Is a 6.8 spc worth it?

[jeepnut83]

So I've been thinking about building a 6.8spc gun, but the biggest issue I have is that I have a hard time finding ammo and mags for it on a local level. My plan is on using it as a home/property defense weapon, and maybe use it for hunting. I understand it's a heavier bullet and therefore carrying more kinetic energy, but with the ammo not being cheap and I've yet to find it carried at any of my local stores, I'm wondering if this cal is really worth the extra dollar.

Oh, and I'm looking to build it with a LMT MRP upper, just a fyi.

[aquajon]

It really depends on what you plan to do with it. I had a 16" and 12.5" 6.8 and they were allot of fun. In many ways I think it's a perfect patrol rifle caliber, or home defense caliber. For plinking at the range it doesn't really matter if your holes are .224 or .277 diameter.

I had originally adopted the caliber as a "do all" gun. The thinking was I was going to use it for hog hunting at some point but I never did so I sold it built another 5.56 AR.

I was considering a 300BLK for the same reasons (potential hunting) but for the 1 hog I may shoot every 3 years a 77gr 5.56 will be just as effective.

[fdxpilot]

It depends on what you want the rifle for. If you just want to plink at the local range, probably not. There is no cheap equivalent to the cheap 55gr FMJ rounds you can find for a .223/5.56 rifle.

However, if you want a hunting or patrol/home defense rifle, then the 6.8 may be just your cup of tea. When you start comparing costs on 6.8 ammo to .223 or .308 rounds you would actually hunt with (such as Nosler Accubond or Barnes TSX,) the 6.8 compares closely with the .223 and is usually cheaper than .308. The same goes for Hornaday TAP for duty or home defence.

I am currently getting SSA 110gr ProHunter on various sales for $17-18 per box. SSA TSX rounds generally run in the mid $20 range, depending on whether you want 85, 95, or 110gr bullets. The Federal TSX rounds I got for my .308 and my kid's .270 ran around $40 per box, so the 6.8 is almost a bargain.

As for magazines, C-Products are a only little more expensive than 5.56 mags, in the $12-13 range. They have usually worked well for me. Now, if you want PRI or Barrett mags, then you are talking some bigger bucks, but about the same as HK asks for their AR mags.

[Stormrider]

I looked at the 6.8 to use mostly as a hunting rifle. My son had a bad experience with the 5.56 so I decided to use a bigger gun. I compared the 6.8 and 6.5G and decided that 6.8 would be better for me. I bought a barrel/bolt/bolt carrier from Constructor and am now waiting on the other small parts I need.
So for me the answer is yes, it is worth it.

[carbinero]

For shame. You ask if it's worth it and give us no idea of your purpose. And do you really have a hard time tracking down mags and ammo; I never did. A simple call to Palmetto and sha-zaam there it is. Why not be specific and honest and get a good thread going, or better yet, search for all the other ones about the exact same topic? Yes, I could guess and write experiences and scenarios, but you have to at least put a good foot forward. Just my 2 cents plus COLA.

[jeepnut83]

thanks for the help guys

[carbinero]

O.K. It's a very good short distance hunting round and is much better all around than 5.56. If you are shooting so much that the ammo cost is prohibitive, then you might as well start reloading.

However based on what I see in your details, have you considered an LMT in 308?

[rob_s]

End use is going to matter. and yes there are threads and threads that already cover this topic. but since I'm up anyway...

For me the answer turned out to be "no". and I say this because I do own a 6.8 upper that I have never fired. That tells me something. I have the upper, magazines, ammo, etc. and I've never fired the 6.8. Never had occasion to reach for it. Never went anywhere and thought "damn, I wish I had that 6.8 right now". never found a use for it at all.

Now, if I were a different kind of shooter, or had a different job, maybe that would be different.
If I were a hunter, that persisted in using the AR for some reason, I might like the 6.8 more.
If I were a long-range shooter, where quality 5.56 costs as much as like quality 6.8 ammo, I might like the 6.8 more.
If I were a cop, with some extra cash (is there such a thing?), I might buy a 6.8 upper to ride with in the car and outfit an identical 5.56 upper to train with.

[500grains]

6.8 spr - optimized for an SBR, good terminal effects
But it has a trajectory like a mortar beyone 300 yds.

