I honestly think it was perfect and am super bummed its fading already. Even as a Hornady fanboy and understanding why they did it I'm seriously mad they pushed the industry into not accepting it. The 7 prc is great but I've never felt like i needed more gun than a 7mm rem mag and the 6.8 western was matching that performance with a modern design, high bc bullets, and in a short action.
I do not see it fading. It's a combination of things. Factories are 2 years behind in manufacturing due to still recovering the industry after Covid. We can't even get all of our grocery orders our store makes. 2 years later we're still being shorted a lot of stuff ordered. When I asked about what was going on this is what the representatives told us. It will take years to get back to normal. Gibson and Fender guitars are 3 years behind their orders. The same is going on with ammo. They are first concentrating on producing the ammo that is most needed and asked for. So .223, .308, and the other 10 most popular calibers. So I believe they are making less ammo of the less popular calibers. It will smooth out over time. I think 6.8 is here for quite some time.
i honestly think the 6.8 is the best option in the 270 cal family, i took a nice whitetail at 200 yards facing directly at me last season with the 162 grain copper solid.. 1 shot and it never took a step, was able to get jagged 1 hole groups at 100 yards with the same rounds.. i hope it gets a 2nd chance, because its an incredible round
I have the Browning X Bolt Long Range Max in 6.8 western and I absolutely love it. It is my first rifle in The .270 family, but I couldn’t be happier with it. I can touch the same bullet holes on paper at 100 yards with the 175gr Browning Sierria TGK. I have also took a few deer with it and was impressed. I hope this round doesn’t fade out.
Lots and lots of 6.8 Western loaded ammo on the shelf in Rapid City, SD today (8-24-23). Not many rifles out there though. The total stonewalling by other manufacturers shouldn’t surprise me, but it still makes me want to boycott the big red grinch.
“Big Red Hype Machine” is spot on!😂😂😂 Never owned a 6.8 Western and never will, won’t even buy a 7mm PRC! I own a couple of .270 Winchester custom rifles I’ve built myself…in my spare time which, at 62 and still in business, is harder to come by with all the custom gunsmiths dying off. I’d give the choice between the two…I’d still pick the .270 Winchester because I don’t consider the others relevant.
As a 6.8W owner one thing that gets lost on non-owners is how fast ammo and components sell out when they hit the shelves. So people are buying the stuff. Christensen Arms, Fierce, Seekins also make rifles for it. Cabelas/BP now carry 10+ different models. Will I say thriving … no, but silly to pronounce anything alive or dead 2 yrs after introduced. Anybody who follows cartridge history should know this. 264 Win Mag took off like scalded cat for first several years and nobody even knew what a 6.5 Creedmoor was for first 8 years. How did that work out?
I think they could help increase the survival rate by stopping production of the 7prc in their rifles since Hornady has publicly said on multiple occasions that they will not support the 6.8 western. Could you imagine the hit Hornady would take if Browning and Winchester both stopped production of all PRC calibers.
Great video as usual! I have 6.8 Western and really like the cartridge. I got mine not too long after it was launched and still getting some hype. Even well before Hornady launched the 7 PRC, I noticed that Winchester and Browning were pulling back on the support for the 6.8 Western. I was disappointed to see that. Yes, they do support it, but only minimally. They could do a much better job. Unfortunately, they are not as good at marketing as the Big Red Machine.
I like the cartridge. Do not have a 270 wsm, and handload for the 6.8w. Under .5 and it kills, so I'm satisfied. I will be perfectly honest though, its done for on a retail level. You are spot on with the 7prc concerns, few will pick the 6.8w over the 7prc, but I think thats marketing not capability.
It’s sad that the 6.8 Western isn’t catching on. Maybe it is just a slow start like the 6.5 Creedmoor until suddenly, everyone discovered 6.5mm caliber. Now all of the sudden if you wanna be hip, you gotta have 6.5mm Creedmoor or a 6.5 PRC. My personal vote is for the underrated and unappreciated 270 Weatherby Magnum. I suggested to Weatherby that they offer faster twist rate barrels as an option in their Mark V and Vanguard rifles, in all of their cartridge offerings. Yes, the 27 Nosler is faster but, the 270 Weatherby Magnum is still a screamer. Like you Austin, I’m a Weatherby man.
I have 270wsm and 270 win . I have to say I love the 270 win its awesome . plenty of ammo shoots great coming on 100 year anniversary it's all you need. 🤠
😃 I would have to agree with your statement! It's like driving a car that does 200 mph, when the speed limit is 75 mph! I'll take the gas money savings of my Toyota Corolla instead, as the "excess power" of the "hot rod" is unnecessary! 🤑
It’s not fading away due to lack of demand. It’s following is growing each week. It is very close in performance to a 7prc and out performs any 6.5. It’s only failing is that browning and Winchester are doing a piss poor job of marketing and pushing it.
I sure do love the cartridge. I don't reload so I hope someone continues producing it. It's been a lights out hunting rifle for me over the last two years.
I have a few rifles .22LR x2 .22WMR .223Rem .243W 6.5 Creedmoor x2 6.8 Western .308W .300 Weatherby Magnum .350 Legend By far my favourite rifle & cartridge is the 6.8 Western 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
I love how people say or “ hint at” the 270 win as being outdated. The 50 or so animals from pigs to elk and red stag, my kids and I have shot with that caliber in 30 years, as far out as 500 yards, would disagree if they could. You nailed this video. New calibers are fun but none will be such an improvement for me to give up on 25-06, 270 win, 280rem ( my fav), 30-06(my first personal rifle) or my 300 wsm( sounds new but had mine 12 years now) I did buy 28 nosler and it’s an impressive caliber which I hit my first 1000 yard steel with but I don’t think it does better than 300wsm ballistically in reality. Proper hand loads, ballistic charts and dial up scopes they all can out shoot their owners capabilities
I do not think it will fade. If you look at how long it took the Winchester WSM line to start to become more available, in more rifles and on ammo shelves...it took about a decade to get real traction. I see a lot of rifles for sale suddenly here in Canada in 6.8 Western, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .300 PRC, 28 Nosler. The cartridges that have failed over the years had a small niche where they excelled at one or two things, but had lots of other disadvantages and shortcomings. The WSM, PRC, RUM, ARC, Nosler, Western, and Legend line of calibers are brilliant in their designs, and intended use. They were all really well thought through lines of cartridges. I think most will survive the test of time. The world needed more magnum calibers. We've been asking for them for decades. The developers and manufacturers came through, but it takes time for everyone to get around to buying rifles in these new chamberings. I fully intend to add a 6.8 Western to my Magnum rifle collection.
@@ReloadingWeatherby I've been shooting centrefire rifles since age 9. I have been shooting for 47 years. What I have found in that time is there is nothing more supported than a good Winchester cartridge caliber. 3 times more Remington cartridges fail over Winchesters calibers. Look at most of the popular calibers today. 3/4 are Winchester designed and supported cartridges. It'll be fine. Far too many rifles chambered for it just hit the 2024 market. It takes a decade for a cartridge to show the direction it's going to start to take. Then it takes another decade to become say a .270 level cartridge that is heavily supported by the hunting/shooting community, as well as the manufacturers of rifles and ammo. Just promote it's greatness and it'll grow and expand throughout our shooting scene. People listen to dudes like you. You have more influence than you realize.
