The Ultimate Infantry Rifle - M468
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- Опубліковано 27 лют 2023
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Back in 2004 Barrett developed the M468 along with Remington and the 6.8 SPC. The intent was for the Army to adopt a more potent infantry cartridge vs. the 5.56. The Barrett M468 was based heavily on existing M16 technology including a direct gas impingement system. Ultimately the M468 wasn't adopted.
#m468 #barrett #infantry - Розваги
I jumped on the 6.8 SPC train pretty early on and I have no regrets. The 6.8mm diameter was found by the Army to have the best terminal effect on target when looking at sectional density and frontal area. What really hurt the development was Remington botching the SAAMI submission and causing concern over pressure. SPC II (and other chambers since) corrected this. Unfortunately factory ammo has to be loaded to original spec because old SPC chambers are still in the wild. Silver State Armory used to sell "combat spec" ammo intended for SPC II only which performs much better. Handloading with AA2200 or SW Tac Rifle allows for great performance. I'm running a 1st Gen LWRC Razorback and I still have Saudi contract 90gn Gold Dot Federal ammo in the plain white box. (XM68GD) As far as BCs go, 120SST, which is a hog hammer, has the same BC as 77gn OTM with a bit more drop. Other BCs are close to 55 and 62 gn 5.56. 6ARC and Grendel are good rounds too, but care needs to be used when making a comparison. ARC and Grendel have different specs between bolt guns and gas guns. Also SAAMI spec barrels for SPC are 16" vs 20 or 24" for the others. When 6.8 is loaded to SPC II potential and run from equal barrel lengths, it flat out out horsepowers the others. Drop and drift might be a bit more, but no one ever complains about supersonic 300 Blackout drop/drift which is way worse.
What are your go-to powders for 6.8 SPC after all these years? Anything come out lately that gives you better performance?
@@LRRPFco52 Hey, sorry for the late reply. So by performance I'm going to assume velocity / terminal affect with "good" accuracy. Generally, AA2200 is the go to for 6.8. However, because it is very energetic, you have to be careful with pressure spiking and temperature effects. Shooter's World Tactical Rifle would be the new powder with similar performance. I haven't tested it yet, but Tac Rifle is as energetic and it's flash suppressed. Also, SW claims that it burns much cleaner and is more linear pressure wise. The new powder for light bullets (85 gn Barnes, 90gn Gold Dot) would probably be CFE Black. Gilt-edge accuracy usually goes to extruded powders like H322 or 8208XBR at the cost of max speed. 68Forums has a lengthy post on reloading the 6.Great.
@@ZeeGerman36 Thanks. I lurked 6.8forums since the beginning. Something seems to have changed with the format. I really liked the older format better.
I helped some guys build some very early 6.8 SPC carbines before a dedicated magazine had even been designed back in late 2003. It was being advertised as working from 5.56 mags at the time, but didn’t if you loaded up more than a few rounds.
Cavity back 6.5grendel 118grn is 2550fps from an 18in barrel faster than spc2. From a shorter barrel.
I remember using this all the time in Rainbow Six Vegas. ARMS rails are making a comeback with GWOT clone rifles. Still a great company.
Great game! lol
No clue about the game, but love A.R.M.S. products
Not good, not good!
He's dead, we're fucked!
Who's with me? I'm with you! AGHHHHHHHHH
LIMA OSCAR LIMA, OVER!
AIM AT THEIR LEADER!
Vegas 2 right? Loved those games. My first multiplayer game. Xbox 360 was golden years of gaming
@@EdwardSnortin AIM AND SHOOT!
The Future Weapons episode was a classic. RIP Mack.
I thoughts exactly. Salute 🫡
What happened to Mack?
@@olivereckman9961Brain cancer I think
@@wishuhadmyname damn. That sucks
O wow , I never knew! I loved that show
Barrett makes nice stuff. A shame this rifle didn’t go anywhere.
Maybe in Australia the new owners will do something with it 🤔
Barrett should have bribed whoever Sig did.
@@OddballAZ 😂😂😂
I do enjoy the 6.8 SPC and hope that it sticks around and grows in popularity.
There is an okay chance the 6.8 x 43 will stick around because in the future there will be many 6.8 millimeter bullets being made for 6.8 x 51. The 6.8 x 43 Special Purpose Cartridge may need to be modified to shoot 135 grain bullets. We shall see.
6.8 spc seems to be dying. 6.5 grendel is doing well and is readily available.
It will be around. In 2006 when I got my 6.8 the "WORD" was It's too expensive and you won't be able to find ammo in a couple years. I bought another 1000 rounds last month at Sportsman Guide for under $20 a box. Problem with 6.8 is all us rednecks down south buy up the whole production run. In Texas and Oklahoma 6.8 is VERY POPULAR.
