Talk me out of or into a 6.8 spc ii ar15.

[Scott037]

Help

I was wanting to build a hog hunting ar15 and 6.8 spc ii is leading the pack as i know it. So to talk about what i want, 14.5 or 16in barrel (quick handling) and enough vroom to dump hogs. I hope to keep ammo under a dollar a round.

Scott

 

[acudaowner]

if you can get the ammo to feed it god bless you get it if that's what you want send pics of the bacon your get from god , for a dead pig is one step closer to being bbq'ed than a live one .

 

[greentick]

ARP for barrels if you can find one in stock.

Head over to 68forums for all the info you could possibly want. If you reload there is a pile of data by members. Bullet performance information. Great bunch of folks.

 

[SkyScrapin]

I have 4x 6.8 rifles specifically for hogs. From 12.5” to 18” it provides a good balance of energy and ballistics, but it’s not terribly special on either category. We’re it is the most valuable stands with short barrels. Not much can touch it from an energy and velocity stand point at 12.5”

If I were to do it over from scratch in today’s age, the 6arc would be the ticket. Less drop, plenty heavy enough projectiles, more energy further out, further point blank range, match and hunting ammo, more modernized. Ammo seems easier to find too

 

[CaptArab]

I'd probably go 6.5 grendel or 6 arc.

Hard for me to believe there's legit terminal differences and the 270 just can't compete wrt bullet options.

The 6mm 105 bthp is fairly cheap and it messes things up nicely. The bc to $$$ ratio is pretty nice as well.

 

[BamaSE]

I hunted pigs with a 6.8 for about 10 years, started back when it was a less common round that my gun dealer tried to talk me out of convinced it was soon to be obsolete. My primary reason at the time for jumping on the 6.8 bandwagon was the 5.56 being lacking in killing power on pigs, and the .308s being too heavy to tote….at least ones I was exposed to. Along the way I killed a pile of pigs, both day and night hunting…..but was never really satisfied with the round. It will kill fine, and it is a tack driving precision thumper inside a couple hundred yards. But with runners, less than ideal shots, and the chaos of throwing lead at zigging and zagging sounders at night had me always wanting something with a little more bite. It seemed like I was too often tracking wounded pigs and I cannot tell you how many zombies popped up and ran off….…or gimped around till I could finish them up with the coup de gras.

Then Patriot Ordinance Factory released the .308 Revolution.….which is 6.8 lbs (irony) of lightweight tack driving .308 goodness. Now I no longer have any 6.8s. And today I sighted in my new Revolution 12.5” Pistol running the Trijicon Reap 35. The 16” Revolution runs the Halo LR. Looking forward to trialing the pistol soon as a lightweight stalking night rig.

I guess all this is to say…..6.8 is a good pig round (I really still have an affinity for it), but there are better offerings. And with more lightweight heavier bullet AR10 type rifles available I recommend considering those options as well. One good thing about .308, it is certainly a more plentiful and widely available cartridge than the 6.8. I used to buy all my 6.8 rounds a case or two at the time just to try and head off a shortage. During the drought over the past year I have been able to find plenty of .308s, maybe not what I wanted, but the dead piggies do not seem to know the difference. Of course if you reload, ammo availibility may be less of an issue…..and for whatever it is worth, I also killed a lot of deer with the 6.8, if you settle on this round just be sure if you are going to eat it use something like the Hornady 120 grain SST…..the 110 grain Vmax tends to fragment and separate on impact….which does a lot of internal damage and good for DRT but not so good for consumption.

 

[diggler1833]

You'll have to get lucky on finding reloading components these days to stay under a buck a round. When I got into the 6.8 about 3 years ago, I could get 200 rounds of factory 120gr SST for $161 before shipping...we'll probably not see that again.

There are quite a few decent bullets for the 6.8 that will get the job done, and the cartridge is certainly a step up from a 5.56 when you start shooting at runners. It is still no hammer of thor though. I consider it a happy medium, just like the 6.5 Grendel.

 

[MK20]

6.8 is a dinosaur that is a result of govt mandates on cartridge design.

Look to newer offerings for better performance and lower cost.

 

[Scott037]

6.8 is a dinosaur that is a result of govt mandates on cartridge design.

Look to newer offerings for better performance and lower cost.

Are talking about the 6mm arc? That is where I'm looking.