I think they tried to answer a question no one was really asking. There isn’t that much difference, ballistically, between the 6.8 and 270 WM. And to be fair, it really doesn’t have much more going for it over the venerable 270 Win. The vast majority of hunters will pick an accurate rifle in 270 Win and not give two hoots about seating depth or dispersion at longer ranges. Ammunition is much easier to come across and it’s a lot more buyer friendly in terms of price and variety. Just my $.02
I have to give props to Browning… They are producing 6.8W and they are also now producing 270WIN with 1:8 twist. Browning is producing what consumers want. Hornady on the other hand is blocking the 6.8W to push what they want… they make good products but their shenanigans are an eye roll 🙄.
I think comparing the standard length 27 Nosler(or better yet, 28 Nosler) is a more fair comparison to the 7PRC. The 6.8 Western was designed as a hunting focused competitor to the 6.5PRC. Which it does well.
Screw Hornady. They acted very poorly during all of this. Browning and Winchester tried to fight the beast and lost. Admittedly, I am sick of the metrification BS that is going on rn. I will personally not buy any cartridge that is in metric (system of the Antichrist). If they called it the .270 Western, I’m sure it would have had more support. I just want what is best for the consumer. I’m a .270 Winchester fan, but I just want the .277 caliber to succeed. I think it is the best caliber and is such a happy medium. God bless, thank you for listening to my schizo-tier rant.
I have one, just add a succesful hunt with it, perfect caliber for me. I don't get it why it's not getting much more attention. Short action, good power. In my case, it's a hunting riffle, so , shooting 5 to 10 bullet per year.
I hope it survives. I like the bullet weights for the 6.8 Western factory ammo--more suitable for some big game than the .270 WIN. True, the .270 WIN is an incredibly flat-shooting round, but the higher BC bullets for the heavier 6.8 Western rounds seem to be perfect for large game (I would feel slightly undergunned going for one of the great bears with a .270 WIN but not so with the 6.8 Western).
There’s been quite a few awesome cartridges fail from bad timing of their release. 338 federal is one of them. It came out around the same time 6.5 creedmor was getting pushed. 338 federal will push a 160 Barnes ttsx at 3050fps giving it 7mm rem mag power
People ( me included!) say it’s a shame that the 6.8 western isn’t successful, but did we buy one? I like the concept, but I didn’t buy one! I can’t find brass anywhere to justify buying one. There’s plenty of beautiful rifles for it. Plenty of ammo for it on my local shelves, but as stated, no brass and Winchester brass isn’t my favorite, but also not available. Also, the 7prc does everything better and I love my 270 wsm. Necking down 300 wsm is no problem.
I remember when it came out. The vast majority of independent UA-camrs were mostly interested in bashing Winchester and Browning for their over-hype in advertising of the 6.8 and for daring to ask people to buy something new during the pandemic. That probably didn't help either. Serious question: why didn't Nosler run with this? They released arguably the best bullet for it, and interest in 270 caliber cartridges would have been a help to their 27 Nosler. I understand the 6.8 Western is "competition", but if nobody wants to design more bullets for the 6.8 Western, they aren't going to design them for the 27 Nosler either.
I think Nosler has struggled the most to keep up with demand. Weatherby just announced they have stopped their partnership with Nosler because they can't get bullets from them. I love Nosler bullets... but they have failed miserably to keep up with demand.
@@ReloadingWeatherby that's an excellent point. I hate it for nosler. I'm a big fan of their brass and bullets, but I have also noticed they seem to always seem to be out of stock lately. Hope they catch up soon.
.. it's obvious.. when Browning came out with a 7.5 twist barrel in the 270Win.. it killed every chance of the 270wsm and 6.8 Western of catching on.. they, Browning and Winchester, just made an ass out of us loyal consumers.
Great video, when these came out I immediately went out to get one. Lots of ammo on the shelf and no rifles. Rifles show up and bam no ammo. They couldnt have screwed up more with its release.
@@ReloadingWeatherby Sorry, I didnt fully explain when I found a couple rifles there was no ammo so I decided to wait. I called Winchester and browning and both said they'd have more ammo out in a couple months. But I never came across any. Ive only recently started seeing it on shelves. Ive decided to do something different and see about making a 27/300PRC or maybe a 27/300Norma. Then I can really send some heavies at high speed.
I have a few rifles .22lr x 2off .22wmr .223Rem .243W 6.5 Creedmoor x 2off 6.8 Western .30-30w .308W .300 Weatherby Magnum By far my favourite to shoot is the 6.8 Westerm 🎉🎉
I recently built a longer range up to and including elk rifle. Being a gun nut pored over data and info for hours. I liked the idea of short action rounds till I realized two things. I kept reading about feeding problems with short magnums and with longer bullets a long action would still work better. I initially looked into the 270 and 7 WSM and found brass and ammo to be very limited supply. Ditto the 6.8. What I decided on was this. A Defiance Anti LA and a Proof 7 mm Rem Mag with an 8.44 twist rate. Mesa CF stock and Hawkins bottom metal and TriggerTech. Very liteweight setup. In studying load data from Copper Creek ammo even with the 195’s the velocities with the 7 mag and the 7 PRC are virtually identical across all bullet weights. Sure the rimless case design along with a longer neck is technically superior. However, two factors tilted me in favor of the 7 mag. It’s an established round that isn’t going anywhere and that ammo and brass are available everywhere and my growing animosity towards big red. They are like British cars- great ideas with poor execution. Enter one 6 ARC. I bought into the hype (my bad) figuring Hornady would support it and they didn’t. I found brass in exactly one place one time since the round came out! So I’ve learned the hard way there are more important considerations than case design. It doesn’t matter one iota how great the drawing board stats look if the product never materializes. In looking back over 50 years of hunting and shooting I’ve seen many excellent cartridges fail in the market. Some even revived like the 280 Rem. All the 6.5’s like the Swede failed initially because we Americans just preferred 27, 7mm and 30’s. Then they became all the rage till the 6 CM. The aforementioned 270 and 7 WSM, now the 6.8, all the Weatherby’s except the 257 and fast fading 300. So yes whizbang super ultra lighting laser wrecking ball cartridges are good. Ammo in hand beats all that by a mile.
Big problem for 6.8 was that it was not an upgrade from the 270WSM, but a side-grade. It is a limited crowd falling into the high BC long range hunting fad and the bulk of the shooters who buy into it already shoot CM. Certainly there are other factors holding it back but I think the main thing is that it isn't actually an improvement from the parent cartridge.
