Is the 6.8spc a dying cartridge?

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AFDoc

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I get the impression the firearms manufacturers are less interested in chambering for the 6.8 spc. It looks like Ruger no longer makes a rifle--bolt, mini or otherwise--for the round, and there appears to be less offerings from Remington. Looking at the ammunition, where there used to be a whole bunch of different companies making the cartridge, there is only a handfull now.

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice there seems to be less interest in this cartridge?
 
NO.

Ruger released the SR556/6.8 with little fanfare for their less than ideal specs, and I don't think I ever saw their Mini or Hawkeye options marketed. Most didn't know that they were even available, and the Hawkeye range reports were miserable. I have fired the SR556/6.8 rifle and find it acceptable, but in a price category that leads me to different makers.

Both CProducts Defense and D&H are tooling 6.8 magazines.

Bison Armory has a subsonic platform they are releasing that shoots 200 gr 6.8 subs down to the 85 gr supers.

Daniel Defense's Ambush Firearms are helping to bring the AR platform into more hunting circles with a 6.8.

Ammo availability?
Nosler just created the 85gr eTip bullet at the end of 2011, Hornady released their 120 SST and several hundred hogs quickly fell.

Tula shows this on their site: There will also be two additional calibers coming in early 2013:
- 6.8 Remington SPC
- .30-06 Springfield

As of 1/10/12

Barrett-------110 HPBT

BVAC---------110 VMax
--------------110 Accubond
--------------115 HPBT
--------------115 FMJ

Corbon-------110 TTSX
--------------115 SMK
--------------115 subsonic

DoubleTap-----95TTSX
---------------110 Vmax
---------------115 FMJ
---------------110 TTSX
---------------110 OTM

Good To Go Ammunition
---------------115 OTM
---------------120 SST

Hornady-------110 Vmax
---------------110 BTHP
---------------120 SST

Hunting Shack-110 VMax
---------------115 OTM

RAM-----------110 VMax
---------------115 OTM

Rem.---------115 FMJ
--------------115 HPBT
--------------115 Corelokt Bonded

Sellier&Bellot---110 TSX
---------------110 PTS

SSA---Loads available in Commercial and Tactical velocities
----------------85 ETip
----------------85 TSX
----------------85 Barnes RRLP frangible
----------------97 AP
----------------100 Nosler Accubond
----------------110 Nosler Accubond
----------------110 Sierra Pro hunter
----------------110 TTSX
----------------115 SMK

Wilson Combat
----------------95 TTSX
----------------110 BTHP
----------------110 TSX
 
The 270 (aka 6.8) SPC was a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived
"how-do-I-get-more-mass-out-of-the-M(x)-muzzle" problem.

The more thoughtful "Systems" guys finally figured our the right
question was "...how do I get not only mass, but Energy--downrange--
from that M(x) muzzle."

The answer is the Grendel
 
It's dying if you ask me. Cabela's in Kansas City doesn't stock it anymore. Show Me Shooters, Great Guns, and numerous other gun shops that used to have 6.8spc on the shelves have stopped carrying it. AIM used to have it, ammoman no longer carries it. When retailers stop stocking an item it's a sign that said item isn't popular enough to warrant shelf space.

Here is the big problem. This is 6.8 SPC. This is .300 Blackout. New round, same idea (replace 5.56), twenty cents a round cheaper.

But the problem for ALL AR-15 replacement calibers, is this: eighteen cents a round for steel cased and twenty-seven cents for brass/boxer. Twenty nine cents for American-made brass/boxer.

None of these new calibers will replace the .223/5.56 until they can compete with it's price-point. Sure, they're better for hunting. But 5.56 is legal in enough states for white-tail and it cheap enough for plinking/range shooting. It'll take some manufacturer really lowering their margins to bring any 5.56 replacement into the mainstream.
 
