6.8 Western Brass

[jgraff08]

What sucks is that is feels like there is a real effort to make sure the 6.8W dies. Hornady doesn't want to make anything for it because they know it blows the PRC out of the water. I have gotten just under 3000 fps with 165 ABLR and 2900 with 175 TGK. With what feels like the same amount of recoil as the 6.5 PRC. I was hoping it caught on so Winchester/Browning could do a 7mm version....

The center of the world isn't in Nebraska contrary to somes belief

 

[Gila]

What sucks is that is feels like there is a real effort to make sure the 6.8W dies. Hornady doesn't want to make anything for it because they know it blows the PRC out of the water. I have gotten just under 3000 fps with 165 ABLR and 2900 with 175 TGK. With what feels like the same amount of recoil as the 6.5 PRC. I was hoping it caught on so Winchester/Browning could do a 7mm version....

Welcome to Rokslide! There is no way The “Big Red” will ever support the 6.8 Western. No dies, no brass, no bullets and definitely no ammo. The honeymoon is over for the “cartridge that should not be named”. The way I see it, the 6.5 PRC is a very good thing, although the 6.5 x. 284 Norma will give it a run for the money. The 6.5 PRC came out in 2018. The 6.8 Western in 2021. The 7 PRC came out in 2023.

The truth is there are plenty of accepted 7 mm cartridges that will push a high BC bullet out to 1,000 yards and win money or drop an Elk in it’s tracks. So then I think the question that is frequently dodged or not even asked, is why did Big Red come out with the 7 PRC? The comparison between the 6.8 Western and the 7 PRC is really non-sequiter. The direct competition for the 6.5 PRC is the 6.8 Western. The comparison between the 6.8 West/ 6.5 PRC can be made since both are short action cartridges designed to shoot heavy for caliber, high BC bullets. The longest OAL of both cartridges loaded with the highest BC bullets for each caliber will fit in most common magazines that can feed a cartridge up to 3” in length. The heaviest bullets for the 6.5 PRC is the 147 ELDm which is loaded in factory ammo. The heaviest bullet for the 6.8 Western is the 175 game changer which is also loaded in factory ammunition.

The paradigm shift is away from last centuries long action cartridges to short action cartridges that will shoot the newer, higher BC bullets. That is a way to shoot heavy for caliber high BC bullets and still be within the 3.4” limitation of most factory “long action” DBMs. For example, I shoot a 284 Winchester. There isn’t any factory ammo available but plenty of premium brass since it is an F-class winner. I load 162 ELDs with a coal of 3.07. If I was to load 180 VLDs would be a coal slightly more than 3.2”. Since I need to load long; I must use a long action DBM. The 6.8 Western is designed to shoot a 175 grain high BC bullet in short action, common, production rifle magazines. That in itself is truly amazing.

People keep saying the 6.8 Western is dead when it is just starting to wake up and take off. Now we have premium brass in addition to Winchester brass. The support and the options are starting to snow ball for the 6.8 Western.

 

[jgraff08]

Welcome to Rokslide! There is no way The “Big Red” will ever support the 6.8 Western. No dies, no brass, no bullets and definitely no ammo. The honeymoon is over for the “cartridge that should not be named”. The way I see it, the 6.5 PRC is a very good thing, although the 6.5 x. 284 Norma will give it a run for the money. The 6.5 PRC came out in 2018. The 6.8 Western in 2021. The 7 PRC came out in 2023.

The truth is there are plenty of accepted 7 mm cartridges that will push a high BC bullet out to 1,000 yards and win money or drop an Elk in it’s tracks. So then I think the question that is frequently dodged or not even asked, is why did Big Red come out with the 7 PRC? The comparison between the 6.8 Western and the 7 PRC is really non-sequiter. The direct competition for the 6.5 PRC is the 6.8 Western. The comparison between the 6.8 West/ 6.5 PRC can be made since both are short action cartridges designed to shoot heavy for caliber, high BC bullets. The longest OAL of both cartridges loaded with the highest BC bullets for each caliber will fit in most common magazines that can feed a cartridge up to 3” in length. The heaviest bullets for the 6.5 PRC is the 147 ELDm which is loaded in factory ammo. The heaviest bullet for the 6.8 Western is the 175 game changer which is also loaded in factory ammunition.

