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6.8 SPC, Savage Action

13K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  pabucktail 
#1 ·
I have a few questions about building a bolt action rifle in 6.8spc, and using a Savage action in particular.

1. What advantages would I have using a 6.8spc in a bolt gun over a more common (for a bolt gun) round? What would the 6.8spc be comparable to regarding exterior and terminal ballistics in a bolt rifle?

2. Does anybody know a barrel maker for a 6.8 Savage? I know of quite a few barrel makers for Savages, but haven't noticed any for a 6.8.

3. What would a preferred set up for a barrel on a bolt action (twist rate, chamber, length, etc)? I guess I should ad this would be primarily for target shooting out to 600 or 700 yards, and be able to take mulies or possibly larger at a reasonable range.

I've searched around the site a bit and haven't noticed anything like this, so if it's been answered before, I apologize, and please point me in the right direction. This is all "what if" as of now. Just trying to do my homework. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Since the Savage/Stevens guns are so easy to re-barrel in a vice they are the perfect gun to use if someone wanted a different caliber like the 6.8. I shoot a Savage and I love it so I understand where you're coming from because I get the same itch once in a while. Every time I do though I always shake myself out of it by realising that a Savage/Stevens in 7mm-08 hand-loaded would do everything just as well and do other things much better. And then there's all that money that I would save. Great light for caliber bullets in 7mm are the Hornady 120 HP for defence and varmints, the 120 Ballistic Tip for soft skinned game and the 120 TSX for heavy game. It won't recoil much with these and you can even download them if desired.

I'd say the 6.8 is close in trajectory and performance to the 250 Savage and the 257 Roberts.

I'm not trying to talk you out of it it's your gun. :) But I'd rather have the factory 7mm-08 myself.

Bigfoot
 
#3 ·
I agree. I have a Savage 10 in 308, and would actually like to have one in 7-08 as well. The only reason I was day dreaming about the 6.8, is because if I were to build a 6.8 AR, it would be kind of handy to have a bolt action that shared the same cartridge.
 
#4 ·
THe only way it really makes sense IMHO in a bolt gun is a very light pack gun. Like mountain hunting rifle where you are going to want a rifle very light and with a good round with very light recoil. In that scenario the 6.8 makes lots of sense and if Remington had one brain cell that is what they would have offered in the bolt instead of some 15lb sniper rifle. :roll: I would have a very super light profile 20" barrel. Have the 308 mag well so you can load the 6.8 as long as the bullet dictates. With that you can load bullets to 2.5 if you wanted to. Then the 130s really start to look very very good. You could load some of the super long Bergers 130s with BCs in the high .500 BC and they recommend a 11 twist so that should tell you something of how long a bullet the 11 will stabilize as those bullets are around 1.3" Wih that you will be able to get velocities in the low 2600's That will give enough gun to take any medium out to 400 yards and Elk and Moose out to 250. All of that in a 41/2-5 lb rifle would seem to me to be a great gun and actually one I plan to build in the future using a Savage if I can get the bolt head for it or sadly a Remington. It would be hard to find a rifle that would have the power to reciol ration that could beat the 6.8 and hold that number of rounds ina mag. So in a total weight carry it would be jsut about perfect. 30% less reciol then the 30 30 with 2x-3x the performance.
 
#5 ·
Hey thanks for the great feedback! Yeah, I was actually thinking of a pack or scout type rifle when I brought this up. I think a nice hunter set-up with a 18-20" light varmint barrel and DBM would be pretty slick, pretty much like what you mentioned. I've still been on the prowl looking for barrel makers and bolt head for this one though.
 
#8 ·
You'll probably have to open up a 5.56 bolt like this guy did. http://www.savageshooters.com/SavageFor ... ic=15179.0

If anyone does or can make a 6.8 bolt it would be Sharp Shooters Supply. You can find them in the SPONSERS button in the link.

For a magazine I have no idea. The newer Savage/Stevens have a centerfeed (top cartridge only like a Glock mag) mag which work well with short cartridges like the BR's however I don't think that they offer one in 5.56 yet. The old style double stack 5.56 mag might work, I'd contact Sharp Shooters Supply.

Too bad the Rem 700s are so heavy. You could get a 700 donor rifle and built it light using the 6.8 magazine and bolt. Geez, I just recommeded a R-R-Remington. :eek:
 
#9 ·
Can't sleep again so I went over to the Savage board to see what's new. Looks like the .223 and .204 rifles get the new centerfeed magazines now. With the top round centered the bolt will feed the 6.8 straight into the chamber so you don't have to worry about feed rail work etc. That seems to me to be the way to go. Get a centerfeed .223, open up the bolt, might have to file the extractor a bit, screw the new barrel on, check headspace with go/no-go gauges and go shootin.
 
