8.6 load data help
- Thread starter 6.5guy
- Start date
8.6 Blockout?...sorry to hear that. I've been trying to find where this limited cartridge is useful, for some time ...and it's been a challenging. It appears to be a subsonic only round with lead bullets and a ridiculous 3 twist...leaving powder capacity unused for super sonic, lead. Ihave some all copper super loaded but haven't fired them yet.
First do not use Faxon load fata for the 225 Hornady...its Way to hot. First shot came apart inside the muzzle breake, destroying it and the Magneto Speed bayonet was damaged by bullet shrapnel...and I'm not the only one to experience this. Just loaded another batch of ammo.
The 285 gr ELDM will not make it 50 yds at 1400 fps in the 3 twist... 200 gr Speer lead got to 1600 fps.
This cartridge with lead supers is dangerous with lead bullets & 3 twist to your muzzle devices, and anyone near the muzzle. I took off the damaged muzzle brake to continue testing... the top Suggested loads with lead supers come apart as soon as they leave the confines of the barrel. At 5 feet the spread is tremendous, worse than any cylinder bore shotgun by a factor many times...shoot down a hall and hit both sides if the hall in just a foot or two infront of the muzzle. .. I had pieces of bullet jackets piercing and sticking into the cardboard at 10 feet...and you can smell the lead dust in the air...probably not healthy.
So here's the deal , subs only...do not exceed 1000 fps 900 if ya have a can.
15 grains of AA 1680 works with all bullets for subsonic, and the 285 ELDM
A more accurate load is 15.8 gr of IMR 4198 for the 285 ELDM , and I have some 300 gr Bergers loaded up with same 15.8 gr imr 4198 and some others, but haven't tried them yet.
The 250 gr Sierra game king was the most accurate with 15 grs of AA 1680 at 50 yards..where all the testing was done...the rule is the bullet has to make 50 yards and still be in one piece. I have some of the dangerous high velocity loads to shoot with cardboard on both sides of the muzzle to see if they will harm the person next to you who is standing even with the muzzle...as the bullet came apart totally in the 3 baffle of the 3 baffle muzzle breake on the first super.
So for safety test with out a muzzle device ...the 15 gr of AA 1680 was safe and subsonic with all bullets I tried that day 200 gr to 285 gr as was 15.8 gr of imr 4198 with the 285 gr ELDM. Mine is a 16" barrel. Still playing with the 8.6 blackout but it's usefulness is limited...not like the 300 Blackout. Also just finished a 358 Win in AR 10...the 375 Raptor my be more useful because it has a slower 8 twist for both supers and 450 gr subs, and my 8.6 may just turn into a 375 Raptor.
I thought any bullet that wasn't a solid was high risk?
To whom it may concern. I have been loading 285 factory seconds (elds) from midway with decent success. Right now, my favorite pet load is using VV N-320. following the rule of thumb that faster powders are quieter. Now, i suspect that will only work in bolt guns, not gas guns. I have a 16” bolt action. I was using the typical 300 blk powders and decided to try this. 320 is way quieter but still not as quiet as a 300. Case fill is decent but could be better. Runs around 1060fps with same hole groups at 50. I have also used Ramshot Competition with decent success but with a little unburnt powder left throughout.
Sizmic
Sizmic
I completely agree with you. I have read a lot of misinformation posted by @Ray123 on this forum, but oddly, he has no profile according to this forum...EDIT: I've been told he was banned for bad information...coincidence? I think not...
Your 1060fps is good for subsonic, and the supersonic should be up around 2000-2100 fps, where Ray123 was posting numbers that were way off.
There is no way to determine the proper loads on this cartridge without having a good chrono/dopler.
You CANNOT use bonded bullets, they must be copper.
The Faxon data posted is fairly obsolete. Kevin Brittingham dropped a cape buffalo with a 210 grain EDIT: TTSX recently, I would say that's pretty good knock-down power. KB has taken a cape buffalo with subsonic rounds, but it was not as impressive as this massive cape buffalo with supersonic.
I plan to use 8.6 blackout in supersonic (2000-2100 fps) in California for wild pig, deer and black bear. Supersonic loads will drop a black bear with no trouble. I would like to see any game in NA that 8.6 blackout won't take with supersonic, and most could be taken with subsonic loads at ~1050 fps. This is not a conventional cartridge and the twist is important for it. Why do you think Faxon wouldn't sell Ray123 a 1:8 twist barrel ? They have tested and know well, they were the folks working with Brittingham to dial it in. This round is NOT for precision shooting, it was intended for hunting, period. Not for punching paper, not for PRS events, but for hunting, period. Use the right tool for the job. There's a lot of smart dudes on this forum, but the folks that developed this cartridge know a thing or two about what they did.
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D2x shooter
Gold $$ Contributor
To all, I am waiting for an ammo company to list tested loads
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