It won’t. The 6.8 SPC has nine toes in the grave.
6.5 Grendel or to a more specialized degree 6mm ARC make 6.8 SPC pointless. Its a short range cartridge with not much versatility compared to the 6.5 Grendel which is arguably the best cartridge you can put in an AR/M4.
One thing you didn't bring up, and it was a much bigger issue back when the 6.8SPC, 6.5 Grendel, and 7.62x39 ARs were first released. Bolt reliability. Still an issue, and one is advised to keep a few spare bolts handy, and on person if doing something more serious than the flat range.
Ended up going 6.5 Grendel several years ago when I was pondering something besides 5.56 in a small frame. Performance is similar at most ranges, edge going to the Grendel at longer ranges. But the biggest reason I went with Grendel is it had and *still* has the advantage of much cheaper ammo...I'm stacked deep in Wolf steel case, and a smaller but decent ammo fort of US-made brass ammo in various projectile types. Plus Grendel bolt and mag development got a boost with 6 ARC, so it's not quite as dead of a platform as 6.8SPC/.224 Valkyrie.
Same, when learning about the ballistic performances, 6.5 Grendel just looked like a better overall choice. I ended up not adopting either after the civilian market lost interest in a new AR caliber and doubled down on good ol 5.56. I'm still surprised to see the amount of 6.8 SPC on store shelves, and I can't tell you the last time I've seen Grendel.
I never got the Grendel apathy. Even here, he didn't mention it once. I got a slick one built short years ago on a Magtac lower. It's better than sliced bread as a round and easier on the bolt lugs than 6.8. I think it was foreign made and nobody wanted a cart built off 7.62x39 case design. But it works and works well!
Went with 6.5 when I took the dive too. Without going on too much a tangent, Cheaper steel case was the deciding factor as well and is pretty darn accurate for what it is. The Hornady SST is devastating. The cartridge has taken heat for not being conducive to FA usage. A friend didn’t have any problems with his FA lower and my upper and I haven’t experienced this while testing some of the go fast triggers. Maybe it’s the magazines? E-Landers have been perfect. Also don’t need to buy different mags and can swap uppers onto non6.8 specific lowers… big advantage
@@TheDoorspook11c Tim has had Grendels on the channel a lot, and he's commented favorably, it was one of his hunting setups a few years back.
Looking for something around these cartridges to do a hunting rifle for my daughter.
I have been giving myself a headache trying to figure out how I want to go. I would have done .300blk pistol suppressed, but I'm not a fan of "registering" anything with the government.
I'm disabled, so I definitely want to make sure that whatever I get for her stays relevant.
Where we hunt, .300blk would definitely suffice. Not many long range shots.
I wouldn't mind her also having some longer range capabilities, because she will have access to other properties, aside from the ones that are owned by my family members.
It's sounds dumb to get a young lady a AR for a hunting rig, but hogs are a thing here, and I probably won't be around very long.
I want to leave her with something that fits with hunting, and also self defense for when she gets older.
6 arc has been looking really good, but availability and longevity are a concern.
I personally have always loved 6.8. LWRC really brought it out for me with their SIX8 lineup.
I adore LWRC. I fantasized it was the LandWarfareResourceCenter, as Lauer blah blah wasn't sexy enough for the carbine they made! When it was new, I was all in and then a man brought the gospel of the 6.5 grendel. I wouldn't buy an Alexander Arms, as I wanted a LWRC 6.5! Lol. Lancer had them, but if you remember Lancer, they looked like space guns. I had one built by IV8888's Master gunsmith back in the day, a MK12 modH in 6.5 !
Sorry for the length but you sent me back. LWRC was super classy! 👌
I owned a LWRC M6A2 in 6.8 Spc. Wouldn’t group worth a crap. 8” groups at 100 yds, 5 shots, leupold 4-16 known hood grouping scope used on other ARs. LWRCs customer service was the worst ever, even worse than Sig. They sent it back with a new barrel which they denied then finally admitted they put a out of spec chamber on it originally. Next one would only shoot 5” groups. Sold that trash.
I love LWRC, too (I own 3). The only issue with the Six8 is that the rifle was actually scaled up slightly, so it is not fully compatible with existing milspec parts.
the LWRC line - 6.8 was developed by warfighters for warfighters
@@oteliogarcia1562 Bingo !
I've had at least one 6.8 in my safe for about the last 20 years. The early days were tough (before factory ammo was available) forming brass from another case that was tough to find was a pain. But once that was all sorted out, it was truly a joy. I still hunt with it from time to time, and it is as much as ever a favorite "carry" hunting rifle.
