6.8 Western

[Lazy Bushman]

I actually considered a fast twist 270 Win again but thought this new round is too good not to support. I like the 270 Win though and nothing wrong with putting a fast twist barrel on one. All things being equal it looks like the 6.8 W has about a 150 fps edge on the good old 270 Win. Some good bullets coming out now for fast twist 270's and 6.8 W's, I have some 170 gr Berger's, 170 gr Ballistic Tips (super excited for that one) 175 gr Sierra's along with a pile of different 150's. I'll be adding some Hammer's 148 or 156 gr and the Barnes 155 gr LRX this year too.

If I had the spare cash and a reason to buy one, I would. There's a lot to like a bout it. The reason I'd look at re-barrelling my existing 270win is because it is a BRNO with the set trigger and I live that old rifle. I would also only do it if my current barrel happened to be shot out, which it wouldn't be for another 10-15years

Have fun with the 6.8w and when you do get one, make sure you shoot us a post with assessment of the calibre and the rifle you chose. I'll be looking forward to it.

 

[gerry]

I will, hopefully I'll get the gun back by the summer.

 

[BK]

The Western never really caught my eye, but just from the online chatter I've been observing, I don't think it's going to last very long. I 'know' of two guys who have built one (two guys on 24HCF who have a serious bromance). NOTHING else nice I saw the press releases. Elsewhere, I read about the 6 Creed, and the 6.5/7/.300 PRC a ton. Even the .360 Buckslammer gets more buzz.

I know new stuff sells, but I can only wish we could get brass and ammo for some of the older rounds... 6mm Rem, is at the top of my list. Old age is hitting me hard.

Now, get off my lawn!

 

[jimbires]

and this is exactly why Ben and Jerry have 54 different flavors of ice cream . not everyone wants the same thing .

 

[FOTIS]

Shorter case 270 WSM with a faster twist is what it is.

I don't predict a long life for this one.

Docs got that right. If you like go for it.

 

[SJB358]

Can't wait to see what your comes out like.. I am all for keeping the 270 kicking along. No great reason other than I do enjoy it.

 

[300WSM]

The Western never really caught my eye, but just from the online chatter I've been observing, I don't think it's going to last very long. I 'know' of two guys who have built one (two guys on 24HCF who have a serious bromance). NOTHING else nice I saw the press releases. Elsewhere, I read about the 6 Creed, and the 6.5/7/.300 PRC a ton. Even the .360 Buckslammer gets more buzz.

I know new stuff sells, but I can only wish we could get brass and ammo for some of the older rounds... 6mm Rem, is at the top of my list. Old age is hitting me hard.

Now, get off my lawn!

The reasoning is multi pronged.
First ...
It's the worst time ever in the industry's history to be introducing a new product. At least from a PR standpoint.
It's hard to get attention when people are backing away from the industry because they can't get ____
(People will only look for so long until they give up and check back in 6 months)
In other words they remove attention from the hobby for a while.

Add in the ones who beat head against the wall and still try to find product every day ...they don't want to hear "NEW FOR 20__"

They want to hear their routine components are available to purchase again.

Sticker shock can't be discounted either. Looking at primers that are
now a C-Note per thousand,
IMR a million dollars per pound, Nosler's price and to make matters worse only two of the weirdest SKU's available for sale.

Lastly....
The industry has become a win today and piss on tomorrow mind set. Come out with a "NEW" something or other...get some sales....try something else tomorrow.

There are only so many buyers of rifles in the industry at any one given time and that pie gets smaller and smaller every year a "NEW ___" comes out.


P.s.

That all said my uncle is hot as hell on this 6.8 Western

He wants one in a bad way.

He was on the horn the other night saying to me the only hold up is can't get components to shoot it.

I screen shotted some available things to him and said quit with the excuses and get one already!

We shall see

 

[gerry]

Winchester/Browning started their development 2 years before they released it before any of us knew what was about to happen with the Plan-demic. They decided to go ahead with it anyway since they had put a lot of effort into it already.

Had people not started panic buying and accumulating in some cases several lifetime supplies it wouldn't have been as bad. The 300 WSM is really popular here and all of a sudden guys couldn't get ammo for their guns so they had to buy new rifles to be able to hunt. The manager of the local gun shop told me that, I suspect a lot of 308 Win guns were sold since you could always get ammo for it.

