[FlFrayedKnot]

OK, really looking for more information and hoping to encourage more discussion on the 6.8 SPC and the advantages it does, or does not ,offer.

More than a few of my friends have been bitten and drank the 6.8 Kool Aid, but I am not so sure. I have always like the AR-15 platform, but have never been a fan of the 5.56 or .223 for man sized targets. I have owned many over the years, and enjoyed shooting them...but none stayed with me.

Remaining text redacted. Release dependent on evaluation of input received.

What are your thoughts? :whistling:

 

[MULLET HUNTER]

Ohh Frank.... Where are you!! FRANK!!!, your needed.....:blink:

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

I used to focus on 7.62x51 NATO, but re-thought it a few years back on realizing I would not wander far from the SE Region and the shorter ranges found in the woods here. Not a large need for the greater range of the 7.62x51 in my thoughts. I down-sized to 7.62x39, a caliber I have played with for years and learned to like a lot. Not a target round, but good enough for most of us and our shooting in the South East USA.

 

[bobinbusan]

Ammo source for 7.62X39 is good and priced right, 6.8SPC ammo high and not easy to find in a tight spot:whistling:
FlFrayedKnot made good points :thumbsup:

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

Having said the above, I have been feeling the pull of wanting another AR recently, and catching a bit of the 6.8 bug, so I have been researching it. I love that it will chamber in any AR magazine, and that it is basically a .277 caliber round; making it a better stopper than the 5.56. In hearing how much more accurate the 6.8 is I always found mention of various speed advantages over the 7.62x39, but this is always with the 90 and 115 grain bullets.

 

[ABailey]

I love my 6.8. You do have to order your ammo, but its not hard to find or over priced. I built the rock river lower and got the upper from arp. Go to the 6.8 forums, tons and tons of info.

 

[ABailey]

 

[FrankwT]

Let me see if this helps you, FACTS from ARP arguably the definitive source for all things 6.8

The 6.8

The 6.8X43 was developed as an improved CQB cartridge by the 5th Group Special Forces, it is now very popular with hog hunters because of the devastating performance combined with the AR15 platform.
It has apx 80% of the performance of the 308 in a much lighter platform.
We have designed a 5 groove hybrid rifling similar to 5R with a low land to groove ratio to increase the bore area and lessen bullet deformation which leads to better accuracy, we have found that our 5R Melonite QPQ and S Carb. QPQ barrels consistently produce 60-90fps more than most SPCII 10 and 11 twist 4 groove barrels with the same loads. Hornady's 110gr HPBTs reach 2600fps from our 16" barrels and normally shoot under 3/4" groups at 100yds, with better shooters groups are 1/2" so they shoot better than some high dollar stainless barrels and most match grade 5.56s . Hornady's 120gr SST works very well on deer and hogs. With handloads it is possible to push a 100gr Nosler to 3000fps from a 16" barrel, nothing else with a 16" barrels comes close to the performance of a 6.8. The Melonite(QPQ) treated barrels we sell will last twice as long as stainless barrels and the final finish meets or exceeds stainless steel corrosion resistance.
The 6.8SPCII and 6.8x43 use the same ammo including SSAs Tac loads and Wilson Combats ammo
uses the same size dies, only the throat in the chamber is different.​

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

Nice rifle ABailey!

Frank, good points and I read the history of the development...but the lighter the bullet, the higher the velocity in most cases. I believe it is hard to compare two calibers if the bullet weight differs too much. So I went looking for the closest comparison I could find for the two calibers in one manufacturer. I believe I found the closest honest comparison on the Hornady web site. They load a heavier bullet in 6.8, with the same style (SST) as loaded in the 7.62x39, allowing the most equal comparison IMO. Check out the result and compare the two:
http://www.hornady.com/store/6.8mm-SPC-120-GR-SST/

http://www.hornady.com/store/7.62X39-123-gr-SST/

Frank, I have read of your hog hunting with the 7.62x39 and Brown Bear soft-points. Does the 6.8 SPC really whack the hogs harder in your experience?

 

[FrankwT]

I guess the Russian ammo is much less quality controlled and the variances in the rounds are much greater than the 6.8 American ammo. A 7.62x39 is what I call a semi auto 30-30 and the 6.8 a lighter 308. At distances under 100 yrds the 7.62 and the 6.8 are pretty much the same killer at 200-300 the 6.8 has merits. I never had a hog go more than 40 yds after being shot w the 7.62 and have not have one move after shot w the 6.8.

I shoot a 110gr Barnes TSX(solid copper bullet) but the gurus say the 85 is a better hog rd and the guy w the most hog kills, over 800 uses the Hornady 120SST and swears by it.

I would have no issue w a 7.62 upper and good ammo, I just prefer the 6.8. The 7.62 uppers are more costly than I use w the 6.8 by $200 or I would own one already.

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

The 6.8 has a marked bullet coefficient over the 7.62 which will show markedly after a few hundred yards as well. But; other than urban areas, and open crop fields how many shooting situations exist in the Southeastern USA woods beyond a hundred yards...let alone two hundred?

I have thought of the 7.62x39 upper...but the ammo is still the weakest link, and you have to have weapon/caliber specific magazines for the combination.

I have began to play more with the Hornady 7.62x39 ammo to see if it is better than the Russian by a large enough margin to be worth the expense. Any thoughts on that?

 

[FrankwT]

Before I sold my 7.62 I had bought the CorBon, very expensive and really the reason I went with the 6.8, cheaper ammo and my inaccurate Ruger Mini 30. It was a 6.8 or a 7.62 upper that I was looking at.

True we have all our killing plots and feeders in the 100yd range & 1 at 220yds. However we have roads and clearcuts 200-500 yds open for a shot. I am not a long range shooter so a 300 yd shot would be long for me but 200 I would be OK.

The 6.8 is caliber specific mags also there is just alot more accuracy and development in the 6.8 barrels and bolts. I think it is more on the cutting edge than the 7.62. No one is developing a 11.25 twist 5 groove target crown in the 7.62...LOL

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

"The 6.8 is caliber specific mags also"? Are you sure?

I thought I had read that the 6.8 would work in 5.56 standard magazines.

 

[FrankwT]

Yep I own them...LOL It uses a 5.56 lower and you can get 4-6 rds in a Pmag before it bulges, and many have tried to modify but to be correct you need a 6.8 specific mag, $15-17... 5, 17,10, 25 rds

the barrel, bolt and mags are specific.

 

[FlFrayedKnot]

In that case, my quandary is solved I think. I was trying to decide if I should go with the 6.8, and keep a 5.56 upper for “social” instances, while stocking two calibers for the worse case; or stay with the 7.62x39 (which I believe is the second most commonly stocked SHTF round in the USA) in a proven rugged AK design?

For a hunter wanting to use a more effective round in his AR, I totally get the 6.8 SPC draw. I bet it will get more popularity with hunters, but I think I will stay with the moderate and more readily available 7.62x39 in order to keep my inventory simpler.

I appreciate all the insights and discussion.

 

[FrankwT]

You are right cheap ammo you get the 7.62 and in an AR not AK certainly adequate for hunting. 223 or 7.62 for home defense, cheap ammo. For pure hunting or many military's are going to it for terminal performance the 6.8. Of course 1 lower and a 223, 7.62 and 6.8 upper..Perfect!