Okay, spill the beans guys. I would like both if possible, but trying to really get a feel for this cartridge.

Thanks in advance...

22's are illegal for Whitetails in Kansas, so if that's the case in Oklahoma, it's a good way to get into deer huntin' with an AR.

Same for if you don't believe in the 223/556 as a deer round.

Same for if you don't believe in it as an anti-personnel round too.

It's got some recoil. Not a lot, but there is a difference. I'd rather shoot my AR-10 in 308. Of course the AR-10 is quite a bit bigger and heavier.

It's not as widely available as the 223. Walmart for instance, carries the 223. You should be able to get it at Bass Pro there in Okie City though, I'd think. Plus you can get it at gunshows. Y'all have one about every weekend so...

Good cartridge in a smaller, lighter package than the 308 family ones.

cons:
need a 6.8 specific bolt and magazine.
pretty much all ammo is hard to come by right now, so that's not a big difference.

pros:
just about everything else

Pretty much what I thought.

I have several other larger calibers for deer specific hunting, but I was thinking it's a very versatile cartridge. Guys are using it for coyotes, hogs and deer... not to mention home defense IF needed.

I've used 5.56 once for deer hunting... not for me even though I did end up with a 8 point buck.

I do prefer the smaller AR-15 size even though I want a 308 based AR.

OK, lemme qualify a few things in advance; I am currently a full time police officer and run my own gun biz on the side. I served for 12 years in the British Army, went on a few hairy tours to exotic places and used .308, .223 and .50 cal to assist some folks to a better place. I also used to be the VP Ops at LWRC prior to their move to MD and LWRC is THE company when it comes to 6.8 AR15's.

So with all that out of the way, I can give you my opinion on the round. I love it. I have used it in 3 gun comps, hunted and killed elk with it, am hopefully taking it antelope and deer hunting this year in WY and would trust my life to it.

I've spoken with folks who have taken it down range overseas and it has performed well on humans vs side by side results with 5.56.

It really needs the Spec II chamber with a 1-11 twist to get the best performance and I prefer the ammo which is made by Silver State Armory. SSA and LWRC both jointly (in the past) and separately (currently) have done more to advance the cause of 6.8 than any other companies out there since the round was conceived.

Cons are the bolt and mag issue as mentioned. I'll also add this isn't a long range combo either; limit your shots on game animals to 300 and below.

Pro's are that the recoil is NOTHING like a .308. I have about 60 FAL's, couple AR .308 rifles and couple bolt guns in that caliber and you can't compare the two at all. I've put well over 20K rounds down range with a 6.8 in comps, hunting, testing and demo shoots and it is a very pleasant round to shoot.

I've said for many years that the 6.8 AR should become the new Win 94 and .30/30; a light, fast handling, hard hitting, light recoiling, do it all combo for anything on two or four legs up to 200 yards.

Here's a pic (that I've previously posted on the 'Fire and elsewhere) of what I believe was the first cow elk ever shot with a 6.8. Mountains of CO in '07, LWRC 16" carbine, Swarovski scope, first lot of SSA ammo ever loaded with Barnes 110gr TSX bullets. Ambushed her in dense cover at 47 yds. One shot to the vitals and down she went, 2nd neck shot to ensure no need to track anything.





Same rifle in 3 gun comps.



Currently building a 10.5" barreled gun that will be suppressed for use as a patrol rifle if I can talk the chief into approving it for duty use. I think he will, he had me re-write the policy so I could carry my 10mm 1911 on duty so I think he will go for it.... If I could choose ONE centerfire rifle round for everything from home defense to hunting, the 6.8 would be it. I personally think it is THAT good. Feel free to PM me with any questions you may have.

Well done! I am a 6.8 fan and will not try to top the above post.

Thanks gman for your post and your service. As a former Marine grunt and Army infantryman I like hearing real world performance versus paper analogies.

Guys on 68forums talk about taking everything up to and including elk hunting with this cartridge/AR combination.

Thanks again...

I decided I needed a 6.8 after deciding I needed a short barreled rifle for work. That lead to a ruger compact bolt action in 6.8 which was promptly reamed to SPC II. Both serve their intended purposes very well. One as a compact service rifle and one as a compact, easy to shoot gun for kids to use.

The ruger has killed hogs, turkeys, and deer wonderfully. Mostly using SSA's 85gr TSX load at 3000fps.

The 10.5 barrel shoots the 85gr TSX a little over 2800, and the 110gr pro hunter at 2400.

The Gman summed it up pretty good. Been playing with a 6.8 AR now for a couple years. Never looking back. The 6.8 is a great round. If you've been visiting 68forums then you know about all you need. I'd let ARP build you an upper and put your own lower together and you'd be all set. That's what I did.

Update. Walmart does carry the 6.8 now. They just started stocking the new Federal Fusion load. Bought three boxes just the other day. Just about the only ammo they had on the shelf at the time.

