So, with all the cartridges available now for the AR15 other than .223 or 5.56 I thought it would be a good topic for discussion.

What I want is people that have direct experience to share them.  If you have hunted hogs with a 6.8 and a 300 Blackout for example..   How did they compare in the field?

I will be glad to start out the discussion.

I have been running a 6.8 SPC for 5-6 years for hunting, mainly hogs but I have shot a fair number of deer with it as well.

I was attracted to it because I wanted something with a little more punch than 5.56 but didn’t want to lug around a heavy AR10.

I looked hard at the 6.5 Grendel and I know it is a great round.  High BC bullets work very well for long range and I do think it is a MUCH better round for it than a 6.8.

However, you need to run a long barrel to get the velocity needed to realize it’s potential.  The 6.8 SPC is an extremely efficient cartridge and there is minimum gain going from say a 16 to  a 20″ barrel.

I have ran most of the bullets out there for the 6.8 and pretty much have settled on the 95G Barnes TTSX.  It has proven to be an extremely effective big hog stopper.  I have yet to have one go more than a few steps.  From 30ft to 400 yards, it works.  (though I personally use it more for like a 0-300 yard stalking gun)

My load of 29.5g of Reloader 10X gets 2850 FPS out of a 16″ barrel and delivers sub MOA accuracy.  I like that if I have a big hog jump out at 30 ft and I hit him in the shoulder he is going down, right there.  I can’t say the same thing about a 5.56.  Barnes bullets work as advertized, they expand instantly and provide razor sharp pedals not a mushroom as in a traditional cup and core bullet.  The bullet does massive damage and penetrates in a straight line.   Soft points, even bonded softpoints like a Nosler Accubond don’t act the same way.  There have been numerous reports of them coming apart on hogs up close and failing to get to the vitals.  Barnes almost always exit as well.

Now, for whitetail deer, the 110 Accubond is a great bullet and it flat out works.  But for hogs, I just trust the Barnes and there are quite a number of hog guides out there that feel the same way.  Is a 75g TAP 5.56 load a deadly load against a human?  Yes, but we aren’t built as tough as a hog.  Bullet placement trumps everything of course, and while I always go for a behind the ear shot on a pig, that doesn’t always end up happening as they move so much more than a deer.

I have been quite pleased with the terminal effectiveness on game with a 6.8 and am happy to continue to run one.

There are people that like the 300 blackout of course but I have also heard of people not being impressed with accuracy nor effective terminal performance of the subsonic rounds past 100 yards.

I personally don’t have any experience with the round other than shooting at a range so, I can’t honestly say how well it REALLY works.  I don’t personally put much faith in energy figures as shot placement and bullet construction play a FAR more important role in my opinion.

Please share your experiences.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

ccoker

Founding staff member, avid shooter, hunter, reloader and all around gun geek with an obsession for perfection