6.8 Waddayathink?

mjbskwim · Dec 5, 2012

I thought there was a thread on this but can't find it.
I hope there is so someone can show me my search foo is off.

I'm thinking about getting a 6.8 upper for the AR.Mostly for hunting (yotes and cats,maybe bear) and maybe social work,but I do like 308 for that.
I'm going to go through the 6.8 forums and AR15 has a thread about it.But I would like some opinions from y'all.
Seems to be a pretty popular caliber.

Is it all that or is the 6.5 better?

Thanks for looking
Mike

unklekippy · Dec 5, 2012

I'm sure it's a matter of opinion, but I believe the 6.5 will outlast the 6.8. There has been a lot of articles recently on the 6.5 Grendel. One in particular, in a recent edition of Shooting Times, calls it the "best cartridge that the miltary doesn't have". Since it has recently been SAAMI approved, we should see more and more Grendel components and loaded ammunition hitting the shelves. Of course, there was a lot of the same things said about the 6.8 as well and it didn't really work out(again, opinion). If I were looking at one or the other, I would be going with the 6.5.

stmcelroy · Dec 5, 2012

Love my Noveske Recon 6.8spc and it shoots way better than an AR15 should with my 100gr Accubond reloads. Inside of 450 yards I will take my 6.8spc any day, beyond that and the 6.5 Grendel really shines.

I've shot a Grendel out to 900 yards with pretty decent success and have considered picking one up with a 20-22" barrel for long range shooting. But first I'm going to try out some 140gr Berger VLD's in my 6.8 to see how they handle the longer distances.

Either one will do the job and they both have been around long enough that neither is going anywhere.

mjbskwim · Dec 5, 2012

I guess I'll search the 6.5 a little more.
Thanks guys

Guilty · Dec 5, 2012

There are a lot of opinions expressed on internet forums about the 6.8 and 6.5, many opinions from people who have never shot or owned either. Do the research yourself and decide for yourself, or you can post a question on a internet forum and discard 80% of the posts and still do your own research. I own a Wilson 6.8 and it is a very accurate rifle. I previously owned a ARP upper and it was very accurate also. Both the Wilson and ARP are much better shooters than any 5.56 that I have owned. 6.5 Grendel has quite a good reputation as well. Do the research and decide which will better suit your needs.

mjbskwim · Dec 5, 2012

That's why I'm asking here.I kinda know who to believe on here,so I figure I can get as straight an answer here as anywhere.
And I disregard more than 80% of everything I read or hear on the weberneter.

Heck maybe if I sell all I have on adds,I'll buy both!:gun01: :gun12::gun18:

mjbskwim · Dec 6, 2012

I quite watching gun blast cause he is scripted for the rags.I quit buying all the gum mags years ago because they were all the same articles by different writers.
Over and over again.
Being on this site for a couple years,I know which of us is full of,well most are,but I can tell which are the real shooters and which are they posers.

So I'm going to Chuck Hawks to get ballistics to see which would serve me best. I was thinking on the 6.8 cause it would use the same bullets as my 270 but I don't much use 110g for my M70. And apparently you don't use the 140s and 150s for the 6.8 much.
And nothing else for reloading works ,which makes either just another caliber. Maybe powder?

jonn5335 · Dec 6, 2012

I would'nt consider a 6.8 unless you plan on suppressing it. For me it's about getting the best performance for the best price. I had trouble deciding on a 6.5 vs a 6x45 back when I was building my varmint AR. I chose a 6x45 just beacuse I could not justify spending that much on a 6.5 upper, magazines and brass with little to no performance gains over the 6x45. Now after a couple of years with the 6x45 I have come to like it more it's dirt cheap to shoot I buy once fired .556 brass for $25 per 500 and load up some ammo with Redding dies, 26.6 grains of H-335, federal match primers and a Hornady 65 grain A-max to top it off. When the stars align and I allow myself to shoot well I get 1/3 moa at 100 yards with my stainless 20" 1.9 twist tube.

Greenbug · Dec 6, 2012

I had a 6.8 in a bolt gun (remington) and it was pretty fun. Not a barn burner of a cartridge by any means, in fact I found it was quite mild with the 130 grain ballistic tips and 23.5 grains of AA1680 I was feeding it. I could plink away at the 500 yard gong all day and it would hardly even heat up the barrel. It was accurate and not finicky in the least about ammo or cleaning. Like most new things I eventually got bored with it and sold it. I never have shot or owned a 6.5 Grendel, of course it wouldn't make sense for me to consider one either since I have a 260 Ackley Improved. I do currently have a 6x45 that I really like, but again not a real barn burner of a cartridge but it does work very well on coyotes. I'm shooting 75 grain Hornady hollow points with 24 grains of H322 at a muzzle velocity of 2920FPS in my 6x45 on a Tikka action with 24" Shilen barrel.

