Futrure of 6.8 mm Rem SPC

[peyton]

I have had the opportunity to travel a lot lately. I visited a Cabela's and Bass Pro shop lately. I asked what Remington rifles they had in 6.8 MM REM SPC and they gave me the look like I was speaking Greek to them. Seriously, if the hunting community who is so happy with these short magnums and super short magnums, why can't they accept a short 270 bullet? Or, is it due to the fact that I have to pay $big bucks for a rifle that is chambered for it. And by the way why is there a 243, 7mm 08 and a 308 and even a new 338 Fewderal but not a 270 sized cartridge in a 308 case???

Peyton

 

[Zak Smith]

The point of 6.8 SPC is better terminal effects from an AR-15 platform. Are Bass Pro and Cabelas real hot on AR-15s ?

Nobody can tell the future, but more and more manufacturers keep offering 6.8 products.

-z

 

[Metapotent]

And by the way why is there a 243, 7mm 08 and a 308 and even a new 338 Fewderal but not a 270 sized cartridge in a 308 case???

Well the niche in the shooting world that a new .270 short action would fill is already occupied by other rounds that would have far better performance (.270 WSSM)

Personally I would like to see the 6.8 Rem SPC gain more popularity. When my friend first got his AR upper for 6.8 and put his gun together we went to almost every store that sells ammo and we could find NONE. He had to order some re-loaded stuff off internet and pay a ridiculously high S&H fee.

 

[strambo]

It's a pretty niche caliber. Designed to kill enemies quicker (better terminal performance) with an M16/M4 at 0-300 meters. Does nothing for a hunter that a dozen other cartridges can't do better. If you want to hunt deer with a standard size AR 15 it would be OK.

 

[mljdeckard]

I honestly think that it is at a bit of an impasse, stuck in beurocracy. The pentagon is stuck in the situation where they have spent the last 45 years trying to convince everyone that the .223 CAN do what is supposed to, and now saying that they want a round with more thump. The kinetic component (rifle part) of the OICW was supposed to be chambered in .223, and then there were a couple of rifles like the XM-8 and uppers chambered for the 6.8, and other rounds like the 6.5 Grendel in the mix, and as far as I can tell, all of these projects are on indefinite hold.

I think the sports market is waiting for the pentagon to make up its mind before they decide which wagon to jump on to. I wasn't around, but I doubt very seriously there was this much mind changing and delay with the .223 and .308 being established among civillians.

I think that if the 6.8 shows long-term promise, it would be a great round for medium-length, medium-weight, short-action brush rifles. How great would a Remington 7600 in 6.8 be?

 

[R.W.Dale]

What's the status? The same as it's always been a completely engeneered hokey story ginned up by the gun rags to help one of thier larger advertisers sell more guns and ammunition. That at this point has appeared to have completely backfired. Serves em right!

Seriously the military has never even remotely began to consider changing service cartriges. In fact my prediction is that 5.56 will be the last cartrige our military adopts. There are some very promising technoliges just on the horizon that may very well render projectile firing weapons obsolete or at the very least the conventonal notion of what constitutes ammunition.

 

[Zak Smith]

6.8 was not invented by gun rags.. the complete story is in July's SGN.

 

[HorseSoldier]

What's the status? The same as it's always been a completely engeneered hokey story ginned up by the gun rags to help one of thier larger advertisers sell more guns and ammunition. That at this point has appeared to have completely backfired. Serves em right!

The round was developed in house by members of 5th Special Forces Group who were looking for something with more thump in the 2-400 meter range than 5.56mm through an M4 delivers.

Seriously the military has never even remotely began to consider changing service cartriges. In fact my prediction is that 5.56 will be the last cartrige our military adopts. There are some very promising technoliges just on the horizon that may very well render projectile firing weapons obsolete or at the very least the conventonal notion of what constitutes ammunition

USASOC strongly considered it. The 6.8mm round was never a general use, Big Army possibility (had USASOC adopted it that might have changed), but it was a potential one for special operations units. The downsides to any new round, and a heavier round than 5.56mm in particular, were not felt to justify the pluses 6.8mm Rem SPC brought to the table. But this was only determined after field trials, to include taking 6.8mm weapons downrange in the Middle East.

The same fate happened to 6.5mm Grendel, except that interest was never as serious for use as a service rifle round since Grendel doesn't really answer the right questions. There is still some interest in its potential as a sniper rifle round, but I don't think there's any money, at least not real money, supporting that interest.

 

[Dave R]

I think the far superior 6.5 Grendel is eating its lunch.






Just kidding! We havent yet hit the "AR vs. AK" level on this debate.