After reading numerous threads I don’t know if I should try a 6.8. I have multiple 5.56 rifles and I’m selling a upper and want to replace it. I have a 300 BLK with a 10" barrel (soon to be SBR) as the only alternate caliber. The barrel length I am looking at is 16" and no shorter. I don’t plan to hunt with it but I am interested in the improved terminal effectiveness over the 5.56 and premium ammo is about the same price. Is the step to 6.8 worth it? Are there better options?
It is the most practical power you can get in an AR15 that has some way to get 30 round magazines. It will give you about 80 yards more range than 300 BLK.
I was thinking either the 6.8 or the 300 w/ a 16" barrel, but it doesn’t seem like the extra length is much of an advantage with the 300.
With 6.8 you’ve got lighter bullets and at least 30% more powder capacity…
It’s a great round, but they aren’t cheap. If you’re not into hunting what do you plan to do with it that the 5.56 and 300BLK can’t do?
If you do decide to get one I highly recommend the PRI mags. Especially if you’re a reloader. With these mags the OAL can be loaded long to 2.29"+.
I have a 6.8 and a 5.56.
I love my 6.8. Cheaper ammo is on the way for the 6.8 as it has a huge following in the hunting community.
For just shooting I use my 5.56, if I want to reach out and knock something on its ass, I use the 6.8
This new SSA 140gr 6.8 Berger VLD looks promising:
Yes it is worth it big time,
But you cant lend your 6.8 to rambo, cause he will leave you broke in less than a min.
Other than cost and not being able to go to walmart to get ammo, there is no reason not to go that way. However aside from these two set backs, you get muncho upside
Here is my mrp in 6.8
notice my magcinch with two barrett mags.
that may put some hurt on a target
Source, please?
http://tulammousa.com/ coming early 2013…
http://68forums.com/forums/forum.php
-the latest rumor is Federal has stuff on the way, and id bet PMC will as well.
Another thing to consider w/ the 6.8…If you do not reload, save your brass and resell it. 6.8 guys who reload are always looking for brass.
“Another thing to consider w/ the 6.8…If you do not reload, save your brass and resell it. 6.8 guys who reload are always looking for brass”
This…
I have been re-loading this cartridge for years but alas find less and less time for it (reloading) so I have been selling the 100 round batches for $40 shipped and people buy it.
The Hornady 110 BTHP is SUPERBLY accurate for a factory load and is $18 a box shipped, I sell the brass for $8 so technically I am shooting for $10 a box with a little effort. This is my “general purpose” round. The 110 Accubond is my pure hunting round and is also a superbly accurate bullet and is “bonded”
If you shoot one you will want one;)
Every person who has shot mine has bought a 6.8 or wants one
http://www.ssarmory.com/ widest range of 6.8 ammo. They normally have some stuff for $17 a box.
If u can find it, remington umc can be as low as $15.50 a box. I’ve had 600rds of this stuff on order for months…
For deer, I prefer hornady 120 sst. Hits hard…
The 6.8 gives 80 yards more range over the 300Blk:confused: Rob are you using your polack calculator again? 
Im not a 6.8 fan but the best performing 300 blackout catridges go subsonic at just over 500 yards. The 6.8 can remain supersonic out to 900 yards. That pencils out to a lot more than 80 yards.
You guys just need to stop with this nonsense of using one company’s over-pressure ammo as proof your cartridge has magical powers. That ammo is loaded to an OAL which only works in one brand of magazine and is not in spec. It is also over normal pressure.
I can load Lapua Scenar 155s in 300 BLK to above normal pressure and to the same OAL as the ammo you just cited and get 2150 fps and that will go transonic at 900 yards.
Let’s get real compare favorite bullets in each caliber at normal pressure:
The .308 110 T-TSX BC is 0.295. So at 200 yards, that is 1871 fps, and 855 ft-lbs.
An 6.8 85 grain bullet which started at 2800 fps and ended up at 2076 fps is 823 ft-lbs.
So based on energy with the best bullet in each caliber, the 300 BLK actually has a 4% advantage at 200 yards.
However, when I said 80 yards more range for the 6.8, that was going by max point blank range - and I used a 6.8 bullet with a better BC than the 85 TSX to be completely fair.
I stand by my 80 yards.
However, when I said 80 yards more range for the 6.8, that was going by max point blank range - and I used a 6.8 bullet with a better BC than the 85 TSX to be completely fair.
I stand by my 80 yards.
Okay you were talking max point blank range. That makes sense to me now.