[QuadBomb]

My only AR so far is a 6.8. I love the damn thing but I hardly get to shoot it. Ammo costs too much, so with bills to pay I have to content myself with making it out to the range once a month.

Terminal performance of the 6.8 is definitely better than 5.56. The gain in weight and recoil is negligible. During one of my shooting sessions I let another shooter heft my AR and he commented on how light it is. (It does, however, make a much more satisfying boom than the light crack of the 5.56. That always gets people's attention at matches.)

If you want just one AR as a bedside gun and a hunting rifle, the 6.8 will fit the bill. But if you want to train train train, you absolutely must get a 5.56 or 5.45 upper to go with it. It will pay for itself after just one carbine class.

For my next acquisition I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago - pick up a 5.56.

[Gunpowder]

If you have to ask the answer is no.

I think you have to like reloading and tweaking ammo or know you want the benefits of more power, more range or what ever for the nonstandard AR calibers to be worth it. They are just a bigger pain in the ass than 5.56. But I do like my Grendel it's been worth ever penny.

For what you want to do with it the 300 Blackout looks like something you should consider. Using 5.56 mags is a real plus.

[jeepnut83]

However based on what I see in your details, have you considered an LMT in 308?[/quote]

I've thought about a 308 platform, but weight is the one issue I worry about with any 308, and the last thing I want to do is lug around a 13 lb rifle; that may be fine for bench shooting, but I don't bench shoot. I'm a very big fan of the intermediate cartridge, as it will generally keep weapon weight down, which allows me to carry more ammo and keep my mobility, which is why I've been playing around with the idea of a 6.8 something that would give me that extra firepower and mobility. People can give the 5.56 all the gruff they want, but I can carry a lot more of it compared to the 7.62.

I guess like a lot of people, I'm just looking for the perfect cartridge in the perfect gun.

[tirod]

I went with the 6.8 because it is a good distance cartridge, and similar to the .308 out to 500 - without the weight and recoil. It was designed specifically to add 40% more power than 5.56, and be 200 fps faster than 7.62x39. It makes an AR all that it can be.

6.8 was deliberately fitted to the M4/M16 action - not the longer, heavier .308 platform that died with the M14. There are lots of .308 fans, but they never admit the first problem with the cartridge is power -the recoil is actually intimidating and slows the shooters reaction. It's the major reason it's been replaced by intermediate calibers. The few armies that use such calibers do so as a supplementary weapon by a few, not the majority of soldiers.

If you choose to use 6.8, it's very much about using it's unique power in the AR15 - to actually shoot live targets. For paper punching or competition events, 5.56 is economically better, but certainly has been questioned for it's results. In some states, it's simply not allowed. That's where the 6.8 shines - it only uses a different barrel, bolt, magazine, and ammo. .308? It's an entirely different gun. It's no longer a matter of what to shoot in an AR15, it's what AR10 you get to pay another $1000 to purchase. Few are even close to the same price of an AR15. Most are compatible with each other or the AR15.

If you've hunted for decades with the .308, you know most shots in woodland won't ever take advantage of it's reputed long distance power - which often doesn't come in commercial hunting loads. That ammo isn't milsurp cheap, either, but hunters know it's not about blasting thousands of rounds in the dirt. 5.56 is cheap for that. So is .22. 6.8 is simply run of the mill in price, like the two boxes I bought at Academy last week, $17.99 each. .30-30 Leverevolution was $24.99. Premium hunting and target ammo is not ever cheap, and it's misleading to compare it to military surplus.

As for getting it at the local Boxmart, 5.56 was hard to find in the '70s, and M16 mags never on the shelf, either. That's very much different these days, you actually find M4geries and such in the rack. If 6.8 is a little hard to find, it's because the average brick and mortar shop owner selling to his tradition bound customer hasn't learned about it yet. That's not a bad thing, like owning one of the first .30-30's out before 1900.

Of course, the Krag Jorgensen shooters don't much like it, it's just more handwriting on the wall.

[PatEgan]

I'm 'that guy' that Rob S alluded to above, the cop who trains with a 5.56 but has a 6.8 as a 'go to' weapon.

