6.8 SPC Effective Range?

[Paladin_Hammer]

I've been looking at some 6.8 SPC AR uppers for awhile now.

What is the effective range of a 6.8SPC cartridge? I need something that could take deer at 200-300 yards.

 

[R.W.Dale]

300M tops on whitetail regardless of what anyone tells you about a potshot stunt on an ELK at well beyond that. Or whatever magic twist and chamber may be suggested.

Now that doesn't knock the 6.8's ability, 300m on whitetail is nothing to laugh at. It's just that for many any touch with reality flies out the window when 6.8spc is mentioned

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I need something that could take deer at 200-300 yards.

It will definitely do that easily.

 

[DeathByCactus]

6.8 is a intermediary cartridge. Not for long range shooting. I wouldn't shoot at anything past 325 yards. It will do what you want though.

 

[MarGin Arms]

http://demigodllc.com/~zak/firearms/6.8SPC/faq.php

This has range data up to 800 yards.
At 800 yards it has a 1175 FPS rating.
this is done from an 18" barrel so it may change the data a bit with the 16" barrel.
I own the 6.8 SPC M4A3 but use it for "Close Quarter " drills
so far so good

 

[HorseSoldier]

I'll beat the rush and mention that numerous 6.5 Grendel shooters have reported successfully shooting deer, elk, and moose at ranges in excess of twenty kilometers due to Alexander Arms' superior design format

 

[Maelstrom]

I'll beat the rush and mention that numerous 6.5 Grendel shooters have reported successfully shooting deer, elk, and moose at ranges in excess of twenty kilometers due to Alexander Arms' superior design format

Granted you still need the M203 sights on your AR.

 

[maskedman504]

Isn't twenty kilometers over 12 miles?

 

[R.W.Dale]

Isn't twenty kilometers over 12 miles?

YES

6.5grendel rules, 6.8spc is teh crappage

 

[Float Pilot]

I have been experimenting with a 6.8 SPC using a STAG A5 16 inch barrel for a couple months now. (1 in 10 twist, SPECII chamber)

So far I have fired 1,200 rounds of various handloads and 60 rounds of factory ammo.
The best loads that group at one inch or less have been, Sierra 90 gr hollow points 2,900 fps max-max, Remington 100 grain SP 2,700 fps max, Nosler, Barnes, Sierra and Hornady 110 grain at 2,550 fps high-average, and Sierra 130 grain Sp at 2,275 fps average. I even loaded some 150 grain round nose bullets to 1,950 fps for single loading.
The Hornady factory ammo chronographs far below the advertized velocity and does not give good groups.

We do not have White-Tail Deer up here in Alaska, so I have no idea how hard they are to put down. We do have small Sitka Black-Tail deer up here in certain parts of the State. Based on my experience I would not trust the 6.8 SPC past 250 for our Deer up here. On Caribou I would only go to 150 yards. They run much larger and are harder to put down. I prefer a good solid clean kill on game. One problem with using the 6.8 x 43mm up here is that Black-tail deer tend to live in areas with huge Brown bears. And their season is open when the bears are still out and about. I do not want to only have a 6.8mm in a finicky AR platform if a half ton of brown bear is heading my way at 40mph.
Caribou do have a winter season in some areas so that is about the only time I could use a 6.8mm for hunting.

For two legged critters it is probaly fine out to 350.

I am seriously thinking of:
1. Rebarreling /re-uppering mine to a 20 inch barrel with a 1 in 11 twist. That should add 100 to 125 fps.

2. Rebarreling / re-uppering to 243 or 257 WSSM

3. Selling everything and staring another experiment like an AR10 size rifle.


xx

 

[R.W.Dale]

2. Rebarreling / re-uppering to 243 or 257 WSSM

Sort of a bigger bore variation on the WSSM uppers

I'm anxious to see what the 30RAR can do. It should have the case capacity to get things done downrange

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I'll beat the rush and mention that numerous 6.5 Grendel shooters have reported successfully shooting deer, elk, and moose at ranges in excess of twenty kilometers due to Alexander Arms' superior design format

6.5grendel rules, 6.8spc is teh crappage

Now that's funny right there.


Float Pilot, good info; thanks.

Selling everything and staring another experiment like an AR10 size rifle.

You might try what I just did (am doing) if you like light rifles. Get a DPMS/Panther LR 260 "L" - it's the lightest weight AR10 style rifle going, IINM, with the carbon fiber handguards, coming in (supposedly) at only 7.9 lbs unloaded (though the website says 7.9 lbs in one place and 8.6 lbs in another - haven't weighed mine yet). It has an 18" bbl. It's gonna get around 325-375 fps more than 6.5 grendel, with light bullets, and 300-350 fps more than 6.5 grendel with heavy loads. So you can think of it as a heavy "light rifle" or a light "heavy rifle", with quite a bit more oomph than the 6.5 G or 6.8 rspc. You can get the "L" one in .243, .260, .308, or .338. They also have other versions, including the "standard" 20" version in all the calibers. Mine is at the 'smith as we speak, having that infernal loudener chopped off - the Miculek integral compensator (cut/crown job). Though it will now sit in the corner at the 'smith for 2 months or more before being touched, I'm sure.

http://www.dpmsinc.com/

A note on caliber for this sidebar diversion from the 6.8: The .260 rem's ballistics, when you look at them, basically amount to this: With light bullets (85-100), it's about 1/2 way between the .243 win and .25-06 rem. So it's actually superior to a .243 loaded heavy - a 100 gr bullet is going at least 100-150 fps faster than it is from a .243, AND with a better BC (though a slightly inferior SD). With medium-heavy bullets, it's like .25-06 rem or 6.5x55 swede, but with a twist rate to make the heavy bullets really perform, even up to the 160/162 gr range, which the .25-06 cannot touch.

 

[NCsmitty]

Although I'm not a big fan of AR styled rifles, A 260 Rem on the AR platform would be the epitome of the field. As the ballistic twin of the great 6.5x55, it would be a superior combination of power and flat shooting with great BC bullets available.
All of the small base brass models pale by comparison.

NCsmitty

 

[Kind of Blued]

.260 Remington ARs are awesome.

 

[longdayjake]

I'll beat the rush and mention that numerous 6.5 Grendel shooters have reported successfully shooting deer, elk, and moose at ranges in excess of twenty kilometers due to Alexander Arms' superior design format

spoken by a true owner of a 6.8 that just can't get over the superiority of the Grendel.

Its not the rifle design, but the bullets BC that makes it superior to 6.8. The casing is just a 7.62x39 with straight walls necked down to 6.5 and a small rifle primer. Also, the 6.5 match bullets are great for hunting as well. Do some research. 6.8 spc really is the crappage. (in comparison of course)