A little range time with the 6.8SPC and 30-30 AI

[J A XSP]

I've been pretty busy and the weather, up until this past week, has been unseasonably warm and so I haven't even tried to schedule any deer hunting. Now we're into the last week for bucks and the last 3 weeks for does so I figured I better get my main hunting rifles double-checked and ready to go. ;)

The Bullberry 30-30 AI has been pretty consistent at the range but I've been wanting to extend my Varget max load and see what I come up with. My standard load of 38 grains of Varget under either a 125 BT or 125gr Pro Hunter has been accurate and effective:
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Accuracy stays Sub-MOA and I haven't bothered any further development. I started doing some work with the P-Max ballistic prediction software (free online) and saw that there's probably still plenty of room to push the envelope. I like the Pro Hunters and finally found a few hundred rounds. My brother found an 8lb jug of Varget online after months of both of us searching fruitlessly so now I have well over 4 lbs to work with. :cool: Feeling flush and willing to use up some components, I put together a few quick rounds to check the viability of some hotter rounds. I didn't bother with too much development and just loaded a few each of 38.5 and 38.8 grains. Seen below, the results of the 38.5 grains were pretty good. Then the 38.8 grain load really made an impression...first 2 shots touching and then what I knew was a pulled shot on my part. I put another shot into the group just to see if it would hang with the first two:
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The 6.8 MGM barrel has been consistently easy to please in terms of sub-MOA loads. With the exception of some factory copper bullet loads, it seems to put everything into small groups. The Hornady Black ammo with 110 VMax bullets hangs around MOA and has plenty of velocity so even if I don't work up loads, I'm pretty set. I've been working with some Varget lately, even though the case capacity doesn't really allow for efficient pressure or particularly good velocity. With 110 VMax, the Varget has been very accurate but quite slow and I've got a decent supply of other powders that will make that bullet perform. I've loaded some 130 grain SPs and have seen plenty of 1/2 MOA groups with reasonable velocity with compressed loads of Varget. I decided to see what 90 grain TNT bullets would do with Varget and got the groups below...velocity is is probably a lot less than I can get with other powders but I'm willing to bet that they'd still expand and they tend to shoot quite accurately:
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Between the two rigs, I'm plenty prepared to pick up and go and I think I can feel confident in putting a shot where it needs to go. :cool:

[BT]

Looking promising! Load development is fun and something I’ve neglected to do much of the last couple years. I’m hoping to change that in ‘23 and get back to what I enjoy.

Good luck deer hunting! It was COLD in the stand today!

[sunnysmarine]

not the highest velocity in the 6.8 but in my 23" contender barrel H4198 1" as many as you want to at 100 yards and IMR4198 a bit faster and 3/4" 110 ttsx and 120 SSTs the TTSX were not very reliable on deer though both have taken there share, Had a 26" Encore barrel same accuracy but considerably slower I did sell both barrels I think now I should of cut them to 20"

[J A XSP]

not the highest velocity in the 6.8 but in my 23" contender barrel H4198 1" as many as you want to at 100 yards and IMR4198 a bit faster and 3/4" 110 ttsx and 120 SSTs the TTSX were not very reliable on deer though both have taken there share, Had a 26" Encore barrel same accuracy but considerably slower I did sell both barrels I think now I should of cut them to 20"

I wouldn't mind a 23"... Based on ballistics prediction, Varget would burn better with a few extra inches. The ability to hold pressure for that extra microsecond might leave less unburned powder in the barrel with the highest charges. As it is, it needs to be packed right full in order to get any pressure and remotely consistent burn. Best load I've found for the 110 VMax is with H4895. Speed isn't as hot as factory ammo but it's peppy and very accurate and the pressure curve is very Contender-friendly. My experience with H4198 is that it's very accurate when you get to a case full and that puts the pressure up there. Great for a lot of platforms but a little risky for Contender, IMO. It was like that with the 6.8 Long wildcat I had, too (was it you who ended up with that barrel?). When I run out of H4895, I'll have to use the H4198, though, along with H322. :)

[FyrepowrX]

in teh 6.8spcs i had vigh velocity, and pretty good accuracy, with AA2200, but only with magnum primers; when i tried it with standard primers it was all over teh place, with very high ES/SD

[FyrepowrX]

another oops

[FyrepowrX]

also, the TNT bullets you mentioned...

at one point remington brought out a version of the 700 LVSF in 6.8spc, and about 10 years ago that was my main 'yote calling gun...shot a few with the TNT's, and those are splatter-ific in that caliber. No runners!