I am on two 6.8 Western Facebook groups and there were a bunch of guys not being able to buy ammo for their guns in other rounds and jumped on board since they could get both rifles and ammo for the 6.8 W. I don't expect it to be the most popular round ever but I think it will carve out it's own niche. Lot's of 270 Win guys will look hard at it to add to their gun cabinets.

 

[300WSM]

I am on two 6.8 Western Facebook groups and there were a bunch of guys not being able to buy ammo for their guns in other rounds and jumped on board since they could get both rifles and ammo for the 6.8 W. I don't expect it to be the most popular round ever but I think it will carve out it's own niche. Lot's of 270 Win guys will look hard at it to add to their gun cabinets.

Technology is wonderful and complacency sucks.

Roy Weatherby was way ahead of his time.
Not so much bigger is better but he had the balls to march to the other drum beat....

Shorter and fatter isn't better in athletics but it definitely has proven itself in the shooting world.
I can hit Weatherby speeds with 2/3rd the powder in a 300wsm with a 180 and shoot more accurately as well. I'm not recoil shy but there is definitely less felt recoil. Shorter action...etc. cheaper to shoot...
What's not to love.

I'd be willing to bet in 10 years...***if*** ( a big "IF" ) the industry has stabilized again you'll see some of these cartridges revisited.
The Ultra Mags from Rem...the Super shorts from Win...and so on.

It would be foolish to bring stuff back right now when there's isn't enough support of components for even the old standby rounds. I need 6mm brass. I need 30 cal 180 bullets
I need .... I need...

When that changes to you can buy as much as you'd like again possibly some of those aborted efforts might be revisited but not until then

 

[gerry]

Roy Weatherby was way ahead of his time.
Not so much bigger is better but he had the balls to march to the other drum beat....

Shorter and fatter isn't better in athletics but it definitely has proven itself in the shooting world.
I can hit Weatherby speeds with 2/3rd the powder in a 300wsm with a 180 and shoot more accurately as well. I'm not recoil shy but there is definitely less felt recoil. Shorter action...etc. cheaper to shoot...

I really like the Weatherby's RPM rounds but that's for another thread. Love the direction that company is going and the RPM's will be their future.

Big fan of the 300 and 325WSM too so versatile and easy to load. Easy to load them to 30-06 speeds and recoil and also full power loads as well. That's another reason I am going with a 6.8 W. My wife can handle a 270 Win and it will be easy to duplicate it for her, then turn around and launch a 170 gr bullet at 2900 fps on the other end.

 

[300WSM]

I really like the Weatherby's RPM rounds but that's for another thread. Love the direction that company is going and the RPM's will be their future.

Big fan of the 300 and 325WSM too so versatile and easy to load. Easy to load them to 30-06 speeds and recoil and also full power loads as well. That's another reason I am going with a 6.8 W. My wife can handle a 270 Win and it will be easy to duplicate it for her, then turn around and launch a 170 gr bullet at 2900 fps on the other end.

Absolutely and I think it's a perect idea where it falls in the bullet diameter lineup.

Bullets of 30 years ago don't do much for the 6.8 but the projectiles of today gives that thing some tremendously incredible range!!
Keep me updated as you venture down that road as I'm sure I'll be doing bench work for my uncle soon as well...

 

[Lazy Bushman]

The reasoning is multi pronged.
First ...
It's the worst time ever in the industry's history to be introducing a new product. At least from a PR standpoint.
It's hard to get attention when people are backing away from the industry because they can't get ____
(People will only look for so long until they give up and check back in 6 months)

I can't agree regarding the worst time in history to release a new rifle. There are probably other examples in history of what may have seemed bad timing still resulted in a cartridge for the ages. The one that immediately comes to mind for me is the 22 Hornet. A calibre released in the '30's during the Great Depression and still kicks around today. In fact when Winchester commercialised that little wildcat, there were no commercial rifles in existence and I think Savage was the first to the party. Just goes to show that against all obstacles, things can sometime just work out. Calibre's will be a success or otherwise for a bunch of reasons

 

[Dr. Vette]

That all said my uncle is hot as hell on this 6.8 Western

He wants one in a bad way.

He was on the horn the other night saying to me the only hold up is can't get components to shoot it.

I screen shotted some available things to him and said quit with the excuses and get one already!

We shall see

Given the option now, I'd do a 7mm PRC before a 6.8 Western. In fact, the 7mm PRC will kill the 6.8 Western.