The paradigm shift is away from last centuries long action cartridges to short action cartridges that will shoot the newer, higher BC bullets. That is a way to shoot heavy for caliber high BC bullets and still be within the 3.4” limitation of most factory “long action” DBMs. For example, I shoot a 284 Winchester. There isn’t any factory ammo available but plenty of premium brass since it is an F-class winner. I load 162 ELDs with a coal of 3.07. If I was to load 180 VLDs would be a coal slightly more than 3.2”. Since I need to load long; I must use a long action DBM. The 6.8 Western is designed to shoot a 175 grain high BC bullet in short action, common, production rifle magazines. That in itself is truly amazing.

People keep saying the 6.8 Western is dead when it is just starting to wake up and take off. Now we have premium brass in addition to Winchester brass. The support and the options are starting to snow ball for the 6.8 Western.

Theres enough of anything u can have and do what u want. I always like 270 wsm decided against it when I had to redecide the 6.8 was out so im going that way its really that simple

 

[Gila]

Winchester is shipping 6.8 Western brass again. I have not heard anything recently from ADG.

 

[jgraff08]

Optics plant says ships in a week ive seen it on gunbroker

 

[Gila]

Winchester is shipping 6.8 Western brass again. I have not heard anything recently from ADG.

94 cents a piece is the cheapest I have found so far….in stock at several big on-line vendors. Grafs being one of them.

 

[7mm Man]

I don't understand why the 6.8W isn't more popular. I can get close to 7 PRC performance in a short action, and recoil is a joke when using a brake. It should kill the 6.5 PRC, but since Hornady has some magic marketing fairy dust it outsells the 6.8. Another limiting factor is there is not a lot of high BC, heavy for caliber .277 bullets. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 7mm Western come out soon making it what the 7 WSM should have been in a short action. In a message chain a little while back Joseph Von Benedikt mentioned he was testing a new rifle caliber that he had to be hush, hush over. A week or so after I mentioned something about a 7mm Western and he didn't even comment back which is unusual for him. Normally he says something. Makes me wonder if a 7mm Western is coming. He is a big Browning ambassador.

 

[jgraff08]

Bump that shoulder back a hair call it the 284 western. Ww is known for the 284 not the 7mm that's rem. Now that might kill the 6.8 but I don't think so I had a guy tell me don't build a 6.8 because of supply and he shoots a 325 wsm like dude you'll be buying 6.8 brass to neck up before I'm buying wsm to go down. Your right on the marketing

 

[wind gypsy]

I don't understand why the 6.8W isn't more popular. I can get close to 7 PRC performance in a short action, and recoil is a joke when using a brake. It should kill the 6.5 PRC, but since Hornady has some magic marketing fairy dust it outsells the 6.8. Another limiting factor is there is not a lot of high BC, heavy for caliber .277 bullets. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 7mm Western come out soon making it what the 7 WSM should have been in a short action. In a message chain a little while back Joseph Von Benedikt mentioned he was testing a new rifle caliber that he had to be hush, hush over. A week or so after I mentioned something about a 7mm Western and he didn't even comment back which is unusual for him. Normally he says something. Makes me wonder if a 7mm Western is coming. He is a big Browning ambassador.

The magic marketing fairy dust:
1. Spec a cartridge/chamber with the same premises that competition shooters have been getting their custom chambers and wildcats done for years
2. Do it in the calibers with the best bullets available that people who shoot high volume actually want
3. Keep ammo on the shelves at reasonable prices

In general, 6.8 doesn't do anything better than 6.5 PRC but recoil more and make people think they have more "knockdown power" with an addition 20 grains and 0.013" of bullet. It IS a great design IMO, just kind of plagued by 0.277 bore and the companies that introduced it.

A 7 western would be a neat cartridge. Pretty dang close to a 7 SAUM though for reloaders/custom gun people.

 

[jgraff08]

The magic marketing fairy dust:
1. Spec a cartridge/chamber with the same premises that competition shooters have been getting their custom chambers and wildcats done for years
2. Do it in the calibers with the best bullets available that people who shoot high volume actually want
3. Keep ammo on the shelves at reasonable prices

In general, 6.8 doesn't do anything better than 6.5 PRC but recoil more and make people think they have more "knockdown power" with an addition 20 grains and 0.013" of bullet.

A 7 western would be a neat cartridge. Pretty dang close to a 7 SAUM though for reloaders/custom gun people.

That's another question in this is new rem going to do anything with any saum? Custom builders nosler brass and adg are the only thing keeping it alive barely

 

[wind gypsy]

That's another question in this is new rem going to do anything with any saum? Custom builders nosler brass and adg are the only thing keeping it alive barely

Doubt it.

Kind of like "Is Win going to do anything with 284"? No, same deal, they designed a great case but with a dated SAAMI spec that doesn't align with how most folks who are building new ones are using it today.

