How come there are not more of them?

Because there is better options. Rarely does an AR15 variant make sense in a bolt gun.

Why do you want one in a bolt gun?

Kid

I don’t want a Grendel

There are definitely better, more versatile options in a bolt action caliber. But, 6.8 bolt actions seem to be the holy grail for those that like the cartridge in ARs on another forum. The caliber never really appealed to me, but a couple buddies swear by it for deer hunting; I'm just not into deer hunting with an AR. I came across a Mini-14 really cheap in 6.8, so I bought it to play around with. A buddy has a Howa Mini-Action .223 he wants converted to 6.8 and I'll probably build one or two Remington 700s in the caliber since I have barrel blanks already.

Both Remington and Ruger offered factory 6.8 SPC bolt actions and they both fizzled. The SPC II wildcat chambering was gaining popularity at the time with the die hard 6.8 shooters and not enough bought bolt actions, so they were discontinued.

FRA is right. Ruger made one for a little bit but the bone head 6.8 Spec 2 nuts probably killed it by trashing it for being SAAMI spec.

I've only take mine to the range once last year but I think I will take it to the range tomorrow.

Bet we can wildcat something together, but youll have some coin tied up.

.277 barrel
Short action .473" bolt face, small firing pin.
Neck up 6.5X47 Lapua brass to 6.8mm

Viola, a 6.8X47

Question...I thought I saw somewhere that the 6.8 weren’t great ballistically compared to either 6.5 or 7mm


What about a 7mm-08 with reduced loads?

They aren't for shooting long range, compared to the 6.5mm. I think B.I.L. doesn't care about that.

The 7mm-08 on a reduced load was also something I thought about for this kiddo. Use a lighter bullet, and drop the charge a bit.

With a kid I can understand that not being a factor. But in the direction the market seems to be going it could impeded bolt guns coming to the market

Hopefully he finds something that works for his kid. In a few years I may need to get a 223 bolt to introduce my kids to shooting

I can’t imagine why somebody would want a 6.8 SPC bolt gun. I’m sure it’s a fine caliber, but it’s limited by the action it’s designed for. Why be limited to a caliber like that? Get a 270 or have a 27-08 made up. Or even a 6.8 CM.

I agree with the others that a 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 would be superior to the 6.8 SPC in a bolt action. Even the old .257 Roberts isn't a bad little cartridge (I have one order for rebarreling an old, bubba'd Mauser to it), and ammo can usually be found on a shelf at Academy. Your call if a .243 would be enough gun. .308 with 150gr bullets is a fine deer-getter, too.

I will also throw out, since you mentioned it, I've never had an interest in a 6.5 Grendel since I don't like how thin the bolt face is on an AR15 chambered in it, but that little cartridge really appeals to me in a bolt action. I'm building a Remington Model Seven to shoot 123-130gr bullets that I think will make a great, light-recoiling deer rifle out to 300-400 yards.

I'm only building 6.8 bolt actions because there is a small market demand not being satisfied, not because it has any superiority to its alternatives.

Can you expound on that a bit more? Why would it be limited in a bolt gun? I am convinced that the 6.5 Grendel and the 6.8 SPC are dang-near perfect Texas whitetail chamberings. Most TX whitetails are taken within 200 yards under feeders.

So, why would you not want a round that has very little recoil, carries plenty of deer killing energy, has readily available ammo and comes in nice little packages that work very well in deer blinds? I seriously don't get this obsession with having to fling bullets at 2800 fps + when hunting deer over feeders.

I can understand stepping up a bit if your shots are going to be over 250 on a regular basis, but if not, the only reason to use more gun is for the macho factor.

IMO, the 6.8 in a bolt gun doesn’t make ANY sense when a guy could buy a 243 or 708 in the same gun. More ammo options, and better ballistics.

I know, I know, we can take the “bigger is better” argument as far as we want, but I (and apparently most consumers) don’t want to pay equal money for less performance.

