6.8 mm Remington SPC

I've actually been checking into this cartridge a lot lately...

Bullets over 115grs are really not recommended but I just heard tonight of a 120gr Match style bullet designed for it that has a BC of just over .400 which will help this cartridge for longer range shooting.

The cartridge is designed to fit into an AR15 mag so it's overall length is the same as a 223 and the bullets that are designed specifically for it or are being used in it are 100/110gr Accubonds, 90gr Varminter HP & 110gr Sierra Prohunter, Hornday has a 110gr V-Max and a few other that I can't remember, Barnes 85gr & 110gr TSX are very popular and there is a brand new 95gr TTSX coming out right away.

There are two styles of brass as well Rem who first produced the cartridge commercially makes their brass to use LR primers, Hornady and a few others use small rifle primers that are supposed to handle more pressures than LR primers so you can work up to higher velocities with the small rifle primer brass.

From what I hear Rem brass is the least desireable of all the manufacturers of 6.8 brass in the States they are saying it is the worst 6.8 brass on the market and it is really the only brass you will find in Canada... Yes that means we are stuck with Rem brass...

There are two different chambers the original 6.8 Rem SPC and the newer 6.8SPC 11 which is supposed to give higher velocities from what I understand both use the same dies which are almost nonexistant in Canada and the majority of rifle being chambered for this round including Robinson Arms XCR-L's are being chambered in the 11 chambering now...

Remington is supposed to be using the original chambers still from what I understand.

Checking ballistics it is at most a 300 yard cartridge yes it will kill beyond that distance but velocities/energies have dropped so much that I personally wouldn't recommend it even though I have heard of a fellow that shot an elk @ 375 yards and the elk made it only about 30 yards after it was hit.

The reason I am looking at this cartridge is I have recently purchased a Robinson Arms XCR-L in 223 I like this rifle so much that I would also like to hunt deer/bear with it but the 223 just isn't enough oomph so I am trying to decide if I am going to buy a 6.8 conversion kit for it.

I have found all the components and dies I have listed above but haven't ordered anything yet just don't know if I want to put out this kind of money just so I can hunt deer with an XCR.
 
there are some boys in Arizona playing with a solid brass bullet getting excellent accuracy and over 4000fps out of a 16 or 18 inch barrel, don't remember, the ballistics are fantastic. I think it will soon run over the .223 and 7.62x39 in theater.
 
dizzy said:
there are some boys in Arizona playing with a solid brass bullet getting excellent accuracy and over 4000fps out of a 16 or 18 inch barrel, don't remember, the ballistics are fantastic. I think it will soon run over the .223 and 7.62x39 in theater.
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Haven't heard of that kind of velocity basically they are getting 3000fps with 85gr TSX and making 250 yard kills on 100lbs to 250lbs hogs.

As of now it will not even get to the theater the US military isn't even looking at it so it may die off fairly soon.
 
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Camp Cook said:
I've actually been checking into this cartridge a lot lately...

Bullets over 115grs are really not recommended but I just heard tonight of a 120gr Match style bullet designed for it that has a BC of just over .400 which will help this cartridge for longer range shooting.

The cartridge is designed to fit into an AR15 mag so it's overall length is the same as a 223 and the bullets that are designed specifically for it or are being used in it are 100/110gr Accubonds, 90gr Varminter HP & 110gr Sierra Prohunter, Hornday has a 110gr V-Max and a few other that I can't remember, Barnes 85gr & 110gr TSX are very popular and there is a brand new 95gr TTSX coming out right away.

There are two styles of brass as well Rem who first produced the cartridge commercially makes their brass to use LR primers, Hornady and a few others use small rifle primers that are supposed to handle more pressures than LR primers so you can work up to higher velocities with the small rifle primer brass.

From what I hear Rem brass is the least desireable of all the manufacturers of 6.8 brass in the States they are saying it is the worst 6.8 brass on the market and it is really the only brass you will find in Canada... Yes that means we are stuck with Rem brass...

There are two different chambers the original 6.8 Rem SPC and the newer 6.8SPC 11 which is supposed to give higher velocities from what I understand both use the same dies which are almost nonexistant in Canada and the majority of rifle being chambered for this round including Robinson Arms XCR-L's are being chambered in the 11 chambering now...

Remington is supposed to be using the original chambers still from what I understand.

Checking ballistics it is at most a 300 yard cartridge yes it will kill beyond that distance but velocities/energies have dropped so much that I personally wouldn't recommend it even though I have heard of a fellow that shot an elk @ 375 yards and the elk made it only about 30 yards after it was hit.

The reason I am looking at this cartridge is I have recently purchased a Robinson Arms XCR-L in 223 I like this rifle so much that I would also like to hunt deer/bear with it but the 223 just isn't enough oomph so I am trying to decide if I am going to buy a 6.8 conversion kit for it.

I have found all the components and dies I have listed above but haven't ordered anything yet just don't know if I want to put out this kind of money just so I can hunt deer with an XCR.
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If this round ever gets widespread support, I could see it being chambered in a lot of smaller bolt guns and short actions like the Model 7. T/C already chambers it for the Contender and Encore, and Remington has a 24" 700 in this caliber.

Does the newer factory 6.8 SPC II run at similar chamber pressures ie. no issues for the Contender?
 
I'm thinking it runs at higher pressures but I'm not sure yet .

If I pick up the conversion kit for my XCR-L I may eventually order a s/s 21" factory tapered barrel for my T/C Contender carbine as well.

Would be a perfect deer/coyote rifle for my young son when he starts hunting with me...
 
dizzy said:
there are some boys in Arizona playing with a solid brass bullet getting excellent accuracy and over 4000fps out of a 16 or 18 inch barrel, don't remember, the ballistics are fantastic. I think it will soon run over the .223 and 7.62x39 in theater.
Click to expand...

