The 6.8 Western Rifle Cartridge is Holding On Strong?

Winchester’s 6.8 Western was introduced during the worst cartridge famine of this century. Yep. COVID. But the chambering had one gigantic advantage: Unlike all others, fodder for 6.8 Western rifles was readily available on store shelves.

That simple fact was enough to get a significant percentage of the hunters in my home area of southeastern Idaho shooting the 6.8 Western. And once they’d hunted with it and seen its awesome combination of downrange authority with mild recoil, they were sold.

By now, many of the serious hunting families in my area have at least one 6.8 Western in the household.

However, I understand that’s not the case in most areas. Now, more than three years since the 6.8 Western’s introduction, it’s harder to find ammo. And, disappointing to most 6.8 Western shooters, no additional big ammo companies have jumped on the bandwagon and begun offering factory ammo.

A Reimagined Classic

Introduced by Winchester Ammunition and supported by sister company Browning Ammo, the 6.8 Western is a very modern .270 cartridge. It’s a true short magnum, with a stumpy, fat propellant chamber that provides super-consistent burn and maximum efficiency from gunpowder.

It utilizes fast-twist rifling that stabilizes long, heavy, high-BC modern bullets, paired with enough head height so those bullets can be seated well out and don’t intrude on powder capacity.

We’ve done a deep dive into the ballistics of the 6.8 Western before, so for now I’ll just summarize: The cartridge shoots .270-caliber bullets up to 175 grains in weight. It’s at its best with the heavyweights, providing downrange wind-bucking ability and impact authority akin to the legendary 7mm Remington Magnum—and does so with about 15 percent less recoil.

A strong argument can be made that it’s the ultimate cartridge for recoil sensitive shooters that want to hunt a broad spectrum of game. I know hunters that have taken everything from predators to Roosevelt elk with it, and I’ve personally shot game ranging from arctic fox to massive-bodied waterbuck in Africa with the 6.8 Western.

The 6.8 Today

More stories from the field later. For now, let’s get to the point: How’s the 6.8 Western doing, three years after its introduction?

Winchester ammo representatives are optimistic, but then, they’re paid to be. However, at this point in time the company offers no less than five different ammo SKUs. Big companies can’t keep designing and introducing new loads for a given cartridge if that cartridge isn’t pulling its weight. So that’s a good sign.

For those interested, those five loads include a 162-grain Copper Impact bullet exiting the muzzle at an advertised 2,875 fps, a 165-grain AccuBond Long Range at 2,970 fps, a 170-grain Power Point at 2,920 fps, a 170-grain BTHP at 2,910 fps and a 170-grain Ballistic Silvertip at 2,920 fps.

Browning ammo co-launched its 175-grain Long Range Pro load when the 6.8 was introduced, and not only is it still producing that ammo, that specific load has proven to be the single most popular one on the market—at least according to my regional research.

And keep in mind the local folks around me hunt everything from predators to pronghorns, western whitetails, mule deer, black bear and elk. The 175-grain LRP has proven exceptionally lethal on all.

When I began this research project, I thought that Browning ammo had not introduced any additional 6.8 Western loads since the cartridge was born. Presumably, I figured, you don’t mess with magic, and that 175-grain LRP at 2,835 fps is indeed enchanting.

I was wrong. Browning now makes three 6.8 Western loads. The newer offerings feature 170-grain MaxPoint bullets (ideal for deer) at 2,870 fps, and a classic Silver Series 170-grain soft point at 2,920 fps. It should be a good all-purpose load for traditional hunting distances.

That’s a total of eight different 6.8 Western factory loads on the market. No matter which way you slice it, that’s pretty good.

Other Options

Are any other ammo companies going to get on board? I hope so, and I think so. Rumor has it that Barnes has research completed and may introduce a 6.8 Western load soon. Federal is quiet. I have completely unfounded but high hopes that a heavy Terminal Ascent load might someday transpire; that would be an incredibly capable load. I have no intel from Nosler or Remington. Hornady has told me they’re out—no interest in supporting the cartridge.

How about component bullets for handloaders? Let’s take a look. Barnes was early to the 6.8 game with a 155-grain LRX bullet engineered specifically for the cartridge. Being monometal, by necessity it’s lighter than competing lead-core bullets, but that’s ok—at .289 its sectional density is still quite high, and all-copper bullets penetrate like no other. By the way, the 155 LRX has a very decent BC of .540 on the G1 scale.

Berger introduced a purpose-built bullet pretty quickly as well with their 170-grain Elite Hunter projectile. It boasts a BC of .662 and a sectional density of .317, indicating good penetration potential. It’s a great crossover for hunting and long-range target work.

Nosler had high-BC .277-diameter bullets before the 6.8 Western launched, having designed them for its own .27 Nosler. The 165-grain AccuBond Long Range has a BC of .620, and is one of my favorites for the 6.8 Western; if your rifle likes ABLRs they kill profoundly. The 170-grain Ballistic Tip has a BC of .560. It’s softer and more suitable for deer-sized game, but tends to be very accurate.

Sierra offers a 175-grain Tipped GameKing that’s a near-twin to the one that Browning loads in its Long-Range Pro ammo line. It’s got a slightly lower BC of .560 as opposed to the .617 version Sierra builds for Browning, but it’s a terrific bullet. It’s very easy to handload for extreme accuracy and is versatile across a broad spectrum of big game.

Lastly, there are boutique bullet companies making 6.8 Western projectiles. A favorite of mine is Hammer’s 160-grain HHT, with a G7 BC of .284. That translates to about .572 on the G1 scale.

There are others, but those six will serve just about any need that a handloader could come up with. I suspect that as the 6.8 Western continues to gain momentum among hunters and shooters, bullet makers will continue to design and introduce new projectiles ideal for it. Even if the cartridge stagnates amongst factory ammo makers, readily available and versatile component bullets will allow it to thrive among handloaders.

The only other fly in the ointment is the lack of readily available cartridge cases for handloaders. Winchester does occasionally pump a quantity of unprimed brass into the market. It’s reasonable in cost, but is so popular it’s usually out of stock. ADG makes really good 6.8 Western brass, but it’s expensive and is also often out of stock. (That “out-of-stock” characteristic should clue ammo companies in on the fact that shooters and hunters want more 6.8 Western.)

What About Guns?

Another metric of success that can’t be ignored is the availability of production rifles on the market. Browning and Winchester both offer an entire series, ranging from the classic Model 70 to the cutting-edge X-Bolt II. Additionally, Christensen Arms, Fierce Firearms and Seekins Precision all offer 6.8 Western rifles in their standard lines.

Of course, any custom riflemaker worth their salt can make you a 6.8 Western rifle. But what about the other big manufacturers? I can’t find any made by Savage, Ruger, Tikka, Bergara, or the like. Hopefully that will change.

Before wrapping up, I’ve got a couple of 6.8 Western testimonials from the Dark Continent. While hunting with Rosedale Safaris last spring on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, I shot game from 30-pound duiker to 700-pound waterbuck with the 6.8 Western. Shaundi Campbell from Browning made eight one-shot kills on game ranging from impala to a massive sable, an old kudu bull and a heavy-bodied zebra stallion.

Before we left, Campbell’s PH (professional hunter) commented, “When asked what cartridge to bring to Africa, I will now recommend two.” He held up two fingers. “The .300 Win. Mag., which I’ve always recommended, and the 6.8 Western. From what I’ve seen this week, it kills as well as the .300 does!”

Three years in, the 6.8 Western has built a loyal following, has taken game from Alaska to Africa, and is generating a reputation for killing as effectively as a .30-caliber magnum. I’d say it’s built a pretty solid foundation for its future.

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