#10 ·
All good advice so far.

Here's what I am going to do when I build mine. (I, too just want the ammo compatibility). Get a Savage or Remington action, then either 7.62 X 39 or .223 bolt and have them modified to fit the 6.8 (aka .30 Remington) parent case head.

Then get a barrel made. Right now, you can get some very nice Pac-Nor stainless barrels, and I would strongly recommend either 11 twist, 4 groove or 12 twist, 3 groove. If you plan on loading 130's (and you'll have to load them LONG, like 2.4" or 2.45") then you probably will want the 11 twist, although I think we will see that the 12 does consistently stabilize 130's.

If you then load the GS custom, 80 grain bullets, and use RE 10X powder, you probably could get these into the 3400 FPS range, when loaded to 2.45". That actually beats .243 and 6mm Remington, and it is damn close to the 7mm -08, and probably flatter shooting. Other bullets, like 90 or 100 grainers are soon to be on the market, and these will easily go 3000 FPS from a long loaded cartridge in a 20 or 22" barrel.

when souped up, the 6.8 SPC can achieve better performance than .257 Roberts. It will take a little while longer, though before bolt guns are MFR'd again. They will remain customs for now.
 
#11 ·
I don't know about the new centerfeed mags but my Savage .223 with the old style staggered mag (which are infamous for troublesome feeding) has a block in the rear that limits OAL which can be removed. The bolt head also has a block on it limiting bolt travel, grinding down that block will give you any OAL that you want up to 2.8"
 
#13 ·
As far as the barrel makers, I have rebarreled several of my Savages with E.R. Shaw barrels. I have been VERY happy with the quality they have given me, and the beauty is that they are only $150!!
I've had them build me a 264WM, 260Rem and a 308. Very good quality stuff.

If you are nice I might even float you my Savage nut wrench.

---Darkker
 
#14 ·
You mean something like this, built around a Ruger 77MKII Allweather using a Remington Mountain take off barrel, it currently wears a Trijicon 3-9x Accupoint and is a sub 1/2 MOA shooter. My hunting buddy built his around the CZ small action and he uses 7.62x39 Magazines and bottom metal:



You can read more about it here:
http://www.blaserpro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=311
 
#15 ·
I wish CZ would chamber the 6.8 in their little bolt guns. I would buy one for my kid in a heartbeat. That would be the perfect first centerfire for a kid, hardly any recoil and wicked good performance on everything from marksmanship training and varmits to big game. Can anyone say seven-year-old kills first deer handily? I would put a Leupold compact on it, either a 2-7 or straight 4 and get the little guy confident and capable at 200 yards in no time.
 
#16 ·
Bigfoot said:
Since the Savage/Stevens guns are so easy to re-barrel in a vice they are the perfect gun to use if someone wanted a different caliber like the 6.8. I shoot a Savage and I love it so I understand where you're coming from because I get the same itch once in a while. Every time I do though I always shake myself out of it by realizing that a Savage/Stevens in 7mm-08 hand-loaded would do everything just as well and do other things much better. And then there's all that money that I would save. Great light for caliber bullets in 7mm are the Hornady 120 HP for defense and varmints, the 120 Ballistic Tip for soft skinned game and the 120 TSX for heavy game. It won't recoil much with these and you can even download them if desired.

I'd say the 6.8 is close in trajectory and performance to the 250 Savage and the 257 Roberts.

I'm not trying to talk you out of it it's your gun. :) But I'd rather have the factory 7mm-08 myself.

Bigfoot
I agree with Bigfoot. The benefit of the 6.8 is the ability to fit inside a restricted length AR15 lower mag well and still provide performance approaching a .260 or 7mm-08... With a bolt rifle you have no such cartridge O.A. Length restrictions....so why limit yourself?

I have three Remington model 7 synthetics in .260...7mm-08 ...and .308. I really don't' need a lighter bolt action than these with less power. And remmeber...I am a HUGE 6.8 SPC fan...in the AR.

Kerry
 
#17 ·
I did the conversion on my lefty CZ 527.

Started with a .223 version. Added CZ 527 7.62x39 bottom metal and magazines, a Rem 700 stainless take off barrel from a .270, had the bolt face opened up, opened up the channel and bedded the stock, added the fiber optic high vis "iron" sights and topped it with a Trijicon Accupoint 1.5-5 with the red triangle reticle.

It's well under a MOA shooter at 100 when I do my part. I've used it on deer here and works well, despite the complete failure of a Barnes Triple Shock 110 gr bullet (but that's another story - Can you say FMJ performance?).

It's a very light and handy package. Wish there were nore options for a left handed restocking job as I'd really like to put a syn stock on it. But, it'll do as is for now.
 
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