AR-15 build verses buy

[Jim the Plumber]

JTP, give me a call at the shop on thursday. Will get you a deal on those 2 boxes you might like

Will do.Check your PM's

[Biggerhammer]

Most guys just purchase a set of Redding type "S" bushing dies, they can use the FL die for most of the 6.8 wildcats by just changing the bushings and the seating stem in the seater die. Their are other routes for the guys that don't want to drop the cash on the Reddings. They don't give them away.

[Special T]

So are the 6.8 and 6.5  based off the 270 brass?

[Biggerhammer]

I don't know if they have any left, but LWRC was selling 1000 pieces of once fired 6.8 brass. A mix of SSA and Federal for 195.00

The serious guys/ developers of the 6.8 wildcats. Told me they prefer. Federal over the SSA and small primer brass.

[Heredoggydoggy]

That's what mine is, a 20" barrel.  I got the 1 in 9 twist, rather than the 1 in 10 so it would handle heavier bullets better.  I have heavier bullets, but haven't tried them yet.  I had the load data for the 58 grain V-Max's so that's what I tried first.  With a charge of IMR 8208 XBR they are nice!  I used a 6.5 Grendel die set, and a 6mm Hornady neck die, which I already had to neck down the 20 LBC brass, to make the cases, and turned a trifle off the necks to true them up.  All I had to get was a Hornady 6mm/243 bullet seating die.

Yup, same here, 9 twist. Just picked up 200+ SSA once fired brass, so I'll have plenty to work up loads.
I'm going to try the 87 Vmax and  87 Berger VLD.
You state you are seating with a 243 or 6mm die?  Is that the preferred way to seat the 6-6.8?
[/quote]

I don't know, but that's what I do.  But then, I'm an animal!  But I did find that Black Hole Barrels have a tight chamber.  I had to run my reloads through the 6.8 sizing die without the expander/decapper, of course, to take out the imperceptible bulge so the rounds would chamber all the way!  (I saw a guy with a 6.5x55 Swedish bolt gun who just neck sized his loads, and they wouldn't chamber all the way, either, so it apparently isn't an isolated problem!)  Since I ran the loads through the sizing die, I didn't have a problem, but I did get some resistance when I did, so it must have helped.

[Heredoggydoggy]

So are the 6.8 and 6.5  based off the 270 brass?

No, The 6.8,6.5, and 6mmx6.8SPC are based on the 30 Remington brass.

[Special T]

So the 6.8 and the 270 shoot the same bullet but use different brass?

[Jim the Plumber]

So the 6.8 and the 270 shoot the same bullet but use different brass?

Both use .277 dia bullets.
The 6.8 is limited to the lighter class where as the 270 can handle them all.

[mountainman]

JTP, give me a call at the shop on thursday. Will get you a deal on those 2 boxes you might like

Will do.Check your PM's

Cool! Maybe do some dealing?

[mountainman]

JTP, give me a call at the shop on thursday. Will get you a deal on those 2 boxes you might like

Hey, My son is looking for an AR.  You have any Colts, Daniel defense, LMT...  He has money that is burning a hole in his pocket.

think I have a DDefence left..give me a call Thursady, 509-665-9362

[Heredoggydoggy]

Most guys just purchase a set of Redding type "S" bushing dies, they can use the FL die for most of the 6.8 wildcats by just changing the bushings and the seating stem in the seater die. Their are other routes for the guys that don't want to drop the cash on the Reddings. They don't give them away.

I think that was the Main reason I got the Hornady dies--they are really reasonably priced.  I did have to shorten one of the neck dies.  The Grendel neck wouldn't reach in far enough! And, you can get individual Hornady dies.  Anyway, it gets me to the same place.  (don't know if that's good or bad!  )

[Biggerhammer]

Most guys just purchase a set of Redding type "S" bushing dies, they can use the FL die for most of the 6.8 wildcats by just changing the bushings and the seating stem in the seater die. Their are other routes for the guys that don't want to drop the cash on the Reddings. They don't give them away.

I think that was the Main reason I got the Hornady dies--they are really reasonably priced.  I did have to shorten one of the neck dies.  The Grendel neck wouldn't reach in far enough! And, you can get individual Hornady dies.  Anyway, it gets me to the same place.  (don't know if that's good or bad!  )

So what exact die are you using? A Hornady 6.8 SPC bushing die or a shortened Grendel die?