If you aren't shooting deer with bullets that have a BC of at least 0.600 going 2800+ fps, how are you going to be able to shoot a deer at 50 yards sitting still under a feeder?

I'd love to have a 6.8 bolt gun, but really only because I've got components to load a lot of 6.8. Maybe once a .224 valkyrie bolt gun (even dumber IMO) comes out we'll have something to do a barrel swap on and get going.

I can’t be overgunned, because the animal can’t be over dead

A lot of people have used 6.8s in ARs for years hunting and know it works well. It has mild recoil, plenty of inexpensive hunting ammo available for it. Having a bolt action in it makes a much sense has having a bolt action 223.

No one complains that a 223 is a waste in a bolt action.

Probably best explained why I want a 6.8. It is a pleasant round to shoot.

My kids first gun will be a custom in 308, 708, or 6.5 creed

Most people use a .223 to shoot varmints because it’s flat and extremely powerful vs the intended quarry. The 6.8 is marginal for deer and not flat at all. This is not a good comparison.

There is also the bolt face problem with the 6.8. There are very few bolt actions with that face, same problem we are in with the 224 Valkyrie. Bolt action .223's are available by all manufacturers, incluiding custom actions. This may change one day, but for now, that bolt face is owned by the AR market.

I see this a lot. People saying the 6.8 is "marginal" for deer. Can you please explain that in more detail? How is it "marginal"?

I’ve shot about 20 deer with a 6.8. While every one was recovered, I’ve never gutted one and gone ‘Holy cow, look at that internal damage’. I’ve had good blood trails but 18/20 went at least 30 yards with one going nearly 100. I use Fed Fusion 115 gr and the bullet works well with great mushrooming and accuracy but it’s evident this isn’t a Creedmoor or .308 or even a .243 when I open them up. Range is limited to 200-250 yards, maybe 300 if all is perfect. Throw in a piece of brush you didn’t see or a deer that turns right as you shoot, and you’re going to have an unrecoverable deer or a very long tracking job. ‘Marginal’, not much room for error.


Edit- this is all from a 16” AR. A 22-24” bolt gun, loaded to near max, might make a significant difference and increase the margin quite a bit. But at that point, why not just go with a substantial SA cartridge and not worry about it.

As to some people saying that the 6.8SPC is marginal for deer, I say hunt with what you want. But, let me quote the Hornady Handbook as it speaks of the 25-35 Winchester, which has about the same ballistics and power as the 6.8SPC. Hornady says that the 25-35, introduced in 1895, is only marginal on deer, appropriate for smaller game only at moderate ranges, and quite unspectacular on varmints. The long obsolete 25 Remington has the same ballistics. I suppose you could have a 25-35 AI or a 25 Rem AI made up to outshine the 6.8SPC.

The 250 Savage, not usually considered a real fire breather of a cartridge, far outdoes the 6.8SPC. Now, in defense of the 6.8SPC, it does about equal the 7.62x39 with 120 gr bullets.

So, is the 6.8SPC a good deer cartridge? It does look a bit marginal by TODAY’S standards, though I'm sure it’ll do the job, just like the 25-35 Win did back in 1900. But like I said earlier, why limit yourself with this cartridge when so many other options are available.

Anyone that owns a 223 in a bolt action that argues that 6.8 SPC is a waste in a bolt action doesn't recognize their own cognitive dissonance.

They are the same length. By this logic anything that fits in an AR15 magazine is waste in a bolt action.

Not necessarily.

Can you get a high BC bullet in a 6.8 SPC? No.

Can you get screaming velocity in a 6.8 SPC? No.

You can achieve both with a .223, and you can actually achieve both, simultaneously with the right length, twist and load.

So only cartridges that shoot high BC bullet or have screaming velocity belong in bolt actions? Ok cool. What about 22 LR? or Mid bores like the 358 Win? Those are a waste too based on this criteria.