Is the 6.8 SPC still a viable option?

[JWR075]

I was thinking of getting a 6.8 upper for my soon to be new Larue PredatAR. But after reading and researching, is it really still a viable option for the AR platform? I ask this because it seems that its creator has abandoned it for the new flavor of the month (300 AAC Blackout). Is it justifiable to get the SPC vs. the Blackout seeming how the SPC seems to being dying a slow (300 savage, 222 Rem, 17 Rem, 6.5 Rem Mag, 350 Rem mag) death (funny thing most of these rounds were created by or for the same company).

[caporider]

Remington has not abandoned 6.8SPC for .300BLK. Remington continues to make several factory loads for 6.8, and has introduced a lower cost UMC offering as well.

Hornady also makes tons of 6.8 ammo, including a brand new 120gr SST hunting round. Wilson Combat and Silver State Armory offer 6.8 ammo for SPECII guns (like 5.56 vs .223) with incredible performance.

There are over 30 different bullets available for 6.8 handloaders, as well as a wide variety of effective powders. Everyone makes dies, shell holders, etc.

Ruger, Stag, Bushmaster, Armalite, Rock River, Noveske, and a bunch of other manufacturers make 6.8 guns. Lots of shooters are buying 6.8 guns. And in particular, hunters everywhere are realizing the benefits of a handy, lightweight, accurate, ergonomic rifle in a caliber capable of taking medium sized game at any reasonable hunting distance (300 yards and closer).

I would not worry about 6.8 being a viable caliber.

[JasonM]

It's still a viable cartridge for sure.

300 BLK is an up to 3-400 yds round. 6.8 will do a lot better at longer ranges. They are 2 different tools, Rem has not abandoned it.

[BoringGuy45]

I'm wondering what, if any, military use it will get here (other than special ops). I've heard that the Jordanian military is adopting it as their standard round though.

It's too bad, because it looked like it had a lot of potential. It doesn't look like it's going to be much more than medium power hunting round in the future.

Though, I wonder if it will be one of those things that looks like it's about to die, then out of the blue, it gets picked up as the next official load for the military.

[Turnkey11]

6.8 is probably my favorite rifle cartridge at this time. The thing that kills it, like any non-standard cartridge, is cost. Ive been reloading the same 500 pieces of SSA brass for almost 2 years, some newer than others as Ive shot a few boxes of factory SSA as well while others got lost; still no case splits.

[strambo]

If 6.8 SPC meets your needs better, I wouldn't hesitate to get one. .300 AAC does what I want w/o the downside of needing new magazines, so I am leaning that way. I just want it for close quarters shooting (200m absolute max) and suppressed though.

[Meplat]

I was thinking of getting a 6.8 upper for my soon to be new Larue PredatAR. But after reading and researching, is it really still a viable option for the AR platform? I ask this because it seems that its creator has abandoned it for the new flavor of the month (300 AAC Blackout). Is it justifiable to get the SPC vs. the Blackout seeming how the SPC seems to being dying a slow (300 savage, 222 Rem, 17 Rem, 6.5 Rem Mag, 350 Rem mag) death (funny thing most of these rounds were created by or for the same company).

It's viable depending on your uses for it. For my uses, the answer is no, it's not a viable cartridge. The massive majority of my shooting is range shooting, whether for recreation or training, and for that, there's nothing 6.8 does that 5.56 doesn't, except cost a whole lot more and limit my magazine choices. The only other use I have for my AR is home defense, and I feel perfectly safe with the ammunition choice I've made for 5.56 in that regard. Barrier penetration through auto glass and AK mags or having a 300 yard fragmentation range out of an SBR means absolutely nothing to me since I'm not a cop and I won't ever have to take shots at bad guys beyond 25 yards, if even that.
So, for me, 6.8 is a completely useless and niche cartridge as it stands now. Maybe in the future if it becomes standardized and more readily available, common, and cheap I'll consider it. Until then, I'll pass.
I also find that if you're a civilian, home defense, training, or hunting are your primary concerns. For these applications, I see no reason why you would use 6.8 either. If you want more umph than 5.56 as a civilian for hunting or defense, just upgrade to .308.
If I were a cop or someone in the military I could start seeing some benefits to the round, but that's about it.
Just my opinion.

[Nevermiss]

I have both 300BLK and 6.8 and don't plan on getting rid of either. However, I am patiently awaiting more factory ammo loading in the 300BLK.

Although, I recently learned that Black Hills has custom made some nice subsonic rounds in 300 Whisper for .mil folk, which will likely have better terminal ballistics at short range compared to the factory 220gr. round. Whether or not I can get any is an entirely different story.

Like I said.....patiently waiting.

[BoringGuy45]

I think that the magazine thing has become too much of an issue as to why the 6.8 should never become standardized. It doesn't seem that big a deal. You CAN use 6.8 in your standard 5.56 mags, just with reduced capacity, right? As it becomes more standardized, naturally more 30 round mags would probably become available.

[constructor]

I was thinking of getting a 6.8 upper for my soon to be new Larue PredatAR. But after reading and researching, is it really still a viable option for the AR platform? I ask this because it seems that its creator has abandoned it for the new flavor of the month (300 AAC Blackout). Is it justifiable to get the SPC vs. the Blackout seeming how the SPC seems to being dying a slow (300 savage, 222 Rem, 17 Rem, 6.5 Rem Mag, 350 Rem mag) death (funny thing most of these rounds were created by or for the same company).

If you had ask that in 2005 I would have said maybe, now it is the second most popular AR cartridge behind the 556.

Available factory ammo



6.8 SPC
BVAC--------115gr SMK
---------------115 fmj
---------------110 VMax
Corbon------110 TTSX
--------------115 SMK
--------------115 subsonic
DoubleTap-----95gr Barnes TTSX
---------------110 Vmax
---------------115 FMJ
---------------110TTSX
---------------110 OTM
Hornady-----110 Vmax
---------------110 OTM
Rem.---------115 FMJ
---------------115 HPBT
--------------115 corelokt
--------------115SMK
Sellier&Bellot-110 TTSX
-----------------110 Vmax
SSA------------85 TSX------------SSAs loads available in Commercial and Tactical velocities
----------------90 TNT
----------------95 frangable
----------------97 AP
----------------100 Nosler Accubond
----------------110 Nosler Accubond
----------------110 Sierra Pro hunter
----------------110 TTSX
----------------115 SMK
Wilson Combat---95gr TTSX
---------------------110 HPBT(Hornady)
--------------------110gr TSX

--------6.8 rifle manufactures class 7
Barrett
RRA
Armalite
LMT
Bushmaster
TC
MSAR
Cmmg
Remington
Addax
POF
WOA
LWRC
Stag
DPMS
Noveske
PRI
MSTN
Ruger
Wilson Combat
Robinson Arms
AR Performance

upper builders-------
Global Tactical
Bison
YHM
Model 1 sales