Winchester and Browning Introduce the New 6.8 Western Cartridge

68 Western Reveal
The new 6.8 Wester round is a joint project between Winchester and Browning. IMG Winchester Ammunition

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Winchester and Browning, two of the most iconic outdoor brands, continue to innovate and bring new products to hunting and shooting sports enthusiasts around the world. This time, the two titans have teamed up to introduce 6.8 Western, the ultimate all-around long-range hunting and shooting cartridge.

With long-range shooting and hunting interest growing rapidly, engineers at Winchester and Browning were both seeking a solution that could offer magnum performance with a modern high BC projectile, yet chamber in a short action rifle for shorter bolt-throw and less weight. The 6.8 Western was designed from the ground up to be the ultimate long-range cartridge that is capable in any big-game hunting scenario and a great fit for those who enjoy long-range target shooting.

HEAVIER BULLET WEIGHTS
than 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and 270 WSM

MORE ENERGY
than 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and 7mm Rem Mag

LESS RECOIL
than 300 WSM, 300 Win Mag, and 300 PRC

LONG, HEAVY BULLETS
ideal for big game hunting and long-range precision shooting

SHORT ACTION
for fast cycling, high accuracy, and reduced rifle weight

“The 6.8 Western cartridge development defines collaborative innovation,” said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “We have designed a cartridge for the growing segment of long-range shooters and hunters that offers significant features and benefits. We strive to introduce new products that add value to our customers, and we believe the 6.8 Western will do just that.”

“The 6.8 Western cartridge brings a new perspective to long-range hunting and shooting,” said Ryan Godderidge, senior vice president of sales, marketing and firearms for Browning. “It provides magnum level performance in our short action rifles, giving the shooter highly effective down-range energy, even at longer ranges, while allowing for a lighter-weight platform. We’re excited about bringing this into the marketplace.”

Winchester Browning 68 Western Guns Ammo


About Winchester

A world leader in delivering innovative products, Winchester is The American Legend, a brand built on integrity, hard work, and a deep focus on its loyal customers. Learn more about the history of Winchester by visiting Winchester.com or connect with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial.

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Rowboat

How does it compare to the new, military adopted 6mm ARC ?
Will it configure to the AR platform?
Why can’t I get 7.62×39 PSP from Winchester ? Are they too busy developing obscure wildcat cartridges to take care of their bread and butter business ?

JNew

I’d be interested to see how it compares with the 6.5-284 (Norma)

Tommy Boy

It looks as if the 6.8 Western has a longer COAL than the .270 WSM. Could the base to o-give prevent the cartridge from being chambered?

RoyD

As someone who has been interested in cartridge design for over fifty years I have a question. My concern is someone chambering this round in a rifle chambered for the 270 WSM round. I watched a video detailing the differences between this round and the 270 WSM and my question is this: What is to prevent this round, on which the headspace is approximately 0.080″ shorter than the 270 WSM, from being pushed ahead of the bolt and when the bolt is locked there would exist about 0.080″ excessive headspace which could get spicy when the primer goes off, providing… Read more »

Knute

This round is both slightly smaller in diameter, and slightly shorter, with the same shoulder profile as the 270WSM, and both are beltless. So there is nothing to stop it from falling forward that 80 thou, the firing pin strike would just push the cartridge away from the pin, meaning it wouldn’t fire. As you said, the firing pin couldn’t reach the primer. This is safe, as an ammo mixup would not cause a kaboom. 300BLK in a 5.56 chamber SHOULDN’T either, but the problem there is the bullet profile is what should stop the .300 from chambering, instead of… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Knute
RoyD

With an operating pressure of 65,000 psi that is a chance that should not have been left to chance.

Last edited 3 years ago by RoyD
Knute

Firing pins should never protrude 80 thou from the bolt face, unless something is wrong with the firearm. If you’re talking about the .300 BLK I totally agree. Whether a round chambers or not should be based on the case, and not on the bullet. There are far too many bullet/case combos to take such a chance. What if somebody loads a 110 grain bullet in the blackout? What about the 60 grain plastic .30 sabot projectiles? All of those present that problem. Even some of the more “standard” weight .308 bullets do. But it is what it is. Boeing… Read more »