I think the 6.8SPC is a little light for bears IMHO.

das_napeth · Dec 6, 2012

The best part of the 6.8 is that it is designed to perform from a short barrel. I may be wrong (and am probably) but isn't the grendel designed for a longer barrel? I know SSA has designed a new 6.8 round that will stay supersonic past 800, but you need the PRI mags for it. A lot of the conceptions of the 6.8 was when it was first introduced with a crappy chamber and twist rate which have since been fixed. I equate it to the .40 cal, crappy when it started and now a great round but the initial problems have plagued it because people don't care to re-educate themselves.

stmcelroy · Dec 6, 2012

das_napeth said:
The best part of the 6.8 is that it is designed to perform from a short barrel. I may be wrong (and am probably) but isn't the grendel designed for a longer barrel? I know SSA has designed a new 6.8 round that will stay supersonic past 800, but you need the PRI mags for it. A lot of the conceptions of the 6.8 was when it was first introduced with a crappy chamber and twist rate which have since been fixed. I equate it to the .40 cal, crappy when it started and now a great round but the initial problems have plagued it because people don't care to re-educate themselves.

6.8spc shines in 12-16" barrels, 6.5 Grendel needs 18-22" to get the most out of it.

SPC II chamber and 1:11 twist has saved the 6.8 from obsolescence.

del_and_bones · Dec 6, 2012

Magpul and LWRC teamed up to enlarge the magwell and make a 6.8 specific AR15 and magazines. Apparently they are releasing dimensions for other companies as well.

For a compact woods gun, I'd go 6.8. For varminting, I'd go 6.5. I chose .300 BLK because of compatibility with everything 5.56 (sans barrel), the backing, it'll do what the other 2 will inside 200 yards and I like the quiet.

The only AR15 cartridge I might use as bear medicine is .458 SOCOM (black, not brown). I'd go with an AR10 chambered in .450 Marlin for a semiauto woods gun and at that point, I'd get a .45-70 Marlin 1895.

mjbskwim · Dec 7, 2012

I kinda have more than 1 adequate bear gun,just thought the 6.8 would at least be better than the 223 for that

I was going to have the shop order mags for it as well,but jumped the gun on me.I'm not sure about Stag,but I have seen a few lowers marked 6.8.Don't know if they are made for larger mags or not.

Tim K · Dec 7, 2012

There is a superb selection of high BC bullets in the 6.5 mm family. If you think you might shoot long, that's the direction I would go. Myself, I'd build an upper in .260 Rem. that's just me since that's my cartridge for my L.R. Bolt gun.

del_and_bones · Dec 7, 2012

mjbskwim, you are right, 6.8 >> 5.56 in the ballistics department. I was making sure that nobody was going to use it primarily as a bear gun. I didn't mean anything beyond that.

Current 6.8 lowers have magwells which are the same dimensions as 5.56 lowers. <broken link removed> are what I was talking about. I'm going to SBR one of them since magpul is supplying mags.

osprey · Dec 8, 2012

I did alot of research before buying and upper for much the same uses you have mentioned. In the end I ended going with an 18" 6.8 spc upper from Harrison at AR performance. I did this not because of any perceived ballistic advantages, but because of price and reputation of the uppers in 6.8 that Harrison was offering. I couldn't be happier with my choice. It is well worth your time to peruse the AR performance site. Lots of good info on the 6.8 and 6.5. In the end for hunting purposes, I don't think there is any ballistic advantage of one over the other out to ranges they are meant for. For deer I think 300 yds would be a good max for either cartridge. With carefull handloading and practice you could probably push either cartridge to 350 yds. If someone says one is better than the other at these ranges they will probably tell you the 270 win is vastly superior to the 30-06 as well. Either one will work for the uses you have described. I like your idea of one of each! Good luck.

fry · Dec 9, 2012

recently bought a 16" barrel in 6.8spc spec II with a one in ten and the rest of the upper bits. its purpose built as a light weight woods gun for deer

im still not sorted out on why large primer brass is tehh sux? anyone?

andreys21 · Dec 10, 2012

I have a 6.8. It's fun and can fill multiple roles. Superior performance to 5.56, not quite .308 but still hits hard past 500yds+. Ammo is expensive unless you have reloading equipment, however, it's gotten a lot cheaper since i bought my 6.8 AR back in 2010. Federal, as we speak, is trying to fill international orders for 6.8. They built a dedicated line for manufacturing 6.8 and the goal is to produce 1.5 million rounds/year. That's good news for 6.8. As far as 6.5 grendel goes: the two rounds were designed for different purposes and should not be compared. Grendel is a long range round while 6.8 is designed to fill the gap between 5.56 and .308: basically a very good performer between 300-500yds+.