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View Full Version : Anyone shoot 6.8 spc here?



neo9710
17 November 2010, 20:43
I keep on hearing 6.8 coming into discussions in AR discussions. I see now that Noveske makes some 6.8 stuff..Spike's is also..

SO, who here has gone into the 6.8spc world? And more importantly why? Can you list what you bought and why you bought the size you did (barrel size)? Pics are a plus...

Im looking for a Christmas present for myself! :P

todd.k
18 November 2010, 08:35
I built a 6.8 before ammo was available. Excellent terminal performance especially from shorter barrels are the reason I own one.

I have a 10.5" that is only used with an AAC M4-2000 6.8 silencer attached. Used for hunting and HD/SD I wanted as short as practical with the silencer attached.

Paulo_Santos
18 November 2010, 08:48
Had 7 of them. 2 14", 3 16", 1 18", and 1 20". Great for hunting, too expensive for everything else.

deadduck357
18 November 2010, 16:25
Have one also, good for short range hog and deer hunting, ammo is to expensive for everyday shooting. SSA has said they were going to come out with a less expensive training round 'soon', we'll see.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6571/dsc01032copy.jpg

neo9710
18 November 2010, 17:52
Ive noticed that a lot of people are saying that its a way better round for "Home Protection"..."hunting"..coupled by the fact that it weighs less than a .308 rifle and it uses a AR lower (I know .308 can touch something/someone a lot farther out). The only "bad" thing is the cost of ammo - which I really don't think its that bad.

Any other pros/cons?

Paulo_Santos
18 November 2010, 18:07
When you compare premium 6.8 ammo to the premium 6.8 ammo, the prices are similar. The 5.56 has the cheap plinking ammo and cheaper plinking bullets to reload. For hunting, the 6.8 SPC is a better round, but the 5.56 has come out with some good hunting loads using the Barnes TSX bullets, so it is getting closer. The 5.56 has the Pmags, which are some of the best available.

What do you plan on using it for?

neo9710
18 November 2010, 19:06
I cant use it as my work weapon so it would basically be for Home Defense..(MAYBE some hunting if I ever get off my lazy ass!). Its more of a want of something different. I was looking for something with a shorter barrel for CQB Home Defense. But wasnt looking too seriously. I just kept on hearing it come up in conversations and then I just happened to drift onto Novesky website..

TripleBravo
18 November 2010, 19:28
I built a 6.8 spc a while back, but I haven't had a chance to really evaluate it. I must admit, the ammo prices are part of the reason for the delay in my putting it through some paces.

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww189/wjt1169/HDR%20images/right-angle-01.jpg

neo9710
18 November 2010, 19:33
I built a 6.8 spc a while back, but I haven't had a chance to really evaluate it. I must admit, the ammo prices are part of the reason for the delay in my putting it through some paces.

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww189/wjt1169/HDR%20images/right-angle-01.jpg

I like!

The more I read, the more I would use it for CQB/Home Defense(SHTF)..

Fred_G
18 November 2010, 21:04
I have one. Got it mainly for a bit more range and a better hunting round HD, than the 5.56. I got the A4 model from RRA http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=250

Mine has the 1:10 twist, I hear the 1:11 is the one to get now. If you do get one, make sure it is Spec II. You should buy one. If more people get them, maybe we will get an affordable plinking round![:)]

todd.k
19 November 2010, 11:33
It's not as hard as people think to have the advantages of the 6.8 and shoot cheap ammo for training. One upper in 6.8 and one upper in 5.56 set up the same. The cost of ammo makes it a poor choice for an only AR.

rob_s
19 November 2010, 12:27
Agree with what Todd said. If all my personal ARs caught fire or got stolen tomorrow I'd pick up an AAC M4-2K in 6.8, and identical SBR uppers with Switchblocks from Noveske, one chrome-lined in 5.56 and one stainless in 6.8, and train with the 5.56 and run the 6.8 for HD and hunting. magazines for the 6.8 would be my main reservation. Still not sure if I'd do 12.5" or 10.5" though.

neo9710
19 November 2010, 15:37
It's not as hard as people think to have the advantages of the 6.8 and shoot cheap ammo for training. One upper in 6.8 and one upper in 5.56 set up the same. The cost of ammo makes it a poor choice for an only AR.

Agreed. It wouldn't be my only rifle. I was already pondering the purchase of another rifle with a shorter barrel when the discussion of 6.8 come into play. It's just something that made me say ...HMM. I have a FEELING that a 6.8 is going to be put on my Christmas list along with a couple of flashlights (HDS/Oveready) that I'm itching for.

neo9710
19 November 2010, 15:40
I have one. Got it mainly for a bit more range and a better hunting round HD, than the 5.56. I got the A4 model from RRA http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=250

Mine has the 1:10 twist, I hear the 1:11 is the one to get now. If you do get one, make sure it is Spec II. You should buy one. If more people get them, maybe we will get an affordable plinking round![:)]

Spec 2???