Sir, this was a great comparison and spot on. I have had a 6.8 for awhile now. With the work of people dedicated to the 6.8 there are improvements over the spc 2 chamber that will surpass the results you found in your testing. Having first hand experience with this round hunting hogs it is extremely effective. My 8 yr old son shot his first deer this season with his 6.8 and is becoming very proficient with a rifle. Great job!! Thank you for the work you do. And yes….. we are in Texas.
It was in Texas that I learned about the hunting potential of the 6.8, and Oklahoma. Thank you for watching!
Great video and spot on!! I have loved the 6.8 SPC since it first came out and have been hunting with it since then. I also used it for home-defense when I had a 16" upper. I now just have an 18" SPCII for deer hunting and SPR shooting.
I have a mini-6.8 that I spent considerable time and money upgrading. Shoots like a champ. Great round, low recoil. Wish ammo were a bit cheaper.
Maybe in 15 years people will realize how sensible it is and it will get mass adoption like 10mm and 5.7 are experiencing currently.
The problem is the stumble at rollout. Both SPC I and II were submitted with errors in the chamber drawings so alternate spec chambers had to be developed. In 15 years, it will be even more obsolete.
I'm a fan of 6.8. Wasn't sure what to do with an extra lower in the gun safe a few years ago and decided to build a 6.8 rifle to hunt with. It's a great caliber for whitetail. Thanks for all the great info!
Indeed. I’ve killed several white trail with my REC7 and LWRC PSD in 6.8.
If you’re ever looking for magazines- PRI of mk 12 mod 0 and mod h fame- makes by far the best magazines for this caliber.
Love my LWRC SIX8’s. I have the 16” and 8” barrel. 6.8 SPC is highly underrated in todays market. My 8” barrel is getting 2450 ft per sec and my 16” gets 2800+ with 90gr gold dots. I would say it’s superior to 300blk in most applications besides suppressed fire (lack of subsonic rounds)
except it drops like a rock. garbage for anything over 300m. would be atrocious in Afghanistan for long range shooting.
@@Robertsmith-un5cu Who said this round was meant to reach out in the vast distances of Afghanistan? At 300 yards 6.8 drops about 2.5 inches more than a 5.56. Not bad considering it’s shooting a bullet twice it’s size coming from the same size platform.
Noveske Pinned 14.5" with XM68GD 90gr pushed 2830fps with a Magneto Speed. 170lb hogs drop in place. Still love the 6.8
@@Robertsmith-un5cu 6arc for the win. Just needs shitty steel case.
Last year i did my first ground up AR build in 6.8, as an 18 inch dmr style rifle. Absolutely love it. It's a 7.62x39 killer. Slightly more energy with way less bullet drop at distance. If anyone is wondering if they should buy/build one, hell yes you should.
Ammo prices suck. No denying that. But theres some great options for reloading.
Which bring me to the next point in that I'm surprised you didn't touch upon reloading 6.8. The factory loadings are soft compared to whats possible because of the original SAMMI spec chamberings. Go buy a 6.8 bison or wilson combat or just about anybody elses barrel with a slightly different chambering and you can easily and reliably get an extra 10-15% velocity/energy out of these rounds.
Love the video, keep up the great work!
I learned a lot of new stuff here! The only 6.8 cartridge I had familiarity with until today was the 6.8 Western, which is an even more outstanding and very hunting-focused cartridge.
I remember reading about this cartridge when it first came out. It was a collaboration between Army Marksmanship Unit and the members of the 5th Special Forces Group to address the perceived lethality issues of the M855 launched from the 14.5in barrel of the M4 when used in firefights in Afghanistan. Called the Enhanced Rifle Cartridge Program, the resulting 6.8 Special Purpose Cartridge was developed from the .30 Remington shorted to fit in the issue STANAG magazines and necked down to the diameter of the .270 Win.
I find it an interesting rifle caliber that still has potential in tactical applications, and I can see a possible renewed interest in the caliber similar to the 10mm.
It was a collaboration between one gunsmith in AMU and an SF guy from 5th Group primarily, definitely not the whole AMU. The AMU Commander at the time (3-time ODA Commander, CIF XO and Commander for C 1-1 Okinawa, former enlisted LRS guy) tried to square them away with the Army optimum caliber studies dating way back, the Aberdeen ballistics studies data covering decades of research, etc., but they ignored him and were very insular, distrusting of anyone outside of a tiny group of guys. That led them to choose the wrong bore diameter in my opinion. I think a .257” would have been the ideal way to go, and handled by people other than Remington, PT&G for reamers, or the NSW folks at the time having input on what was wanted. NSW asked Remington if they could make 6.8x43 spit a 115gr out at 2900fps, to which Remington said, “Sure, no problem.” without even running the numbers.
Several elements with the US SOF community were looking for 3 different cartridge/carbine/rifle concepts:
One was an Unconventional Warfare 7.62x39, AK mag-compatible M4 basically for certain grey/black areas for ease of logistics and deniability.
