6.8 Western

[280ackimp]

Why not rechamber your 280 rem to 280 ai? Go to 168gr + bullets and do the long-range routine? Why drop bullet diameter, reduce capacity in the rifle and build around what could be a shiny new thing? You are depending upon heavier .277 bullets that only a couple of bullet makers have committed to manufacture and so far it is just USRAC who is making the rifles in that cartridge if I understand correctly?
I've never been a fan of .277 diameters, no offense meant.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Why not rechamber your 280 rem to 280 ai? Go to 168gr + bullets and do the long-range routine? Why drop bullet diameter, reduce capacity in the rifle and build around what could be a shiny new thing? You are depending upon heavier .277 bullets that only a couple of bullet makers have committed to manufacture and so far it is just USRAC who is making the rifles in that cartridge if I understand correctly?
I've never been a fan of .277 diameters, no offense meant.

i am a big fan of P. O. Ackley and his research and modifications to existing chambering. I have a .220 AI Swift that is the most accurate centerfire I have ever shot. His stuff just makes a lot of sense.

 

[JimP]

A lot of people don't want to go to the bother of forming cases and loading them to get the improvements that a Ackley affords. And in some cases the improved version doesn't improve the existing one that much. They want to be able to walk into a store that has stocked shelves and pick up what they are shooting and go hunting.

Now for those of us that load our own cartridges we have no problems except for finding supplies at times and if we are aware of what is going on we stock up and have a supply of loaded rounds and supplies to load more. But that isn't for everyone.

 

[tim]

so, the only advantage of the 6.8 western over the 270wsm is 20 grains of bullet.
how many yards out does the better bc, kick in?
500, 600?
it seems like a lot of hype for not much better ballistics.
but i might be partial to the 270wsm.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

All my .220 AI stuff is fire formed, no resizing required.

 

[JimP]

All my .220 AI stuff is fire formed, no resizing required.

That was technically what I meant.

And before someone else mentions it, yes you can fire the original round in the AI chamber to fire form the cartridge or if that is all you can find.

I'm just used to shooting the semi wildcats and wildcat rounds that I have where you have to resize the case along with fire forming them

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'm just used to shooting the semi wildcats and wildcat rounds that I have where you have to resize the case along with fire forming them

Made tons of 25-06, 22-250 and .243 cases just like you explained. Not too many wildcats out there that you can just fireform the cases.

 

[badgerbob]

With all of the existing cartridges we have, it is a puzzle to me that they just keep making more. Everything from here on is going to fit just below or above something that already exists. I can't understand how they get enough of a following to make their latest and greatest productive.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

A few years back when the "ultra mags and "short mags" were hitting the market with great publicity, most were introduced and hyped as the greatest thing since sex by the major firearms and ammo manufacturers. My thought then was it was to light a fire under hunters and shooters to buy the new offerings. It also gave the gun writers something to write about.

It has morphed into the more long range shooting, new bullet designs and new calibers for the new designs. I still think the desire to sell more products is still the main idea, with a lot more new manufacturers involved.

I'm pretty old school and have always believed "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The old 30-30 and 30-06 have probably killed more big game than all the other stuff combined. I also believe the new long range approach has spawned lots of lazy hunters. Instead of figuring out how to get close to your animal and then working to make it happen, they just fire away at long and ultra long range. Still hunting and spot and stalk (the way I was taught) is being left behind.

Just sayin..................

 

[badgerbob]

A few years back when the "ultra mags and "short mags" were hitting the market with great publicity, most were introduced and hyped as the greatest thing since sex by the major firearms and ammo manufacturers. My thought then was it was to light a fire under hunters and shooters to buy the new offerings. It also gave the gun writers something to write about.

It has morphed into the more long range shooting, new bullet designs and new calibers for the new designs. I still think the desire to sell more products is still the main idea, with a lot more new manufacturers involved.

I'm pretty old school and have always believed "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The old 30-30 and 30-06 have probably killed more big game than all the other stuff combined. I also believe the new long range approach has spawned lots of lazy hunters. Instead of figuring out how to get close to your animal and then working to make it happen, they just fire away at long and ultra long range. Still hunting and spot and stalk (the way I was taught) is being left behind.

Just sayin..................

Yep. At some point it quits being hunting and is something else...

 

[Prerylyon]

Anyone have a line or inside scoop on when/if Winchester will be doing a run of model 70 featherweights in 6.8 Western? They list it as being chambered for it, but so far, I have not seen any, nor am I aware of any out there yet.

 

[Winchester]

^^ I have a Winchester Pre-64 model 70 camber in 30-06 … I know they still make those and they’re great!!

 

[Prerylyon]

I have one, albeit a 1980s featherweight in .280 Rem, and it continues to serve me well.

That, and my 30-06 7600 are the only big game rifles I own.

I have wanted a new big game rifle for several years now.

I am interested in the 6.8 Western and seriously considering the model 70 featherweight; when/if they're available...