Been designing a build for an SPR/RECCE rifle and I’ve been looking at different calibers. The 6.8 has caught my eye. Just wandering if anyone has experience with this cartridge; and what your opinions are of it has far as accuracy and effectiveness.
Thanks,
Brandon
Moving to this section for proper placement and traffic.
Real quick for me as I’m new to the 6.8. I wanted a light AR based carbine for deer and decided on the 6.8 with SSA Tactical Loads 85 Barnes TSX loading. Will find out this season.
The bullets are little bit more than 5.56 and the mags are pricey. The PRI Waffle mags and Barrett Mags are the best. Very good round especially for hunting (85gr TSX Barnes). If you want something for longer range I’ve read that the 6.5 is a little bit better than 6.8 in distance.
Brandon,
Drop by here…http://www.68forums.com/ Register and get on their forums. Read, read, and read some more. Great group of guys with many years of experience…really!!!
Thanks guys. I will check out 68forums and see what I can learn. It’s just an option though. I’m not dead set yet.
I’ve had a 6.8 for a couple of years and I like it alot. My daughter has taken 2 large mule deer with it. I am currently trying out the new Barnes 95gr ttsx bullets and they show great promise. I doubt you would regret getting a 6.8 but like said above read alot so you make sure to get the correct Chamber and twist bbl.
I have an AR Performance build upper. Great product and rd. Good luck.
Made the jump to the 6.8 4 years ago and have not regretted it. First time I touched one off was an epiphany - finally an AR with some punch! Been up the learning curve as my first 6.8 was a SAAMI-spec with 1:10 twist. After a bad experience with some SSA X-treme loads, I found 68forums and did some research. The SAAMI-spec upper was put on the shelf while I built a new upper with a KoTonics SPCII 1:11 barrel. The SAAMI upper was resurrected a year ago after I got ahold of an SPCII reamer.
Now the only time I’ll take a 5.56 AR out is if I want to shoot Service Rifle class or just do some low-cost plinking. (Lack of mil-surp 6.8 ammo makes plinking an expensive proposition.)
I cannot speak to terminal performance on game as I have not shot a living creature with it. It does do more damage on inanimate objects than a 5.56.
As to accuracy, I regularly shoot my 18" 6.8 in Highpower competition and post Expert-level scores with it. While I can score marginally better with my 5.56 Service Rifle, it is due to a longer sight radius, match sights and match-grade barrel, not the cartridge.
I have read that it is a very good round for SBR’s
I have 3 and love mine. Almost everybody is making them now and with roughly 75% the power of a 308 and about 50% of the recoil in a true AR platform what’s not to love. It wouldn’t be the first AR I owned but if you like AR’s you owe it to yourself to at least shoot one. (If you do you’ll want one)
The rounds are not at all cheap but not to far away from high end 5.56 ammo. If I want I can train with 5.56 and just switch uppers/mags to hunt with or to give my home defense weapon more power so to me the extra cost doesn’t seem so bad.
I’m no big hunter but my son’s and I went hog hunting in Fla last year, fired 5 rounds of 6.8 SPC and killed 4 hogs. (the extra round was spent on a running hog that was gut shot, went down and then stayed down after an anchor shot) Nothing is magic but I made a quartering away shot on a big boar and what that round did was impressive to say the least. One shot and he didn’t go more than 15-20 yards.
I have been running a Stag 6.8 as a patrol carbine for a couple of years. I have a 5.56 set up the same way, and use it and a 22 conversion kit for training. I use the 22 kit for the basics, the 5.56 for classes and additional training, and shoot a couple hundred rounds a year with the 6.8 for quals and fam fire. I’m pretty happy with the setup, and it lets me shoot 4 or 5 thousand rounds a year for training I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
I’ve been using the 6.8 SPC for a couple years. Great cartridge, very effective and it can easily be used for hunting. Down sides are the cost of the ammo versus the 5.56 and mag costs are higher. Personally, I’d rather have the more effective round even if it’s more expensive.
The 6.8 has doubled if not tripled its support network since I first jumped on.
There are so many options to choose from.
It will be hard to go wrong unless you ignore all the tips and buy from
Model 1 Sales…
C-products mags are 12.00 a pop and I have had nothing but success with mine. Try to stay away from 17 rounders though.
Ammo can be a bit pricey if comparing to standard 5.56 or even lower end .308 but if you are dilligent you can get good shit from 15.00 - 20.00 a box. The real magic starts once you begin relaoding it.
Its definately not a plinker type round…its a special purpose cartridge.
Very accurate,excellent deer round.
I have a Bushmaster in 6.8 and love it, I also use the C-Products mags and have had no problems. Does anyone know of a site where you can find affordable Seller&Bellot 6.8 rounds I have been wanting to try their stuff. I’ve used the Silver State, Rem., and Hornady but not S&B.
they work as advertised
have been using them for hunting for a few years
numerous hogs and deer, all very dead, very quickly
the bolt actions hardly make it out of the safe