You will see FAR more companies making ammo and rifles in this chambering. This is already true, and the 6.8 has been out a couple of years while the 7mm PRC for only a couple of months! Other than Browning and Winchester who developed it, the 6.8 hasn't gotten any traction with any other rifle companies.

 

[nhenry]

You will see FAR more companies making ammo and rifles in this chambering. This is already true, and the 6.8 has been out a couple of years while the 7mm PRC for only a couple of months! Other than Browning and Winchester who developed it, the 6.8 hasn't gotten any traction with any other rifle companies.

Well, yes and no. Christensen Arms and Fierce chamber it in their rifles

 

[gerry]

Given the option now, I'd do a 7mm PRC before a 6.8 Western. In fact, the 7mm PRC will kill the 6.8 Western.

You will see FAR more companies making ammo and rifles in this chambering. This is already true, and the 6.8 has been out a couple of years while the 7mm PRC for only a couple of months! Other than Browning and Winchester who developed it, the 6.8 hasn't gotten any traction with any other rifle companies.

What about Fierce, Seekins and Christensen. Those who wish to support Hornady can do so if they wish, I won't.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Well, yes and no. Christensen Arms and Fierce chamber it in their rifles

Mossberg, Alterra, Savage, Gunwerks, Seekins, Ruger, Proof Research, BotW, Boring, Altus, GA Precision as well with more to come.

Remington will have 7mm PRC available late this year.
Others are in the pipeline.

 

[nhenry]

Mossberg, Alterra, Savage, Gunwerks, Seekins, Ruger, Proof Research, BotW, Boring, Altus, GA Precision as well with more to come.

Remington will have 7mm PRC available late this year.
Others are in the pipeline.

I do not doubt the validity of the 7 PRC, in fact I like it a lot.
It won't kill the 6.8, though. The newness of the PRC will wear off eventually and people will go back to wanting shorter actions and adequate power in that small package. The 6.8W fills that niche, just as the 300WSM and 7SAUM does. The 7PRC won't even kill the 7 Rem Mag since it can't handle lighter bullets as well. It's a good compliment to the industry.

 

[300WSM]

Given the option now, I'd do a 7mm PRC before a 6.8 Western. In fact, the 7mm PRC will kill the 6.8 Western.

You will see FAR more companies making ammo and rifles in this chambering. This is already true, and the 6.8 has been out a couple of years while the 7mm PRC for only a couple of months! Other than Browning and Winchester who developed it, the 6.8 hasn't gotten any traction with any other rifle companies.

You sound like a magazine article.

First of all you're comparing an apple and an orange.

Maybe an apple and a peach.

#1 While the 7PRC isn't the longest cartridge in the world but it is NOT a short action cartridge.

#2 it's a 7mm...not a 270
Is it ok if someone would rather use a .277 diameter bullet?

#3 7PRC should sell more just simply based on Hornady being behind it. The very company doing the best job of putting product on the shelf in these "too high of demand bullshit excuses" times

#4 why does it have to kill it? The very statement made by some author of some rag I've come across...

#5 and probably most importantly we can all play in the same sand box, no?
Last I checked we can.
I love the 300WSM through and through and can cite you a dozen reasons it's the greatest cartridge ever designed but I don't thumb my nose at someone wanting something else like a traditional 300 mag, or 308 or 7 rem mag or 270 Winchester....or....
a 6.8 Western or a 7PRC

Choices are great and if it keeps interest high in our industry that's great!!

 

[SJB358]

It don’t matter. Buy enough brass to last a few barrels.

easy peasy. I kinda like the 325 WSM and it’s not exactly tearing down record sales but I can still use it enough to hunt with it.

 

[gerry]

300WSM laid it out better than I could have said in post #38. The 7 PRC better be able to beat the 6.8 Western since it is a fair bit bigger round. It's going to burn more powder and kick harder too. I actually considered the 7 PRC but felt the smaller 6.8 W would fit my needs better. The 6.8 W is much more like a 280 AI in performance when you look at it. Everyone can pick the one they like in the power scale. 300 PRC > 7 PRC/7mm RM > 6.8 Western > 6.5 PRC. They all work.

Not sure why the unnatural hate for 270 cal rounds by some people, it's like someone insulted their wife or something. Just wait till the 25 Creedmoor or 257 Western or something like that officially comes out, then we will see some guys really blow a gasket! Have to say a 25 Creed would be pretty sweet.......