I agree, for the cost of a whole new rifle, scope and ammo. It’s not worth it. Where I have access to hunting, 300 yard would be about max and that is an unusual. I just feel that a large number of people do not benefit for expensive new high BC bullets. .270 win has been and will probably continue to be the calibre of choice in.277 up here in Ontario
These 6.5 and 6.8 craze will blow-over and I'll still be toting my bolt rifles in 222Rem(Caribou/Seal), 243(Caribou/Blk n Brown bear/Moose), 270WCF(All Big game) and 30'06(everything in Alaska)😁👍👍
I think all these new cartridges coming out are for the newer shooters or potential new shooters, Id never even heard of 6.5crd till 2019 when I was shopping for a new .308 and saw that there was waay more 6.5crd factory ammo on the shelves than .308 around me, I didnt reload at the time and was exclusively shooting .223, 17HMR and 22lr for cost and availability. Everyone that already has the "predecessor" cartridges wont/arent converting to these new cartridges because they already load for them and if theyre out on a hunt if for whatever reason they forget their ammo or lose it theres a 99% chance they can stop in a store or shop and find a box of ammo for their rifle. All that said these new cartridges that are coming out will take time to shine as some one else on here has commented all the good gunsmiths are "dying off" unfortunately allot of the shooters/hunters who shoot all of the "predecessor" cartridges are also "dying off" I just started loading last fall and I dont even care how proven or how closely cartridges from the 1900's compare to the 2000's cartridges I want to load them all 😂 by the way for the longest time I wanted a .260 target rifle but A. They were either out of my budget at the time or B. None in stock. When I decided I wanted a .308 longing for that .264/6.5mm caliber the "man bun" cartridge was an easy sell plus Cabelas offers it in their budget 12fv model! It was a no brainer, fast forward 3 years and I reload in the most expensive of times and I cant get my hands on large rifle primers so Im back to shooting the .223 🙈🙈😂😂
I think the 270 Win had a big part in killing the 6.8W. Ammo availability is great, it is relatively inexpensive to shoot and it is a proven game killer.
I’ve got a Browning Hells Canyon in .68 Western Shoots great 👍 Just because Hornady didn’t adopt or manufacture/ market the caliber & only Winchester & Browning made the rifles it’s not taken off There’s nothing wrong with the caliber / ammunition or guns it’s just lack of marketing Look at Ron Spormer Outdoors 777 yard shot on a whitetail I like Who tee Who but he’s pushing the .360 Buckhammer & other sites Avoiding real comparisons to the .30-30W & .350 Legend It’s all marketing 😢
270wsm shooting 150 grain long range accubonds are leaving the muzzle at 3050 . At 600 yards it’s still over 1500 foot pounds of energy . At 700 it’s still doing over 2000fps and carting just shy of 1400. I don’t see the need for the 6.8 for hunting
I would love to get a 6.8 western, but you can't find them and I'm not going to spend 1300 dollars or higher on a rifle. They simply got to produce more 6.8 rifles, like the winchester XP I believe. More affordable and they have to let other companies produce 6.8 western bullets. I have two 270 rifles and they are awesome. I hope they focus more on the 6.8 western and finish what they set out to do, then start some new project and leave things unfinshed.
Id customize that specific rifle you got and stick with it, then start developing loads that make will overlapping shots @200yds thus is my grandfather's standards for hunting accuracy that i try hard to meet. I will never settle for anything less than dime sized groups because i completely rely on wild game caught to get me and my family throughout the winter.
I wanted to buy one then I looked for brass. Nada. So I passed. It’s not well supported. I prefer the 270 Win and the 280 REM. I have an ackley too. What’s hilarious is that Browning and Winchester support the 6.5 PRC but Hornady won’t support the 6.8 Western.
I think the 6.8 Western was long overdue just as the 7PRC was. My concern is if the purchaser is not a competitive shooter then how much terminal performance is needed for hunting at ethical ranges say 100- 500 yards? Are these cartridges actually needed by hunters, unless hunting with heavy for caliber factory loaded ammunition is more desirable for extreme long distance high energy impacts. I feel that accuracy, bullet construction , grain weight and stability out weigh cartridge selection prior to purchasing a new rifle. Building a rifle around the bullet so to speak because only the bullet is what does the dirty work.
With fast twist barrels available for 270 Win they killed the 6.8 Western. Browning lists a 71/2 twist on some of their new rifles and gives the 270 Win a fresh update. Remington is offering 8 twist barrels for 7mm mag rifles breathing new life into another great old cartridge. 6.8 Western and 7 PRC took big hits by factory rifles being updated for 270 Win and 7mm mag.
I have to agree, it's not going anywhere. It's a decent round, but it doesn't out-perform the .270 by all that much. Is it just me, or have all the short/fat rounds based on the 0.555" head diameter case failed to make a big impression in the marketplace? Some have been moderately successful, at least at first, like the .270 WSM. But on the whole, they just haven't sold all that well.
Built one back when they released the specs. Ive noticed the same thats its basically flopping. Its sad really cause i think its a pretty good do all option. I think hornady is pushing the 7 prc as well. I love my 7 prc but 6.8 performs almost just as well. Hell i even prefer 6.8 over 6.5 prc. I tried the 165 and 170s in my 270 after you had said they stabilized in your 1 in 10 and it either didnt like em or they for sure weren't stabilized in the case of the 170. Its an older remington 700 that usually isnt very picky at all but it is what it is. In my case it wont shoot them. So i think its a case by case situation.
Sad as it had better performance over 300 wsm, 7mm mag etc. I have one and it is lights over those and the 270 with less recoil. I will continue loading as you said it's hard to get ammo.
And if the industry decided to manufacture rifles in 270 win caliber with 1/8 twist!! Wouldn't it be a rejuvenation of the veteran caliber? This way it could keep up with the new times using high CB bullets.
Its me or a 270 win with 165gr is like a new very interesting caliber. I just want some standard length caliber upgrade like a modern 30-06 with less powder and a more intelligent case design But for now nothing can beat the 30-06 the balance when you dont need to shoot past 300y
It’s ironic to me because I don’t think they are comparable, but I’ve seen a lot of people compare 6.8 western and 6.5 prc and state that they’d prefer the 6.5. I think it too had a roll to play in the western’s floundering even though they aren’t in the same ballpark. It’s too bad because I do think it’s a good cartridge.
But the 7prc gets nowhere near 3000fps with factory ammo. I feel like if you use a realistic 7prc velocity (2850 ish), all of a sudden the 6.8 Western is looking very good relative to 7prc. Hornady is being very dishonest and that bugs me, alot.
Im late to the party, but i believe the 6.8 Western died simply becaise of rifle availability. Browning and Winchester are the only major rifle makers who are producing them. Hornady also absolutely killed it by releasing 7PRC and partnering with nearly EVERY riflemaker. Its definitely a dying cartridge. I already own a 270WSM and there was not really a need to "upgrade" to the 6.8 when my options were between essentially two rifles. I DID sell my 7rem mag and bought a PRC.
I don't get it. I don't need a cartridge to be popular with everyone else, as long as it meets my needs, and I want one. This herd mentality that a cartridge old or new, has to be popularly accepted by and liked by the masses, in order for it to be of benefit to me, is nonsense. I couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks about the 6.8 Western, or any other cartridge for that matter. I'm considering it as an addition to my collection, not someone elses. I won't ever make a gun buying decision based on popular opinions.
Honestly im a bit bummed to say the least so what im about to say gives me really mixed emotions. I really like the Idea and performance of the 6.8 western and will likely buy one in the not so distant future. The problem is Hornady.. now i love Hornady and what they have done for the industry, however i also feel like they are the band wagon and everyone just does what Hornady says. I feel like Hornady is trying to suppress the 6.8 western and everyone knows it but everyone falls in line and does as they do to retain favor with Hornady.. they are kind of the big bully on the block that needs to eat some humble pie. They obviously dont practice what they preach or they would support the 6.8 western as nobody in their right mind can deny its validity. Their end goal is market domination not consumer choice. I personally know about a dozen guys that would LOVE to own a 6.8 western however they are apprehensive because of ammo selection and brass. Thats the same boat im in. So in short i think Hornady kindly needs to check themselves.