Unless of course this new 7mm on the horizon is a refresh on the 284?

 

[jgraff08]

7mm 08 enters the chat point is we have way too many options

 

[7mm Man]

The magic marketing fairy dust:
1. Spec a cartridge/chamber with the same premises that competition shooters have been getting their custom chambers and wildcats done for years
2. Do it in the calibers with the best bullets available that people who shoot high volume actually want
3. Keep ammo on the shelves at reasonable prices

In general, 6.8 doesn't do anything better than 6.5 PRC but recoil more and make people think they have more "knockdown power" with an addition 20 grains and 0.013" of bullet. It IS a great design IMO, just kind of plagued by 0.277 bore and the companies that introduced it.

A 7 western would be a neat cartridge. Pretty dang close to a 7 SAUM though for reloaders/custom gun people.

I have both the 6.8W, 6.5 PRC, 7 SAUM, 6.5 SAUM and 7 Sherman Short and I don't notice any more recoil from one to another. I do notice more in 7 RM though for whatever reason. All have brakes on them. The 7 RM does have a sporter style stock while the rest have "tactical" straight grip style stocks. Maybe that is the difference, but it is hard to tell when there are a lot of factors at play. I will say I notice more muzzle blast with the larger cartridges though. I know there is a "go smaller" movement going now, especially on this forum, but if you put rifle that shoots 175gr next to a rifle that shoots 156gr, say all else is equal, and I have to shoot an elk sized animal, I would choose the 175gr every time. That is just the way I roll. I am not saying my way is right or wrong, just I prefer more if I can have it for elk. Now if you tell me it is just a mule deer or whitetail, I wouldn't care which bullet. Hornady has definitely kept reloading components in stock during trying times. Heck they sent me free bullets in the middle of covid from my "get loaded" rebate when no one else even had bullets. I will never forget that. You could consistently (for the most part) get ELD-X bullets during covid, but I had a hell of a time trying to find 165 Nosler ABLR for my 6.8W.

 

[Lou270]

It would suprise me if Win did a 7mm Western. They picked 6.8W for a reason. The 180 eldms/195s will not work well for factory loads in a short action and if shooting lighter bullets a 27 cal will have advantage. There is a reason Hornady went LA for 7prc and Win chose a .27 cal for SA. It would not suprise me to see a 25 cal prc/western/cm by somebody as that is only “hole” for a modern version of a cartridge

As for brass I saw ADG is doing an initial 6.8W run mid Aug. I think the intent is to get feedback and full production in Jan.

Lou

 

[7mm Man]

I just want more new cartridges so I can keep building new rifles and playing around with new loads

 

[wind gypsy]

It would suprise me if Win did a 7mm Western. They picked 6.8W for a reason. The 180 eldms/195s will not work well for factory loads in a short action and if shooting lighter bullets a 27 cal will have advantage. There is a reason Hornady went LA for 7prc and Win chose a .27 cal for SA. It would not suprise me to see a 25 cal prc/western/cm by somebody as that is only “hole” for a modern version of a cartridge

As for brass I saw ADG is doing an initial 6.8W run mid Aug. I think the intent is to get feedback and full production in Jan.

Lou

I'm pretty sure 25 creedmoor saami is already in process?

 

[7mm Man]

I would be surprised if Hornady didn't hop on getting the 25 CM saami approved soon. Although it did take a while and Horizon Firearms to really push to get the 22 CM SAAMI approved. The .257 is another caliber that has been neglected. If Hornady jumped on it we would at least get a steady flow of high BC bullets for it.

 

[TaperPin]

7 SAUM brass is so close in size to the western, I’m curious what people’s reservations are about using it? I don’t have a Western yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a used barrel pops up, so I’m preplanning.

 

[Gila]

284 Win shoots 162 gr ELDs extremely well. Need to handload the cartridge though as there is no factory loads. Plenty of premium brass around though.

Gonna stick to the 165 LRAB and 175 gr Gamechanger for the 6.8 West. I have plenty of those bullets.

 

[Lou270]

I would be surprised if Hornady didn't hop on getting the 25 CM saami approved soon. Although it did take a while and Horizon Firearms to really push to get the 22 CM SAAMI approved. The .257 is another caliber that has been neglected. If Hornady jumped on it we would at least get a steady flow of high BC bullets for it.

Hornady and Berger make high bc 25 cal bullets. I don’t follow it, but I have read 25 cal is gaining some popularity in PRS as easier to spot impacts vs 6mms w/out recoil of 6.5s.

Lou