6.5G or 6.8SPC?

[Robb]

I'm debating building up an alternative caliber upper to use for hunting, mainly for something different for antelope but possibly Muley's. I've searched and read and I'm waffling all over on which way to go, so I'm asking for your opinions.

6.5 has great ballistics, but quite a few people like the 6.8 for hunting. 6.5 sounds like the superior cartridge because of it's long range capabilities and who doesn't want a cartridge that shoots like a laser? However I'm a 300yard max shooter on game.

Also, resale. Not sure I'll like it compared to bolt guns in 'real' hunting calibers and if a 6.5 or 6.8 bullets didn't perform well, I may end up letting it go.
I'll never do long range shooting competitions.

If you're sole purpose in building an upper was Antelope/Muley hunting which direction would you go? Or would you just shoot what you already owned and invest the difference in beer?

[Colorado Osprey]

For a build have you considered a wildcat?
A 6mm necked down SPC gives outstanding ballistics and flatter shooting than the Grendel. That should be enough for Mulies and Pronghorn.

As far as the Grendel-SPC debate they have very, very similar ballistics to almost 300 yards. After that the Grendel shines, but to get that superior ballistics you will need a 24" barrel in the Grendel.... not so in the SPC.... it has already fallen behind, why lug extra barrel length. So most determine their choice by the distance they want to shoot. If you will be shooting greater than 300 yards, Grendel all the way. Shorter distance and the handy 16-20" in a SPC would be my choice.

For truely a hunting rig, Olympic or Dtech aka Mike Milli makes 243WSSM AR's that just flat outperform both, by a long shot. Limited capacity mags, but when hunting high cap can't be used anyway.

[Robb]

Looked into the 243wssm, barrel life seems to be a issue. Plus I'd like to go with the caliber that hopefully will become somewhat "mainstream". Component availability is always an issue for me.

[J]

If you want something that may go mainstream, I'd bet on the 6.8. That said, I have a 6.5 because I reload and I like the ballistics better. If you have the patience the brass can be formed from quality AK 7.62x39 brass, and 6.5mm bullets are easy to come by. But if you want a good variety in factory loads, the 6.8 is and probably will be the safer bet now and in the future.

Also, consider that a 300yd shot on a speed goat is somewhat normal. They are often taken at further distances than deer or elk and can go over 300yds. I did my 6.5 specifically for whitetail and speed goats.

[KS63]

Just watched a YouTube video comparing 5.56, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8SPC and .50 Beowulf. They were using Barnes bullets in gelatin and through barriers. Very interesting. They also showed the Kinetic Energy Transfer of each round on a graph. Judging by what the results were, J is right on the money. The Grendel has superior velocity at range than a 6.8 SPC. Under 300yds, the 6.8SPC is the winner as it dumps all its energy earlier during penetration than the Grendel.

[68Guy]

Just watched a YouTube video comparing 5.56, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8SPC and .50 Beowulf. They were using Barnes bullets in gelatin and through barriers. Very interesting. They also showed the Kinetic Energy Transfer of each round on a graph. Judging by what the results were, J is right on the money. The Grendel has superior velocity at range than a 6.8 SPC. Under 300yds, the 6.8SPC is the winner as it dumps all its energy earlier during penetration than the Grendel.

Been a 6.8 SPC shooter since the original (non SPEC II) and it is a great cartridge. I cannot personally validate the hunting claims as I have not been fortunate enough to take it on a hunt yet but the Barnes 95gr TTSX bullet for the 6.8 is supposed to be fantastic! Trust me, those bullets are $$$ so even us handloaders wont be shooting too many of them. I achieved a .95" 7 shot group at 100 yards from a 16" PSA so accuracy wise, no issues. Brass for 6.8 used to be very hard to come by however, now that at least one country (Jordan) has adopted the 6.8, more vendors such as Federal have jumped on the bandwagon so brass is more readily available. One thing though, try not to mix brass if you are looking for stable, accurate loads. Case thickness seems to play a big part on whether this is a compressed load or not so pressure and velocity can vary with the exact same powded with different vendor brass.

[Dalendenver]

I was an early 6.8 adopter as well. I have a Ruger Mini 14 in 6.8 that is a great shooter. I also have an AR15 with a PSA upper and the parts to build 3 more once I recover from the flood. I have 16" barrels for 5.56 and 6.8 as well as a 12.5" barrel for a pistol build in 6.8. I reload and have close to a dozen different bullets to try and several different powders. You can get Federal brass from LWRCi for $280/K. There is a guy that sells brass at the Tanner show who sometimes has 6.8 for a great price. For all the information you could ever want and more go to the 68forums web site. It is owned and supported by Wilson Combat but some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry on the cartridge are there and very willing to answer newby questions.

[Robb]

I've started collecting parts for an upper, I need a bolt, barrel, scope and mount yet. I've been dragging my feet but after all my research and looking at prices, the 6.8 is where I'm headed.
The Grendel ballistics are super, what an antelope rifle that would make, but the parts price gouging and non-availability makes this kind of a silly discussion to even have. When I initially posted this I had no idea how difficult 6.5 parts were to come by. I also have no idea if things will change and the 6.5 will become non-propritary but until it does I need to be realistic, so 6.8 it is.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

I have both the 6.5 G and 6.8. I would defiantly lean toward the 6.8. I only say this because the 6.5 G is almost impossible to find ammo and reloading supply's for. I form my 6.5 G brass out of 7.62 x 39 brass. Which is also Hard to find!! But depending on what your goal is. The 6.8 was strongly considered for the military. Behind the Grendel. And I'm thinking the military went with the 6.5 G. And that's why everything is had to find for that bad boy.

[Dalendenver]

Actually the 6.8 was created by a small group of special forces soldiers then turned over to Remington to get SAAMI standards but they sent the wrong specs and refused to correct their error. Thus the original 6.8 would not handle high power cartridges so the army dropped it. A group of private individuals tested a bunch of different twist rates and chamber configurations and came up with the SPC II chamber which nearly everyone has adopted now. The army has not adopted either 6.8 or 6.5G but the DEA has adopted the 6.8. After I bought my 12.5" barrel the DEA bought all that my supplier had left. Also Jordan and Saudi Arabia have adopted 6.8 for their militaries .