What you call normal pressure for the 6.8 is what remington loads with the screwed up chamber they submitted to SAAMI. The rest of the industry has moved on to improved specs and now loads ammo that is faster than Remington so why should the rest of us be hampered by what Remington does? If you go to 68 forums.com there are very few people that say they use Remington ammo. 4 years ago SSA was the largest producer of 6.8 ammo, SSA and Hornady standard 110gr ammo at 52-55000psi will produce 2550-2600fps out of a 16" barrel. Wilson Combat now loads the 110gr ammo to 2700fps. If you shoot that ammo in a barrel with bad specs like Remington used it will be over pressure but if you load it in a barrel with better specs it is not over pressure, it may be 58000 psi but it is not over pressure.
The 300blk is slower than a 7.62x39 which is slower than a 6.8. The 6.8 and 7.62x39 has apx 10gr more powder capacity than the 300 whisper/blk 10gr! that is almost 40% more powder capacity.
Since every shooter has the ability to purchase any ammo made take the best 6.8 load and the best 300 load and compare those to see how much range advantage the 6.8 has.
how about a 95gr TTSX at 2850 fps
http://shopwilsoncombat.com/68-SPC-95-gr-Barnes-TTSX-2850-FPS-16-Barrel-20_Box/productinfo/A68-95-TTSX/
Handloading brings up a whole different ball game.
110gr .376 BC at 2800…yes out of a 16" barrel…who cares if you say it’s over pressure we’ve been shooting them at that velocity since 2007. That little 85gr TSX can be pushed to over 3100fps.
The 130gr Sierra SPBT with a BC of .428 will do over 2500fps.
Now a Berger with a BC of .487 doing 2400fps and 200gr bullets for subsonic use. It does have magical powers.
Point blank range is a little deceiving, I don’t know anyone that sets their Z at an odd ball range it’s either 200 or 300. With a 6.8 here in the west a 300yd Z will give the best results, 1 mil at 200yds is an easy hold under. Using the 120 SST or 130gr sierra the velocity is still high enough to expand properly at 400yds, that’s longer than most will ever shoot a game animal.
7.62x39, Wolf, Performance, Russian Steel Cased, Full Metal Jacket, 122 Grain, 2396 fps, 20 Rounds Per Box, 50 Boxes Per Case.
300blk, 125 gr (8.1 g) OTM 2,215 ft/s (675 m/s) 1,360 ft·lbf
That is not what I am saying. I have no problem with loading to 55,000 psi for an SPC-II chamber. What I object to is loading to more than 55,000 psi and then comparing that to normal pressure rounds in other cartridges.
Hornady makes SAAMI spec ammo and sells quite a lot of it. Federal/ATK is coming out with - yup - SAAMI spec ammo. If Tula ends up following through with 6.8 ammo, it will be SAAMI spec. And then between those three companies, and Remington, and maybe even PMC if the rumors are true - the majority of 6.8 ammo will be SAAMI, as it should be.
That being said, I am all for the SPC-II chamber, but realize that it only adds 20 fps to the velocity.
The difference between the SPC-II and SAAMI chamber is at most 1500 psi. This has been verified by at least three different ballistics labs.
We have been through this. 300 BLK passes 7.62x39mm at about 100 yards due to the higher BC bullets, and at 300M it has about 17% more energy.
Yes but the 300 BLK is more efficient than either. The Lotus Elan is about 165 HP but does a lot with it. Reloaders can can up to 675 rounds from a lb of powder subsonic and about 450 supersonic.
Regardless of if you set up for max point blank range or not, it still is a great way to show the differences in trajectories, and for 300 BLK vs 6.8, the difference is about 80 yards.
I thought MPBR was a measure of distance, +/-, for zeroing one’s firearm?
Rsilvers- are you using 800 lb ft for the minimum criteria for your definition of what I typically refer to as “killing power” or "maximum lethal (or lethal KE) range? Yes, I know these definitions are related.
If this is the case there are many 6.8 loadings from “other” manufacturers delivering > 800 ft lbs of energy at 300 yards and beyond.
7.62x39mm at 2396 fps is 20 inch velocity and you are comparing it to 16 inch barrel velocity for 300 BLK. I have compared 300 BLK to Hornady, Winchester, Wolf, and Lapua 7.62x39mm velocity. There is no 7.62x39mm ammo which has more energy than 300 BLK past 120 yards.
It is the max range that you do not need to adjust your sights to compensate for bullet drop, providing you are ok with specifying a certain ± radius you need to be within. That radius is not standardized, but some people pick ± 2.5 inches, some ± 3.0 inches, etc.
No, that was just a 200 yard example that I created when someone said 300 BLK was only good to 100 yards and and others say that 6.8 is good to 400 yards. I wanted to show that for the ammo that 6.8 people love - the 85 TSX, 300 BLK is just as powerful at 200 yards.
I know. The 85 TSX is not the best choice for long range.