6.8 spc or 300bo for a kids hunting rifle?

Just my preference, 6.8 spc II. I would think the 6.8 round is lighter than the 300 BO and overall weight may be somewhat lighter. I do think both will do the job. This 6.8 performs well in 16" barrels, which saves weight.

If your using factory ammo I would vote 6.8 spc or 7.62x39. Factory 300 blackout ammo is pretty anemic.

7.62x39 gives the option for lots and lots of off season practice with $4 a box wolf ammo. Wolf hp’s shoot under an inch at 100 in my 7.62x39 AR.

Yup 6.8 but like said above the 7.62x39 is so cheap.

I went with 300 BLK for my boys. I disagree with the factory .300 rounds being anemic. My experience is with the supersonic Barnes TTSX bullets and have seen them be very effective against hogs and deer. Last year, a guy I was guiding dropped a big buck that weighed 198 after field dressing with a 8” .300 BLK with the Barnes bullets. I’m a believer.

Mark

I’m not sure why one wouldnt utilize the ability to roll your own when making hunting rounds but to each their own. Factory ammo only, definitely gonna be a 7.62x39 for 150 yards and in hunting. Beyond that I start looking at the 6.5 Grendel.

you didn’t mention your range expected to take a shot at a deer but that is a pretty big factor in choosing a hunting round. I reload mine and my daughters hunting rounds so I went with 300 blk for her and it has served her well for 2 seasons now. I like the ability to use all of the 308 bullets on the market. We also hunt under 150 yards.

best bet is to estimate your maximum distance for a shot and if not out of range for a x39 round, then I’d look hard at that considering your “no reloads for hunting” policy.

Of the two choices I would go with 6.8 SPC over the 300BLK. Another option that I really like is the 6.5 Grendel.

I don’t want to vote with my lack of experience with either caliber but because I always want my .02 (even when I have no change to spare) I’d say consider what they can grow in to down the road.

My home State only allows straight wall cartridges which I’m not allowed to use during my season leaving me muzzleloader only. To that end I’m left buying rifles now in calibers I otherwise have no need of that they will soon outgrow if or when their ok’d yardage expands.

I have a personal bias towards 6.8 SPC II; however putting personal bias aside I would go with 7.62x39.

7.62x39 has better energies with handloads (don't forget to try .308 bullets not just .311 bullets) (and Hornady and Federal makes some good commercial hunting ammo as well) than the 300 BO. Along with the cheap ammo that could get your kids into practicing at a cheap cost is really a great incentive for the round. If your kids were already seasoned rifle shooters I would say go 6.8 SPC II all the way, its in my opinion the best game round out of the AR15. The 6.8 SPC II will allow your kids to really grow into a capable rifle which is a big plus.

Another good option (again putting my bias towards the 6.8 aside) would be the 6.5 Grendel, which has cheap Wolf fodder for the kids to learn on as well.

I don’t have a 6.8 but I do have 7.62x39, 300 blk, 6.5 Grendel, 450 BM and 458 socom.

All of them work, the 300 would be at the bottom of my list but I have killed pigs with it and even worse choices.

If I were on the ground with them and didn’t reload, I’d pick the 450 with a 1-4x or something else that starts at 1x for inside 150 yards.

Same lower.

z7 said:

@beeenbag i expect deer to be inside of 100 for sure, most likely 40-80yds, this is my experience hunting and what I think a kid should be able to handle

I’m not strictly opposed to reloading for it, I just want a good factory offering for hunting ammo,

@Skeptic13 i want a 16” barrel for weight and length considerations and the spc performs better than the Grendel at that length

I know the 7.62x39 is popular, but i don’t want to get a unique lower and honestly I just don’t like that Russian invention - I know I’m leaving options on the table, but that’s not where I want to go

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If the x39 is out of the question, I would go 6.8 SPC II all the way. You and your kids will not be disappointed. From 80gr all the way to 130gr. For thin skinned deer Hornady's 120 SST commercial, or for a tougher bullet Federal 90 or 115 gr. Fusions are great. For reloading 85gr. Barnes TTSX or 110gr. Accubonds are all great options.

90 and 115 federal fusion are great hunting rounds for factory 6.8. Hornady 120 SST is another good choice.

z7 said:

feel free to recommend an upper as well or a complete rifle, I don’t want to build from scratch either

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For complete upper here are some good options:

https://www.blackstonearms.com/category-s/100.htm These uppers use AR15performance barrels which are awesome, the builder of these barrels (Harrison) are by many considered the expert on the 6.8 SPC II.

http://bisonarmory.com/ Is another great option.

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/6-8-spc-rifles/ again another great option.

I would personally pick between those three vendors. I don't have any experience with Blackstone Arms its just that they are the only vendor that Harrison puts his barrels into, I believe. I have a Bison Armory 20" for my hunting AR and it has worked great.