One was for Designated Marksmen in Ranger Regiment, SEALs, and SF.
The other was for increased terminal performance as you mentioned, from M4s.
6.8x43 attempted to satisfy the latter 2 with different chambers and barrel lengths, but ultimately failed since BCs are too low with that bore diameter and allowable case length.
Mk.262 with 77gr SMK became the solution to the DM cartridge, loaded in SPRs and M4A1s. JSOC-A and JSOC-N had been using 68gr and 69gr match loads in their unit-built DM carbines even prior to the adoption of the M4A1, with free float and custom barrels from Douglas and Lilja, topped with various early LPVOs.
The question became, “Why would we adopt a cartridge that isn’t compatible with any of the other weapons in the sub units, that has more drop and drift than Match 5.56 loads?”
The guys pushing 6.8 then flew to the UK and met with MoD, telling them they had better start tooling up for production now, or get left behind as 6.8x43 NATO gets adopted. It was really poorly-conceived and managed from the start from a military adoption perspective. This isn’t a critique on the fact that many hunters have benefited from it with a better solution than .223 Rem in their AR-15s.
Wow that’s pretty sweet! I never gave 6.8 much thought, but after your performance breakdown now it makes perfect sense. 🤩
There are some great cartridges out there like 6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel and 6mm ARC. The last two came after the 6.8. At the time the 6.8 made a lot of sense to me as a military rifle.
@@Militaryarmschannel Hows the life of the bolt face on a 6.8spc gun btw? Better than grendal or about the same?
I ask because the walls look so thin.
@@Militaryarmschannel It would be really cool if some UA-camr ( doesn’t have to be you) drilled down on turning a 6.5 Grendel into the Ultimate Infantry Rifle and SAW.
The lights went off in my head when I saw a video of a guy cycling a suppressed AR carbine with subsonic ammunition. That means that such a system has the potential, possibly, of replacing 300 Blackout and 5.56 out to 308 distances. If it were possible to marry a TACOMHQ structured barrel with a reliable high capacity drum or magazine on the SAW version then it may meet all of the Army’s weight, range and accuracy requirements. The bolt face would make it easier and cheaper for countries like Finland and others to convert to 6.5G.
It’s interesting that you have this video because I’ve been really interested recently in building a 6.8 rifle! It ballistics looks great!
Glad to see a guntuber giving love to the 6.8 spc, bought a yankee hill 6.8 when I got back from Iraq. Replaced the barrel with a AR Performance due to it having the optimal twist rate for the bullets I like. I wish some of the bolt gun manufacturers would build a 6.8 spc with a 16 or 18 inch barrel.
Excellent explanation of the 6.8 system.
First heard of it on a TV show talking about various rifles and the lwrc 6.8 was one of them. They had me at "hello car door" out on their range, and it took years to finally get one but I've never been happier with a firearm purchase
Built a Stag arms upper and lower in 6.8 SPC .
Went with a Bison Armory 22 inch heavy 4 groove 10 twist barrel, rifle length gas tube , lo pro gas block . A free float aluminum handguard , Magpul PRS Gen 2 adjustable stock. Upgraded single stage competition trigger. It put five Remington UMC 115 gr fmj factory ammunition in same hole at 100 yards. This was the 4th through 9th rounds in the rifle.
Very happy.
@@Appalachia_Ape
In over a year it has gotten an AERO Precision lower , Magpul PRS Gen 3 stock and a single stage trigger , and also has gotten a bi pod. I run a Vortex one piece base and Vortex Diamondback Tactical 30MM 4-16x44 FFP. I have started loading Speer 130 gr flat base over Win 748 2500+ fps and 3/4 MOA at 100 yards. This is my 400 yard deer load. ( Book load from Speer online reloading PDF ). I have unlocked the secret recipe for the Berger 130 gr Classic Hunter with G1 B.C. .498. Using Hornady LEVEREVOLUTION powder it's fully stable now. Need to load long but have powder charges to seat inside mag but need more load development to accurize. I hope this encouraged you to take another look at the 6.8 SPC.
It's hard to beat the speed and penetration of the 5.56mm. When they started making the steel tip ammunition for it the penetration factor went up in all barrel lengths.
and the same effect will take place in any other caliber ... stop comparing apples to oranges - steel tipped AP rounds to standard FMJ of other types ... when you take AP vs AP the 556 still ends up in the "pathetic" bin ...
Currently I own/shoot & reload for my
6.8 SPC II(small rifle primer). Very capable inside a large envelope of performance.
I reload for mine as well, I like 110 gr. HPBTs
90gr TNT/95gr TTSX both over Accurate 2200
So nice to see a 6.8 SPC vid again. It really his the sweet spot. I wish it was more popular.
