I know all other AR members have heard of this cartridge, but I just discovered it today; the 8.6 Blackout!
Basically a 6.5 Creedmoor necked up to 338, for an AR-10.
What happened to the 338 Federal? A 338 on a 308? Dead, I imagine.
I also know that new cartridges sell new rifles.
I also have no idea what a Blackout is.

They are just fishing for a new market angle. We have to keep two 2x3 ft boxes of test fire ammo to cover all of the calibers these days. Totally ridiculous. The Swedes had an 8mm x 54 round based on the 6.5 x 55 in the late 1940's.

Well Tom, it's designed for subsonic usage. They typically use a 1-3" twist to stabilize long heavy bullets at subsonic velocity. Not my cup of tea, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

Right; I did read it was a one in 3 twist but I forgot about that. I still can't see the point. Guys want stuff quiet now; I get jobs all the time for muzzle threading.
I still want my shots to sound like RIFLE shots. Not a pellet gun.

quote:

I still want my shots to sound like RIFLE shots

HUH what you say.

How many people have lost their hearing because suppressors are highly regulated.

Lost their hear?
I spent 28 years on tank gunnery twice a year; my hearing is above perfect.
Guys didn't lose their hearing from firing three shots a year at deer. When I started shooting, it was the theory that your ears had to become tough, like muscles. But I got some ear plugs anyway.
Anyway, a 300 grain bullet going at 1100 fps is certainly not an all around cartridge. Supressed or not.
But my real point is that we already had a very similar cartridge; the 338 Federal. Why invent a new one?
I already know the answer.....

I get why it was developed, even if I share DPCD’s feelings on it.

If you want a heavy bullet subsonic, get a .50 of some stripe, like a .50 Beowulf and twist it to use the .50 BMG bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
They are just fishing for a new market angle. We have to keep two 2x3 ft boxes of test fire ammo to cover all of the calibers these days. Totally ridiculous. The Swedes had an 8mm x 54 round based on the 6.5 x 55 in the late 1940's.

And a fine round it is.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Lost their hear? When I started shooting, it was the theory that your ears had to become tough, like muscles.

That's what they told us in the Corps. I get paid once a month for their fucked up theory. But then again, hearing protection in a combat environment may have been hazardous to my health and well being.

Semper Fi.

In the Army, we had CVC helmets and ear plugs!

Yeah, you Army guys got all the good shit.

Semper Fi.

It seems that one of the critical dimensions of a cartridge is the rifling twist. Even though it is not specified anywhere. Sounds stupid at first but there is some sense behind it:

You could load the already-mentioned 8x54 or the .338 Federal with a long, heavy bullet. And if you built a custom rifle for it (or a new factory one) with an appropriate twist rate, it would work.

But if an ammunition manufacturer sold factory ammo loaded like that, and most guys who bought it tried to shoot it out of rifles with a 1-8 or 1-10 twist, that stuff would soon get a reputation for poor accuracy, and that would probably kill the sales.

So it's easier just to "invent" a new cartridge. Or make a miniscule mod to an old one and give it a new name.

As for quiet rifles, I find it great fun. But my main hunting rifle is not threaded and won't ever have a suppressor fitted to it, because it spoils the balance and handling.

I guess I will never understand it. For the last 60 years we have all been chasing velocity, and many still do. Raised and indoctrinated on Weatherbys and Magnums, one after the other.
So now, I hear that we are going to the extreme opposite pole and want sub sonic velocities? With trajectories like dump trucks.
So, in essence, we are back to 1880 BPC ballistics. That is what, and all, I see in all this, nonsense (as I see it).
These are just toys for the young guys on AR platforms, right? They can't actually have a practical use, can they? Maybe short range hogs or something.
I am not jumping on the wagon. And I don't load for max velocity either, but this does not work for me.
(I will get hate mail for this one, for sure. I'm used to it now though.)

What dpcd said +1.

As a custom maker, I groan a little3 when a 30-06 is ordered...Only rifle the client really NEEDS and covers just abut any N. American hunting situaion.

Yep...Just try and buy Lazzaroni ammo...for instance.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I guess I will never understand it. For the last 60 years we have all been chasing velocity, and many still do. Raised and indoctrinated on Weatherbys and Magnums, one after the other.
So now, I hear that we are going to the extreme opposite pole and want sub sonic velocities? With trajectories like dump trucks.
So, in essence, we are back to 1880 BPC ballistics. That is what, and all, I see in all this, nonsense (as I see it).
These are just toys for the young guys on AR platforms, right? They can't actually have a practical use, can they? Maybe short range hogs or something.
I am not jumping on the wagon. And I don't load for max velocity either, but this does not work for me.
(I will get hate mail for this one, for sure. I'm used to it now though.)

