Anyone know the fate of the 6.8 western?

[comfisherman]

So it will be in the 27 nosler the saum and 6.5x284 category, sporadic component availability and a small following that liked it for what it was....

Way better than the wssms the 17 wsm, the 30 tc, the 30 super carry, the rcm line and 5mm.... all with some validity but stock up when you see it...

 

[Calvin45]

So it will be in the 27 nosler the saum and 6.5x284 category, sporadic component availability and a small following that liked it for what it was....

Way better than the wssms the 17 wsm, the 30 tc, the 30 super carry, the rcm line and 5mm.... all with some validity but stock up when you see it...

More popular by far than the 27 Nosler. Less guns and components out there presently than the 6.5-284 but that's just a matter of how long each has been around. In terms of new guns and ammo being sold today I think the 6.8 western is already well ahead of the 27 nos or the 6.5-284 (that was a real flash in the pan, wasn't it?).

That being said I think you're right, it's never gonna be THE gun, not like the .30-06, 308 win, 6.5 creed, or 7 rem mag are.

Just for fun the other day I went over our sales records just to see what centerfire cartridges were the most popular chamberings in new guns sold. We don't do consignment or used guns at my store, so this is just new production rifles sold. Being in Canada, and northern Saskatchewan at that, we mainly were selling bolt action "hunting" rifles .

Anyways, at least in my neck of the woods, the .30-06 is STILL the king. By a lot.

In second place here is the 223 Remington.

Third place was the 6.5 creedmoor.

Fourth place was the 7mm Remington magnum.

And fifth place was a tie between the .308 Winchester and the .22-250 Remington.

I was kinda surprised by a few things.

Notably that we sell more rifles in 7mm magnum than in .308 Winchester.

Also that everyone claims to hate the 6.5 creed or feel owning one would compromise their masculinity or heterosexuality but dang it people are buying the rifles when no one's lookin! . Closet Creeds!!!!

Finally that my beloved .243 win, 270 win, and .300 win mag all failed to appear in the top 6 best selling chamberings in new centerfire rifles. Of course, during hunting season I'm restocking ammo on the shelf for those three pretty much constantly alongside the others on this list, lot of guys hunting with them, but not a lot choosing them as chamberings when buying a new firearm it seems.

 

[comfisherman]

The way 12 of the last 16 years have gone nothing is safe. We had a two year or more shortage of 338 win mag... who saw that coming. The 6.5 x 284 was a household name 15 years ago and now brass is beyond few and far between. Saum was doa and then a few years later caught on and is more popular now than it was when released. 338 and 7 rum were short lived, but about 10 years after introduction gained some steam. Now both have more followers than you would think. We had 2x seasons come and go with both 270 and 7 rem mag shortage during the wuflu, who saw that coming.

If the cycle repeats itself well have a glut in 18 months and that's the time to pile them high. Nothings immune from global and domestic stupidity these days.


Brings me back to the 6.8, based of 270 wsm your probably 12-1400 rounds (guess, my first few lasted shorter but we're used for tests and colony varmints so poor examples). Give the life of premium brass primer pockets a few hundred pieces will give you a barrel lifes worth of supply.

Nowadays a good stock of stocked away brass is almost mandatory insurance.

 

[Dentite]

I have one, I like it, wish Browning and Winchester could do more to support it.

 

[ARlife4me]

how many on here will actually buy a factory rifle over a custom barrel as a replacement! as for me since i lego my own.........no, i'll built to taste. the 270wsm is like a 264wm in factory offerings.................to slow of a twist. would the 264 sell better if it had an 8 or 7.5t.........probably. same thing with the 260rem.....twist to slow for heavy bullet buyers. with the medium action offerings there's nothing wrong with the wsm. the small amount of extra powder capacity makes up for the pressure difference between them...............just go faster twist on the wsm and forget the western. long vs short, i pick cartridge based on range and bullet weights. barrel lengths are just an addition to velocity gain for lack of powder. are you going bigger cartridge just to shoot a shorter barrel..............your decision!