Awesome video MAC.
This video stood out to me. Nice work!
Man i LOVED that mke zqi ammo. I swear I bought out several of my local Walmarts routinely of that stuff. Stocked up a good amount of it.
I was pulling for this 6.8 for some time during development. The M-4 would be even a better performer in any theater around the world.
GREAT VIDEO, one of the best.
SF is using carbines in 6mm ARC. For applications where you need to be able to shoot at extended ranges, 6mm ARC is way better. 6.8 loses steam too fast to ve a good long range round.
Thanks for educating me I never knew the difference between the rounds. I now will subscribe.thank you!
I own a barrett M468 and I love it! Glad someone is bringing this gun back into the spotlight!
I would love to see a comparison between 6 ARC, 6.5 Grendel, and 6.8 SPC in 10" to 14.7" rifles as well as 20" plus rifles. I know that is a big ask but a man can dream LOL. Thank you for all your hard work and god bless.
Glad you said "most" because M855 (all old lake city brass) is all I buy outside of plinking ammo for cheaper range trips.
Same.
That was a great video. I never would’ve considered that cartridge for anything, but now I am wanting to get my hands on one.
I love the 6.8 SPC! It is my favorite cartridge for hunting coyotes and deer in the AR-15. It is also the best for self defense. I bought my first 6.8 SPC rifle in 2010 and have harvested several deer with it. I just bought a new 16" APR barrel and now have a second upper. Thanks for the video about this awesome cartridge.
Oh, and I did start picking up almost exclusively M855. You know, for the robot dog things!
Don’t forget thermite.
Would also be interesting to compare to the Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle firing the 77 grain Mk 262.
THX YOU, for this super OUTSTANDING & INFORMATIVE & FANTASTIC video, as always!
Can't wait to see more, especially from the 6.8, so please keep it up and coming🙃😉🤙
Always educational. Thank you!
great content great review: allot of weapons have come in and tried to replace the m4 and have not succeeded yet even with the new XM5-M5. as I am in agreement with you it may not even see service at least not as a primary infantry firearm
I remember seeing the Barrett M468 on Future Weapons many years ago. RIP Mack
I'm sure the 6.8 is an excellent round, I'm not doubting that. With today's market I think the 7.62 or .308 is a much better, and a practical choice for the average guy. It's readily available and has a price that is manageable.
Just produce enough 6.8 and it'll also be readily available at a manageable price.
Apples and oranges. .308 is a larger round requiring a large frame (AR-10) platform. 6.8SPC is chamberable in AR-15 sized platforms. That being said, I think 6.5 Grendel is a far superior round to the SPC. All around better ballistics with heavier bullets.
@@unclebob540i3 I'm sure your right. I'm just saying for now, availability, price ect.
@@vasoconvictTough to sell a new AR-15 cartridge when the average shooter isn't gonna notice a difference.
Really enjoyed, learned a lot, thanks
I've wanted one of these Rivals were a longtime great video. By the way really enjoying the second Legacy well done I appreciate you you
I always personally believed that a 6mm or 6.5 mm SPC would’ve been much more well received. A honkin fast 6mm bullet with a good penetrator seems like it would’ve been a better balance of armor penetration, stopping power, and long point blank effective range.
I love my 6.8! It's a fantastic round.
6.8mm is a caliber I would love to love. Same parent cartridge as the 10mm, and a good choice for hunting in many parts of my state.
I've been kicking around the idea of building a 6.8 upper for almost two decades now. Might as well go for it this year.
Dang it!!! Now I'm thinking of a 6.8 SPC build. I didn't know this was even a thing, thanks for the review and history lesson!
I considered the 6.8 about 3 years ago, but ended up going with the 6.5 Grendel instead.
Btw, my stocks of M193 and M855 were made by Federal when it controlled Lake City.
Very nice comparison! All the best to You and Jason! ;-)
Thank you!
Awesome video MAC. I have heard you and lots of others talk about 6 ARC but I don’t see a lot of big gun tubers making videos about it. Would love to see you make a video on 6 ARC
Can't ever forget the M468 because of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Endless hours of fun on Villa with it.
Did we just witness Tim using the forward assist? LOL
Always liked the LWRCI 6.8 spc system. I'm too committed to 7.62x51 and 5.56 to switch but it looks like a viable one rifle solutiin!
Not that I recommend it for bear protection, but it's a great "bush" caliber. More effective than .223 on everything and much simpler to tote than an AR10.
See plenty of 6.8 ammo in stores up here in AK, folks buy it.
Having owned an original Barrett Rec7 in 6.8, I fell in love with the round and piston platforms. That ARMS rail was super heavy and really the only thing I didn’t like about it.
The second you said the weight difference between the two loads of ammo, I immediately said I'll take the 556 thank you.