Sad to see an impressive cartridge fail due to the companies that developed it fail to adequately support the launch with components that were scarcely available. Also, Nosler was a big loser during the manufactured pandemic. Hornady will never assist a competitor even for the greater good. Thanks
Hornady is garbage the eldx explodes and the jacket and core seperate. Il stick with the tried and true cartridges. Them prc cartridges are fan boy rounds.
@@Hondayo77 I have a 270 and a 280 AI so I don't disagree with you on the 6.5 PRC cartridge itself. My point is the fact that the ELDx is not the only 6.5mm bullet. I also have a 6.5CM and use other bullets exclusively on deer hunts.
I bought a Winchester Model 70 6.8 Western two months ago. The factory ammo (Browning) is not that great. I plan on reloading anyways, and hope Petersen or ADG start making brass for it soon.
I don't get were the 6.8 western is dying tons of places have it online other than Midway they are the world's worst about keeping stuff in stock and best at price inflation vs pretty much any of the others yes it's a shorter 270 wsm case with a fast twist the 7 PRC nothing but a non belted fast twist 7 mag and a 7 mag with a fast twist would probably crap all over a 7 PRC the real reason I think no one is willing to pick it up is the case design I think their thinking is Rick Jamison gonna sue Winchester again or their unsure if his patent has expired is probably the cause for uncertainty once that is more clear I think more will make brass for it I own every caliber listed in my comment love them all but the 6.8 western fit's me best due to I have something in a compact rifle that carrys 300 win mag energy and that's important in the mountains lighter rifle heavy hitting long bc bullets quicker kill shots seekins has went to chambering it I've heard two more in the talks but it's still in the air as of now just my two cents from working in a sporting goods store and hearing others talk over the last 13 years
marketing fail by Winchester & Browning will kill (has already killed?) a truly great cartridge >> Browning - after they put out 6.8 Western - started selling fast-twist .270 Win in the X-Bolt line
@@ReloadingWeatherbymy “knowledge” must be outdated. What problems have you experienced with Winchester brass? When I started hand loading nearly 20 years ago, Winchester was considered good quality and certainly not the worst available. That’s mostly what I’ve used for 308 Winchester, 270 Winchester and 45 ACP over the years. For other cartridges (except 223/5.56) Starline brass has been my “go to”. I haven’t hand loaded much for the past 5+ years, and what I have loaded has been pistol cartridges. As long as the primer pocket and flash hole are good to go, there’s not much else to worry about. However, I’m getting back into loading bottle neck rifle cartridges and have added a couple very recently (30-06 and 7mm-08) so it would be helpful to know why I should avoid Winchester brass.
@@chipsterb4946 Winchester brass is okay. I use Winchester brass for my 270 Win. The flash holes were not uniform at all. Brass life will not be as long with Winchester, but you get what you pay for and Winchester is a budget friendly brass. It seems for you Winchester brass will be fine. Just my personal opinion... it's on a lower tier of quality than others. Top Tier: Lapua, Peterson, Norma Middle Tier: Weatherby, Nosler, Hornady Low Tier: Winchester, Remington, Federal
@@ReloadingWeatherby thank you for your informative reply. I knew Lapua and Norma made superior brass. I wouldn’t have put Winchester in the basement with Remington and Federal but quality does change over time. Where do you put Starline in your 3-tier ranking? To be honest, I thought you had to uniform flash holes on all brass. However, I recently bought some Fiocchi 45 Colt ammo and the flash holes were so off-center that I tossed that brass in the “use in emergency only” box.
6.8 Western is not doing well due to an overrated hype for the 270 revival imo. not that I am taking it as gospel but the fast twist 270 doesn't actually seem to be anything special and if anything at good hunting ranges doesn't do anything different from the 270. That might be my 7mm fanboyism talking tho - but I do think there is an overhyped reaction to the 270
@@ReloadingWeatherby realistically people aren't really shooting 280, they levitate towards the AI version. the 280 non AI goes faster and isn't exactly hitting hard. I think the Ron Spormer video goes into that a fast twist 270 isn't better than the standard and the lower weights are more than fine and even milder
I honestly think it was perfect and am super bummed its fading already. Even as a Hornady fanboy and understanding why they did it I'm seriously mad they pushed the industry into not accepting it. The 7 prc is great but I've never felt like i needed more gun than a 7mm rem mag and the 6.8 western was matching that performance with a modern design, high bc bullets, and in a short action.
Ditto. It made me put up my 300wm because it fills the same boots with less recoil.
I do not see it fading. It's a combination of things. Factories are 2 years behind in manufacturing due to still recovering the industry after Covid. We can't even get all of our grocery orders our store makes. 2 years later we're still being shorted a lot of stuff ordered. When I asked about what was going on this is what the representatives told us. It will take years to get back to normal. Gibson and Fender guitars are 3 years behind their orders. The same is going on with ammo. They are first concentrating on producing the ammo that is most needed and asked for. So .223, .308, and the other 10 most popular calibers. So I believe they are making less ammo of the less popular calibers. It will smooth out over time. I think 6.8 is here for quite some time.
i honestly think the 6.8 is the best option in the 270 cal family, i took a nice whitetail at 200 yards facing directly at me last season with the 162 grain copper solid.. 1 shot and it never took a step, was able to get jagged 1 hole groups at 100 yards with the same rounds.. i hope it gets a 2nd chance, because its an incredible round
I have the Browning X Bolt Long Range Max in 6.8 western and I absolutely love it. It is my first rifle in The .270 family, but I couldn’t be happier with it. I can touch the same bullet holes on paper at 100 yards with the 175gr Browning Sierria TGK. I have also took a few deer with it and was impressed. I hope this round doesn’t fade out.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
Have the same exact rifle but mine hates the 175 grain browning bullets. It's a tack driver with the ballistic silvertips tho
I've got the same rifle and had an identical experience. Great cartridge.
Lots and lots of 6.8 Western loaded ammo on the shelf in Rapid City, SD today (8-24-23). Not many rifles out there though. The total stonewalling by other manufacturers shouldn’t surprise me, but it still makes me want to boycott the big red grinch.
Firearms manufacturers and ammo makers are being ridiculous!
I just setup a Seekins havak element in 6.8 western. I love the rifle and the caliber.
Nice
“Big Red Hype Machine” is spot on!😂😂😂
Never owned a 6.8 Western and never will, won’t even buy a 7mm PRC! I own a couple of .270 Winchester custom rifles I’ve built myself…in my spare time which, at 62 and still in business, is harder to come by with all the custom gunsmiths dying off. I’d give the choice between the two…I’d still pick the .270 Winchester because I don’t consider the others relevant.
As a 6.8W owner one thing that gets lost on non-owners is how fast ammo and components sell out when they hit the shelves. So people are buying the stuff. Christensen Arms, Fierce, Seekins also make rifles for it. Cabelas/BP now carry 10+ different models. Will I say thriving … no, but silly to pronounce anything alive or dead 2 yrs after introduced. Anybody who follows cartridge history should know this. 264 Win Mag took off like scalded cat for first several years and nobody even knew what a 6.5 Creedmoor was for first 8 years. How did that work out?