Ruger never offered a 6.8SPC bolt gun, and the Mini14 in 6.8SPC was always a poor seller because the Mini14 was often not substantively cheaper than a comparable AR15 platform. Very few bolt gun makers ever really picked it up, simply because intermediate chamberings in general do not sell well in bolt gun format. Look at how few manufacturers chamber a rifle for 7.62x39, and yet I hardly think that the 7.62x39 is a dying round. :)

Within the AR15 world, more 6.8SPC bits are available than ever before, and it does look like it's doing well as a niche hunting round.

I don't see how anyone can categorize it as dying. Having said that, there is no doubt that the 300AAC and other such rounds are the new intermediate hotness and are getting far more press than the 6.8SPC.
 
I don't see it sticking around. As stated above, it is competing on price with the 556, both in ammo cost and magazine cost. If a guy is going to bite the bullet and rig up to hunt big game with an AR, the 6.8 has to compete with the 458 SOCOM and the like.

It is a tough sell. I have come close to buying a 6.8 many times over the last several years as I am an AR enthusiast, but it just hasn't been able to push me over the edge. One of the reasons is magazine cost. I don't like CProducts and the "good" mags are pretty spendy to get re-outfitted with.

If there hadn't been the mix up with chamber specs initially I think the round would have stood a much better chance at getting a good hold.

I have already have 556 and a 458 and I just can't see how something in between will be worth the extra cost, parts, etc. It is still on my long list, but my long list is pretty darn long.
 
Simple answer is it's a niche cartridge.

Putting a round like the 6.8mm SPC in a bolt action rifle, like HOOfan_1 said, is a answer to a question no one asked.

Small bolt action rifles like the Ruger Hawkeye Compact, Remington Model 7, etc. can fire .308 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, .260 Remington, etc.

That fact makes the 6.8mm SPC a niche cartridge that's only appropriate for the AR-15 as you can't squeeze a .308 Winchester in that little poodle-shooter :D
 
I would be much more convinced if that list included some WWB.

How is it widely available if most of the options are just as expensive (or more) than me loading it from scratch?
I would love to see WWB too. When last asked about it, a rep from Win said that they were selling 5.56 as fast as they could make it so there was no incentive to produce another AR cartridge for them. Military/LE contracts are a powerful thing.

As for handloading, aren't most non-surplus calibers more expensive than loading yourself?

I am not going to make an argument that it is the "best" cartridge or that everyone should have one. That is fanboy drama that EVERY cartridge seems to have a few participants in. The 6.8 was designed for a semi-auto carbine platform and performs very well as a hunter or LE/SD role. My response to the OP is simply that no, it is not a fading cartridge and is still developing. I welcome the lack of gun-rag hype that plagues anything new with the tacti-cool mystique that prevents serious users from looking closer and finding that it might just be what they need.
 
Cult Following

They missed the boat on this one. The 6.8 SPC is going to fall to the way side like the .357 Sig and 10mm and only have nothing more than a cult following.

They took it for granted when they first introduced it thinking that since there was no other competition on the market it would sell itself.

However like many other failed business ventures, they failed to prepare for good ol american moxy. There are now other alternatives that are much more appealing because of marketing and similiar or superior performance.

What the cartridge manufactures forget is that a huge mass of the gun population are veterans, most who have served in wartime for the past 10 years. Most of their tours involved them at the very least carrying their MBR their entire deployment. So they know exactly what they need and want out of a rifle.

That being said, I am sure that there are going to be many other offerings to fill the same void that they desire before it is all said and done.
 
The way I see it, the firearms, ammo and defense industries in the last few years are trying to reinvent the wheel. They have flooded the market with a ton of new cartridges. They are looking for the next big hit with all new advertising and marketing schemes. The fact is the 5.56&.223 and 7.62&.308 are intrenched in both semi auto and bolt gun sales and demand. Someone comes out with the lastest whistling wonder and thier competition trys to one up them. Time will only tell. If I were a newbie and wanting a new rifle, I would have to look at ammo cost and because of world wide use the availibilty of 5.56, 7.62x51 and 7.62x39 makes those rifles mighty attractive. Evey new round that comes out has the hurdle of the new ammo cost and it's availability.The 6.8 is a great round, but it's going to have to dethrone some good stuff that's cheap to buy.
 
It's not going away.

