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Posted: 6/14/2010 7:28:39 PM EDT
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I'm building an AR in 6.8 right now. . .this will be my first AR and my first 6.8.
My plan is to use this AR to replace some heavier, less maneuverable guns and be a one rifle for everything hunting/multi-purpose rifle. . . . . .I'll at least be trying to use the AR for coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, black bear, deer, and elk. . . .in reality it will probably see more use for coyote, mountain lion, and black bear (plus the occasional wild boar when I travel to TX to visit family that have moved there) than anything else. SInce I'm unfamiliar with the rifle and the caliber I was hoping for some suggestions. . .from what I've picked up SSA is the way to go. . .can anyone expand on this. . .(i.e. bullet weight and profile)??? Thanks! |
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110 Pro Hunter/110 TSX
http://www.ssarmory.com/6.8ammunitionsales.aspx |
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Here are a few tidbits.
There are only 3 makers of 6.8 brass. Remington, Hornady and SSA. SSA is the recognized go to brass followed by Hornady with Rem taking up the rear. Rem brass uses large rifle primers while SSA and Hornady use small rifle primers. Something to think about when buying ammo or brass and wanting to reload. SSA used to offer unfired large rifle primer brass but I think they quit offering them. Only srps now. Another important factor in the 6.8 world is the chamber. The original chamber specs have now been redrawn so now it's got two chambers that are similar to 223 vs 5.56 with the SPC II chamber being the preferred one over the original Remington SAAMI chamber. And a different twist rate for the barrels. Elk is probably out of the normal range of the 6.8. Although the 6.8 is a .277 cal bullet the bullet weights are limited for the 6.8 design. 115 gr bullets are about the limit for good loads where as the .277 goes up to 130 grains for the 270 Win. Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for the 6.8...the TTSX 95 gr. This bullet is getting very good reviews and has only been offered for about 2 months now. Generally this will probably end up being the go to bullet for hunting. It's the perfect balance for velocity and penetration on game animals. Not taking away from some other offerings however. I recommend you go here: 68Forums and open up and account. This is the recognized site for anything relating to the 6.8. |
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Quoted:
Here are a few tidbits. There are only 3 makers of 6.8 brass. Remington, Hornady and SSA. SSA is the recognized go to brass followed by Hornady with Rem taking up the rear. Rem brass uses large rifle primers while SSA and Hornady use small rifle primers. Something to think about when buying ammo or brass and wanting to reload. SSA used to offer unfired large rifle primer brass but I think they quit offering them. Only srps now. Another important factor in the 6.8 world is the chamber. The original chamber specs have now been redrawn so now it's got two chambers that are similar to 223 vs 5.56 with the SPC II chamber being the preferred one over the original Remington SAAMI chamber. And a different twist rate for the barrels. Elk is probably out of the normal range of the 6.8. Although the 6.8 is a .277 cal bullet the bullet weights are limited for the 6.8 design. 115 gr bullets are about the limit for good loads where as the .277 goes up to 130 grains for the 270 Win. Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for the 6.8...the TTSX 95 gr. This bullet is getting very good reviews and has only been offered for about 2 months now. Generally this will probably end up being the go to bullet for hunting. It's the perfect balance for velocity and penetration on game animals. Not taking away from some other offerings however. I recommend you go here: 68Forums and open up and account. This is the recognized site for anything relating to the 6.8. Thanks for the tips BamalnArk!!! I got my bolt/barrel as a combo from AR15 Performance. . .it's a 16" PacNor SS barrel with the ARP rifling in it. . . . . .not to disagree with you at all as I have no personal experience with the 6.8 yet, but I was told by a reputeable source (I would say who, but I can't remember which person it is and I don't want to credit the wrong person and/or discredit that person either. . .) that the 6.8 was perfectly good for eldk as long as you stay within 300 yards, which I have no plans of shooting outside of (at the moment) for an elk no matter what caliber I'm using. . .I can't imagine hiking an animal that large out of the woods any farther than i would absolutely have to!!! Obviously I'm not an experienced elk hunter either though. . . |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Here are a few tidbits. There are only 3 makers of 6.8 brass. Remington, Hornady and SSA. SSA is the recognized go to brass followed by Hornady with Rem taking up the rear. Rem brass uses large rifle primers while SSA and Hornady use small rifle primers. Something to think about when buying ammo or brass and wanting to reload. SSA used to offer unfired large rifle primer brass but I think they quit offering them. Only srps now. Another important factor in the 6.8 world is the chamber. The original chamber specs have now been redrawn so now it's got two chambers that are similar to 223 vs 5.56 with the SPC II chamber being the preferred one over the original Remington SAAMI chamber. And a different twist rate for the barrels. Elk is probably out of the normal range of the 6.8. Although the 6.8 is a .277 cal bullet the bullet weights are limited for the 6.8 design. 