6.8Spc loads

[foxmustang]

Hey guys in pretty new to the forum. I have some questions about some 6.8 loads. I'm looking for a good varmint round. I have been shooting a lot of the Hornady varmint express factory loads. I'd appreciate any feedback. Gun is a Ruger SR-556 in 6.8. 16" barrel and SPC I chamber w/redfield revolution on top.

 

[Broom_jm]

Welcome to INGO, foxmustang.

I would imagine any accurate load from a 6.8SPC barrel would be great for varmints. Each gun is a thing unto itself, so the only way to really KNOW, is to work up various loads until you find a bullet/velocity/accuracy combination that meets your expectations.

I've always been very happy with the accuracy and performance of Sierra varmint bullets and I imagine the 110gr V-Max would be a good choice, as well. That's almost certainly the bullet used in the Varmint Express factory loads.

 

[foxmustang]

Thanks! I've been reloading .308 for awhile now, but my 6.8 is getting pretty expensive to shoot( knew the price of ammo before I bought it). What's your load for the Sierras?

 

[Broom_jm]

I don't actually own or shoot a 6.8SPC, myself. I have a 270 Winchester and have created mild loads for it, using the lighter .277" bullets. They would be very comparable to your 6.8 rounds. The powder and charge weight would be quite different, obviously.

 

[foxmustang]

What dies are you using for your .270? I have a Lee deluxe set plus FCD for my .308 and I haven't found a complete set like that for 6.8SPC. So I was thinking of using a .270 FCD and just piecing together a die set. Any other bullets that'd you would recommend? I will be going to Cabelas this weekend and I was going to see what was available.

 

[Broom_jm]

I've been reloading 270 Winchester since I was 17 (more than 2 decades) and I've never used anything other than the standard 2-die RCBS set. The only varmint bullet I've loaded for my 270 rifle is the 110gr Sierra...IIRC, I settled on a modest charge of IMR4320 to drive them to around 3,200fps.

I suppose if I was loading for a semi-auto action, a Lee FCD would be nice, to ensure no set-back happened. Then again, a good taper crimp, in lieu of a cannelure to roll crimp, should work just fine, as well. I never had to worry about crimping with a bolt-action rifle, and only on rare occasions have I crimped for such.