Paulo_Santos
19 November 2010, 16:28
Spec 2???

He is referring to the SPCII Chamber. SPCII Chamber is like the 5.56 chamber.

Paulo_Santos
19 November 2010, 16:32
Agreed. It wouldn't be my only rifle. I was already pondering the purchase of another rifle with a shorter barrel when the discussion of 6.8 come into play. It's just something that made me say ...HMM. I have a FEELING that a 6.8 is going to be put on my Christmas list along with a couple of flashlights (HDS/Oveready) that I'm itching for.

I went that route and bought a 5.56 to match the 6.8 and in the first 6 months, I stopped shooting the 6.8 and only shot the 5.56. I'm nit trying to talk you out of the 6.8 as it is an awesome round. I would really think about it before spending the money on it unless I was going to hunt with it or use it for duty use.

neo9710
19 November 2010, 17:53
I went that route and bought a 5.56 to match the 6.8 and in the first 6 months, I stopped shooting the 6.8 and only shot the 5.56. I'm nit trying to talk you out of the 6.8 as it is an awesome round. I would really think about it before spending the money on it unless I was going to hunt with it or use it for duty use.


Hmm..Thank you...

Fred_G
19 November 2010, 18:37
But if I am shooting with my 5.56 gun, I am not really training with the 6.8, as recoil is different. I do have both, and I mainly shoot the 5.56, because of ammo prices. $4 for 20 rounds of cheap 5.56 vs $1 a round for the 6.8. I am saving up brass, I plan on reloading one day in the future. Oh, one other thing is ammo availability. I can't find it in town. I have to order mine. No big deal, but is something to keep in mind. You could always get a 5.56 rifle, and just the 6.8 upper. But I think we all pretty much know in the future, you would have 2 complete rifles. The EBR disease is like that.

Army Chief
20 November 2010, 06:19
I've done much the same thing as Triple Bravo. Set up a very fine platform based upon a Rainier Arms UltraMatch Elite 16" upper (which I highly recommend), and put a few-hundred rounds through it, but I've really not had the kind of time and opportunity I'd hoped to have for really wringing the system out. As others have said, the potential for this platform is very great indeed, and it is an excellent special purpose cartridge. It isn't likely to replace any of my 5.56mm platforms as a primary training arm, largely because of the ammunition cost ... and because the rifle I built-up is not really a lightweight CQB tool.

Would I go with 6.8 if I had it to do all over again? Yes.

Would I still opt for the Rainier Arms UME upper? Absolutely, without hesitation.

Is this a limited-duty rig because of ammo availability? Sure, but I've full confidence in the weapon, its ballistic potential, and the hardware I selected to get the job done. In this, it fills a need -- a niche -- and fills it well, and a quality 6.8 still strikes me as an excellent proposition for any AR gunner looking to expand his palette of options, while still sticking with a fairly standardized configuration.

In time, perhaps the emerging 300 Blackout will further augment our choices in this regard, but for the next few years at least, the 6.8 remains my selection for the most versatile and widely-available intermediate cartridge for the Stoner-pattern rifle.

AC

TripleBravo
20 November 2010, 09:33
I probably should have put some specs up there about my build with my first posting.

- The barrel is from Ballistic Advantage – a barrel maker in Florida. It’s a stainless steel mid-length gas system “rigid” profile barrel with a SPC II chamber. I had this one spec’d out with a 5/8 x 24 muzzle thread.
- The flash suppressor is a 5C1 from YHM.
- The upper receiver is an AO precision.
- The lower receiver is from Spike’s Tactical.
- The original BCG was a Stag, but I’ve since replaced it with a Nickel Boron coated BCG from Spike’s Tactical.
- It has my go-to charging handle – a BCM Mod 3 Gunfighter.
- The rail is a Daniel Defense Lite Rail 14.0.
- The Magpul UBR stock does a nice job of balancing out the weighty front end of the rifle.
- The iron sights are YHM QDS flip ups…I’m looking at optics, but obviously haven’t made a call on that yet. I’ll probably go with some kind of 1-4x.
- It now also has a Harris bipod with an American Manufacturing QD rail attachment along with some Gear Sector accessories.
- The magazine is a Barrett 30 rounder.

Magazines are another concern beyond the ammo prices. The Barretts are the only 30 rounders I know of, and they run at least $35 each.

Paulo_Santos
20 November 2010, 10:15
I ne'er had any luck with the Barrett mags and I had 10 of them. The original PRI were great, but when they weirdo he waffle design, I had a ton of problems and so did a lot of guys on 68forums. Suppposedly they fixed the issue, but they are also pricey. For the money, the C-Products were the best. Never had any problems with the 2nd Gen CP mags. Some guys, including me, changed out the CP springs for some ISMI or SSS 556 30 round springs for extra assurance. Even with the new springs, the CP mags were still cheaper than the PRI or Barrett.

rob_s
21 November 2010, 02:50
Good points made all around here.