I immediately said, what's that in real measurements? And then he divided it by 16...
Just learned most of what I know about 6.8.
I really think 22 Grendel should be a thing. Has very similar performance to the 6mm arc. Bolt, barrel and mag change. But what’s nice is you can keep using your same muzzle devices and suppressors from your 5.56.
Check out the 22dpc. I might have Kenny twist me up a barrel
.22 grendel, you mean 220 russian or 22 ppc. The patent round of the 6.5 grendel
No folding smith and Wesson video like everyone else? I like this guy
It's very rare for me to buy anything other than m855 green tips. The only other 556 i have is black hills 77gr. No steel. I'd say most here are about the same. We like the good stuff, thats why we're here, Tim!
Lake City All The Way !
I really liked the old Berrett 468 in 6.8SPC it had a lot of potential. I wish that they would still make thses. But unfortunately it's discontinued.
Those old Barretts were pigs, weighed about a lb more than most 6.8s on the market.
Thank you for covering something different from the other pimped out creators!
Sir, after my basic training as a junior rifleman, aged 16, I was able to use the 7.62mm SLR to great effect and pass my Annial Personal Weapons Test to Marksman standard. I was not unique in this achievement. We carried 4 x mags, plus spare belt for the GMPG, mortar rounds, etc. The stopping power of NATO 7.62, in the hands of a trained Rifleman, outweighed the move to 5.56mm in all respects. I understand that the chassis design must change due to materials development, but delivering a round, which is truly 'One shot, one kill' is, as you elude to, the best tool an Infantryman could wish to be issued with. Thanks for great content as always 👍🏼
Again, thanks for the positive review of the 6.8spc, I re watch this from time to time. Most rounds outside of 5.56, .223 are about the same price as 6.8, at least at the place I buy em
I own and love the m468. I also have .556 rifles. I enjoy both. When something goes bump in the night, or deer, hog hunting I will grab the 6.8...... ALWAYS. The 6.8 hits like a sledge hammer! Cost is no more than quality .308
So what your saying is, if I'm increasing ammo weight, changing mags, increasing ammo expense, for the same price I mine as well run the superior rifle cartridge that is more avaliable and will be for decades, the .308?
This is the problem, if I'm trying to run light kit 5.56 is great, if I need range I can run .308 for the same price as 6.8spc and be hilariously more effective on target, only real downside would be rifle weight and total ammo capacity due to a larger mag requirement.
@@AndrewW. Thats it in a nutshell. The deciding factor for me was platform weight. AR-15 vs AR-10 and if I was going tp shlep around a heavier AR-10 there are better choices than .308. Examples , .243, 260 rem, 7mm08, 6.5cred, and several more. My real world hunting in Oklahoma is 30-400 yds and 6.8 fits the bill. I shot a 400 lb. hog at 200+ yds this winter and the 6.8 killed him so fast all 4 feet never moved, His chin and stomach hit the ground and it was over. 308 is not hilariously more effective than 6.8 ask a hog hunter. 6.8 is not a moose, elk, and bear rifle, thats what a .300 wm is for, .308 is over rated but it is the parent case of many GREAT cartridges.
@@melechc7267 .308 will have better penetration depth and better bone breaking capability, this translates to being a better barrier blind cartridge, it will also have higher energy and depending on ammo choice can deliver that energy very well in whatever your target is. If I had two choices for bear defense, 6.8spc and .308win, I would bet my life on .308win.
Not to say 6.8spc isn't great for hunting medium game, but .308 is substantially more powerful than any intermediate cartridge that fits in an AR-15 action.
I don't think 6.8spc is a suitable replacement for 5.56 or .308 on thin skinned targets for Americans stocking up or training, but for hunting it absolutely has its place if keeping the platform light and fast while improving penetration depth and energy retention at longer ranges is a requirement.
6.8 is a rock solid cartridge I shoot and load….. if people would give it a chance they would fall in love!
Absolutely. They usually are not really 300+ yard rifles, but neither are neither most game or most threats.
if only the price would go down
I do agree with you, this “6.8 SPC” cartridge was and continues very much alive, regardless of cost. In my opinion the US Army should have considered a hybrid bullet with the same 43mm casing with a steel base as the 277 fury cartridge, which would be hotter, but maintaining the 30 round mags in a lighter rifle; not increasing the carry weight compared to the M4 and .556 cartridge. This for CQB, and keep the 277 fury as marksman’s tool.
Excellent information!..
You are 100% correct, and I totally agree with you. 6.8 would be better. But anytime anyone talks about this subject that tend to downplay the lethality of the 5.56 NATO cartridge as it is, is really not doing those cartridges justice. Even acknowledging their limitations, they are still extremely lethal.
so the "solution" is to basically adopt the 7.62x39 equivalent ... how many 7.62 wannabe cartridges will Americans create before realizing that if you want to use heavier intermediate cartridge for a rifle, there is one that existed for more than 70 years now that does exactly the same thing as 6.8 SPC or 300 AAC Blackout ...