Thanks for the service & info - a couple ?

What bullet(s) do you like best?

What powder works best?

I have the bolt, barrel, & mag to convert a CMMG upper, which will mainly be for hunting.

With all due respect to your experience, which is considerable, I have to disagree with the 308 vs. 6.8 recoil comments. Do you have an AR-10 or have you shot one? I'm not recoil sensitive. I've owned 300 Mags, have a 50-90, have had and shot a lot of 45-70's. Most 308's I've shot are wicked little kickers. I have no scientific way to measure recoil so admittedly this is subjective. I owned an L1A1 for awhile and it was not my cup of tea for a gun I wanted to shoot fast. IOW while at times I'm willing to tolerate a pretty fair amount of recoil, I generally want a soft-recoiling gun for one that might see combat. And I certainly give you your props for that.

My experience is an AR-10 type vs. AR-15 type in the two calibers. My limited, subjective experience is that the AR-10 in 308 seems softer-shooting than the 6.8 in a lighter AR. My 6.8 is an M-4 and my 308 is...a short varmint type? Anyway, the 6.8 I have is more of a combat setup and the 308 is a heavier weapon, although not what I'd term, "full-size". I'll include some pics. I'm sure the weight of the weapons has a lot to do with it, but personally, recoil-wise, I believe I'd rather shoot my 308. That wouldn't be the case if my 308 was an FNFAL type.

6.8

7.62

So I wouldn't disregard your experience, this is mine.

Nice weapon and impressive kill.

One question while I'm at it...Would you rather have the 6.8 or a 7.62 and a 5.56? I'd rather have the latter but am kinda glad and definitely appreciative that I have all three.

I guess you missed my comments in the post where I said I have about 60 FAL's, couple AR 10 style rifles and a couple bolt guns in .308?

I build FAL's and have since I was in the military. Hunt with 'em too. Like my military style rifles but also my bolt guns.

L42A1 Brit Army sniper rifle in 7.62mm NATO



Couple FN bolt rifles in .308


RRA .308



Para FAL



Complete Custom FAL with a 14.5" barrel (and no fun to shoot indoors!)



L1A1 I just built a month ago



Another L1A1 I built couple weeks back

[img:center]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/thegman1763/L1A13.jpg[/img]

Hunting with what I build

[img:center]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/thegman1763/AYA%20APRIL/GeorgeAntelope.jpg[/img]

I personally, after hundreds of thousands of rounds of .308 down range feel there is no comparison in terms of recoil between the 6.8 and the .308. The .308 recoils harder in any rifle I have than the 6.8. I have multiple .50 Beowulf style AR's, 7mm Mag, 300 Win Mag, .338 Lapua Mag and other loud, hard kicking guns to compare with and I'll still say the .308 is more harsh, recoil wise than the 6.8.

In an ideal world, I would have a .308 as well as a 6.8 but if I had to choose just one, it would be the 6.8 as it is handier than a .308 in confined spaces. .308 really needs a 20" barrel to get the benefit and even then, the round is REALLY loud inside a house, AMHIK! 6.8 can do it all with minimum amount of compromise.

As to bullets and powder? I like SSA ammo with the Sierra OTM for matches and the TSX for game. I don't reload for 6.8 as I have a healthy supply of ammo on hand for it that I was fortunate to be given by the owner of SSA. This is some of it:

[img:center]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/thegman1763/AYA%20APRIL/SSAammo.jpg[/img]

Indeed. You remember those diets from a couple of years ago, "eat this, not that"? Problem is I read this...



not that.



My apologies. I tend to skim, but I did go back and re-read before I posted. I just missed it somehow.

I've always heard the 308 AR-10's recoil was almost nothing. My experience echoes that. I didn't expect the 6.8 to recoil much and it really doesn't...but it recoiled more than I expected.

JMO and like I said, no offense. No doubt you are much more experienced than me. You have some very nice weapons.

A Standard M4 buttstock with the impressed checkering will make any cartridge bigger than a 5.56 no fun to shoot. I remember once putting a mag full of 308 through an LAR8 with just a t-shirt on. I could feel the checkering imprint in my skin for several days.

22s are legal in Georgia, they kill with authority every deer and pig I hit with them. A 22 cal 62 grain TSX thru the shoulders results in expiration faster than a 150 grain PP 30-06 shot thru the lungs all day and twice on Sunday. 6.8's would be fun to try, was headed in that direction before the recent problems. If I had been well set up to reload 6.8 then no problemo but I was not at the time. The only con regards 6.8 is getting set up to shoot it these days, maybe in a year things will be back to normal. Love to have one for fun, but no need where I live. The 75 grain Swift S2 is another one, and look at the BC on that thing!

EthanEdwards,
Have you considered using a heavier buffer and a "red" Springco spring in your 6.8? That might help a little on the recoil since you've got a carbine length gas system. Just a thought. That's the setup I have in my mid-length rifle and it works great.