[sunnysmarine]

I wouldn't mind a 23"... Based on ballistics prediction, Varget would burn better with a few extra inches. The ability to hold pressure for that extra microsecond might leave less unburned powder in the barrel with the highest charges. As it is, it needs to be packed right full in order to get any pressure and remotely consistent burn. Best load I've found for the 110 VMax is with H4895. Speed isn't as hot as factory ammo but it's peppy and very accurate and the pressure curve is very Contender-friendly. My experience with H4198 is that it's very accurate when you get to a case full and that puts the pressure up there. Great for a lot of platforms but a little risky for Contender, IMO. It was like that with the 6.8 Long wildcat I had, too (was it you who ended up with that barrel?). When I run out of H4895, I'll have to use the H4198, though, along with H322. :)

That was me I did get it shooting real good I reamed the throat a bit longer really helped and then something else shiny came along, In my 6.8 the 4198s were mild pressure H being the lower of the 2, I really cringed when the powder would crunch though, The long I loaded to the bottom of the bullet no crunch, I did get 130s flying as fast as the 120s 110s lacked the accuracy but did move

[J A XSP]

That was me I did get it shooting real good I reamed the throat a bit longer really helped and then something else shiny came along, In my 6.8 the 4198s were mild pressure H being the lower of the 2, I really cringed when the powder would crunch though, The long I loaded to the bottom of the bullet no crunch, I did get 130s flying as fast as the 120s 110s lacked the accuracy but did move
I remember that barrel doing very well with 130s. With the longer case there was better capacity for some of the slower powders and it tended to push decent velocity with consistent burn. The 6.8 suffers from the downfall of all rounds developed for the AR platform...just too dang short to use anything but the faster powders with their steep pressure curve. That being said, I've been quite happy with the 6.8SPC in the Contender. I like that there's factory ammo that shoots well and a decent selection of powders to fuel it.

[J A XSP]

in teh 6.8spcs i had vigh velocity, and pretty good accuracy, with AA2200, but only with magnum primers; when i tried it with standard primers it was all over teh place, with very high ES/SD
I've been tempted to get some 2200 and try it but I've got a fair selection of other powders at this point. Seems like every reference to the 6.8 mentions the 2200 as a go-to.

[penrod72]

I "accidentally" bought a pound of 2200, have not done anything with it yet - have not run out of my other "normal" powders enough to try it.

I think my 6.8 (in an AR) really likes xbr8208 (which seems to be unobtanium for quite a while now). I have a 6.8 contender bull barrel I have not shot yet, can't decide to keep or sell - looks like based on what you all are loading I have a stock of at least 3 powders that will work if I go into shoot and load development mode this summer for it.

[J A XSP]

I "accidentally" bought a pound of 2200, have not done anything with it yet - have not run out of my other "normal" powders enough to try it.

I think my 6.8 (in an AR) really likes xbr8208 (which seems to be unobtanium for quite a while now). I have a 6.8 contender bull barrel I have not shot yet, can't decide to keep or sell - looks like based on what you all are loading I have a stock of at least 3 powders that will work if I go into shoot and load development mode this summer for it.

I'd guess the your AR will like a different burn rate and pressure curve than what the closed-breech single shot will prefer. I have H4198, H322, H335 and H4895. I've built accurate loads with all of them.
I've been working with Varget and 130s and that seems to be really accurate but lacking in velocity. There's really no published data for Varget and I've had to wing it. It's obvious that compressed loads are necessary to get enough pressure for consistent burn. Fortunately, the single shot chamber allows seating the bullet out a lot more than the COL needed for the AR. That means quite a bit more case capacity for the slower powders.