Despite all the back patting naysayers, where the 6.8 excels is with hunters wanting to use the AR in the field.

That means there's two issues - Hunters don't buy pallets of ammo, and they don't buy footlockers of magazines.

Most of the criticism expressed here is based on it not being able to compete price wise with the 5.56. Guess what, the 6.8 shooters who are dedicated to the round don't really care if it does. They can shoot 5.56 for cheap. 6.8 is for getting more power down range on LIVE targets.

Most of that is out to 350 yards, not because the cartridge is limited. After all, the 5.56 is supposedly effective to 500m, why wouldn't a bullet with a minimum of 30 more grains be less? That effective range limit is all about sightline distances in existing terrain, not a paperpunchers paradise of mowed grass. Hunting live targets that are naturally camoflaged and move with concealment in mind is the issue - not the cartridge. And picking one that doesn't have better ballistics inside the 350, just to extend it to 600m, is throwing your money away. Very few hunters shoot beyond 350m.

So what we have listed in the thread as complaints is that it's not cheap - well, it's not military surplus, duh. Neither are all the competitors mentioned. It's going to take firesale pricing to get the .300 down to $4.50 a box - that's the competition to meet, with the 5.56. If some don't see it being used in bolt guns or offered by a mainstream traditional gunmakers, again, duh. It's an AR15 alternate round built for that action - not Fudd ammo for a Fudd gun.

Claiming it's suffering because of the latest hot new round on the market? Goes to shooters easily swayed by what's cool, not what's effective. Sure, there's lots of press on the .300B0, but consider it's been out for over 25 years. It doesn't have the effective range to reach out to 350 and still carry 1000 foot pounds of force, it won't make the cut with American hunters. It's a short range, oversized bullet with a pinch of powder in a tiny case. You can't invent ballistics that make it superior with that.

There will be some who use it subsonic for hogs, but that means using a suppressor for best affect. Not many are so well heeled to kit out a AR15 with another $1000 extra for tax stamp and suppressor. It's a rich mans game, not a field hunter's.

6.8 dying? Our Academy just reopened after getting blown away by an EF5 last May, and guess what? They have Remington green box on the shelf, and the chain has carried Hornady in other locations over a year ago. 6.8 has shoved something else off with a superior sales track, something a retail chain cares a lot more about than "cool" factor. Only the top selling calibers get shelf space, it's about profit and turns. For a dying caliber, it's doing better than some other Fudd round that actually is going under. Not bad for a cartridge with limited application - it's an AR15 round and not much else shoots it.

Goes to - if you want to shoot the incredibly popular AR out in the field hunting, most are going 6.8. It's not 5.56 territory in some states, they still outlaw it. 5.56 has some distinct issues with the American hunter, it's a varmint round to them, not a medium game whitetail deer cartridge. To get an effective kill in an ethical manner, many have doubts, and don't care to use it. They buy a 6.8 and most of their questions get answered. It's not more expensive than .30-30, that stuff can run $5 a box MORE, and a few 5 or ten round mags aren't a major expense. It's all they have for their pistols anyway.

This exact topic thread pops up about every six months on a lot of other forums, it's pretty obvious it's an agenda to distribute misinformation and deceive the American consumer. It doesn't bother them if they get dirty slinging mud on the 6.8, as long as they can tarnish it's reputation.

If the ballistics match what you need done, use that specific cartridge in the gun it was designed for, and enjoy shooting it. But stirring up a storm to promote others because someone doesn't understand the application or how it's used is simply ugliness for it's own sake.
 
"the 6.8 excels is with hunters wanting to use the AR in the field."

Never met one around here. Oh well, it must be wildly popular somewhere from what you're saying.

I just googled the specs on it. It must be an AR thing because the hunters I know would just use what they own already.

And you certainly aren't making any friends with your Fudd comments and outlandish claims of "it's an agenda to distribute misinformation and deceive the American consumer". You make it sound like everyone is dumb except you.

John
 
This exact topic thread pops up about every six months on a lot of other forums, it's pretty obvious it's an agenda to distribute misinformation and deceive the American consumer. But stirring up a storm to promote others because someone doesn't understand the application or how it's used is simply ugliness for it's own sake.

