6.8 Western- has it been abandoned already?

ZAK13 said:

Seems like the hype has run its course when it comes to the 6.8 Western. I have yet to find a rifle chambered for it anywhere, and only found ammo in a local Bass Pro Shop, and only 3 boxes at that. It might be just me, but I feel that 6.8 Western seems to have been abandoned already by Browning/Winchester. If that is the case, it's a shame, because I feel it's a great cartridge that has some potential as a good all around cartridge. What are your thoughts? Does anyone on here own one, and if you do what do you think?

Click to expand...

I bought my rifle online and there was no shortage except for the color/camo combo that I wanted. Also no shortage with ammo online and also now have plenty of brass and bullets for reloading. Pretty happy with it so far as the cartridge checks off my boxes for my first fast twist rifle. It is accurate, has easy recoil without brake, good heavy bullets for terminal performance. Still experimenting.

ZAK I shoot and enjoy hunting with several "obsolete" or odd-ball cartridges in equally obsolete or odd-ball rifles.

If you like a cartridge and fear it'll go the way of the .32 Remington, 6.5X54MS or .350 Remington (3 of my favorite chamberings) there is a simple answer. Handloading.

Once you have around 400 pieces of brass and dies, for a hunting rifle, you have a lifetime supply of the components and tools unique to your beloved chambering.

When I am looking for a rifle the first things I order are brass and dies. Thereafter who cares what direction industry/commercial sales take?

During the height of the Chinaman Fever stupidity I got brass, bullets, dies, and powder for the 6.5 RPM. When Sportsman's Warehouse wasn't transferring fire arms I got a Weatherby MK V Backcountry transferred from Oregon to Wyoming and picked it up.

Point being what you need is out there. Be tenacious.

Remington and Winchester always screw themselves with Marketing and choice of caliber naming, The 244 Remington comes to mind, Now known as the 6mm Remington, The 7mm Express now known as the 280 Remington. Honestly if it wasn't for Jack O' Conner the 270 Winchester would have never went anywhere either, Just 0.007 smaller than the 7mm and still a much smaller bullet selection, The 270 and the 6.8 Westerner will always be a Hunting only round, Not a Long Range Competition Round due to component selection. Although the more 270 rounds that come out, The more bullet selection there may be someday?

OldElkHunter1961 said:

ZAK I shoot and enjoy hunting with several "obsolete" or odd-ball cartridges in equally obsolete or odd-ball rifles.

If you like a cartridge and fear it'll go the way of the .32 Remington, 6.5X54MS or .350 Remington (3 of my favorite chamberings) there is a simple answer. Handloading.

Once you have around 400 pieces of brass and dies, for a hunting rifle, you have a lifetime supply of the components and tools unique to your beloved chambering.

When I am looking for a rifle the first things I order are brass and dies. Thereafter who cares what direction industry/commercial sales take?

During the height of the Chinaman Fever stupidity I got brass, bullets, dies, and powder for the 6.5 RPM. When Sportsman's Warehouse wasn't transferring fire arms I got a Weatherby MK V Backcountry transferred from Oregon to Wyoming and picked it up.

Point being what you need is out there. Be tenacious.

Click to expand...

Yes, I shoot all kinds of Obscure calibers that very few people shoot, Much of it needing reforming and or fireforming, That's what I like, I could care less if it's on the shelf at Sportsmans, I source the stuff I need, Sometimes waiting patiently for years for dies, Brass, ETC.

I saw Hunts long range post one up they built a few months ago. They were getting some supreme accuracy shooting factory ammo just to get the brass.

I think it is the opposite. I have had zero trouble finding ammo. Even Fleet farm had tons of it last week when I was in there. I would definitely say rifles are harder to find than ammo though. Even ammoseek.com has long range pro, copper impacts, and ballistic tips. The long range pro shoots best out of mine and they are only 44 a box

hrhunter said:

Hey, I like my Subaru Outback!!

Click to expand...

I had a 2013 Outback. It was a great hunting lease vehicle. Hauled numerous deer on the hitch and haul. Got some weird looks from the granola crowd.

308, 30-06 and 338 AX do everything for me. I don't get wrapped up in all the hype 6.5 this 7 that and 6.8 etc.

What Winchester and Browning need to do is sell ammo in the 130, 140 and 150 gr bullets. More bullet options are necessary. I shoot mine weekly at the 1000 range, it is a remarkable cartridge. Mine has a muzzle break, no kick at all.

I had a 6.8 western built . Savage tactical short mag action, 27" Bartlien sendero 1:9 twist barrel,MDT XRS chassis. Shoot BERGER 170 EOL and Nosler 165 ABLR. 55 grains super Performance @ 2915 FPS.
EGW 50 MOA rail. Trijicon Tenmile 4.5x30-56 scope. Rifle is zeroed at 200 yards. I shoot weekly in the desert at 1 mile. My shooting partners shoot .338 lapua and 30 Nosler. They bet me $100.00 that my rifle would not hit steel at one mile. I loved taking their money. Last outing I had 8 hits out of 20 rounds.

skipglo said:

The 6.8 what?

Click to expand...

Never heard of her

7.62 Gunner said:

The 7 PRC hasn't even been released yet and it's already killed the 6.8 western.

Browning should have beat Hornady to the punch and done an improved 7 wsm design with a longer neck and slightly greater capacity, instead of screwing with a no man's land .277 caliber holding 73 grains like the saum and 280 ai

Click to expand...

I have a feeling the 7 PRC will have the same availability and price as the 6.5 PRC. Is that offered in anything good but the 143 ELD-X? Unless you are a reloaded it is a horrible choice in my opinion. Not being a smart ***. Seriously asking if they offer anything decent for factory hunting rounds. I only know one person with a 6.5 PRC

I don't think it ever took off. I don't live out west but I've never seen one on a shelf anywhere. Even if they are selling as fast as they arrive how many is that? 1 or 2 every blue moon when one arrives at a store? And it's really not a new cartridge. It's a 270wsm with an 8 twist instead of 10. This is the worst example ever of a manufacturer trying to reinvent a wheel. Just my $.02.

Production woes aside, the one thing that baffles me with the Browning/Winchester launch is they're NOT using the same twists between manufacturers. Winchester is settling on the SAAMI listing of 1:8", and Browning, doing what they've been doing the last few years in reference to twist rates, are using a 1:7.5". As a bullet manufacturer, that is a bit frustrating when considering the fast twist .277" bullets and what to optimize for. All in all, disregarding other available options, from a clean sheet, the 6.8 Western is a nicely balanced cartridge. I think of it as the modern day 7mm Rem Mag. For the folks that want long, sleek bullets to shoot out to longer ranges, but are relegated to factory loads only, it really does make sense, and provides a little more diameter than the 6.5 PRC for those that prefer it.

As to the original question, has it been abandoned? I don't think so. If anything, all the fast twist 270 WSMs out there in custom form will actually HELP the 6.8 Western survive. It will also help to tip us, at Apex, over the edge in releasing fast twist (or twists - thanks Win/Brwng) bullets in .277".