6.8 spc

[jleidorf]

Is anyone casting for the Remington 6.8 SPC caliber? Specifically any AR 15 upper and using about a 115 grain bullet. Looking for a mold in this .277 caliber, but having trouble finding one that will closely duplicate either the Barrett load or the Remington or Silver State factory loads.

[7br]

Is anyone casting for the Remington 6.8 SPC caliber? Specifically any AR 15 upper and using about a 115 grain bullet. Looking for a mold in this .277 caliber, but having trouble finding one that will closely duplicate either the Barrett load or the Remington or Silver State factory loads.

I have done some work with it. Need to get back to it. Here is a link to a thread I have started.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=90329

I am using a rock river lower and a DPMS upper with a 20" barrel.

I begged some light boolits from some of the board members. I have not done a thorough workout yet, but it looks like about 120gr boolit is going to be tops with 105-110 being better.

I have worked mainly with H4895 in the 25gr range. Velocity is around 2200fps, but it functions well and I think the accuracy will be ok.

Recently got the old Ideal 280468S mould, but it is missing the sprue plate. Have one on order, but will be about a month.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I sure am reading with interest... Seems like a good alternative to .223.

[7br]

I really like my set up. Got it earlier this spring and am planning on using it as a backup deer rifle. Might be the primary rifle for one of the guys I am planning on hunting with. If the chronograph is correct, I am getting about 2800 fps with a 110 gr sierra bullet. Accuracy is about 1.5" at 100 yards. I think I can do better than this, but range time has been limited. The power with jacketed loads is a smidge behind a .243. I would really be hesitant to hunt deer with cast boolits with a rifle with this small of bore. Might be excellent coyote/bobcat medicine though

As for cast, I have 45 light boolits loaded up and I need to get to the range. I have had zero leading issues, but then I had buckshot make me a custom sizer.

Range time is really going to be limited. I might be able to sneak to the range tomorrow. Need to practice a little more with my primary deer rifle. ( A Dan Wesson in .41 mag) I hope I can run a few rounds through it.

In short, I would have no problems recommending a similar set up to anyone interested in hunting deer sized game. See RedneckDan's photo on the previously mentioned thread.

Boolit moulds have been an issue. There are no 120gr minus moulds in current production. One of the great things about this board is the willingness of others to lend a hand. I have had four different people provide material support for this project. One of the board members sent me a wide variety of boolits or I would not have gotten as far as I have. I was going to order a mold from http://www.mountainmolds.com before I won the 280468 on ebay. Might have been cheaper going the custom route after attempting to build a sprue plate then having to order one. By the way, This is not a knock on the board member I ordered it from. I am spending considerably less on the plate than I spent on drill bits trying to build my own.

I must apologize, no one asked me for my opinions and I gave them too you anyway

[Moonie]

LBT makes molds in the weights we need for 6.8. I have been thinking about this route myself. They also have both flat nose and spitzer, flat nose would be better for hunting but the spitzer would feed better.

Decisions decisions...

[armed_partisan]

A couple years ago, I bought a used mold at the store I usually buy molds from. They have a random assortment of old molds that old guys bring in to trade for reloading equipment. I found a DC Lyman 280473 that I mistakenly thought was for a 7mm bullet, and I bought it thinking I could use it in my 7mm TCU Contender. A bit of research when I got home showed that this 125grn Gas Checked, Spire Point was for a .270 Winchester, and was thus, a .277, not a .284"/7mm. D'OH!

I decided to keep it, and after a bit of looking, I found out the 6.8 SPC was .277 and I decided that this would be the PERFECT mold for a cast bullet 6.8 SPC load. Alas, I do not as of yet OWN a 6.8 SPC, so I have no load data, but I would encourage you to try this mold and tell us all what you think.

[HORNET]

partisan, you might want to cast some of those 280473's and see what they measure. Mine cast about 0.2825 and it wouldn't take long to lap them to .284 for a 7mm.
IIRC, Lyman reported encountering stability problems with 130 grain J-words. The 280468(s) might work but the 280473 might need to be set up with a fair sized HP to reduce both length and weight. I keep waiting for Lee to bring back the C.278-125-R, but nothing yet....

[82nd airborne]

The last few deer I shot with a 6.8 didnt know that they wernt hit with a .308. Nobody bothered to tell them they were supposed to run off when they get shot with such a small round.

[HORNET]

It's not so much what you hit them with as it is where you hit them. You just need a boolit or bullet that performs correctly in the appropriate velocity range. People keep forgetting the basics.

[82nd airborne]

It's not so much what you hit them with as it is where you hit them. You just need a boolit or bullet that performs correctly in the appropriate velocity range. People keep forgetting the basics.

Thats what my grandfather always said to me. He always deer hunted with a remington 510 .22 with open sights. He never had one get away from him. Gamewardens did not care for him just a whole lot. He had a habit of telling people where to go when they scorned him. He is dead now though, God rest his soul.

[0verkill]

I keep waiting for Lee to bring back the C.278-125-R, but nothing yet....

I do too. I've emailed them about it and they said it was discontinued due to lack of demand but they had recieved a few requests for it recently. Everyone with interest should email them, call them or send a letter to let them know the interest is there. I'm still keeping my eye out for this or the 110gr mould, but no luck.
People with a 6.8 SPC and a proper mould, keep posting results for the rest of us when we can finally start casting for this cartridge.

[NHlever]

I'm going to make some members cry about this, but a number of years ago, perhaps 7, or so my local gun shop got in a box of old molds. I went through them, and bought a couple that I really wanted. These were old Lyman, and Ideal molds, many of them single cavity. Well that cardboard box, perhaps15" square, or a little larger, and a few layers deep with molds sat there, and sat there, and sat there. One night I stopped by to shoot the bull, and the owner, knowing I was one of the few guys around who cast boolits for rifles asked if I would be interested in the box lot. I said how much, and he said "$35.00" Needless to say I took them all. I did sell one, or two, and more than recouped my cost, but I'm reluctant to sell more since I never know when I'll get the urge to play with a new caliber. The molds were, and are all in good shape, and included many designs that have been long obsolete like a couple of lighter Loverin .270 molds, and both normal, and undersized Lyman 311316 molds, etc. Remember the days of the Lyman "U" series molds? I guess I am dating myself with that one. Now, though I am doing well, and have outlived my prognosis a few times, I do have inoperable cancer. I've told my boys where they can sell the molds, but perhaps I should give them instructions to list them here?

[0verkill]

You almost made me cry, but not because of the moulds. Sorry to hear about your bad health.

[NHlever]

Not to worry, it's no death sentence, just something I have to live with, and most folks have something. I could get run over by a bus yet. I was shopping a bit today, and saw a nice Remington 6.8 bolt gun. It was over $700 slightly used so I'll have to think about that!

[0verkill]

You're right mos folks have something, I have diabetes. Sometimes it's more taxing on the mind than the body.
700 for a used Remington seems a bit much, a Ruger runs about 100 bucks cheaper brand new, but I think Remington may have discontinued theirs so that may be why the price is so high. I wish Savage would make a bolt action (or even a bolt, a barrel wouldn't be hard to get made) for the 6.8, especially a Stevens 200.
If you do get around to casting for the 6.8 be sure to let us know how it goes.

[fireball168]

I wish Savage would make a bolt action (or even a bolt, a barrel wouldn't be hard to get made) for the 6.8, especially a Stevens 200.

I believe I know somebody that can handle that easily enough.