I really hope the 6.8 takes off
I think they could help increase the survival rate by stopping production of the 7prc in their rifles since Hornady has publicly said on multiple occasions that they will not support the 6.8 western. Could you imagine the hit Hornady would take if Browning and Winchester both stopped production of all PRC calibers.
Great video as usual! I have 6.8 Western and really like the cartridge. I got mine not too long after it was launched and still getting some hype. Even well before Hornady launched the 7 PRC, I noticed that Winchester and Browning were pulling back on the support for the 6.8 Western. I was disappointed to see that. Yes, they do support it, but only minimally. They could do a much better job. Unfortunately, they are not as good at marketing as the Big Red Machine.
I like the cartridge. Do not have a 270 wsm, and handload for the 6.8w. Under .5 and it kills, so I'm satisfied. I will be perfectly honest though, its done for on a retail level. You are spot on with the 7prc concerns, few will pick the 6.8w over the 7prc, but I think thats marketing not capability.
It’s sad that the 6.8 Western isn’t catching on. Maybe it is just a slow start like the 6.5 Creedmoor until suddenly, everyone discovered 6.5mm caliber. Now all of the sudden if you wanna be hip, you gotta have 6.5mm Creedmoor or a 6.5 PRC. My personal vote is for the underrated and unappreciated 270 Weatherby Magnum. I suggested to Weatherby that they offer faster twist rate barrels as an option in their Mark V and Vanguard rifles, in all of their cartridge offerings. Yes, the 27 Nosler is faster but, the 270 Weatherby Magnum is still a screamer. Like you Austin, I’m a Weatherby man.
I have 270wsm and 270 win . I have to say I love the 270 win its awesome . plenty of ammo shoots great coming on 100 year anniversary it's all you need. 🤠
😃 I would have to agree with your statement! It's like driving a car that does 200 mph, when the speed limit is 75 mph! I'll take the gas money savings of my Toyota Corolla instead, as the "excess power" of the "hot rod" is unnecessary! 🤑
It’s not fading away due to lack of demand. It’s following is growing each week. It is very close in performance to a 7prc and out performs any 6.5. It’s only failing is that browning and Winchester are doing a piss poor job of marketing and pushing it.
I think you might like this video ua-cam.com/video/LY-BggvDzds/v-deo.html
I sure do love the cartridge. I don't reload so I hope someone continues producing it. It's been a lights out hunting rifle for me over the last two years.
Thanks for sharing
I have a few rifles
.22LR x2
.22WMR
.223Rem
.243W
6.5 Creedmoor x2
6.8 Western
.308W
.300 Weatherby Magnum
.350 Legend
By far my favourite rifle & cartridge is the 6.8 Western 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
I love how people say or “ hint at” the 270 win as being outdated. The 50 or so animals from pigs to elk and red stag, my kids and I have shot with that caliber in 30 years, as far out as 500 yards, would disagree if they could. You nailed this video. New calibers are fun but none will be such an improvement for me to give up on 25-06, 270 win, 280rem ( my fav), 30-06(my first personal rifle) or my 300 wsm( sounds new but had mine 12 years now) I did buy 28 nosler and it’s an impressive caliber which I hit my first 1000 yard steel with but I don’t think it does better than 300wsm ballistically in reality. Proper hand loads, ballistic charts and dial up scopes they all can out shoot their owners capabilities
Im a huge .277 fan. Got the .270win and 6.8SPC love em both!!!!!
I do not think it will fade. If you look at how long it took the Winchester WSM line to start to become more available, in more rifles and on ammo shelves...it took about a decade to get real traction. I see a lot of rifles for sale suddenly here in Canada in 6.8 Western, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .300 PRC, 28 Nosler. The cartridges that have failed over the years had a small niche where they excelled at one or two things, but had lots of other disadvantages and shortcomings.
The WSM, PRC, RUM, ARC, Nosler, Western, and Legend line of calibers are brilliant in their designs, and intended use. They were all really well thought through lines of cartridges. I think most will survive the test of time. The world needed more magnum calibers. We've been asking for them for decades. The developers and manufacturers came through, but it takes time for everyone to get around to buying rifles in these new chamberings. I fully intend to add a 6.8 Western to my Magnum rifle collection.
Hope you're right
@@ReloadingWeatherby I've been shooting centrefire rifles since age 9. I have been shooting for 47 years. What I have found in that time is there is nothing more supported than a good Winchester cartridge caliber. 3 times more Remington cartridges fail over Winchesters calibers. Look at most of the popular calibers today. 3/4 are Winchester designed and supported cartridges. It'll be fine.
Far too many rifles chambered for it just hit the 2024 market. It takes a decade for a cartridge to show the direction it's going to start to take. Then it takes another decade to become say a .270 level cartridge that is heavily supported by the hunting/shooting community, as well as the manufacturers of rifles and ammo. Just promote it's greatness and it'll grow and expand throughout our shooting scene. People listen to dudes like you. You have more influence than you realize.
Such awesome cartridge, sucks that it never really caught on...
I think they tried to answer a question no one was really asking. There isn’t that much difference, ballistically, between the 6.8 and 270 WM. And to be fair, it really doesn’t have much more going for it over the venerable 270 Win. The vast majority of hunters will pick an accurate rifle in 270 Win and not give two hoots about seating depth or dispersion at longer ranges. Ammunition is much easier to come across and it’s a lot more buyer friendly in terms of price and variety. Just my $.02
I have to give props to Browning… They are producing 6.8W and they are also now producing 270WIN with 1:8 twist.
Browning is producing what consumers want. Hornady on the other hand is blocking the 6.8W to push what they want… they make good products but their shenanigans are an eye roll 🙄.
How are they blocking other ammo makers from producing 6.8W ammo?
@@texpatriot8462They are not producing it. Not blocking others.
Our shenanigans are cheeky and fun. Their shenanigans are cruel and tragic. Which would make them not shenanigans at all. Evil shenanigans.
It’s called business.
I bought a 6.8 western this year. The round is awesome. If you have never tried it it’s your lost.
I think comparing the standard length 27 Nosler(or better yet, 28 Nosler) is a more fair comparison to the 7PRC. The 6.8 Western was designed as a hunting focused competitor to the 6.5PRC. Which it does well.
Screw Hornady. They acted very poorly during all of this. Browning and Winchester tried to fight the beast and lost.
Admittedly, I am sick of the metrification BS that is going on rn. I will personally not buy any cartridge that is in metric (system of the Antichrist). If they called it the .270 Western, I’m sure it would have had more support.
I just want what is best for the consumer. I’m a .270 Winchester fan, but I just want the .277 caliber to succeed. I think it is the best caliber and is such a happy medium.
God bless, thank you for listening to my schizo-tier rant.
I have one, just add a succesful hunt with it, perfect caliber for me. I don't get it why it's not getting much more attention. Short action, good power. In my case, it's a hunting riffle, so , shooting 5 to 10 bullet per year.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
I hope it survives. I like the bullet weights for the 6.8 Western factory ammo--more suitable for some big game than the .270 WIN. True, the .270 WIN is an incredibly flat-shooting round, but the higher BC bullets for the heavier 6.8 Western rounds seem to be perfect for large game (I would feel slightly undergunned going for one of the great bears with a .270 WIN but not so with the 6.8 Western).
