Contender Carbine in 6.8SPC takes small 2X3 Coastal Blacktail...

[Camp Cook]

   

I have been messing around for about 10 months now trying to find an accurate load for my saami chambered 1-10" twist 23" bull s/s T/C Contender carbine in 6.8SPC I finally put it all together with a top load of AA2200/95gr TTSX/2.29" COL/Rem LR primer brass/Win LR primers these loads average 2960fps in this barrel.

This last Sunday morning I took my 5 1/2 year old up the mtn behind our house right away we spotted two bucks they were standing on a little knoll 50 yards away from us.

We stopped the truck I told my guy that the one on the right was a 2X3 he said to me "Dad you have to shoot our first deer of the year we can't let it get away".

So who am I to disappoint him = I dug out the 6.8SPC Contender carbine loaded one of my newly loaded 2960fps 95gr TTSX I shot it high in the neck resulting in a DRT.

I had seen this buck on Friday just before dusk I had snuck up to within 8 - 10 yards of him and the 5" spike buck that was with him but after 10 minutes of watching them passed on them cause I was thinking it was to small to take but my guy wanted it this morning...

One last comment this is probably the very first deer of any kind that was shot with a Contender carbine in 6.8SPC here in Canada.
 
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[Camba]

Nice shooting!
How does your 6.8 SPC shoots on paper?  I had been contemplating getting one of those.
Camba

[Camp Cook]

This load is crazy accurate = 1/2" 3 shot 100 yard groups.
 
Before I stumbled onto it the average was absolutely horrible somewhere around 1 1/2" - 2" @ 100 yards I was so disappointed.
 
So you can imagine my surprise after getting such crappy groups for months when I took the first two shots with this load and could only see one hole in the target with my 20X spotting scope my 3rd shot was about 1/4" away from the first two and every group after has given me the same accuracy if I do my part.
 
I have to say I am amazed at how accurate Contender carbines can be example my 21" factory tapered s/s 223 barrel with 40gr VMax @ 3380fps gives me 1 1/4" 3 shot 300 yard groups, my 21" factory tapered s/s 375JDJ barrel with 260gr Accubonds @ 2280 - 2300fps gives me 2" 300 yard 3 shot groups.

[hendog]

Nice job with the 6.8. i have a Rock river AR-15 6.8 car I am going to use for late season Blacktail. I am using Silver State 110 Sirrea prohunter load.   
 

[Antietamgw]

Have you tried H322?  It has worked extremely well with most any decent bullet from 90 Sierra thru 110 VMax, did not like the Rem FMJ bullets at all.  I like Silver State brass, very consistant. We are using a Rem 700 with the original chamber/throat and seating all bullets at touching to .005 into the lands. I had a new 23" 6.8 barrel but figured it pretty much was a duplicate of the 7TCU for my purposes and I didn't have a light 270 bullet mold. Kind of wish I'd kept it...

[Camp Cook]

Not only did I try H322 it was the powder that I have been loading all other 6.8SPC loads with in my RA XCR-L my best load would give me 3 1/2" 350 yard groups this was shooting off my ATV's back rack.
 
For some reason I just couldn't get the accuracy out of the T/C barrel with H322 groups were horrible.