115 gr bullets are about the limit for good loads where as the .277 goes up to 130 grains for the 270 Win. Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for the 6.8...the TTSX 95 gr. This bullet is getting very good reviews and has only been offered for about 2 months now. Generally this will probably end up being the go to bullet for hunting. It's the perfect balance for velocity and penetration on game animals. Not taking away from some other offerings however. I recommend you go here: 68Forums and open up and account. This is the recognized site for anything relating to the 6.8. Thanks for the tips BamalnArk!!! I got my bolt/barrel as a combo from AR15 Performance. . .it's a 16" PacNor SS barrel with the ARP rifling in it. . . . . .not to disagree with you at all as I have no personal experience with the 6.8 yet, but I was told by a reputeable source (I would say who, but I can't remember which person it is and I don't want to credit the wrong person and/or discredit that person either. . .) that the 6.8 was perfectly good for eldk as long as you stay within 300 yards, which I have no plans of shooting outside of (at the moment) for an elk no matter what caliber I'm using. . .I can't imagine hiking an animal that large out of the woods any farther than i would absolutely have to!!! Obviously I'm not an experienced elk hunter either though. . . 300 yards is kinda the limit I draw with the 6.8 to kill hogs and white tail deer. Elks would have to be closer... |
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Quoted:
For thin skinned animals; coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, humans - Hornady 110 VMax For everything else; deer, hogs, barriers - SSA 85 TSX (when we get the final results for 95 TTSX this may be replaced - the results are expected to be great) Desert_IAP. . .I'm just a little confused (not disagreeing as I'm inexperienced with this caliber and centerfire rifle in general), but why would it be preferred to use a lighter bullet for heavier game and the heavier bullet for the lighter game. . .this is just the opposite of what I consider to be traditional thought (not to say traditional thought is always right, and advancing technology always changes things). Thanks for the input and looking forward to hearing why you suggest this. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
For thin skinned animals; coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, humans - Hornady 110 VMax For everything else; deer, hogs, barriers - SSA 85 TSX (when we get the final results for 95 TTSX this may be replaced - the results are expected to be great) Desert_IAP. . .I'm just a little confused (not disagreeing as I'm inexperienced with this caliber and centerfire rifle in general), but why would it be preferred to use a lighter bullet for heavier game and the heavier bullet for the lighter game. . .this is just the opposite of what I consider to be traditional thought (not to say traditional thought is always right, and advancing technology always changes things). Thanks for the input and looking forward to hearing why you suggest this. I agree. The 85TSX goes against the conventional wisdom. It has proven itself over the past several years as superior in the 6.8 over 110 bullets, including the 110 TSX. The VMax is a frangible bullet, so it has a good fragmentation on thin skinned targets. But it can't get fast enough in 6.8 to penetrate through tough targets. The Barnes TSX gets up and moves (~3100 fps from a 16" barrel). This paired with the monolithic design gives good expansion, weight retention and penetration. It will through and through a hog in the shoulder area. From the FAQ (Source Doc GKR) "Hornady 110 gr VMAX PT –– This is a great fragmenting bullet and is perfect for CQB/LE SWAT entry work; it is also a good choice for light to medium game." "Barnes 85 and 110 gr TSX JHP –– These all copper, lead free bullets bullets offer good expansion and penetration. They would be useful as both an LE barrier load and for hunting medium game." HighTechRancher and others reports and indepth experiments with the 85 TSX should be studied. There is a pic around here with some SSA 85TSX Tacloads deep cratering a steel plate and Constructor's 85TSX handloads punching holes in a steel plate. Vmax gelatin 
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All I've got left is to buy a scope, scope mount and ammo. . .
. . .that being said and with the info I posted before about how I intend to use the AR which ammod do you guyst think I should use to sight the the scope in with. . .I'm thinking the 85 gr. stuff. Thanks again!!! |
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I use scoeps with the Burris Ballistic Plex reticle.
Using the docs for the scope I recalibrated the BDC reticle for each load I shoot and made up cards for each. I zeroed the scope with my favorite load, then shot the others to verify the range of the tic marks. Works like a champ! |
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