 

[Starbuck]

At the store I work at We've sold as many 6.8 western chambered rifles (Brownings) in the last year as we have .270 winchesters, which surprised the heck out of me. Not a ton of either to be fair, but still. I think it'll be a slow but steady kind of winner. No explosion of interest or hysterical fanfare and hype…but it's a solid performer that really does hit a sweet spot in my opinion with the 165-175 grain loadings. Head and shoulders above the 6.5 PRC, no question about it at all, and a true short action that by all accounts outguns or at least matches the 7prc (which is not a short action) ballistically. It's a winner. I think more and more folks are starting to see that.

By what measures would you say the 6.8W is head and shoulders above a 6.5 PRC?

I don't care one bit if a person likes one chambering over another for whatever reason, no matter how nonsensical; however, the two cartridges in reference are so close that any actual on game performance differences are pretty inconsequential.

I'll add that I haven't noticed much difference in on game performance between similarly constructed 6.5 and .284 bullets at similar impact velocities.

 

[Calvin45]

By what measures would you say the 6.8W is head and shoulders above a 6.5 PRC?

I don't care one bit if a person likes one chambering over another for whatever reason, no matter how nonsensical; however, the two cartridges in reference are so close that any actual on game performance differences are pretty inconsequential.

I'll add that I haven't noticed much difference in on game performance between similarly constructed 6.5 and .284 bullets at similar impact velocities.

Just meant more horsepower and heavier bullets

 

[unclecroc]

I really like the 6.8 on paper. It checks a lot of my boxes for an upcoming rifle buy. But Winchester is notorious for dropping support for cartridges and that worries me, just ask anyone that owns a wssm. If brass manufacturers like adg or Peterson started producing brass I would probably jump into that pond.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Just meant more horsepower and heavier bullets

And With, a 30 grain Heavier Bullet = MORE,. Recoil !
The .270 WSM with, 140 gr. Berg's going, 3,200 FPS, IS, at, Normal "Hunting Ranges", a DRT "Killer" with, "reasonable", Recoil and, the Bullet is, STILL going OVER,.. 2,000 FPS at, 800 Yards !
IF needing, "More Bullet" I'd go with, a bigger, High BC, 7 MM, personally, like in,.. a 7 PRC, 7-270 WSM, or, 7 SAUM,.. probably !
JMH, Opinion,. as usual !

 

[ARlife4me]

I really like the 6.8 on paper. It checks a lot of my boxes for an upcoming rifle buy. But Winchester is notorious for dropping support for cartridges and that worries me, just ask anyone that owns a wssm. If brass manufacturers like adg or Peterson started producing brass I would probably jump into that pond.

federal isn't much better in the "support" group

 

[Lou270]

I really like the 6.8 on paper. It checks a lot of my boxes for an upcoming rifle buy. But Winchester is notorious for dropping support for cartridges and that worries me, just ask anyone that owns a wssm. If brass manufacturers like adg or Peterson started producing brass I would probably jump into that pond.

ADG makes brass for 6.8W. Folks already loading it from initial run back in Oct. On recent podcast they said next full production run of 6.8W is Feb.

6.8mm Western - Atlasdg.com

IF THE PRODUCT IS OUT OF STOCK – SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLIST TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE! At ADG, we distribute our products direct to dealer. This means that we do not give additional discounts to wholesalers or distributers and our distribution network is a completely...

atlasdg.com

Lou

 

[Starbuck]

And With, a 30 grain Heavier Bullet = MORE,. Recoil !
The .270 WSM with, 140 gr. Berg's going, 3,200 FPS, IS, at, Normal "Hunting Ranges", a DRT "Killer" with, "reasonable", Recoil and, the Bullet is, STILL going OVER,.. 2,000 FPS at, 800 Yards !
IF needing, "More Bullet" I'd go with, a bigger, High BC, 7 MM, personally, like in,.. a 7 PRC, 7-270 WSM, or, 7 SAUM,.. probably !
JMH, Opinion,. as usual !

I'm with you. I recently picked up a 1:8 300 win X bolt. Browning is doing other "standard" cartridges such as 243 and 7mm RM, among others, with faster twists as well. It's a trend I'd like to see more of with other manufacturers.

 

[coop2564]

I think it will snowball. Little ball rolling now, over time it will roll into bigger ball. Need federal on board with ammo. That will trigger ruger and savage.

 

[Starbuck]

I think it will snowball. Little ball rolling now, over time it will roll into bigger ball. Need federal on board with ammo. That will trigger ruger and savage.

You think Federal will want to cut any sales from the 7 Backcountry?