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.