@@Asghaad Oh, you're referring to the original, the 7.92×33mm Kurz.
@@georges.7683 considering that cartridge died ... no
yes its in the +- same energy ballpark as all those cartridges, but one is currently being produced in millions, the other is unobtanium for collectors
my point was that its useless to present US military with yet another 7.62x39 wannabe when it has +- same effective range as 5.56, if they wanted that cartridge they would have adopted the 7.62x39 or 300 AAC long ago (spec ops did, they are again useful for suppressed work as they both can be easily loaded subsonic)
either stick with what works and troops know (5.56) or choose something that will give you enough performance upgrade to be worth losing ammo load for (hence the Spear )
There are definitely better options than 5.56 in any of it's configurations. Why I choose to go the 5.56 route has to do with availability right now today, and how likely would I come across it and components for my platform that utilizes it in possible future scenarios. I sight in with my green tips "affordable for bulk purchasing" , then train with the Wolf.
Love the 6.8. It was my first AR build.
I clicked on this just because the rifle looked cool. Little did I know it was an older version of a rifle I already know and love. Cool video, MAC.
Edit: I will say, this video sold 6mm ARC to me more than it did 6.8 SPC. If you are going to be stuck in the 90-115gr range anyways, 6mm maximizes BC/SD for the available COAL inside an AR-15 mag. .25 caliber stuff might be on the money too, maybe even better if you want to squeeze up to the top end with ARC loads topping out at 108s right now I believe, I'd have to do more looking, but .25 is an oddball caliber, even more so than .27s so its a nonstarter for all intents. Very interested to see where 6 ARC goes, but I doubt the 6.8 SPC is ever coming back to the front of the pack. Its an ARC/Creedmoor/PRC kind of world now. Old ones work fine most of the time, but they'll never be the 'new kid' again.
You'd be surprised at how available and affordable M855 is in appalachia...even A1 is somewhat available at lower cost than other places. But in all seriousness I have a couple of ARs set up in 5.56 for different purposes. One for 77gr IMI razor core and one for good ole 62gr LAP and M855. That said, I recently picked up a 6.5grendel upper for hogs because it was more available than 6.8spc and gosh darn it if grendel didn't dry up like a nun on a monday. Now 6.8spc makes an appearance more often and at a more affordable price than grendel and torn between holding out for more 6.5, switching gears and grabbing a 6.8 or saying to heck with it and going back to AR10 with something like a 147-168gr .308win.
I have been shooting the steel cased Wolf in my Grendel Ruger Predator. Cheap and accurate 100 grain Blammo! Ultra-Mega-MAGA
Halsford T.G. Btw, I am also in Appalachia- East Tennessee, to more exact.
Have you looked on Ammoseek? Do you reload?
Ah yes. 6.8 SPC. When you want more than 5.56, but the Grendel is just too much performance.
I think that's more than uncharitable. More like, "when you want to outperform Grendel and .556 with shorter barrel lengths at close to medium range."
A few years back I built a 6.8 SPCII chambered rifle. Had a DD S2W 6.8 barrel, mid length gas, collapsible stock, and BCM free-float rail. I think the buffer I was using was a bit too heavy as I had short stroking at least twice per mag but otherwise she was accurate, hard hitting, and I loved that rifle.
JSOC-A tested it with fleet samples in high volume and rejected it.
There were a lot of failures and safety concerns. Could have been chamber and ammunition related at the time.
Mk.262 came out around the same time to satisfy the DM role, and there were multiple 5.56 loads that addressed lethality. Within JSOC, there weren't a lot of complaints about lethality because SOF elements had been stacking enemy combatants with 10" and 11.5" 5.56 Colt Commandos since the days of SOG in SEA.
How does 6.8 compare to super sonic 300 blackout?
I love the 6.8 spc and always wanted an MCX conversion which is why I’m excited about the 277 fury, yes it’s a bigger round and weighs a lot more but it’s the closes I’m going to get. I think the 6.8 spc should have been adopted because it has just the slightest more recoil than 5.56 and everyone wants a marriage of 7.62x39 and 5.56 and that’s the 6.8
But 7.62x39 was replaced by 5.45 for a reason.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD yes for weight saving, less recoil and better accuracy. But everyone wants that in between round where you have less recoil than your 7.62 caliber but more energy than your 223. 6.8 or 6.5 would be that good middle ground.
