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Theo,

Yep, we're planning on having the second RLN out this year.

Ha! And this sense of humor keeps me reading John's hunting stories.

Guy

pabucktail,

You can request 6.8 SPC II info, but unless something unusual occurs, it probably won't happen, because it's apparently not all that popular. Even Bill Wilson decided to design a new AR hunting round with a little more punch, and he has as much experience with the 6.8 as anybody.

There will be a chapter on the .300 HAM'R.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't the 6.8SPC designed to give short barreled carbines like the M4 more punch at close range?

Yes, but the 1-10 rifling twist and short throat hampered it. The 6.5 SPC II has a longer throat, and the preferred twist is 1-11.

Bill Wilson designed the .300 HAM'R to provide even more punch for hunting pigs and deer from short barrels. It's essentially a "stretched" .300 Blackout, and pretty much duplicates the .30-30, but with improved bullets--though it also works with 150-grain .30-30 bullets. It's been tested on several hundred pigs, quite a few deer, and at least one medium-sized bull elk. Bill says it's a step up from the 6.8, whether original or II. Not that the 6.8 doesn't work well (it certainly did when I used a couple of Bill's AR-15's when hunting with him, on animals from one unfortunate coyote to pigs up to 200 pounds) but he believes the .300 work a little better on bigger animals.

The worst thing to happen to the 6.8 was Remington was allowed to touch it.

That's what I have heard!

I am considering buying a 6mm Lee Navy, any books on that?

Thankfully, they were nowhere to be seen when the 6.5 Grendel was on the drawing board. I consider the two pretty much dead even for ordinary hunting purposes, but the Grendel pulls way in front as an all-arounder, especially when ranges start to get long. Available bullet choices and rifling twists make the difference as usual. None of the article I've read on the 6.8 reported any stellar accuracy either, just decent practical accuracy.

I looked hard at the Grendel but its proprietary status combined with the availability and quality of Silver State Armory brass at the time (10 yrs ago) made the decision easy. We've got 6.8 ARs and one bolt gun with accuracy ranging from pretty stellar for one example and high practical for the others. It certainly helps little kids kill deer well with its minimal blast and recoil but probably my favorite platform for the 6.8 is in an SBR. My 10.5" gun is the most accurate of those I have and gets 2800+ with 85 grainers and 2500 with 100s. I like those velocities in such a handy little gun.

Can't argue with any of that. Obviously, it's worked well for you. Stuff you mentioned has changed somewhat, but no reason for someone like you to switch. I got rid of my Grendel shortly after my 6mm Fieldcraft arrived. Better in every way, unless one simply has to have walnut. I still have a 7.62x39 Howa Mini for a Grandchild Special, despite its shortcomings for general use.

The B-29 data definitely needs reviewing. With today’s new powders and premium bullets it will be way
more betterer. Thanks for putting up with our shenanigans John!

Might have to include the B-29 in GG3.....

Yay!! B-29 fans rejoice!

Once the B-29 does get standardized..... it's going to cut deep into Creedmoor sales

How about the 9.3 BS?

I haven't given up on securing or building one.


Why? WTH knows?

Bruce,

There's a chapter on 9.3 Barsness-Sisk in THE BIG BOOK OF GUN GACK.

Charlie has the reamer, and building one is mostly a matter simply rebarreling any action made for any of the short, fat, beltless magnums, whether WSM's, SAUM's, or RCM's.

Shooters still sometimes ask why we used the .350 Remington case, when the WSM case has more capacity. There were three reasons:

1) Charlie noticed the .350 often fed even better in WSM/SAUM actions than the WSM/SAUM rounds.
2) We didn't want more case capacity. Instead, we wanted to duplicate the performance of the 9.3x62 in a short action, and the .350 case has just about the same amount of powder room. It worked out exactly like we planned.
3) We chose a belted magnum case to make sure brass for conversion would always be easily available. This proved to be pretty smart. Even .300 WSM brass is sometimes in short supply.

This thread is wandering all over the place. But is sure is going to some interesting and informative places!

I understand the short throat, but how did a bit too fast(?) twist hamper it?

I am intrigued....what is the B-29