One can push a 110gr Accubond out of a 20" barrel in the 6.8 SPC II to 2,800 fps with good handloading and Sellier and Bellot brass. That has some great energies. The factory Sellier and Bellot 115gr FMJ ammo coming out of my 20" Bison barrel hits 2,700 fps when I'm shooting it to get the brass. I use Sellier and Bellot as they have the most case capacity out of the brass available to the 6.8 SPC II and its great brass.

z7 said:

I know the 7.62x39 is popular, but i don’t want to get a unique lower and honestly I just don’t like that Russian invention - I know I’m leaving options on the table, but that’s not where I want to go

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7.62x39 uses a standard upper and lower. I swap between my 223 and 7.62x39 upper all the time. Seen here with 10 round C products mag last deer season.

@z7 - of the two, 6.8spc over the 300 every day and twice on Sunday. I’d take a 300 over an x39 twice a day, and 5 times on Sunday, but truthfully, both are near the top of my “least favorite AR cartridge list”.

Personally, after 15yrs+ on the 6.8 side of the fence, I’d rather a 6.5 Grendel in 2019 and beyond than a 6.8, especially with a preference for factory ammo. The shortest Grendel I have had was a 12.5”, and I’ll say, the performance “advantage” for the 6.8 in short barrels is highly overstated. Nothing wrong with a 6.8, naturally, but the Grendel has become far more available, especially proper bullets in factory ammo for various uses.

Notwithstanding, a 16” bolt gun with a cut down Boyd’s stock can be considerably lighter than an equivalent AR-15. Might be worth considering, since a can out front will be adding extra weight. I’m spitballing based on other kids I’ve instructed, but guessing your oldest is 6-9yrs old with a 10” LOP, and total rifle weight is always on my mind when putting rifles in young hands. The Grendel is much better supported in bolt guns in the current market. Boyd’s stocks are cheap, and a guy could put the factory stock back on later as the kid grew.

A 16” 6.8spc used to be a chorus standard for the AR market, pretty hard to go wrong there. I currently have an 18” and a 10.5” 6.8spc, both built for hunting, but neither really built to be lightweight - although the 10.5” BARREL is pretty light, with its pistol length gas system, at least until I stick my Omega out front.

Out of those two, for that purpose I would go with the 6.8 every time. I had a handy 18" 6.8 at one time and popped a few deer with it and it worked great. I eventually sold it to get an AR-10 because I figured it would be more of a good thing.... Sometimes more is less.

I recently put together another lightweight hunting AR carbine and went with the 6.5 Grendel this time around. The ballistics are similar to the 6.8, and I think I see a bit more factory ammo, at least around here. That's a non-issue for me though, both the 6.8 and the 6.5 beg to be reloaded for. With the 6.8, factory ammo is constrained by the need to be compatible with the original SAAMI spec chambers and twist, you used to be able to buy higher performance SPC II only ammo from companies like SSA, but I don't really see that advertised anymore. With either chambering, reloading, of course, really opens up your bullet options.


Edited to add pic of the 6.5 G I just put together.


If I can get a cow elk on the ground in the next few weeks, I might have time to scope and work with this rifle in time to use it for a late season antelope.

troy fairweather said:

Same lower.

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Yup, same lower, just swap magazines and uppers.

The 6.8, 6.5, 300, (add most any other centerfire cartridge), etc, will effectively kill a deer. I think that we get way too anal about the God-like performance of our pet cartridge. Put a round in the center area of their chest and they will die (albeit some faster than others) but, they will die - contrary to some popular belief, they are not magic.
As to the OP’s question, I occasionally use my 6.8 AR to kill deer - it is easy - very little if any challenge (killing with that caliber that is). I also use a .308, 45-70, .45 Colt and .50 ML - they all kill deer effectively - I am sure that the 300 will do the same. In my mind, it is up to the skill of the shooter and a well placed shot, not the Godliness of the caliber used.

Some random thoughts:

- I've shot a handful of north Texas deer and hog with both (and with 7.62x39). Of the three chamberings, the 6.8SPCII gave me the most confidence that I could stretch the engagement distance out past 200yds with reasonable success, but I never needed to. According to the calculator, the 300AAC (supersonic 125gr Sierra) stays above 1000ft-lbs of energy out to 250yds, but drops six inches between 200 and 250 yards - you've pretty much gotta know the distance pretty accurately if you're shooting much past 200yds.

- If you shoot AR's often enough to want to stock repair parts - the bolt and magazine commonality between 300AAC and 5.56NATO can be potentially appealing.

- If you don't handload - it's a LOT easier to find 300AAC supersonic (hunting quality) ammo in the local stores than it is to find 6.8SPCII. If you do handload, my perception is that there are more offerings for varmint bullets in .308 (suitable for supersonic intermediate chambering hunting use) than there are in .277, if that matters.

- I tend to use 300AAC at the range more than 6.8SPCII, because the holes are (modestly) easier to spot and the brass is cheap enough that I don't mind having the kids lose some.