Over the last couple of years I have built a few rifles using the Troy PAR, a 10.5” 7.62x39, a 9” 300 Blackout, and a couple of 10.5” 556mm rifles. And I just completed my latest build, it is a 12” PAR in 8.6 Blackout, the rifle was originally in 243Win with the standard 18” barrel. I have been intrigued by the 8.6 Blackout since the first video I saw on the new round and was thinking I would like to shoot one but they are right now as rare as hen’s teeth. Then a couple of months ago I came across a 243Win PAR and thought ‘hey the 243Win was made from the 308/7.62x51 cartridge and the 8.6 was made off the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge which was made from the 308/7.62’. So I picked up a Faxon Arms 12” 8.6 Blackout barrel from IRG Canada and built the rifle. I make the 8.6 brass from 308Win, 6.5 Creedmoor and 243Win brass (I have found that the 308Win brass actually works the best, unlike online vids which say that 6.5 Creedmoor is best). The round on the right is a 230gr standard bullet and on the left is a 210gr solid copper bullet. I am currently building up load data for the round as there is very little reliable load data for the round yet but with just the two bullet weights and using CFE BLK powder I have had some promising groupings. I have only taken the rifle to the range 3 times and initially only with a 1-6 LPVO scope but I was able to get very consistent 3 shot groups at 100m with the 210gr copper bullet. In the pic all three groups are right around the 1.6” size. I have decided to put a higher power scope on the rifle (to compensate for my old progressive multifocal eyes) and work on loads with that because I can tell that the rifle can easily shoot sub MOA with the right bullet/load and optics.
Troy PAR in 8.6 Blackout
- Thread starter Fig33
- Start date
Right now I'm building up loads, with the 210gr bullet I've loaded it to where I'm getting a tad over 1900fps. I'm hoping to get some other powders and bullets later this month and try some other loads. Muzzle blast is what you would expect for a 338 diameter barrel with no brake or compensator on it. But the round has incredibly mild recoil, the only bad thing I have to say about the Faxon Arms barrel is that the thread is a not a common pattern M18x1.5 and it looks like only their muzzle brakes will fit on the barrel, my personal preference would be to put a linear compensator on the rifle but can't find anything that will fit. The 8.6 is already getting a great rep for hunting, the 1 in 3 twist combined with the large 338 bullet is apparently amazing at putting down game (there is a vid out now of a guy taking a cape buffalo with a 8.6).