There’s been quite a few awesome cartridges fail from bad timing of their release. 338 federal is one of them. It came out around the same time 6.5 creedmor was getting pushed. 338 federal will push a 160 Barnes ttsx at 3050fps giving it 7mm rem mag power
People ( me included!) say it’s a shame that the 6.8 western isn’t successful, but did we buy one? I like the concept, but I didn’t buy one! I can’t find brass anywhere to justify buying one. There’s plenty of beautiful rifles for it. Plenty of ammo for it on my local shelves, but as stated, no brass and Winchester brass isn’t my favorite, but also not available. Also, the 7prc does everything better and I love my 270 wsm. Necking down 300 wsm is no problem.
I would love to have a 6.8 or .270 wsm but ammo availability is the down fall. Really great cartridges tho.
Would like Federal to make a 6.8 cartridge, in my case, im done with Hornady.
I remember when it came out. The vast majority of independent UA-camrs were mostly interested in bashing Winchester and Browning for their over-hype in advertising of the 6.8 and for daring to ask people to buy something new during the pandemic. That probably didn't help either. Serious question: why didn't Nosler run with this? They released arguably the best bullet for it, and interest in 270 caliber cartridges would have been a help to their 27 Nosler. I understand the 6.8 Western is "competition", but if nobody wants to design more bullets for the 6.8 Western, they aren't going to design them for the 27 Nosler either.
I think Nosler has struggled the most to keep up with demand. Weatherby just announced they have stopped their partnership with Nosler because they can't get bullets from them. I love Nosler bullets... but they have failed miserably to keep up with demand.
@@ReloadingWeatherby that's an excellent point. I hate it for nosler. I'm a big fan of their brass and bullets, but I have also noticed they seem to always seem to be out of stock lately. Hope they catch up soon.
.. it's obvious.. when Browning came out with a 7.5 twist barrel in the 270Win.. it killed every chance of the 270wsm and 6.8 Western of catching on.. they, Browning and Winchester, just made an ass out of us loyal consumers.
Great video, when these came out I immediately went out to get one. Lots of ammo on the shelf and no rifles. Rifles show up and bam no ammo. They couldnt have screwed up more with its release.
How do you like the 6.8 Western?
@@ReloadingWeatherby Sorry, I didnt fully explain when I found a couple rifles there was no ammo so I decided to wait. I called Winchester and browning and both said they'd have more ammo out in a couple months. But I never came across any. Ive only recently started seeing it on shelves. Ive decided to do something different and see about making a 27/300PRC or maybe a 27/300Norma. Then I can really send some heavies at high speed.
I have a few rifles
.22lr x 2off
.22wmr
.223Rem
.243W
6.5 Creedmoor x 2off
6.8 Western
.30-30w
.308W
.300 Weatherby Magnum
By far my favourite to shoot is the 6.8 Westerm 🎉🎉
@@peterluttgens3364 What rifle did you get in 6.8 ?
I recently built a longer range up to and including elk rifle. Being a gun nut pored over data and info for hours. I liked the idea of short action rounds till I realized two things. I kept reading about feeding problems with short magnums and with longer bullets a long action would still work better. I initially looked into the 270 and 7 WSM and found brass and ammo to be very limited supply. Ditto the 6.8.
What I decided on was this. A Defiance Anti LA and a Proof 7 mm Rem Mag with an 8.44 twist rate. Mesa CF stock and Hawkins bottom metal and TriggerTech. Very liteweight setup.
In studying load data from Copper Creek ammo even with the 195’s the velocities with the 7 mag and the 7 PRC are virtually identical across all bullet weights. Sure the rimless case design along with a longer neck is technically superior. However, two factors tilted me in favor of the 7 mag. It’s an established round that isn’t going anywhere and that ammo and brass are available everywhere and my growing animosity towards big red.
They are like British cars- great ideas with poor execution. Enter one 6 ARC. I bought into the hype (my bad) figuring Hornady would support it and they didn’t. I found brass in exactly one place one time since the round came out! So I’ve learned the hard way there are more important considerations than case design. It doesn’t matter one iota how great the drawing board stats look if the product never materializes.
In looking back over 50 years of hunting and shooting I’ve seen many excellent cartridges fail in the market. Some even revived like the 280 Rem.
All the 6.5’s like the Swede failed initially because we Americans just preferred 27, 7mm and 30’s. Then they became all the rage till the 6 CM. The aforementioned 270 and 7 WSM, now the 6.8, all the Weatherby’s except the 257 and fast fading 300.
So yes whizbang super ultra lighting laser wrecking ball cartridges are good. Ammo in hand beats all that by a mile.
Nice choice
Big problem for 6.8 was that it was not an upgrade from the 270WSM, but a side-grade. It is a limited crowd falling into the high BC long range hunting fad and the bulk of the shooters who buy into it already shoot CM. Certainly there are other factors holding it back but I think the main thing is that it isn't actually an improvement from the parent cartridge.
I agree, for the cost of a whole new rifle, scope and ammo. It’s not worth it. Where I have access to hunting, 300 yard would be about max and that is an unusual. I just feel that a large number of people do not benefit for expensive new high BC bullets. .270 win has been and will probably continue to be the calibre of choice in.277 up here in Ontario
These 6.5 and 6.8 craze will blow-over and I'll still be toting my bolt rifles in 222Rem(Caribou/Seal), 243(Caribou/Blk n Brown bear/Moose), 270WCF(All Big game) and 30'06(everything in Alaska)😁👍👍
I own a Browning X-Bolt Pro McMillan in 6.8 western. I have lots of factory ammo and and I reload for it as well
Nice!
I think all these new cartridges coming out are for the newer shooters or potential new shooters, Id never even heard of 6.5crd till 2019 when I was shopping for a new .308 and saw that there was waay more 6.5crd factory ammo on the shelves than .308 around me, I didnt reload at the time and was exclusively shooting .223, 17HMR and 22lr for cost and availability. Everyone that already has the "predecessor" cartridges wont/arent converting to these new cartridges because they already load for them and if theyre out on a hunt if for whatever reason they forget their ammo or lose it theres a 99% chance they can stop in a store or shop and find a box of ammo for their rifle. All that said these new cartridges that are coming out will take time to shine as some one else on here has commented all the good gunsmiths are "dying off" unfortunately allot of the shooters/hunters who shoot all of the "predecessor" cartridges are also "dying off" I just started loading last fall and I dont even care how proven or how closely cartridges from the 1900's compare to the 2000's cartridges I want to load them all 😂 by the way for the longest time I wanted a
.260 target rifle but A. They were either out of my budget at the time or B. None in stock. When I decided I wanted a .308 longing for that .264/6.5mm caliber the "man bun" cartridge was an easy sell plus Cabelas offers it in their budget 12fv model! It was a no brainer, fast forward 3 years and I reload in the most expensive of times and I cant get my hands on large rifle primers so Im back to shooting the .223 🙈🙈😂😂
I think the 270 Win had a big part in killing the 6.8W. Ammo availability is great, it is relatively inexpensive to shoot and it is a proven game killer.
