6.8SPC or 458 SOCOM?

[marksman13]

I want a new deer rifle before next season. I've already got a 5.56 AR and a 308 AR. The 5.56 will kill deer, but it's not my first choice for a deer rifle. The 308 AR is just a bit too heavy and cumbersome when I'm stalking or still hunting. I also own a Browning A-Bolt in 308, but sometimes I just want to carry something other than a bolt gun. I've really been eye balling a 458 SOCOM. I hunt varying terrain. Sometimes my furthest shot will be 60 yards. Another place it might be 360 yards. I'm not looking for something that will cover all those distances, but a rifle that's capable of taking practical shots from 50-200 yards would be ideal. What's the collective wisdom of the high road say?

 

[Girodin]

Either rifle will deer between 50-200. The SOCOM is the harder hitter at those distances If I was looking at shots beyond 200 I would want something besides a 458 SOCOM. The SOCOM drops 9-12" at 200 yards and really starts falling after that. It drops 30"+ at 300 yards. The 6.8 on the other hand drops about 2" at 200 and about 11" at 300.

Do you want a close range hammer? Get the SOCOM. If you want something better suited to shooting at distance get a 6.8 or 6.5.

 

[marksman13]

I'm leaning more towards a hammer. I'm not sure that there's enough difference between a 5.5z6 and a 6.8 to justify owning both.

 

[helotaxi]

The difference between the 5.56 and the 6.8 is significant.

Remington likes to compare the ballistics of the 6.8mm SPC with those of that time-proven deer slayer, the .30-30 firing a 150-grain bullet. Accordingly, the 6.8mm Rem. SPC produces 23 percent more energy at 100 yards, 36 percent more at 200 yards, and at 300 yards, the 6.8mm SPC still retains 1,072 ft-lbs of energy compared to the .30-30's miserly 565 ft-lbs. The 6.8mm SPC is 4" flatter at 200 yards than the .30-30, and in rifles of identical weight, the recoil of the 6.8mm SPC is 30 percent less.

Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_3_51/ai_n8709810/

That's more energy at 300yds with a hunting bullet than a .223 62gn Fed Fusion has @100. That is quite significant.

Compared to the SOCOM, you can find ammo and afford to shoot the 6.8 as well. My LGS is fairly well stocked on ammo, but they don't have SOCOM ammo on the shelves. In contrast, I've found 6.8 ammo in even relatively poorly stocked Cabela's and Bass Pros and every gun shop I've been in has several different brands and loads in stock. Components are widely available as well for the reloader.

 

[redneck2]

I've got a SOCOM that I used last season for deer. Owning a SOCOM is pretty much a hand load only proposition. If you get factory stuff, figure $30 minimum every time you load up the mag. Hand load and cut that to 40-60 cents a round.

It REALLY hammers the deer.

This year I got a .358 WSSM upper from D-Tech in Minnesota. Works with standard AR lower/mags. Spits a 200 Sierra about 2,750. Good to 300 yards. This is definitely hand load only as you have to form your own cases, but it gives options I didn't have otherwise.

I know virtually nothing about the 6.8, but I suspect it would give a significant advantage over the .223.

 

[marksman13]

Ammo availability is a non-issue. My LGS has both on hand, though there is notably less variety in the 458 ammo. Not sure that ammo price is going to be a huge issue either as it's not a plinker. I've got other ARs for plinking. I doubt I'll put more than 50 rounds per year through the gun. That's about all I put through my other deer rifles. I didn't realize the 6.8 was carrying that much oomph! though.

 

[helotaxi]

The 6.8 is the real deal. The original chamber spec was disappointing but most all of the rifles of newer manufacture use the Spec II chamber and a 1:11 twist and are capable of a good bit more performance.

I don't use my 6.8 as a plinker either, but I do like to get proficient with a rifle I plan to take afield. The wide variety of ammo available also makes the 6.8 very flexible from varmints to larger game.

ETA: The 6.8 can be executed for a lot less $$ as well since it is a SAAMI vs. proprietary cartridge.

 

[mokin]

It probably wont matter which one you get first. Just after you get one, you'll probably want to get the other. I've got a 6.8 and love it. I also think the 458 would be a lot of fun. Both would be good deer cartridges. Sorry for the lack of help. Just sayin'.

 

[68wj]

Either will drop a deer just fine. If you learn the ballistics of the heavier .458 bullet, you will have a light carbine shooting like an old .45-70. The 6.8 is no slouch though and has less of a learning curve for ensuring good hits.

Having shot both, I really enjoy the 6.8. The .458 hits hard, but recoils like something much larger. The 10 round capacity (in a 30 rd .223 mag) is more than enough for most hunting chores, but the 6.8 gives the option of 25-30 round mags and would make a great rifle for a group of pigs or coyotes too. Bullets in the 85-120 gr range give lots of options.

 

[Txhillbilly]

I've never shot the 6.8,so I can't commit on it.But I really love the 458socom.

There's a good deal of load data for it,and I have worked up loads with Remington 300gr JHP's,Nosler C/T 300gr Ballistic Tips,and Remington 405gr FN and they all will shoot moa or better groups at 100yds.
I haven't shot any deer with it yet,but it really does a number on feral hogs.

 

[helotaxi]

Bullets in the 85-120 gr range give lots of options.

You can go to 130gn if you reload with the Speer HotCor 130gn FB.

 

[68wj]

You can go to 130gn if you reload with the Speer HotCor 130gn FB.

Just sticking with factory options for the response, but yes you can load them. The Hornady 120 SST is about the heaviest I have seen factory, and they do a number on hogs and deer.

 

[Hizzie]

SOCOM ammo isn't cheap and even the components are pricey (other than cast lead bullets). Keep that in mind. The SOCOM is an easy round to run subsonic and suppress. Basically 300gr @ 1900fps to 500gr @ 1050fps and plenty of options in the middle. Lehigh even makes a 100gr aluminum pill in .458

check out: http://www.458socomforums.com/ for SOCOM specific info.

 

[helotaxi]

Just sticking with factory options for the response, but yes you can load them. The Hornady 120 SST is about the heaviest I have seen factory, and they do a number on hogs and deer.

Federal and Winchester are the only major ammo companies that don't load for the 6.8 and pretty much all the smaller companies load for it. With Federal out of the game, it's unlikely that we'd see the 130 HC as a factory round. The 3 Barnes options (with the 95gn TSX specifically designed for the 6.8) are go-to bullets for lots of folks and I believe someone factory loads all of them (SSA?).

 

[marksman13]

Man, y'all are making this tough. I really was leaning hard towards the 458 because I really wanted a "thumper" in a semi-auto. If I get the 458 it will be in as simple and light of a package as possible and would wear a Nikon BDC scope. I would probably go with the same set-up for a 6.8 SPC.

I shoot my other ARs a good bit, so I wouldn't need to shoot the new rifle a great deal to get comfortable with it. I don't think I would spend a ton of money on ammo for that reason.

Owning both is probably possible. I'm taking a week end job that pays in guns, so it's probably just a matter of time before I own both. It's probably more of a which caliber to get first. At least I hope so.

 

[snakeman]

I shoot 6.8 works fine for me. Hornady has a 120 sst load that is excellent

 

[nyc71]

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