Description
6.8 Western 170 Grain Berger Extreme Outer Limits (EOL)- The 6.8 Western is a centerfire rifle cartridge designed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Browning Arms Company. Introduced to the market in 2021 as a big game hunting cartridge that may be also used for long range target shooting. With the 6.8 Western’s heavier bullets, Winchester says it’s bringing 16 percent more energy than the 6.5 PRC at 500 yards and 67 percent more energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor!
In 1925, Winchester introduced the .270 Winchester, previously known as the .270 WCF, based on the 30-06 Springfield case necked down to .277″ (6.8 mm). Although the .270 Winchester was not an instant success, within a few decades it became one of the most popular big game hunting cartridges for mid sized game worldwide, because of its relatively mild recoil and flat trajectory within practical hunting ranges. Loaded with 130-grain spitzer bullets, the .270 Winchester achieved a muzzle velocity of 3,140 fps from a 24 inch barrel, with factory loads, resulting in a maximum point blank range (MPBR) of approximately 337 yards for a 8″ diameter target.
With no competitors other than the .270 Weatherby Magnum, the .270 Winchester has remained as the most popular cartridge of its class for nearly a century. By 2002 Winchester introduced the .270 Winchester Short Magnum, as part of its then new line of Short Magnum cartridges, which was faster by 200 fps resulting in a flatter trajectory and approximately 50 more yards of MPBR, but with the advantage of being chambered in a short action similar to the size of the .308 Winchester . However, this cartridge was designed to shoot 110- to 160-grain bullets to be stabilized by 1:10 twist barrels, similar to the .270 Win.
In 2007, Hornady launched its new 6.5 Creedmoor, also designed to be fed from a short action mechanism. But thought as a bench-rest competition cartridge rather than a hunting cartridge, it is designed to shoot heavy for caliber, high B.C. bullets that need a faster twist to be stabilized. Nevertheless, it started to gain followers among hunters to become one of the most popular big game hunting calibers of the time, mainly due to the development of affordable rangefinders, which reduce the advantages of flat trajectories within moderate ranges as the shooter doesn’t need to “guess” distances anymore.
Based on this new market trend for high Ballistic Coefficient Bullets, fast twist barrels and short actions, Winchester in collaboration with Browning designed the 6.8 Western as a new alternative.
The 6.8 Western is basically a .270 Winchester Short Magnum case with a slightly rebated shoulder (reducing the case’s maximum powder capacity) that needs a barrel with a 1:8 twist to stabilize 165 to 175 grain bullets. The 6.8 Western is an adequate cartridge for hunting mid size big game species such as whitetail and mule deer up to considerable distances. Due to its high BC and sectional density it is also adequate for elk and even moose. The possibility of chambering this cartridge in short action rifles as well as its capability to resist cross winds effectively makes it a very good option for mountain hunting.
Choice Ammunition now loads the 6.8 Western with the same 100% hand-loading techniques as our other calibers. Our loading techniques and extremely tight tolerances are only matched by passionate hand-loaders in their own loading rooms. Our consistencies box to box and lot to lot, are created by continuous testing at the range- adjusting varied powder and brass lot formulas to match exact velocities and points of impact as the last time we loaded this caliber. Exact seating depths and our proprietary load formulas produce a round of ammunition you can count on for accuracy and dependability each and every time- and at that critical moment in the field when it all comes down to the shot!
The Bullet:
- 100% Hand-Loaded
- Velocity 2,918 fps
- G-1 BC 0.662
- G-7 BC 0.339
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