I’ve got a Browning Hells Canyon in .68 Western
Shoots great 👍
Just because Hornady didn’t adopt or manufacture/ market the caliber & only Winchester & Browning made the rifles it’s not taken off
There’s nothing wrong with the caliber / ammunition or guns it’s just lack of marketing
Look at Ron Spormer Outdoors
777 yard shot on a whitetail
I like Who tee Who but he’s pushing the .360 Buckhammer & other sites
Avoiding real comparisons to the .30-30W & .350 Legend
It’s all marketing 😢
270wsm shooting 150 grain long range accubonds are leaving the muzzle at 3050 . At 600 yards it’s still over 1500 foot pounds of energy . At 700 it’s still doing over 2000fps and carting just shy of 1400. I don’t see the need for the 6.8 for hunting
Would be interesting if you load some 7mm Rem Mag bullets with those 175 - 180 grain bullets and see if those 1:9 barrels can stabilize them too...
🤭 Or, Just Buy A 270 Winchester! 😜
This rifle smacksss, I love it great hunting round
I would love to get a 6.8 western, but you can't find them and I'm not going to spend 1300 dollars or higher on a rifle. They simply got to produce more 6.8 rifles, like the winchester XP I believe. More affordable and they have to let other companies produce 6.8 western bullets. I have two 270 rifles and they are awesome. I hope they focus more on the 6.8 western and finish what they set out to do, then start some new project and leave things unfinshed.
Id customize that specific rifle you got and stick with it, then start developing loads that make will overlapping shots @200yds thus is my grandfather's standards for hunting accuracy that i try hard to meet. I will never settle for anything less than dime sized groups because i completely rely on wild game caught to get me and my family throughout the winter.
If you have 270 wsm load the 165s and you have no need for a 6.8 western. Hopeful Ballistics proved that.
Exactly !……..
If
A little low velocity for the 168 30 06 though don't you think?
I believe that the 7prc is going to overtake this and a few others
Probably
I wanted to buy one then I looked for brass. Nada. So I passed. It’s not well supported. I prefer the 270 Win and the 280 REM. I have an ackley too. What’s hilarious is that Browning and Winchester support the 6.5 PRC but Hornady won’t support the 6.8 Western.
Yeah
Think the 6.8 & 7 prc is the closest to a 1 gun option we have seen. Like to see what weatherby does with the rpm case design
You think those two are a better one gun option than all the other cartridges?
I think the 6.8 Western was long overdue just as the 7PRC was. My concern is if the purchaser is not a competitive shooter then how much terminal performance is needed for hunting at ethical ranges say 100- 500 yards? Are these cartridges actually needed by hunters, unless hunting with heavy for caliber factory loaded ammunition is more desirable for extreme long distance high energy impacts. I feel that accuracy, bullet construction , grain weight and stability out weigh cartridge selection prior to purchasing a new rifle. Building a rifle around the bullet so to speak because only the bullet is what does the dirty work.
7mmPRC in a Nosler hunting bullet ;) perhaps partition ? regards from South Africa
With fast twist barrels available for 270 Win they killed the 6.8 Western. Browning lists a 71/2 twist on some of their new rifles and gives the 270 Win a fresh update. Remington is offering 8 twist barrels for 7mm mag rifles breathing new life into another great old cartridge. 6.8 Western and 7 PRC took big hits by factory rifles being updated for 270 Win and 7mm mag.
Love my 6.8.
I was really interested in the 6.8 but theres not enough rifle or ammo choices. Im surprised savage doesnt make rifles chambered in it.
I have to agree, it's not going anywhere. It's a decent round, but it doesn't out-perform the .270 by all that much. Is it just me, or have all the short/fat rounds based on the 0.555" head diameter case failed to make a big impression in the marketplace? Some have been moderately successful, at least at first, like the .270 WSM. But on the whole, they just haven't sold all that well.
300 WSM has been fine.
Built one back when they released the specs. Ive noticed the same thats its basically flopping. Its sad really cause i think its a pretty good do all option. I think hornady is pushing the 7 prc as well. I love my 7 prc but 6.8 performs almost just as well. Hell i even prefer 6.8 over 6.5 prc. I tried the 165 and 170s in my 270 after you had said they stabilized in your 1 in 10 and it either didnt like em or they for sure weren't stabilized in the case of the 170. Its an older remington 700 that usually isnt very picky at all but it is what it is. In my case it wont shoot them. So i think its a case by case situation.
Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about your 270 Win not working with those bullets!
Will the 7 PRC 175 really reach 3,000 fps? Why do I suspect hype?😊
Not with factory ammo
It takes time for a cartridge to catch on. 2 years is not enough for people to buy enough rifles and ammo to make things move quickly.
Hope it catches on
Marketing is everything
Yep
There's no 270 wsm ammo. I can walk in anywhere here and get 6.8 western. I'd like one but I'm scared to buy it.
Go buy one!
Sad as it had better performance over 300 wsm, 7mm mag etc. I have one and it is lights over those and the 270 with less recoil. I will continue loading as you said it's hard to get ammo.
Thank you for the Monty Python reference.
Thanks for watching!
And if the industry decided to manufacture rifles in 270 win caliber with 1/8 twist!! Wouldn't it be a rejuvenation of the veteran caliber? This way it could keep up with the new times using high CB bullets.
Browning makes fast twist 270 Winchester rifles
Hard to believe it has been 2 and a half years.
Now if Hornady just hold off releasing 7 PRC, 6.8 Western might had a chance.
Its me or a 270 win with 165gr is like a new very interesting caliber. I just want some standard length caliber upgrade like a modern 30-06 with less powder and a more intelligent case design
But for now nothing can beat the 30-06 the balance when you dont need to shoot past 300y
7 prc…
Trying to fill smaller and niches.
It’s ironic to me because I don’t think they are comparable, but I’ve seen a lot of people compare 6.8 western and 6.5 prc and state that they’d prefer the 6.5. I think it too had a roll to play in the western’s floundering even though they aren’t in the same ballpark. It’s too bad because I do think it’s a good cartridge.
Holy crap. 280ai factory ammo in living color!
haha yep, and a good amount of it
😎👍
What i see 6.8 meets box performance ,unhyped .
7prc is usually 200fps below box stated performance. But well hyped.
But the 7prc gets nowhere near 3000fps with factory ammo. I feel like if you use a realistic 7prc velocity (2850 ish), all of a sudden the 6.8 Western is looking very good relative to 7prc. Hornady is being very dishonest and that bugs me, alot.
Yes, my video aged extremely poorly. I actually have a 7mm PRC and it's no where close to 3000 FPS.
7prc rocks 🪨 🎸 😎
It doesn't help that I can't find ammo or brass locally. It's a great round, but even its creators are not supporting well.
Sadly true
I wonder if they can sell the rights to Hornady so it can have a second life?
If it was the 6.8 PRC....
Im late to the party, but i believe the 6.8 Western died simply becaise of rifle availability. Browning and Winchester are the only major rifle makers who are producing them.
Hornady also absolutely killed it by releasing 7PRC and partnering with nearly EVERY riflemaker.
Its definitely a dying cartridge.