 

[Clayman]

Go 6 arc

 

[SkyScrapin]

Just remember, displacement of the .277 pits you ahead of any .243 or .264 right out of the gate. Add bullets designed to mushroom at 6.8 speeds and you’re already a bit ahead in terms of expansion.

Wound cavity is a different story and that’s a blend of how the bullet expands and impact speeds.

Keep in mind, any of these calibers were talking about will be affective as any small frame system in there class. To get more oomf, you’re often looking at large frame calibers which come at a weight penalty. Of all the large frame options, you will get the best results with larger diameter projectiles out of shorter barrels.

At 16” it’s a mute point because you’re likely not shooting hogs at the ranges where one exceeds the other. You will need additional equipment for ranging and that comes at a weight penalty as well.

12.5” - 14.5” , get a 6.8spc.

16+”, get a 6 ARC. I don’t know enough about the 6.5 grendel performance to speak on its behalf but I presume it lands somewhere in between or directly in line with 6 ARC barrel lengths.

All of this is to say, you will have runners that require multiple rounds regardless of caliber, unless you hit them in the neck or head.

 

[SkyScrapin]

Go 6 arc

This would sell me on the 6 ARC in a small frame.

 

[Crews]

All the caliber debates are great, but none of it matters if the gun doesn’t run. As far as that’s concerned, I think chances are much higher that you’ll get a 6.8 that runs reliably vs 6.5 Grendel & related.

 

[Clayman]

This would sell me on the 6 ARC in a small frame.

It's a great small frame round.

I've been thinking of building a new upper in 6 arc. Just not sure the direction I want to go. 14.5" or 20". Leaning towards 20" atm. Would probably take the scope off of my 18" 5.56 and repurpose that upper.

 

[hlee]

All the caliber debates are great, but none of it matters if the gun doesn’t run. As far as that’s concerned, I think chances are much higher that you’ll get a 6.8 that runs reliably vs 6.5 Grendel & related.

Never messed with a 6.8 spc, but my grendels have been flawless. Mags are a crapshoot, but I’ve found ASC run reliably in my guns. The AA and Elander mags- while beautiful- don’t run worth a shit when dirty. The 10 round mags all seem to run well, but the 17 and 22 rounders don’t. But, some report opposite results vis a vis brands.

Working on a 224 predator now. Gun runs reliably, just trying to wring out every ounce of accuracy.

 

[Crews]

my grendels have been flawless. Mags are a crapshoot,

Not to be argumentative, but how can your Grendel (or any other) be flawless if magazines are a roll of the dice?

I love the caliber, but this is too much of a recurring theme when chambered in AR15.

 

[TheOE800]

At least with 6.8 if you really want reliability you can utilize LWRC’s Six8 lower. Dedicated magazine, no STANAG problems (and no compatibility either).

 

[DavidAR10]

At least with 6.8 if you really want reliability you can utilize LWRC’s Six8 lower. Dedicated magazine, no STANAG problems (and no compatibility either)

My snark meter must be busted.
BUTT!!! the rest of the drunks at this bar wouldn't have made it through puberty in my father's house.

6.8 vs 6 ARC on an animal that you can walk up to in the dark, downwind? Yeah, there would be skulls split
on the bridge and catfish fed.

AR15Performance barrel of choice, AR15P super bolt and PRI 6.8 mags.

Starline 6.8 brass SRP will show up at your door in a few weeks if Back Order is allowed.
Cavity Back Bullets has two (2) of the best pills. Makers Bullets make some and BARNES has an 85gr and 95gr tipped that are great.
Small Rifle Primers, {CCI 450, CCI 41} : If'n you ain't been smart enough to have purchased at a willing price, then purchase from
a very good friend who/whom thinks/knows that you are a very good friend.
Good powders have been showing up at Powder Valley and 3rd Gen Shooting Supply. You should have bought AA2200 from Powder Valley last week.

Best to all. I really do love this bar.

 

[346ci]

12.5" 6.8 ARP here, been busting deers asses for a long time. There is a reason you see it mentioned for deer and pigs, it plain works.

 

[346ci]

At least with 6.8 if you really want reliability you can utilize LWRC’s Six8 lower. Dedicated magazine, no STANAG problems (and no compatibility either).

This is a option but not needed and no advantages vs standard receivers. Other than the overseas contracts, It never took off here due to being expensive and proprietary.