I won't redundantly re-state what others have about the merits of the 6.8, but if you already have a 5.56 upper,mags and ammo, then yeah, use them as a main training caliber with the 6.8 as 'the' gun. It's a great AR caliber. FWIW, I reload all of my 5.56 and 6.8 training rounds, so it's very affordable to shoot. If you have the money for one, go for it.

Pat

[msstate56]

Originally Posted by PatEgan

I'm 'that guy' that Rob S alluded to above, the cop who trains with a 5.56 but has a 6.8 as a 'go to' weapon.

I won't redundantly re-state what others have about the merits of the 6.8, but if you already have a 5.56 upper,mags and ammo, then yeah, use them as a main training caliber with the 6.8 as 'the' gun. It's a great AR caliber. FWIW, I reload all of my 5.56 and 6.8 training rounds, so it's very affordable to shoot. If you have the money for one, go for it.

Pat

I am working toward this as well. I've been carrying the 5.56 on duty for about 4 years now, but I'm thinking about building an identical upper in 6.8 and getting some mags to try out. If I ever have to shoot through an intermediate barrer (i.e. windshield, car door, trunk, windows, etc.) I would much rather be throwing a 110 grain bonded bullet than a 62 grain one (what I have now).

[jeepnut83]

Just ordered my LMT MRP, in 6.8spc, and also got a 556 kit to go with it. Well there goes my tax refund... thanks guys. Tirod; also your post really helped me with my conundrum, kudos to you. I will be putting pictures up as soon as I get it and put it on a lower. I also know what I am going to my next carbine class with..thanks again to everyone

[jimmyp]

I am in the middle of building a mixed use, primarily hunting rifle for WT deer we can hunt with a .223 in Georgia. I reload and the choice is a Noveske 18 inch LW Mod 0 barrel to cast the 62 grain TSX at about 3000 FPS or their 18 inch SPR 6.8 barrel with 1-12 twist to shoot the 110TSX at about 2700 FPS. The BC of the bullets .287 for the 223 and .323 for the .277 are enough different that there is only 1 inch of drop distance at 300 yards which is as far as I feel comfortable shooting at a living animal. It is a tough decision as the 6.8 is the most logical from a pure killing perspective, yet the special bolt, magazine, AR's that fling costly brass into the next county, availability of cheap mil surplus .223 ammunition requirement for two upper if you want both choices make this a difficult choice.

The best "THEORETICAL" answer that I have seen is that quick barrel change nut by M & A parts. Buy one upper, one scope, two barrels, two bolts. So far I know nothing about this but am going to speak to Noveske about it.

all that said there is not a deer in GA that will not die when hit in the front half by a 62 grain TSX! Please don't tell me anything about what kills and what does not as I am one of the so called "Fudds" with 42 years of hunting and shooting experience and have seen animals run up to 100 yards when hit squarely in the chest/heart/lung with anything up to a .308/180 at 3000 FPS. It all "just depends".

[tirod]

Lots of hunters fling expensive brass in the leaves, simply because it's part of the cost. What's a few empty cases in a day of hunting?

1000 over the course of a weekend, I'd flinch regardless of what caliber. It's expensive, period.

6.8 is all about 40% more power delivered on live targets at hunting ranges, all in the same easy to carry package the .223 comes in. It delivers - with less risk of losing an animal, losing too much energy from a short barrel, or losing your humor hoisting a 12 pound .30 cal over rough ground. It makes the 6.8 the working legal choice in some states. Since any larger caliber is likely to reduce cripples and lost game, I saw it as an improvement. We're all looking for that one gun in just the right caliber.

The only caliber I've seen that was likely to put down an animal DRT was usually 8mm, Mauser or Rem Mag. Funny, nobody talks those up anymore. I guess the brass just got too expensive.

[Nick M]

Yes, it is worth it. It was devoloped specifically for the M4 and its short comings of the lost energy of the shorter barrel. For that use, yes, it is worth it.

There are a few threads on the site here and there, and it should be pointed out that there is more than one chamber. Much like .223 and 5.56. The original design is not what Remington submitted to SAAMI. They dropped the ball, period. Anybody looking to get one needs to make sure it is a SPC II or better barrell.

[markm]

Originally Posted by jeepnut83

I'm wondering if this cal is really worth the extra dollar.

For hunting... where you're using very low volumes of ammo? Maybe.

Other than that..... the cartrige is useless.