:10 twist. My questions are as follows (and I'm a little more ashamed to call Noveske to ask this stuff than to ask here, so please be gentle):
1: I know that 1:10 twist will properly stabalize bullets from 150 to 190 grains. With the improper "projectile design" consideration and this modified chamber... would staying more into 165, 168, 175 grain range in quality commerical 308 tend to help assure proper functioning and safety (rupturing one in this weapon's chamber if it did not maim me would break my heart no doubt)? I plan on settling on a whitetail deer/feral hog round (would be good for zombies too), a cheap target plinker (and to get my scope on the paper), and a match round for getting as tight a group as possible on paper... so three rounds I want to find that work in this rifle after experimenting with different ones to consider as well. I want to use only reloadable brass, non-corrosive, boxed primers (of course). Any other input on projectiles, weights?
2: "improperly staked primers", I've tried (maybe not hard enough) to understand exactly what this means. I know about boxed vs. berdan primers, that has to do with reloading primarily (punching out the used primer, etc.) and the berdan primers can have quality control problems and be more sensitive to the hard strikes required in the ar10, possibly resulting in "slam fires" if they stick out too far and instead of the little dent you get from the bolt only chambering the round, it can actually detonate the primer. Is this the issue Noveske describes as "improperly staked primers"? The staking is the actual way a berdan primer is made, or is this a problem that can happen from poor quality on either boxed or berdan primers where it's just sticking out to far? - (2B[offtopic]: Noveske uses a springloaded firing pin to help prevent slamfires, is this standard with Armalite upper assemblies as well?)
3: Would getting a shop gauge be something I should do, learn to use, get the exact specs for my chamber, etc?
4: As far as "experimenting" with different brands, weights, projectile types, and even specific lot numbers to find the "rounds your rifle loves"... I pretty much see folks with 1:10 and 1:11.25 AR10's talk about 168gr everywhere I look being the "sweet spot". Should I even try anything but different versions of 168gr? Try some 175? 155? And of all the projectiles types made for game, which ones have the best (or what are the top few) terminal ballistics in targets like deer and hogs regardless of price? How much a 20 round box of ammo costs when I'm actually trying to kill something is of no concern to me. I want the best. Winchester's Silvertip in 168grain seems attractive to me. Suggestions?
I am new to AR10's, 7.62 NATO, and hunting in general. I'm 40 years old and working like a dog since I was 15, with three kids in two, I have never really had the money or the opportunity to pursue any of this even though I have been very interested in it. I'm at a point in my life where while the economy is swirling the drain, I'm actually able to do this now... and potential SHTF scenarios are no small part in why I chose the semi-auto-AR10 route to arming myself in the first place, so I apologize for being so green. I only hope those with much more experience than me here will appreciate that though I'm still learning I'm not expecting to be spoon fed, I learn fast, but I just need to get my hands on the right information from the right sources and you guys here come highly reccomended. Thank you in advance.
If anyone would give any input, even on just one particular of what I've asked, I would be very appreciative.