DAILY
UPDATE N E WS
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PR O MO T I O N S
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AWAR D S
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OU T R EA CH
One Cool Customer By Aram von Benedikt
T
here’s a a new cartridge on the block, and it’s one cool customer. Built to fulfill the desires of the classic .270 Winchester shooting crowd while meeting the demands of today’s long-range shooting and hunting protocol, the 6.8 Western steps into the arena and doffs its ten-gallon hat.
The Six-Eight is the brainchild of a collaboration between the engineers at Winchester and Browning. Its parent cartridge is Winchester’s own .270 WSM, with the shoulder pushed back to accommodate the long, heavy-for-caliber aerodynamic projectiles that modern long-range shooters love to send downrange. Barrel twist rate in rifles chambered for the new cartridge is updated as well, in order to accommodate and stabilize those same high-BC bullets. Twist rate in traditional .277 barrels (.270 Win, .270 WSM) is 1:10, while twist rate in new 6.8 Western rifles will be 1:8. Most at home in short-action rifles, the 6.8 is a cartridge suitable for lightweight, fast-cycling hunting rifles, as well as heavier, more stable platforms. The 6.8 Western has proven to be accurate, efficient and deadly (more on that in a minute). It’s not a barrel-burner, either, with factory ammo producing advertised muzzle velocities ranging from 2,835 up to 2,970 feet per second. Two loads were initially available: Winchester’s Expedition Long Range load (Booth #11827) features Nosler 165-grain Accubond Long Range bullets and sports a muzzle velocity of 2,970 fps
and a G1 BC of 0.620. Browning’s Long Range Pro Hunter load (Booth #12234) is topped with a new 175-grain Tipped Game King bullet from Sierra and offers a muzzle velocity of 2,835 fps, with a G1 BC of 0.617. Additional loads will soon be available, including a “green” load topped with a 160-grain Winchester Copper Impact projectile, and a 165-grain Match Competitive Target round from Winchester. Browning will make its X-Bolt rifle lineup available in the new 6.8 Western, and Winchester will chamber the new round in both the XPR and M70 rifle lineups. If your clientele demonstrates any interest in long-range shooting and hunting, or feels any loyalty to the venerable old .270 Winchester, it would behoove you to front-and-center some of these rifles on your shelves. I was able to get my hands on a 6.8 Western Browning X-Bolt Hunter early in the game. Only the Browning Long Range Pro Hunter ammo was available at the time — the one loaded with Sierra’s new 175-grain TGK bullet. Initial testing produced remarkable accuracy, with average threeshot group size coming in well under .75 MOA.
The author with his elk, taken with Browning's 6.8 Western at a distance of 679 yards.
An early-season elk hunt found me afield with the 6.8 Western X-Bolt in hand. I had worked the rifle out to ranges approaching 850 yards, so while I hoped for a close shot I was prepared for a long one if it became necessary. A surprise encounter with a monster bull that showed up the second night of hunting proved the mettle of the new cartridge. With my son watching through a spotting scope, I made a perfect first-shot kill at 679 yards, dropping the 3983⁄8 B&C bull in his tracks.
Initial testing produced remarkable accuracy, with the average three-shot group size coming in well under .75 MOA.
DAY 1, JANUARY 18, 2022
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SHOT BUSINESS DAILY
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12/8/21 1:47 PM
