Saturday, March 6, 2021

6.8 Western cartridge

 The 6.8 Western (.277) round is intended for long range hunting.  If that's your thing, then by all means, go for it.  It make perfect sense to have a hard hitting, flat shooting round when hunting elk from one ridgeline to another.  With an OAL of 2.995, it fits in a short action, so the rifles built for it can be a tad lighter.

The 6.8 Western is, in reality, the .270 WSM cartridge with the shoulders pushed back, the neck stretched, and a chambering optimized for longer, heavier bullets.  It holds a bit less powder than the WSM, but the longer, higher BC bullets drop less and are deflected by the wind less.  At ranges over about 200 yards, bullets fired from the 6.8W are actually outpacing those of its parent cartridge.  This makes them better for both hunting and long range target shooting.  The slight reduction in recoil won't hurt, either.

Is it better than the venerable .270 Winchester?  Yes.  Yes, it is.  Is it worth getting?  That's entirely up to you.  If you like your .270, you can keep your .270.

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