And who is using that "in theatre"? Good luck.
 
dizzy said:
there are some boys in Arizona playing with a solid brass bullet getting excellent accuracy and over 4000fps out of a 16 or 18 inch barrel, don't remember, the ballistics are fantastic. I think it will soon run over the .223 and 7.62x39 in theater.
Click to expand...

And who is using that "in theatre"? Good luck.

Its a niche cartridge at the moment. I would expect it to have a smaller following in the AR/black rifle class, but very little past that.
It'll be as popular as the 375 Ruger at best :evil:
 
philthygeezer said:
If this round ever gets widespread support, I could see it being chambered in a lot of smaller bolt guns and short actions like the Model 7. T/C already chambers it for the Contender and Encore, and Remington has a 24" 700 in this caliber.

Does the newer factory 6.8 SPC II run at similar chamber pressures ie. no issues for the Contender?
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For this round to get widespread support, first off Remingtom should admit thier design mistake and change all new production rifles/carbines to the Mod II chamber. (longer throat, more freebore=higher velocities with loaded out bullet)
Someone really dropped the ball when the design was submitted formally to SAAMI.
 
As a result of the efforts of developers who continue to try to boost the performance of the 6.8mm Remington SPC beyond its 2003 introduction, two significant variations of the SAAMI-standardized 6.8mm Remington SPC chamber have emerged - the 6.8mm SPC DMR/6.8x43mm and the 6.8mm SPC II. While these versions have identical case dimensions to the Remington spec, significant differences exist in the chamber throat area. IF FIRED IN THE STANDARD CHAMBER, THESE ROUNDS WILL PRODUCE HIGHER PRESSURES THAN THE STANDARD ROUND AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE USED INTERCHANGEABLY. ACCORDINGLY, LOAD DATA FOR THESE CARTRIDGES MUST BE LISTED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE AMMOGUIDE PAGE.
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The 6.8mm SPC II is reported to be the original specification that Remington intended to standardize with SAAMI in 2003. Unfortunately, the chamber that was actually standardized as the 6.8mm Remington SPC was incorrect, lacking important final modifications to the throat area. These chamber improvements provide increased velocity at substantially reduced pressure.

Specifically, the 6.8mm SPC II chamber increased chamber leade* from .050" to .100", decreasing the slope and increasing the gradiation of the bullet-to-rifling engagement at the lands. This single change reduced pressure approximately 4,000 psi at the same velocity.

Acknowledging the pressure-reducing affects of the 6.8mm SPC II chamber, most manufacturers of 6.8 Remington SPC firearms have actually been using the improved specification for some time. For this reason, the 6.8mm SPC II specification is recommended over all others. Owners of 6.8 Remington SPC guns can cast a chamber impression or check with the manufacturer to see if their rifle is equipped with the improved chamber (and the correct improved chamber - see below). If so, additional performance awaits you! If not, any qualified gunsmith can easily apply the "II" throat modification to your original Remington chamber.

6.8mm Remington SPC brass is available that utilizes either small or large rifle primers. Reportedly, 6.8mm SPC target shooters prefer the small rifle size.

WARNING : It has been reported to us that there exists a Pacific Tool & Gauge 6.8mm SPC II drawing with a typo in the throat area and at least one reamer has been produced from this incorrect drawing.. It incorrectly lists the dimension of the start of the cone for the leade, from the bolt face to the start of the taper, as 1.70185". The correct dimension is 1.71085" (the "1" and "0" were transposed in the typo). If you are considering chambering a gun in 6.8mm SPC II, make sure your reamer is correct.

* "Leade" is that portion of a firearm's barrel immediately in front of the chamber through which the bullet travels prior to contacting the rifling.
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http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364803&page=4
 
Based on the .284Win pushing a 125gr@ 2800fps.

30rarop.png
 
This wouldn't have the BC that the 6.8 enjoys, or the muzzle velocity to push it farther. Why would one bother?
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So you could have 30cal in your AR-15, is probably the reason. Hence the name.

In the US the AR-15 is just another rifle unlike here. A lot of states have cal restrictions on hunting and the AR platform is proving to be a popular hunting rifle.

my 2c.
 
Stupid Question. A 6.8 and a .270 are remarkably close in bullet weight, would the ballistics and performance be close enough? What am I missing here?

I have been looking at getting a 6.8 but I just can't quite get my head around the performance to $$$ ratio VS the .270

Or is the 6.8 the new Blue?
 
Got Juice? said:
Stupid Question. A 6.8 and a .270 are remarkably close in bullet weight, would the ballistics and performance be close enough? What am I missing here?

I have been looking at getting a 6.8 but I just can't quite get my head around the performance to $$$ ratio VS the .270

Or is the 6.8 the new Blue?
Click to expand...

i assume the point is that the 6.8 fits in the AR15 and fits in 223 magazines.
 
For a hunting round in Canada it really doesn't serve much of a purpose. There are several other calibers in the recoil range of this caliber that are already established, 25-06, 257rob, 243, 260 rem etc... so it may survive but it will never flourish. Now if we could hunt with a restricted AR platform then it would make sense.

Since you need a short action anyway a 260 or 7mm08 makes more sense. Not much recoil for a decent jump in effect on game. For a bolt action rifle a 308 cased 270 would be of some use, at least you would fill up the short action. From a lever, or a pump rifle you may as well just get a 270.

I like the idea of the 6.8, but it just doesn't fill a need for the mythical average sportsman. I like the idea of a short 270 so much I am in the process of getting the parts together for a 270wssm, but I don't see the spc as filling a niche with hunters.
 
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