Did I mention that the 6.5x68 I want to build has a 30” barrel?

The .338 Federal will not fit in .308 Win magazine confines when loaded with the heavy for caliber .338 bullets used in the 8.6 BLK.

This sort of goes with my reply to the thread "Sharpshooting volunteers needed to help cull elk" in the American Big Game Hunting forum. A lot of newer hunters buy into the notion that they can only kill game with one of the "tactical hunter" style rifles with the huge scope having about 10 adjustment knobs shooting the latest cartridge introduction.

quote:

As a custom maker, I groan a little3 when a 30-06 is ordered...Only rifle the client really NEEDS and covers just abut any N. American hunting situaion.

Lot of truth there.

dpcd---Three strikes on Willy Mays would be a Blackout.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
dpcd---Three strikes on Willy Mays would be a Blackout.

Or Willie McCovey.

I love my .300 Blackout.

With 220 grain subsonic loads and a suppressor on the muzzle, all I get is death to my target inside of 150 yards and the click-clack sound of the action cycling on my Bravo Company AR.

Haters gotta hate.

I still don't get it. Why bother shooting rifles at all? Just killing is not the point, to me. I recommend video games; sounds like the same thing to me.

just for fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLA0IkOSbjg

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I still don't get it. Why bother shooting rifles at all? Just killing is not the point, to me. I recommend video games; sounds like the same thing to me.

There are situations the being quite is very advantageous.

Even in the hunting fields.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
I love my .300 Blackout.

With 220 grain subsonic loads and a suppressor on the muzzle, all I get is death to my target inside of 150 yards and the click-clack sound of the action cycling on my Bravo Company AR.

Haters gotta hate.

A while back someone here had a 300 blackout, but no ammo.

That is based on the 222 Remington Magnum I think.

We had a bit of a discussion, and I told I will make one just for fun based on the 223.

Got a reamer made, built the rifle on a Sako S491 action.

I could shoot mine.

He couldn’t shoot his!

Another one had a 6.5 Creedmore.

Again, he could not find ammo here.

I made a deal with him and exchanged it for another rifle he wanted built, a 270 Ackley.

One cannot have a new rifle and not shoot it.

I made brass for it from 308 Winchester!

A bit of a process but I made 50 cases, and shot it.

If all the .338 blackout (not going for the goofy metric rebrand of .338 bullets) was is a .338 federal with a long mag box and fast twist, that’s one thing- my bigger issue is that usually they “have” to change something else and all of the sudden it’s difficulty finding brass because too many small runs, finding dies becomes expensive, etc.

Right now I have issues finding .30 hunting bullets, yet the manufacturers are wasting time on what is a very minuscule subset of shooting, which really could be handled without changing from the already availble items.

I get wildcatting and the desire for something different. Let’s leave that to those who want it until we get our supply chain things fixed.

As to a suppressed hunting round- I’m not sure I get it. The purpose of this thing is a bigger, more lethal hunting option. Anything you need more than a .300 BLK for, the limits are very low. You don’t need follow up culling capability for them. Who is shooting 3-4 elk in one setting?

(Given elk tag availability, they shouldn’t be culling… offer them to hunters. If you need to have higher skill level, test for it.)

quote:

That is based on the 222 Remington Magnum I think.

300ACC blackout

It's parent cartridges is the 5.56x45 round.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
just for fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLA0IkOSbjg

quote:

Oringinally posted by Saeed:
One cannot have a new rifle and not shoot it.

Absolutely!

Fun is sometimes the only reason I own a firearm!

Haven’t heard of this one. Everything has to work in an AR platform these days.

I had an assault rifle in .50 BLK for a while. It was a Spencer.

Yup, a 56-50, 350 gr bullet, 33 grains black, about 850 fps out of a 20" barrel. Wasn't particularly quiet, and it smoked a lot, but for assaulting the lines in the civil war it was great!

And they are an absolute hoot to shoot to boot!

Send it to me and I'll thread it for a suppressor. Only guaranteed for two rounds though. Then you clean out the BP fouling.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
just for fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLA0IkOSbjg

What a waste of fruit! And the AR clansmen wouldn't THINK of using a rack of Bud Lite...