@@GammaRayTrae 6.8 is going back to the cons of 7.62 while giving up the pros of 5.56.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD yes but it’s also going towards the pros of 7.62 and giving up cons of 5.56
@@GammaRayTrae But 7.62 has less pros... Other than putting the smack down on cinder blocks and having more mass after it punches car doors, small caliber high velocity just wins.
5.56 exists in the Goldilocks zone where you can't go any smaller or else the caliber becomes anemic, and you can't go any larger or you're throwing all the advantages away.
Very good info,,if I wasn't invested in two other platforms I would definitely go that route.
Many rounds out of several 6.8 SPC's. Never any problems with bolt breakage for me. The round also has thicker brass in the case at the base vs. the thinner 6.5 grendel. Both good medium game hunting rounds. Look into the awesome 120 gr. cavity back bullets. The 6.8 is alive and well!
No interest in 6.8.
I think the 300 black out should of been the one for our troops.
Same thought. And why not .300BLK for hunting and personal defense?
I built a 6.8 upper, Just wanted something different than the other 5.56 builds I already have. I had zero experience with it and never fired a 6.8. But once it was finished I became a huge fan of the 6.8. I originally configured it as a tactical rifle (carbine 6P stock, EOTech RDS) but is now more or less a hunting/DMR carbine with a Leupold 3x9 -40 scope. I'm in the same boat as everyone else is ammo availability. I buy it whenever I find it in stock! Cost doesn't bother me, just wish there was more ammo available on the shelves.
Great info!
Dang, just looked up M855A1, it's like $2 a round! 😳
Yeah, it's expensive and hard to come by.
Worth it
Dang...maybe when we have surplus built up, but I'll be sticking to my 7.62x39 Zpap for now
Destroys parts as well. Issued it in Afghanistan. Half of our M4s went down during zeroing and needed new parts. I got lucky and mine was fine.
Doesn't chew up the feed lips?
Love my custom build 6.8 SPC! Wilson Combat 16” recon tactical profile barrel with a Geissele SSA-E trigger and a 3-9x40 scope, this thing is awesome!
Really liked this video Bro!
Great video. I am a 6.8 and 10mm personal fan. I don't currently have a 6.8, but my 10mm is a RIA double stack with a 20 lb. Wolf spring kit in it.
I love the 6.8 SPC. I only have one rifle that shoots it and yes it has become hard to find and expensive. If it was more cost effective and available I would definitely consider it going forward.
I have the 6.8 SPC in both an LWRC M6A2 in 16 inch and the LWRC Six8A5 in 10.3 inch versions. It is a fantastic cartridge in both setups. I deer hunted with the 16 inch for years and it did the job on these South Carolina deer..
The muzzle break on the 6.8 Spoils comparison.. Thats exactly what they did in early military testing, they put muzzle brakes on all the 6.8 guns to try and convince us it wasn't that bad circa 2002ish when we got some to try in 5th SFG. The original goal of the 6.8 As Told to us in development was to give it the same close-range terminal performance of the AK-47 7.62x39 round and the range of 5.56
I don’t have a 6.8 SPR, but I got into 6.5 Grendel before the 2020 stupidity and resulting world change. Luckily I stocked up with a lot of it, but I hope Palmetto’s new AAC ammo company starts making it. I’m tired of scrounging around for it to purchase.
I think we both got into our respective cartridges as a heavy hitting/hunting rifle in AR-15 format without bumping up to AR-10 weight. I hunt with bough Grendel and .308 out of an AR-10, but to be honest I vastly like using the Grendel for hogs and whitetail than the .308 due to its flatter trajectory and ballistics. Now I understand why European’s have loved 6.5 variants for decades!
Great video btw.
The excellent cartridge of our time, I'd bet my life on it any day of the week.
My mk12 AEM 5 can is bored out and has the 6.8 markings. I was always curious on why it was made that way. Pretty neat
6.8 spc is an excellent choice. I use a lwrc 6.8 and love it. Thanks for a great review.
6.8 SPC is the best cartridge for terminal performance between 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO. 6.5 Grendel can only get decent ballistics from longer barrels (do some research), the steep case shoulder feeds less reliably, and the bolt lug support is too thin because of the fatter cases. 6.5 G does excel at longer range paper punching though because the bullets do have higher BC. For terminal smack down performance on humans and human-weight game though, the 6.8 SPC is the one to use.
I've been a fan of 6.8 spc for almost a decade, ever since I bought a Stag Arms "lefty" Model 7L. I just built a permanently suppressed 6.8 SBR and have been stockpiling and reloading ammo. I definitely agree the military should've adopted the larger caliber before. Nice to see the M5 being fielded.
Good video..... You have a really nice camera. Really good quality.
Never knew. Great information.
Those ARMS rails are so damn cool looking. I own two of them and have them on my favorite builds. They’re not too heavy, all aluminum and the bottom is polymer.