Author Topic: 6.8 SPC Bushmaster (Read 1955 times)

Cheesehead · « **on:** March 25, 2007, 02:27:10 PM »

I finally got a chance to shoot my new 6.8 Bushmaster Carbine. I am both pleased and impressed. I went shooting with a friend that owns a Bushmaster Carbine in 223. We had a chance to compare these guns side by side. The 6.8 has only a slight amount of additional recoil compared to the 223. With the expert advice of my friend with vast military experience involving M16 rifles we sighted this gun in to perfection. Then it was time for some informal plinking, beer bottles at 70 yards. Shooting offhand with the stock iron sights, it took 3 shots to smash 3 bottles. The rifle performed flawlessly. I am pleased.

Cheese

teddy12b · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2007, 06:46:19 AM »

Cheese,
Congrats on the new toy!!! Did you have a chance to shoot any different kinds of ammo for accuracy testing or did you just play with it that day?
I don't know I told you this or not, or maybe you've already read it, but the Silver State Arms Barnes triple shocks make a 3 round hole at 100 yards I can cover with my thumb. Other than that I'm going to be handloading some 6.8 FMJ's for target practice.
Couldn't be happier for you. Are you goign to be buying any extra mags for it. If so what kind?

Cheesehead · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2007, 04:03:30 PM »

I only had one type of hand loads that day. I used Remington brass, Remington 115 fmj and starting loads of H335. A very accurate combination. I shot paper targets a 50 yards to get dialed in and then just focused on reactive targets (beer bottles). I plan on buying several Bushmaster mags since the one I have performed so well. I would like to buy smaller capacity mags to reduce the bulk of this otherwise compact rifle. I believe DPMS make a 10 round mag that is sold at the Midway site, but I am not sure. I am going to research that and keep you post teddy12b. I see Remington will soon introduce 115 grain Corelokt ultras as a component bullet to be sold at Midway also. So much research to do with a new gun and a new caliber, but I enjoy it.

Cheese

teddy12b · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2007, 04:32:54 PM »

Cheesehead,
The reason I was curious about the extra mags is because when I bought mine I wanted to get a couple 5 round mags too, just to be legal in some places. Well I ordered two 5 round mags from Bushmaster, (thinking they would actually look like short stubby 5 round mags) and they were full length 30 round mags with a notch pushed in on the mag to stop the follower at 5 rounds. Sometimes it wouldn't catch just right and the mag would be able to hold 7 and the whole time looking like a 30 round mag. I didn't want to have that talk with a DNR officer especially in a state where I'm not a resident so I bought a 5 rounder off of Midway. I ended up buying a DPMS magazine for like $50 bucks just to have one laying around that looks a little more legal.
Of course I just double check Midway's website in the middle of typing this so I could get the magazine name right and I came across some 6.8 mags for half the price "coming soon" made by C Products. Darn if that doesn't just figure. Anyway the 5 rounder I bought rattled a little bit so I super glued the stopper to the follower.
Anyway, that's a very long winded way of saying that I hope you have a easier time getting the mags you want than I did. Ha!

Cheesehead · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2007, 04:51:04 PM »

I am considering the DPMS 10 round magazine since I did find it on the Midway site. It is not a legal issue in Wisconsin were I live and hunt since there is no limit on magazine capacity here.

Cheese

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2007, 07:26:08 PM »

Forgive my ignorance but I've only read about enough about these 6.8's to know they exist. What kind of ballisticss are we talking about with these?

Rusty <><

teddy12b · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2007, 01:23:28 AM »

Rusty,
The best "simple"explanation of the 6.8 I have read yet was that it has 80% of the power of a 308 and half the recoil. Remingtons website has huge ballistics tables for their ammo that you can compare to other calibers right there. It's more fun in the AR format than a 223 because you know the 6.8 could actually handle something bigger than a groundhog.

