Best current 6.8 brass?

204 AR

204 AR

Well-known member
Those of you who wildcat this round, what are you using currently? I've got a couple hundred starline, 100 still new and the 100 I'm using loosens primers pretty early, but inconsistently, probably due to a timing issue but is there something better going forward?
 
If you find it let me know!!! I bought 1k this summer direct from Starline, i think they only run it once a year and I intend on ordering more when they run it again.

Supposedly S&B is the best currently made but its unobtainable now, I've been trying to get it since October last year!
 
204, not sure if you do but I actually started running a brass catcher this year, you might want to consider it.

Greg, how has the federal brass held up? I've not had great luck reloading federal brass in various other caliber, its been really soft and the primer pockets go fast. I was also thinking that the federal 6.8 is large rifle primers?? I really don't want to mess with large primer pockets for the 6.8 if I don't have to and I wish they was all small primer.
 
Yeah I absolutely run a brass catcher. In fact I designed one over 10 years ago before any of the commercial ones that are good came out. Now i run a caldwell pic rail type or a small cloth one for a couple hunting rifles.

So, outdoorlimited has a few bags of hornady, and some federal once fired. I too have never been a big fan of federal brass, but not really hornady either lol. Wilson Combat has ssa/nosler for 64 cents which I feel isn't worth it.
 
Originally Posted By: Kino M204, not sure if you do but I actually started running a brass catcher this year, you might want to consider it.

Greg, how has the federal brass held up? I've not had great luck reloading federal brass in various other caliber, its been really soft and the primer pockets go fast. I was also thinking that the federal 6.8 is large rifle primers?? I really don't want to mess with large primer pockets for the 6.8 if I don't have to and I wish they was all small primer.



5-8 sane loadings on the Federal. Way over 10 on the old SSA. Both are small primer. Remington is large and it is good stuff too but rare as hens teeth. For tip velocities we've found it to be the goto type.

I've never used S&B.

Greg
 
I have about 300rds of the old SSA brass that i have loaded for my actual 6.8SPC so its married! I hear that the new nosler made SSA isn't near as good but I haven't tried any.

Honestly my only gripe with the Starline is the reduced case capacity. I have no clue how many reloads I can get because I'm working through the entire 1k pieces so I haven't reloaded them yet. I'm running 30gr of 8208 under a Sierra 70BK and a Nosler 70gr BT. Both show no signs of pressure. I have exactly 152 pieces left to load then I'll start back through the batch. I have an annealing machine and will anneal after each firing so that will help with neck/shoulder cracks from hardening and sizing.

If components wasn't so hard to get I would take a couple pieces and run them until failure.
 
I used Hornady 6.8 spc brass for about 7 years consecutive. It was easy to get a hold of and I could reload it over and over. I am not using a 6.8mm right now but if you can get Federal or Hornady - I would run with it.

TC
 
I bought 1000 rds of Hornady 120 SST because it shoots lights out in my Stag Hunter 7. I've shot about 300 and am loading that for the 6x6.8. Also bought 2K of the old SSA brass which I also load for the 6x6.8. It's pretty tough on brass. I'm getting 3409 fps at 10 foot from muzzle with a 58 Vmax. Just put an AGB and a can on the 6x6.8 going to work on timing and try to get better timing. The can really backed the gas up. I've got the Superlative AGB backed all the way to 12 1/2 turns and it still locks back on empty chamber. Only 1 more turn left on adjustment. Ordering my Super Yoter Monday when Night Googles opens back up. So I need to get the 6x6.8 dialed in. Haven't loaded much for the 6.8 because factory shoots so well. But I've got a threaded barrel for it and 1000 90 gr Gold Dots. I plan to make it my Hog gun and switch the Yoter & can back & forth between guns. Haven't told the wife yet but after I get the guns dialed in I'm going to Texas for 2 or 3 weeks!
 
Originally Posted By: flowjI bought 1000 rds of Hornady 120 SST because it shoots lights out in my Stag Hunter 7. I've shot about 300 and am loading that for the 6x6.8. Also bought 2K of the old SSA brass which I also load for the 6x6.8. It's pretty tough on brass. I'm getting 3409 fps at 10 foot from muzzle with a 58 Vmax. Just put an AGB and a can on the 6x6.8 going to work on timing and try to get better timing. The can really backed the gas up. I've got the Superlative AGB backed all the way to 12 1/2 turns and it still locks back on empty chamber. Only 1 more turn left on adjustment. Ordering my Super Yoter Monday when Night Googles opens back up. So I need to get the 6x6.8 dialed in. Haven't loaded much for the 6.8 because factory shoots so well. But I've got a threaded barrel for it and 1000 90 gr Gold Dots. I plan to make it my Hog gun and switch the Yoter & can back & forth between guns. Haven't told the wife yet but after I get the guns dialed in I'm going to Texas for 2 or 3 weeks!

Take me with you lol! I want to smoke a few hogs, I'll bring one of the 30 RAR's.

Wow you have an impressive stash of brass. My 6x6.8 is 18" with rifle gas and ported so it won't run without the can and it still abuses it a little. I have not set up an agb with it but I don't think there's much left to gain on it. I forgot the brass catcher the other day shooting in the yard and when I noticed I said "oh crap", but all the brass was only a couple of feet away and close together so it's definitely not flinging them wildly. I still might mess with it when I'm done shooting coyotes for the season.
 
I'm a little reluctant about swapping the barrel out on the Stag. It shoots the factory 120s moa for 10 rds at 100. If I do my part it will do 1 1/2 at 200 for 5. And that's with a 3.5x10 Leupold. I bought the 90 gold dots for hogs but I might piece together a whole new rifle for the threaded barrel. I'm thinking about having my Armalite .260 barrel threaded and taking it also. I sold my business and retired July 29th and have buried a couple good hunting and fishing buddies in the last couple years. It's gonna suck for my kids inheritance, but I'm gonna start working on the bucket list.
 
Yeah I think I'd just get the Stag barrel threaded instead of swapping out. That shouldn't hurt a thing.

Congrats on the retirement, 16 years to go for me, still have the kids in school. Go after that bucket list hard if you can. I'll probably never do anything too fun or expensive, I have a guilt complex just driving 1/2 hour to call $5 coyotes lol. Then I spend almost 5k on thermal optics lol. Hard to figure out.
 
I'm new to 6.8 and i'll be running hornady, thats about all i'm able to find at the moment and it's EXPENSIVE. I'm hoping this round makes a resurgence at some point.
 
I’m having good luck with the sb have only loaded twice but no issues yet. I’m using h322 and 58g vmax at about 3450-3500 can’t remember. 22” barrel adjustable gas block and have a lane scorpion king can. Haven’t shot for awhile main hunting rig is my 22-243 which I believe is shot out now so I’ll be using my 6x6.8 for the rest of this season till the new barrel comes in. I have used federal brass also with 8208 58g vmax was right around 3400 and didn’t really have issues with that brass either I would agree with GLshooter proably 5-7 loads or so.
 
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