Please do not assume I have an agenda. To do so is presumptuous and rude on your part.

Here are the reasons I asked: I am simply a guy who is looking for his next rifle (a non-AR or "Fudd gun" as another has called it). I have a bad right shoulder, and I need a round that isn't going to kill me. I like the ballistics the 6.8spc provides, and I understand it is acceptable for the recoil sensitive. The 6.8spc chambering (in a TC G2 rifle) looks like a good option. I reload .223, and I would be reloading 6.8spc as well. Most of the available 6.8 brass takes small rifle primers (just like the .223). My single-stage, press-mounted priming system is fast, but it is a pain in the @ss to change from small to large primers. The 6.8spc offers all these advantages unless the round is heading for the scrap heap.

If the brass is going to become expensive or more difficult to find, then I may look at different chamberings. There are a lot of experts on this forum that have insight I lack. I posted my initial question for those reasons, and not because I have some "storm-stirring agenda."
 
I have a 6.8 upper that I just drop on my standard AR lower and am good to go. Same for my .204. The interchangeability of this platform is one of its attractions to me. I don't have to buy an entire rifle allocated to one round. I expect I will continue to add to my AR uppers as new cartridges are developed.
I reload my 6.8 ammo to keep my costs down and truly enjoy the gun. It is simply a matter of my personal preference. I like the ballistics and trajectory of this round. Inside 300 yards it is formidable in terms of velocity and energy.
Hornady currently makes two bullets, a 110gr V-Max and a 110 gr BTHP.
Sure would be nice to see more calibers like .223/.204 where all I have to change is the barrel.....:D
 
I have a bad right shoulder, and I need a round that isn't going to kill me. I like the ballistics the 6.8spc provides, and I understand it is acceptable for the recoil sensitive.
A TC G2 would be a nice setup. I find the recoil very light (I don't have a TC though) and have heard from many others in your position that found the 6.8 to be very good for their condition.

This project comes to mind too (post #29): http://68forums.com/forums/showthread.php?22494-Project-Zack-A-6.8-adventure./page3

Not mine, but a nice TC pistol with kill:
imagejpeg_2_5-1.jpg
 
A good friend and I are talking about putting a pair of 6.8SPC chambered AR's together. I don't think this is a dead chambering.

As for on the shelf... Cabela's in Allen, TX has new Remington 6.8 brass hanging on the peg in the reloading department. As somebody pointed out the big-box retailers are not going to dedicate valuable shelf space to a dead product.

I had considered .300 BLK but instead decided to go with the 6.8 in an AR platform.
 
Growing up, I have seen deer and antelope shot with .223 at distances of up to 300 yards. Did they die? Yes. Was it a fast, painless death? No, except for the headshots that were taken under 100 yards.

As far as popularity...there are ALOT of companies manufacturing AR parts and complete rifles in 6.8. I would say it is far from dead.

What is the #1 reason that the 6.8 isn't offered by more rifle manufacturers? It doesn't have anything to do with ballistics or suitability of the cartridge. It is because it requires its own bolt face and doesn't share it with any other cartridge. That is why the 300 Blackout is gaining popularity...jut put on a different barrel and you're good to go. The 6.8 requires a different bolt as well. For bolt gun manufactureres, it is extra machining. The .223 bolt face works with the .17 Rem, .204, .221, .222, .223, 5.56, TCU's, and Blackout. The .308/.30-06 bolt face works with everything from .22-250 to the .35 Whelen. The 6.8 doesn't share a bolt face with anything other than the .30 Remington, which hasn't been manufactured for at least 50 years.
 
I've been using the 6.8 for about 3 years now. I used it in the AR platform at first, now I use it in the Ruger Hawkeye.

Nothing was or is wrong with my AR, I just like the feel of the bolt better.

The main reason I got the 6.8 is because of shoulder and neck problems.

I haven't had a deer walk away from it yet.

And not that it matters, I've never ran into or talked to someone that hunts with a 45colt levergun, guess it fadeing away also.
 
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