I already own a 270WSM and there was not really a need to "upgrade" to the 6.8 when my options were between essentially two rifles. I DID sell my 7rem mag and bought a PRC.
Yep
They are on the expensive side but Christianson and Fierce both offer 6.8 western now.
Seekins is now offering rifles in 6.8 Western
seems like a fantastic cartridge ... that nobody makes, nobody sells
...and Hornady has said in response to a couple podcaster queries that they will never produce it
It had absolutely no industry support and the marketing fell flat
True
I don't get it. I don't need a cartridge to be popular with everyone else, as long as it meets my needs, and I want one. This herd mentality that a cartridge old or new, has to be popularly accepted by and liked by the masses, in order for it to be of benefit to me, is nonsense.
I couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks about the 6.8 Western, or any other cartridge for that matter. I'm considering it as an addition to my collection, not someone elses. I won't ever make a gun buying decision based on popular opinions.
Ammoseek has plenty 6.8W.
Honestly im a bit bummed to say the least so what im about to say gives me really mixed emotions.
I really like the Idea and performance of the 6.8 western and will likely buy one in the not so distant future. The problem is Hornady.. now i love Hornady and what they have done for the industry, however i also feel like they are the band wagon and everyone just does what Hornady says. I feel like Hornady is trying to suppress the 6.8 western and everyone knows it but everyone falls in line and does as they do to retain favor with Hornady.. they are kind of the big bully on the block that needs to eat some humble pie. They obviously dont practice what they preach or they would support the 6.8 western as nobody in their right mind can deny its validity. Their end goal is market domination not consumer choice. I personally know about a dozen guys that would LOVE to own a 6.8 western however they are apprehensive because of ammo selection and brass.
Thats the same boat im in. So in short i think Hornady kindly needs to check themselves.
Well.. I won't start my rant about Hornady. But I agree
There many great cartridges that are "dead"!
I think the 6.8 is like my 7wsm. A really good cartridge that wins a lot of numbers but is not going to make it. 🤷🏽♂️
Browning and Winchester are owned by F/N, of European persuasion!
Sad to see an impressive cartridge fail due to the companies that developed it fail to adequately support the launch with components that were scarcely available. Also, Nosler was a big loser during the manufactured pandemic. Hornady will never assist a competitor even for the greater good. Thanks
I think the 7mm PRC took its thunder
I agree
DId you have to throat your 270 to get that COAL?
No, and it fits in my magazine
Hornady is garbage
the eldx explodes and the jacket and core seperate. Il stick with the tried and true cartridges. Them prc cartridges are fan boy rounds.
You do realize that you can get the 6.5PRC with just about any hunting bullet made.
@texpatriot8462 why buy a 6.5prc when a 270 win or 7mm rem mag will do the Sr thing ? You pay twice the cost for ammo as a 270 win
@@Hondayo77Couldn't agree with you more.
@@Hondayo77 I have a 270 and a 280 AI so I don't disagree with you on the 6.5 PRC cartridge itself. My point is the fact that the ELDx is not the only 6.5mm bullet. I also have a 6.5CM and use other bullets exclusively on deer hunts.
I bought a Winchester Model 70 6.8 Western two months ago. The factory ammo (Browning) is not that great. I plan on reloading anyways, and hope Petersen or ADG start making brass for it soon.
I would get me one, if and only if weatherby, Bergera, cva cascade chambred in it. I am not a fan of browning or winchester rifles
Winchester brass is NOT garbage in .300 Win Mag.
I'm glad it's worked for you... but if we are being honest, when compared to other brass Winchester is on the bottom for quality.
I don't get were the 6.8 western is dying tons of places have it online other than Midway they are the world's worst about keeping stuff in stock and best at price inflation vs pretty much any of the others yes it's a shorter 270 wsm case with a fast twist the 7 PRC nothing but a non belted fast twist 7 mag and a 7 mag with a fast twist would probably crap all over a 7 PRC the real reason I think no one is willing to pick it up is the case design I think their thinking is Rick Jamison gonna sue Winchester again or their unsure if his patent has expired is probably the cause for uncertainty once that is more clear I think more will make brass for it I own every caliber listed in my comment love them all but the 6.8 western fit's me best due to I have something in a compact rifle that carrys 300 win mag energy and that's important in the mountains lighter rifle heavy hitting long bc bullets quicker kill shots seekins has went to chambering it I've heard two more in the talks but it's still in the air as of now just my two cents from working in a sporting goods store and hearing others talk over the last 13 years
😎👍👍👍😎
Thanks Mike
marketing fail by Winchester & Browning will kill (has already killed?) a truly great cartridge
>> Browning - after they put out 6.8 Western - started selling fast-twist .270 Win in the X-Bolt line
The 6.8 is DOA sorry but the writing is on the wall! 270wsm stands a better chance then it does!
Winchester brass is garbage?
You think it's good?
@@ReloadingWeatherbymy “knowledge” must be outdated. What problems have you experienced with Winchester brass?
When I started hand loading nearly 20 years ago, Winchester was considered good quality and certainly not the worst available. That’s mostly what I’ve used for 308 Winchester, 270 Winchester and 45 ACP over the years. For other cartridges (except 223/5.56) Starline brass has been my “go to”.
I haven’t hand loaded much for the past 5+ years, and what I have loaded has been pistol cartridges. As long as the primer pocket and flash hole are good to go, there’s not much else to worry about. However, I’m getting back into loading bottle neck rifle cartridges and have added a couple very recently (30-06 and 7mm-08) so it would be helpful to know why I should avoid Winchester brass.
@@chipsterb4946 Winchester brass is okay. I use Winchester brass for my 270 Win. The flash holes were not uniform at all. Brass life will not be as long with Winchester, but you get what you pay for and Winchester is a budget friendly brass.
It seems for you Winchester brass will be fine. Just my personal opinion... it's on a lower tier of quality than others.
Top Tier: Lapua, Peterson, Norma
Middle Tier: Weatherby, Nosler, Hornady
Low Tier: Winchester, Remington, Federal
@@ReloadingWeatherby thank you for your informative reply. I knew Lapua and Norma made superior brass. I wouldn’t have put Winchester in the basement with Remington and Federal but quality does change over time.
Where do you put Starline in your 3-tier ranking?
To be honest, I thought you had to uniform flash holes on all brass. However, I recently bought some Fiocchi 45 Colt ammo and the flash holes were so off-center that I tossed that brass in the “use in emergency only” box.
6.8 Western is not doing well due to an overrated hype for the 270 revival imo. not that I am taking it as gospel but the fast twist 270 doesn't actually seem to be anything special and if anything at good hunting ranges doesn't do anything different from the 270. That might be my 7mm fanboyism talking tho - but I do think there is an overhyped reaction to the 270
A fast twist 270 is just a mild shooting 280 Remington
@@ReloadingWeatherby realistically people aren't really shooting 280, they levitate towards the AI version. the 280 non AI goes faster and isn't exactly hitting hard. I think the Ron Spormer video goes into that a fast twist 270 isn't better than the standard and the lower weights are more than fine and even milder
6.8. How bout 8.6😂
On a lighter note, 270 looking more popular than ever! Maybe 6.8 Western had to die to breath new life into the 270 win! 🤷🏻♂️🫡🇺🇸
Hey bro you often forget about a company liability