 

[hlee]

Not to be argumentative, but how can your Grendel (or any other) be flawless if magazines are a roll of the dice?

I love the caliber, but this is too much of a recurring theme when chambered in AR15.

Mags are not a dice roll. Larger than 10 round Elander mags suck for the Grendel- my experience.

Never had a failure that wasn’t due to an Elander mag. And, the failure is very specific- the mag follower binds in the mag body when the mag gets dirty. (This is a common complaint on the inter web with this brand of Grendel mag.) And, and, it only occurs with Elander/AA magazines. And, and, and, this problem only occurs in mags larger than 10 rounds. Finally, I’ve had this happen but twice. Both times at the same competition. Changing mags has resolved the issue.

In this instance, blaming the gun is akin to saying your car is unreliable because you had a bad tire- some time in the past.

Some people have a visceral reaction to ASC and won’t use them. This is why I say mags are a “crapshoot.” They’ve proven to be reliable when the more expensive mags have not. There are people that report that ASC mags don’t work for them, but I suspect there is some bias in that reporting.

One final thought. If you found a mag in your 5.56/223 inventory that caused your gun to malf, you would not say your gun is unreliable. You would mark or toss the mag, because the mag is the issue.

But, this is a 6.8SPC thread. The biggest caution I can throw out is that 6.8SPC is just as unobtainable as all of the other niche cartridges right now. I would be building on a cartridge I can source- locally- today.

 

[DRock40]

I own a 16" ARP barrel in 6.8, but really doubt the hogs or you would know the difference in a 14.5 or 16". I use a can and if I could find a 14.5" barrel would not hesitate at all with that. Saves a tiny bit of weight and is a little more maneuverable...however keep reading. I assume you are shooting from a tripod and the only matter would be carrying the rifle. I can carry a 22" AR10 for coyotes about as easy in open fields as a short barrel, besides the obvious weight factor (sling on my shoulder). Getting a longer 20-24" barrel + maybe suppressor in and out of the truck is more difficult (I put mine in the bed of the truck), but you are only talking 1.5" difference! Don't sweat it either way and get what you can find and put a smile on your face when you start dropping hogs!

 

[blackblue]

No real reason not to do a 6.8. Been hunting 6.8's and grendel's for 7+ years, currently 12.5 ARP get used the most and also have a six8. 20" grendel AR and a howa mini, the 6.8 does a better job in my experience but ammo choice plays a role also.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Been seeing a bunch of Aa2200 powder available lately which works awesome for 6.8.

 

[jda2631]

Inside 200 yards, go with a 12.5" 6.8 barrel from ARP. This distance is where you will kill 99% of your pigs. If you are wanting to set up and shoot them further than that, I would jump to whatever flavor cartridge you want in an AR10 platform.

 

[NonTypical]

Like others have said, the 6.8 is a devastating round even when used out of shorter barrels. I love the 6.8 round so much I just acquired a Mini 14 to go with my AR and my Savage 110. You won’t regret it.

 

[SniperBro]

My brother built a 6.8 AR and loves it. Such a versatile round. Not sure how it would do in the precision world, have no experience with it.

 

[NonTypical]

My brother built a 6.8 AR and loves it. Such a versatile round. Not sure how it would do in the precision world, have no experience with it.

Both of my guns with ARP barrels shoot sub MOA

 

[NonTypical]

Here’s a pic from the range the other day from my Savage 110 ARP 6.8. I was shooting Cavity Back Ammo 105g MKZ factory loads @100 yards.

 

[Quiet6.8]

Bottom two shots were to see where I was based on my old zero, lower right was my next cold bore shot after letting the barrel cool, and the next three were sequential shots in that 4 shot group at 100yrds.
Rifle is as follows..
16” ARP mid length gas barrel
SiCo Omega
2aArmament RBCG
JPSCS
2.5-10x32 NXS

load was factory loaded Cavity Back Bullets 105MKZ

 

[drewthebrave]

You're definitely on the right track. I think the ultimate hunting AR15 for distances out to ~300 yards is a 14.5" barrel chambered in an intermediate cartridge (6ARC, 6.5G, 6.8SPC) with moderately lightweight components. Ammo pricing is going to be an issue for a while, so maybe check the local shelves for what's available before you decide on caliber. Pick your preferred bullet & go drop some pigs.