Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Next purchase - 6.8 or 243?

Why is it a good poaching round? I thought most poachers used the cheapest 22 mag they could buy with no serial number tracability? 6.8 AR's are a little to expensive to chuck out the window if the game warden comes.

Please enlighten me

Ruger makes a UL Model 77 compact in 6.8 SPC and a Mini 14. I have one of each, and a custom Ruger #1 from Carolina Precision on the way.

But then, I actually researched the round before ponticating on it.

There now is a standard factory-made 85 grain Barnes TSX in 6.8 that goes over 3000 fps out of a 16 inch barrel w/neglible to no recoil. A 110 gr-er lopes slightly behind it for larger critters.

The larger diameter bullets will drop any deer in North America more surely than any .243s will. (The round was designed to give our forces surer kills out to 300 yards than the .223 is doing. It does, but the Pentagon's buy-in of the .223 overwhelms troop needs. No matter, it is hard to find a black rifle maker now who is not jumping on the band wagon. but then they don't listen to advice here.)

1B

A 6.8 in a full auto is pretty slick. Maybe a little to specialized in purpose?

I have killed a bunch of northern Mn. deer with a 243. As with any round you got to hit where it counts. I'am sure both would work well if you do your part. So get the one you want the most.

The 243 wins for all-around performance near and far, varmints to big game.

The 6.8 has proven itself worthy on deer, pigs, etc. Silver State Armory offers some good hunting ammo, and gives a hint at what a handloader can make for himself.

For the stated purpose, can't really go wrong either way.

dinger, the 6.8 sucks. It's pretty worthless. And the bullet will prob. bounce off northern MN deer.

Let me know when you want to sell the lower, I'm in the twin cities too...

Having owned both, I'd take the 6.8 SPC.

I too have owned and hunted with both the .243 and the 6.8X43 (6.8SPC for the unlightened) and the 6.8 wins hands down. The yahoos bad mouthing the 6.8 don't know what they are talking about and have ZERO experience with the caliber!! Another words they are giving advice with out knowing the facts. Bill Wilson, you have heard of Wilson Combat I hope, has taken hundreds of deer and hogs with the 6.8, most with one shot as have other hunters. I took two deer this year with my 6.8, one at 125 yds and the other at 175 yards, both were one shot kills. Could I have done that with a .243 sure but the 6.8 is lighter and a lot handier to carry and use in the field due to it's shorter overall length. Go to 68forums.com and get the whole story before you decide, I did and have never once looked back.
I'm taking my 6.8 to Montana on a mule deer hunt IF I get drawn for a tag!! We may just stop over in Wyoming and shot a prong horn or two while we are out west, man thay are good eating!!

My Stag shoots .75 5 shot groups every time out. It pushes a 110 Sierra pro hunter or a 110 Nosler Accubond down range at 2750 fps, the new 95 gr TTSX that is being released in April will do over 2900. I too was a disbeliever until I tried it. Can't decide if I like carrying my Stag or my Montana better. Kind of like the 6 lb recoil of the Stag. Did I mention that 6.8 velocities are the same as a 243 in like weight bullets, with half the recoil. Kind of lost my magnumitis after I saw what a tsx will do to a critter.

Kinda hard for me to draw direct comparisons betweeen the two by bullet weight/mv. They are two very different concepts in my mind.

The beauty of the 6.8 is what it can bring in a handy 16" carbine. 16" gets most of the performance out of it, and it's pretty potent out to 300 or so.

A 24" 243 will send 80gr TTSX at 3300+. Or look at 105 Berger at 3050-ish fps. It delivers a lot of juice waaaay past 300 yards. But your talking about a full sized rifle.

Last year I put an upper together with a .270 blank I had laying around. I picked up some ammo with OTM bullets, all I could find local. I now have a computer and found places to order hunting ammo. I was leary of using hollow points to hunt, but was really surprised what they do. It looked like I threw a soft ball through the deer. Point is, if you don't want to reload for it, you may have a hard time getting ammo right now. It makes me wonder how long it will be around.

SSA-Silver State Armory has every type of loaded ammo for the 6.8 that you could want or need.

YA,
OK. Can I give you $100 to take it off my hands? It would make my decision easier!

Do yourself a favor and get a 6.5x55 Swede!

ja, ya don't know what yer meeesin. der svede ist da bombe.

85 grain HP at 3400 fps, 100 grain partition at 3200+ fps, 140 grain at 2800.

meeses to mooses.

no recoil, and long slippery bullets. don't go getting all excited bout the long slippery bullets now.

I'll take it!