The 6.8 has largely been appropriated by the hunting crowd because they are the only ones shooting enough targets that care to bother with it. The truth is that nobody is ever going to make a cartridge that costs the same as a comparable 5.56 simply because of the volume of raw materials (the same reason .45 costs more than .40 costs more than 9mm).

If I ever got around to really pursuing the 6.8 (and the chief reason I don't is simply time and money, not lack of belief or faith in the project) I would make sure to have a 6.8 that was at least somewhat distance and precision capable (like a Noveske 13.5" stainless barrel) and I would make sure to get some amount of use out of it at distance by shooting precision matches and riding along with my friends who spend time doing "sniper" shooting to try and hold my own against them. In this way I'd still be getting some use out of the 6.8, in venues where I'd be firing 5.56 that was as close to a 1:1 as I'd get in terms of price, and be getting training on the gun as well. I'd also resume my hog hunting activities as that's great training if approached correctly and good eatin' to boot!

neo9710
21 November 2010, 08:40
Very good points. Does everyone think that the 6.8 is here to stay? Army Chief - I like the way you put it..getting a 6.8 will only "expand my palette of options" and not replace my .556. Unfortunately I do not have the expertise or tools to put together my own rifle so I would have to buy a complete upper and lower. At first, I was just thinking CQB but after going doing some research, not using this round for distance precision...might be a crime!

Ideas Ideas...What to do...Its only money!

tac40
21 November 2010, 08:42
The current state of affair for the 6.8mm, IMHO, is still alive and kicking in the hunting and HD market. Dr G Roberts wrote a report on the 6.8mm-including ballistic data sheet as compared with the 556/223. The report offers solid info for those who are interested in the 6.8mm. The market is slowly growing since mainstream AR builders have taken notice of this caliber and it's performance. I had a chance to shoot Dr Roberts 6.8mm SBR with a Battle Comp device, SWEET. Do I own a 6.8mm upper, yes. I use PRI mags. I have Hornady ammo and several good friends of mine, LEO/Mil types all reload this caliber, for what it's worth, they like it and wish this caliber would go mainstream in our industry.

The cost of the 6.8 mm load can be offset if you load your own or load with friends. Is it worth the hazzle to own? It's a personal choice. As for recoil on the 6.8mm vs 556/223 on training, the recoil impulse is slight but not like 308 vs 556/223.

Fred_G
21 November 2010, 13:38
Very good points. Does everyone think that the 6.8 is here to stay? Army Chief - I like the way you put it..getting a 6.8 will only "expand my palette of options" and not replace my .556. Unfortunately I do not have the expertise or tools to put together my own rifle so I would have to buy a complete upper and lower. At first, I was just thinking CQB but after going doing some research, not using this round for distance precision...might be a crime!

Ideas Ideas...What to do...Its only money!

You don't really need tools to put together a lower. A punch, hammer, and some tape to protect the finish. (Wish I had thought about the tape bit, got a few scratches on mine...) There are a lot of tiny parts though. I would advise getting good instructions.

Jerry R
18 December 2010, 17:43
I have an LWRC M6A3 in 6.8 - pic below. I also have a couple of 5.56 rifles. I decided to try the 6.8 based on better ballistics in a familiar platform.

I like the LWRC so much that I have ordered the same thing with a 10.5" barrel. I did the paperwork on an M4-2000 at the same time. The stamp has come back on the can, and I picked it up a week ago. I hope the stamp comes in for the SBR in time for Christmas.

I am planning a mini-review in the spring at my son's place in Florida. Mostly subjective on the rifles and cartridge. We will be doing chrono work as well. I think the shoot will include:

16" 6.8SPC with and without suppressor
10.5" 6.8SPC with and without
8.5" 6.8SPC without

10.5" 5.56 with and without suppressor
16" 5.56 without
18" 5.56 without
22" 5.56 (223 Rem) without

I hope to do a lot of photos and maybe a video as well. I think it will be a fun couple of days.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/pdogkilr/Firearms/LWRCI%2068-SPC/IMG_1205Leftw-Leupold300-PPISize-1.jpg

GriffonSec
18 December 2010, 19:03
^^ What he said, basically. Hopefully when he comes down, I'll get to find out if theory on paper matches real world times. For me, 6.8 ballistics made owning a short barreled AR more practical. Ammo cost isn't bad for practical use rounds compared to 5.56, there's simply the absence of an inexpensive plinking round. There is a rumor that Priv may start producing 6.8, which may solve that problem somewhat.

I personally don't notice a difference between shooting 6.8 and 5.56 with regards to recoil, so that's a non issue for me.

DHart
25 December 2010, 14:21
I'm considering an upper in 6.8 from Harrison at ARPerf. Makes a lot of sense to me to have a 6.8 upper as part of a 5.56 system for HD and hunting, with the 5.56 being used for practice and higher-volume shooting (due to economy of ammo). Wonderful that 6.8 is so easy and relatively affordable to add to an existing AR system. I hope the caliber continues to grow in popularity and thrives.