sable tireur
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- Oct 8, 2010
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No joke, accounting for something like 800 inches of drop could endanger some stuff
But that said.... I have 39 mils of adjustment and another 20 mils in the reticle ready to go the distance when I get my chance. Might start with balloons at 300-500 though for some easier feedback like these guys:
Rather than the 300 BLK you might consider the 8.6 BLK
Q's NEW 8.6 BLK
by IVAN LOOMIS on JUNE 27, 2021Related Tags: 8.6 Creedmoor, Buzz, Feature Articles, Hornady, Noveske, Q, Rifle, Suppressor
The Q Mini Fix in 300 Blackout above the Q Fix in 8.6 BLK.
Tell us in the comments if you think this is going to be a must-have cartridge or a huge miss.
What the hell is 8.6 Creedmoor?
It's the .338 Federal, right? No. Similar, but no. Let's start with where it is similar: It shoots a .338 projectile, or 8.6mm if you like. Past that, not much.Taking a quick little look from 30,000 feet…
8.6 Creedmoor, if you've never heard of it, is a joint effort between Q (an innovative company making products from silencers, to the Honey Badger in 300 Blackout, as well as their completely reimagined bolt action rifle, The Fix) and Hornady (the massive ammunition manufacturer). Additionally, because of Q's ties with Noveske (a high-end rifle manufacturer), they've barreled a Noveske pistol in 8.6 Creedmoor to test reliability and function in gas guns.
Q's Lineup: From top to bottom The Fix in 8.6 Creedmoor, The Mini Fix in 300 Blackout, the Honey Badger in 300 Blackout.
It comes down to science, math, and magic.
On top of that, while starting with that "smaller" case capacity, it offers more consistent ignition. Especially with those heavy subsonic loads, in turn, giving you better performance shot to shot.
Due to the cartridge length, 8.6 Creedmoor will feed out of .308 Winchester magazines. What does this mean? It will fit all of your magazines. Be they SR-25 patterned, AR10, Accuracy International, or even the magazine on your TIKKA rifle. And, here is where it is pretty magical since the cartridge uses the same bolt face as a .308, it is just a matter of swapping barrels.
A Noveske AR10 pistol re-barreled with an 8.6 Creedmoor barrel by Q for testing.
The 8.6 Creedmoor is being designed around a fast barrel twist. Q is still kicking around prototypes anywhere from 1/3 twist to 1/5. The 1/3 does an amazing job of stabilizing big heavy bullets and providing the shooter with good accuracy. It also performs well with light supersonic loads depending on the bullet type. Poorly made bullets will twist apart in flight. So, Q is finding the sweet spot with respect to heavy and light .338 projectiles.
From left to right: .300 Blackout, expanded .300 Blackout over an expanded .338 projectile, 8.6 Creedmoor dummy rounds.
Does this mean you will have to pay a $200 tax to the NFA for a short barreled rifle? Yes, or you can purchase a pistol. SB Tactical makes some amazing pistol braces which can greatly increase one's ability to use a pistol if needed. Q will be releasing their Fix Rifle as a 12.5" barreled 8.6 Creedmoor pistol, utilizing an SB Tactical folding pistol brace when the round becomes available.
12.5" barrel Noveske 8.6 Creedmoor pistol with Q silencer and SB Tactical pistol brace. Small and capable.
A number of different test loads for the 8.6 Creedmoor.
Now I guess you're wondering if it does in fact perform. I'd say so, out of a 12.5" barrel the 8.6 Creedmoor with a 155GR bullet at 2500FPS brings 2,100 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle. With supersonic loads, it will outperform a 18" barreled .308 Winchester out to 300 yards.
Using 300+ grain expanding subsonic loads, the 8.6 Creedmoor generates 650+ ft. lbs. at the muzzle and is still maintaining 550 ft. lbs. out at 600 yards. For reference, that is more energy than a 45ACP at the muzzle…
Bolt action or semi-automatic? Yes. The 8.6 Creedmoor performs equally well out of a bolt action rifle as it does out of a gas gun. I've shot the 8.6 Creedmoor out of a Fix Rifle as well as a Noveske AR10 Pistol. The 8.6 Creedmoor had no issues cycling the Noveske or locking back on an empty magazine while shooting supersonic and subsonic rounds.
Both the bolt action Fix by Q and DI gas gun by Noveske worked great for me.
Again, circling back to the why. While some of my friends have dropped large game, including elk, with shots at over 1,100 yards, that's not the norm. If you have the capability, good on you. Most hunters lack not only that skill to take an ethical shot at that range, but frankly the opportunity. Most game is taken anywhere from 50 to 250-300 yards. By way of example, the elk I shot last year was just over 100 yards away. Just about the maximum distance I could have shot. Why? Because up in the part of Idaho where I live the only shots you get are in clear cuts. In the trees, a deer or elk could be 20 yards away and you'd be hard pressed to see one, let alone get a shot.
Not to mention who wants to walk through the woods with a 24" barreled rifle? How about a suppressed 24" barrel so you don't end up with permanent hearing loss? Nope. The 8.6 Creedmoor will allow a shooter to carry around a much smaller and lighter weapon system. How about a 12.5" barreled Fix with a folding pistol brace? Climbing up to a tree stand, crossing a stream, hiking into the mountains? All the performance needed by most sportsman in a nice compact package.
The Q Mini Fix in 300 Blackout above the Q Fix in 8.6 Creedmoor.
Will the 8.6 Creedmoor be called 8.6 Creedmoor? Possibly, but who knows. It may end up as the .338 Creedmoor, .338 Blackout, 8.6 Blackout… Time will tell.
Test rounds in Hornady made cases stamped 338 Creedmoor.
that picture doesn't look right, that 6.5 Creedmoor looks much bigger than it should be. 