[Heredoggydoggy]

Most guys just purchase a set of Redding type "S" bushing dies, they can use the FL die for most of the 6.8 wildcats by just changing the bushings and the seating stem in the seater die. Their are other routes for the guys that don't want to drop the cash on the Reddings. They don't give them away.

I think that was the Main reason I got the Hornady dies--they are really reasonably priced.  I did have to shorten one of the neck dies.  The Grendel neck wouldn't reach in far enough! And, you can get individual Hornady dies.  Anyway, it gets me to the same place.  (don't know if that's good or bad!  )

So what exact die are you using? A Hornady 6.8 SPC bushing die or a shortened Grendel die?

So the 6.8 and the 270 shoot the same bullet but use different brass?

Yes, the 25-06 and the 270 are based on the 30-06 case.  BUT, the 270 case is 1/10th inch longer than the 30-06 case.

The 6.8SPC case was based on the 30 Remington case because of the base size.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Most guys just purchase a set of Redding type "S" bushing dies, they can use the FL die for most of the 6.8 wildcats by just changing the bushings and the seating stem in the seater die. Their are other routes for the guys that don't want to drop the cash on the Reddings. They don't give them away.

I think that was the Main reason I got the Hornady dies--they are really reasonably priced.  I did have to shorten one of the neck dies.  The Grendel neck wouldn't reach in far enough! And, you can get individual Hornady dies.  Anyway, it gets me to the same place.  (don't know if that's good or bad!  )

So what exact die are you using? A Hornady 6.8 SPC bushing die or a shortened Grendel die?

Neither.  I looked, and it was the 6mm neck die that I had to shorten.  (I think it was made for the 6mm Remington, and the Grendel brass I was necking down wouldn't reach.)  At first, I was necking 6.5 Grendel brass down to .204, and found that going from 6.5 to .224 wasn't gradual enough, so I got the 6mm Hornady neck die.  So I already had the 6mm neck die when I got the 6mmX6.8SPC barrel.  And, because I already had a 6.8SPC, I had a set of 6.8 RCBS dies, too.

[mountainman]

BlackHole Weaponry fixed the 6.8 SPC by simply necking it down to 6.5. Might want to give their barrels a look. They also necked it down to .20 cal, .22, 6mm, 25 cal along with 6.5 and will be releasing a 6.8 necked down to .30 cal shortly. I know a bunch of guys that jumped on the 6.8 and then sold them all.

Yup.  I got a Black Hole 6mmX6.8 a while back, and I'm thinking about selling my 6.8.  Loaded ammo is available for the 6mmX6.8 SPC, but it's expensive!  I make my own, being the tinkerer that I am...

Have you wrung out your 6-6.8?
What are your thoughts on it?

Haven't wrung it out yet, but I did find out that you don't have to elevate very much from 100 yard zero to 300 yards.  It would be good for critters up to deer sized animals, but I think the 6.8 would have better knock down power.  I have to make up some more test loads for the 6mm, and check the zero.  A while back I thought I heard one of the turrets on the scope turning as I slid it out of the case.    Anyway, it's a good excuse to get out to the range again! 

Hee hee!  You guys type faster than I do!

I have a 20" 6-6.8 AR-15 Black Hole barrel, just waiting on the associated reloading tools and bolt to arrive.
Have you tried any heavier bullets?
Mine is mostly going to be for coyotes and I will run it suppressed.
Yea, factory ammo at ~$80.00 for 50 is too steep for me.
I'll set my Dillon 550 up for it and feed the rifle that way.

That's what mine is, a 20" barrel.  I got the 1 in 9 twist, rather than the 1 in 10 so it would handle heavier bullets better.  I have heavier bullets, but haven't tried them yet.  I had the load data for the 58 grain V-Max's so that's what I tried first.  With a charge of IMR 8208 XBR they are nice!  I used a 6.5 Grendel die set, and a 6mm Hornady neck die, which I already had to neck down the 20 LBC brass, to make the cases, and turned a trifle off the necks to true them up.  All I had to get was a Hornady 6mm/243 bullet seating die.

and its amazing how those lighter bullets designed for varmints, begin to perform like a  controlled expansion round once the velocities arent cranking as high as your 243 win or 6mm rem. used to play alot in the 80's with the TCU rounds in 6mm, 6.5mm, and my favorite, the 7mm TCU! In the XP100's and the Contenders the became viable big game rounds! Thank you Bob Milek!