Next Wildcat Cartridge

[Deleted]

In your original post it had a 20" barrel. The 6.5 will work in that platform. If I had to stay within the parameters you laid out I would go with a 6.8 SPC. You described it perfectly right down to the bullet weight. And I am sure a deer would never know the difference of .007. That's about the thickness of a business card.

[gunmutt]

Yeah I keep going back and forth alot lately. I only have funds for one new upper at the moment and I tend to want it to be the be all cartridge. An 18" seems perfect but velocity is power and a 20" does it better. Like I said the terrain here is crazy and so are the whitetail. One day its a 200 acre open pasture the next its deep brush. i also think wild cats are awesome they tend to fill a specific niche for the one who needs it. I here a lot of people who suggest the 6mm wildcats(243 LBC,6x68, and 6x45). They seem to be great cartridges but a bigger bullets seems to satisfy hunters in these parts. Most of us were raised on the all mighty 30-06. Today us young folk like the ergonomics and versatility of the AR. The 6.8 SPC is probably the best for my needs but I never seemed to like that round. At 400 yrds it seems weak. The 6.5 seems just a little too fast for my comforts as I don't need the extra long range. Heck I have to watch my distance from the neighboring school to where I hunt( 1000 feet is the law). 400 yards was the range of an 8 point just the other day, which is well out of my .223 range. Guess I should more into the 6.8

[Deleted]

Don't discount the 6mm. Where I live long shots are the norm. The secret to the 6mm 's is the bullet. If you reload you can taylor your load accordingly. Retained velocity at the range you described is paramount, regardless of the cartridge.
The 6X68 with a 85gr partition would easily kill a deer at 400 and get there with less hold over.

[gunmutt]

I try not to on the 6mm. I have thought a lot on the 6x68. Its seems most I see on it show its geared toward the fast velocities to take prairie dogs and such. I know the BC keeps the 6mm more capable of good expansion in the longer distances. But I always think size matters. What does the 6x68 give over the 5.56 that the 6.8spc 2 does not

[Deleted]

The 5.56 is not even in the same league with the 6X68. If you compare the two with like barrel lengths and bullet weights the difference will be in excess of 300 FPS.
If you compare the numbers with the 6.8 the 6 will take over at long distance. Not to mention the amount of different makes and kinds of bullets. The 6mm has a lot more choices than you would think.

[joebush]

.357x6.8

Looking at some reloading manuals, it would appear that you could approach if not duplicate the ballistics of 35 Remington with .357x6.8. 35 Remington is loaded to significantly lower pressures than 6.8 SPC. Any estimates of how much neck length would be remaining after the neck up? If there is a reasonable neck remaining, this could be a very interesting wildcat.

Joe

[Deleted]

Here is a picture of some 35X68. Greg made them. I believe the bullets are 180 gr Remington core lock. These were done as a straight neck up. The final round would look very smiler.

[joebush]

I imagine that would be an adequate shoulder to headspace on. Looks awesome. I don't see how you could want much more in a heavy brush hunting situation in an AR platform. With the available bullets weights, especially when you consider some of the "pistol" bullets it should be very versatile.

140 grn Hornady FTX at 2750 fps.

200 grn Hornady FTX at 2200 fps.

Rough numbers from Powley using a 20 inch barrel, trying to hover around 50,000 CUP.

Joe

[Deleted]

what about a 30 cal? By that I mean open up a 6.8 case to 30. It has the same capacity as the Grendel but can run at higher pressures. It would be a 30 Rem in an AR platform. Or close to it.

[dr69er]

.30 HRT ?

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2012 7:24:46 GMT -8 dr69er said:

.30 HRT ?

No HRT !!!!!!!!!
No intentions of trimming necks back. I would leave it full size. At least that would be how the reamer would be designed. If you wanted to cut the neck back you could defiantly do that, but I see no reason for it. It gains you nothing as far as I can tell.

[yotehunter2]

For some reason I really like the idea of the 35x6.8. . Maybe because I could deer hunt with it?

[joebush]

Would you be able to use the same die set if you were already set up for 6x6.8? Would you just need to get a few bushings and a new expander button? I am speaking about the .357x6.8.

Joe

[Deleted]

No your 6X68 size die will not work. I am thinking a custom size die and a 35 Rem seating die.

[pasttense]

Not trying to be PC here but the nut behind the trigger is responsible for his back stop. 30-06 is a cartridge I've used in high power competition. it Will go a long ways beyond 500 as will the 270. My brother in law shot ND. white tail (the land of grain fed deer and grass fed beef ) with a 243 w . I never saw a deer he shot take another step until he changed to a 30-06. It is not what you shoot them with it is where you shoot them. not that this solves your dilemma.
Good luck Paul