What are the thoughts on the new 6.8mm (.277) cartridges?

[Jim Watson]

https://sofrep.com/news/goodbye-m16-m4-and-helloooo-ngsw-r/

The first units will be equipped in February 2022. I do expect to see polymer cases

I doubt they could field a new toothbrush by next February. This isn't 1911.

 

[upptick]

I may have to get another 270. I have seen more bullets, brass and ammo for the 270 than any other caliber during this shortage. .

Where I live about the only calibers that remained in stock throughout the shortage were 270, 243, and 30-06. Frankly, what else does a rifleman really need?

 

[upptick]

I’ve been using a.270 since the early 70’s but for the past ten years use a 6.5x55 most of the time.

I too love the 6.5 Swede, both for its history as well as its efficacy, i.e. punch-to-recoil ratio. Although it would seem to be optimized for medium game, I read that there have probably been more moose taken with it than any other cartridge because it's been in use in the Nordic countries for so long.

 

[Laphroaig]

Any thoughts?

Yes. People like us have disposable income that we are willing to spend on firearms. The marketing people realize that new innovations will encourage some of us to buy them. If you don't need it, no one is forcing you to buy it. North American big game hunters didn't really need any new cartridges after 1906, but life would be pretty boring if everyone had the same sporterized 1903 Springfield.

New innovations aren't a bad thing whether in firearms or any other aspect of technology. Every once in a while one makes our collective lives better.

 

[ThomasT]

That's what I was wondering. I am familiar with some of those. The only one that worked well was the shotgun shell, can't remember the trade name. It wasn't commercially successful. It worked, but didn't do anything better and (in my memory) cost more.

Activ was the name. I have many hulls saved back that I reload in 20ga. I liked them and bought them when I found them. And they were cheaper than the conventional SG shells. I thought they were a good idea.

Maybe a new round for the military is a good idea but right now most are still struggling to just find common ammo for what they already own. I just came from Academy and the shelves have more on them now than what they had just a couple of months ago but they are still very bare. And the prices are still a little crazy. I reload and have plenty for my own use but if ammo isn't available soon for the casual shooters there may not be any casual shooters in a year.

And how many more rounds and new offerings can we use? I thought we had already reached the point of saturation several years ago. When Winchester brought out the SSM rounds a few years ago some jumped on the bandwagon and bought rifles for them but now a lot of them have been left holding the bag with rifles that ammunition is nearly impossible to find for. And what did the new rounds do that the older rounds didn't already do? Not much. Not enough to save Winchester anyway.

 

[Steve S.]

My only .277 experience is a WC Recon in 6.8 SPC; great rifle and cartridge - extremely accurate, very little recoil and kills deer like a lightening bolt. “There are many other rifles and cartridges that do the same thing, but this one is mine” (or something like that).