LEO · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2007, 11:55:12 AM »

I haven't dealt with the 6.8 but I have a bunch of the Cproducts magazines in 223 both the standard aluminum magazines and the stainless steel (which by the way is darkened so it is nonreflective). They are topshelf magazines. I am sure their 6.8s will be just as good. Their website is www.cproductsllc.com they have a lot of options on their website, I recommend that you give them a look also their prices are great.

teddy12b · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2007, 05:19:18 PM »

Cheese,
In your 550B do you have problems getting consistant charges with H322? I had some trouble with mine tonight.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2007, 07:56:12 PM »

Actually The most impressive part of h322 is consistent metering in my 550. I know this answer does not help your situation much but the powder is not to blame in my experience. I use the standard size charge bar and get great results. I have scaled each load with less consistent powders but they have always been of the extruded type. I like h322 so much I have bought an 8# jug. No more 1 # bottles for me. The Dillon 550 demands quantity components. Check with the Dillon help desk on this. A solid bench mount is key as well as a smooth pull on the handle. Keep us posted and I will try to help.

Cheese

myronman3 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2007, 03:48:06 AM »

if you are getting more than a tenth of a grain difference, it is time to disassemble your powder mechanism and go over it with a brass wire brush. then take a pencil and rub the lead over the contact areas to reduce friction. reassemble and check you machine's consistency. should be right on.

teddy12b · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2007, 05:28:58 AM »

When I had it set up for 44mag and 45ACP I was within a tenth of a grain all the time with great consistency. The press is only weeks old so it's not like it's had many rough years or anything. I'm pretty sure it's me somehow, but I just haven't caught my mistake yet.

myronman3 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:05:25 AM »

especially if it is new. not 3 weeks ago i was having that exact problem. problem solved in 15 minutes.

teddy12b · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:12:29 AM »

I have some graphite powder laying around. Suppose running some of that through it would work?

myronman3 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2007, 02:52:58 AM »

clean it even if it looks clean. the graphite powder would be better than pencil lead; i use pencils cause i have no graphite...lol

Cheesehead · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2007, 03:58:16 AM »

Myronman is so right about this.

Cheese

BRL · « **Reply #16 on:** April 19, 2007, 02:53:12 PM »

Wow, the 6.8 has 80% the power of a .308 and half the recoil? I have a Bushmaster in .308 and find the recoil to be almost non-existent. Well, okay, mild at most. I love these rifles. I just bought a 5 round mag for legality reasons here in FL and hope to use it for hunting one year. I honestly believe that since I've been shooting this rifle, I see no reason to use any other rifle for my hunting. Of course, I'm a lefty and only recently bought my first bolt action, a used Remington that I haven't even shot yet. My other rifles are autos, levers and singles.

teddy12b · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2008, 06:52:48 AM »

I have to take back what I said earlier about the SSA triple shocks making such tiny groups. That day I fired a couple groups close that were in the same hole, but only fired one group at 100 yards. I could cover that one group with my thumb, but I have not been able to repeat that since. It's more like 1" to 1 1/2" groups. I must have just gotten lucky that day. I don't shoot that ammo often because it's expensive, but I did this last weekend I didn't get near that kind of a group.

44 Man · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:13:12 AM »

Teddy, I would have to say that any semi-auto that shoots only 1 1/2" on a bad day, and less the rest of the time is a keeper! This is sure making my decisions easier as i have always wanted an AR but considered the .223 a wonderful varmint cartridge but not a defense load. I also have wanted a semi-auto that would be a dependable deer rifle and it looks like the 6.8 fills the bill. Now I have to decide between an AR and a Mini 14. 44 Man

teddy12b · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2008, 04:54:56 PM »

I ended up selling my 6.8 upper, reloading gear, ammo, and mags. I've taken it to a range where I can shoot a little farther and I was not impressed with the accuracy of the rifle. To get it where I wanted it to be it was going to cost alot more $$ than I wanted to put into it. I am saving up for a DPMS LR-308B. I've read outstanding reviews on those rifles and the ammo can be found everywhere since it's a 308. I still like the 6.8 and I think it has a place, but now that I'm getting into longer range shooting I'd like a 308.