The 6.8 is a great caliber providing more energy that 223 and less recoil and weight than a 308. Downside to a 6.8SPC is reloading components. Brass is tough to find.
Love my 6.8!!

Thanks for the suggestions. The recoil is not bothersome to me, I just found it strange that it seems more than on my 308, but the AR-10 I've got is pretty heavy. I've been wanting to put a Magpul collapsible on it but with all the recent problems they are scarce, and I don't want to order one and then get put on Backorder. Anyways, that might make my AR-10 kick harder than the M-4.

Agreed. That GI stock on your 6.8 doesn't help things. As soon as you can get a Magpul on there I would. I'd also suggest their enhanced recoil pad. I've got one and it's great.

Ethan, looking at the photo of your 6.8, I'd probably agree that the light weight of your 6.8 carbine isn't helping with your perception of recoil between the two calibers.

If you have a mil spec buffer tube on that carbine, I have a spare MagPul CTR stock in the shop I'd part with. It doesn't have the rubber butt pad on it but it is a darn sight nicer than the GI style stock to shoot with. I'd also equip it with the LaRue riser to get a good cheek weld with that high scope mount.

The only time I would choose a 6.8 AR over a 5.56 is if my state made .22 cal illegal for hunting. And if that was the case, I'd use an AK in 7.62x39, not a 6.8 AR.

You're going to spend more money, have more recoil and less capacity, and have way less commonality for 6.8.

In the end both are excellent, get what you want and go kill some animals.

Ethan, I think that you would benefit from the Magpul ACS stock. This gives a much better cheek weld to reduce recoil. I have it on my Stag carbine and I don't notice the recoil being any worse than a 5.56. Just my 2 cents.

Mike

Thanks gman. The recoil isn't problematic for me the way the gun is currently set up. It is just surprising that it seems more than the 308...which is actually the one I was contemplating changing to a Magpul collapsible.

I like all the AR types I currently have whether 10's or 15's. The only change I'll make is probably getting one more 223/556 so everybody in the family has one of that caliber. But I ain't gonna do it until I can get one for pre-Sandy Hook prices.

Really? That much difference? 6.8 and 5.56 recoil being identical would be pretty sweet. Y'all convinced me to check out the Magpul site on those stocks. Previously I've concentrated on the 308 stocks as a replacement for that standard stock shown on my AR-10 type in the pic.

I find the 6.8 to recoil little more than the 5.56, kn fact if I can spot my hits at 100 yards with the 6.8. The recoil is minimal IME and Opinion

Much as I'd like to have an AR-10 in .308 or progeny, this Ruger keeps me thinjking:



.308 win in 18: of 16.5" barrel, threaded to accept a muffler, iron sights and bolt action for reliability, cheaper than an AR or M1A...

Would work fine for bringing meat to the table which is a more likely requirement should SHTF.

I shot my deer this past year with my box stock RRA mid-length A4 and watched it mule kick through the scope. Can't say that has ever happened with a .308 bolt gun.

Agreed. It gets me thinking too. I just handled one a couple of weeks ago and I like it. How cool would that be in .358 Winchester? Now your talking!

guy at my local Rod and gun club has one. It shoots nice, but is it ever LOUD. When ever he shows up I call it the 308 LoudnBoomer.

While it is nice, it doesn't generate the smiles and grins my LAR-8 in 308 does. EVERYONE who has ever shot my RRA 308 has left the bench with a [bleep]-assed grin, from ear to ear.

I have a Stag 7 in 6.8 and I can definitely see the reaction of the deer when the boolit hits. I shot 2 bucks in the span of about 2 minutes this year and saw the boolit hit just behind the shoulder on the first and watched as it tries to make a jump with one leg raised and shot it again high shoulder before it got to the second jump. Then turned and watched another buck that wanted the hot doe the first was after and watched the boolit hit right through the heart quartering away and watched it kick when hit. All this happened at less than 50 yards so how much recoil could there be? My recoil calculator says 7 ft lbs. A 243 has about 10. 223 a little over 3. Then again, I really like A2 stocks that have a nice pad. 20 inch barrel on the Stag probably helps, too. I been using the SSA tactical 110 Accubonds and they just smoke a deer. I get 2750 fps with the SSa fodder and can get 2780 with enough RL 10 and Sierra prohunter 110's. Did shoot one deer at 300 yards and boolit did a real good job.

I had one of those 18 inch blue steel model 7's for a while, everyone on the club new when I killed a deer. I kept it for 2 seasons, very handy but tough on your ears. A 5.56 in 16 inch barrel with A2 flash hider is loud but a short barreled 308 is in a league of its own.

the short barreled springfield M1's with all the accessories socom or some such nonsense that weight 12 pounds and are like a flash-bang grenade when the fire tickle me, mall ninja specials.

That's the stock I have on my 6.8 build and it really does give you a better cheek weld. I don't care for the battery tubes on a hunting gun but they do give you more to rest your face on.