I am looking for a .300 upper to let my kids learn on. And hunt with. Over time I may swap parts to update but at first I want something they can scratch and beat up in classes.
After seeing some of the nightmares in cheap AR 15s out there with crap like poorly timed barrel extensions chewing up bolts, unsupported cartridges due to improper barrel installation or improper headspacing etc etc. I would avoid going there super cheap route. It would be a shame to see a kids hunt screwed up from a malfunctioning gun. The cheapest gun I would even think of purchasing would be a PSA. They are hit and miss but you are more than likely to end up with a gun that will function.
Bear Creek Arsenal and PSA both are pretty cheap but run. Have one of each in 300 and they run without issue. Both have their haters though so expect to hear that.
The difference between a cheap POS and an actual decent quality upper is maybe a couple hundred bucks. You don’t have to go blow $3K+ on a honey badger to get a good 300BLK, but a $200-$300 upper is going to be a turd every time and likely isn’t going to hold up in classes. Not to mention how much more expensive 300BLK is to shoot than 556 if they’re training and doing classes, plus the increased recoil.
I get a 300BLK for hunting but for learning and classes for kids... retarded. M&P15-22 for plinking/learning, 556 for classes, and 300BLK for hunting.
Bear Creek Arsenal and PSA both are pretty cheap but run. Have one of each in 300 and they run without issue. Both have their haters though so expect to hear that.
I always gave my children the most dependable equipment I could find... That is what my Dad did for me.... Most dependable, in many cases, was certainly not the most expensive... nor the cheapest. When I gave them a weapon, I wanted to hear it go "bang" when they pulled the trigger.