8.6 BLK (8.6x43mm), 285gr ELD-M, Callaway Ballistics - Subsonic

[@halgwin]

Many Thanks to Buffman RANGE! We are now using NEW manufacture brass and also we are offering a 300gr SMK. God Bless Hal Callaway

[@BuffRANGE]

Right on Hal! I look forward to seeing how the SMK does.

[@davidjernigan8161]

Now if Henry could put it in a 16" Long Ranger with a threaded barrel.

[@jakegrube9477]

Im wondering if liberty ammo might make an absurdly long hollowpoint for 8.6, would be neat to see

[@timewave02012]

The fast twist is way more than necessary for bullet stability. The idea is that energy delivered to the target was traditionally limited to 1/2 m * v^2, so if you limit velocity to subsonic, the only option to increase energy was to increase mass. 8.6 Blackout's excess twist is supposedly enough for the rotational energy to contribute meaningfully to total energy delivered to the target, in addition to the usual forward kinetic energy.

[@spraynpray]

Gel tests show even thin jacketed match bullets just icepick. I've never seen a cartridge perform worse across the board. It's as bad as 300 BLK.

[@chuckfinley3152]

Berger says their heaviest / longest 338 needs 1/8 to stabilize at subsonic velocity

[@timewave02012]

@@spraynpray You'd expect an overstabilized FMJ or OTM to icepick. I think you need expanding bullets to benefit from the extra spin. As for 300 BLK, it's not some miracle cartridge, just better than 5.56 for subsonic or short barrels.

[@gregorysivits3605]

Finally!!! A reliable source!!

[@adamg3911]

Great content. Keep up the good work.

[@BuffRANGE]

Thank you!

[@davidjernigan8161]

I believe you meant to say necked up.

[@BuffRANGE]

Yes, you're right, shortened brass, but necked UP :D

[@alancrews2066]

Right on

[@nikos6220]

Nice test with that limited amount of ammo. Feels like the 8.6 growing up to be the oldest brother of the 5.7x28. Enticing on paper but real finicky. Did you get some additional info from Callaway re their thinking behind this load? Desert Tech stated in a recent video that they advise against putting plastic tip ammo in a semi-auto as the sporadic deformation on feeding screws with precision. Plus, what’s the point in using an ELD-M when the speeds are way below expansion threshold and BC is irrelevant for useful distances on a subsonic. Thx

[@BuffRANGE]

At the time only common available 338 caliber bullets were available. Now the copper wonders are showing up so we can see some better bullet choices geared towards subsonic use.

[@nikos6220]

@@BuffRANGE copper wonders 😂looking forward to your tests. What do you think about the plastic tip damage thesis leading to flyers? Should make for an interesting test. Chambering some rounds, extracting to see if some tips are deformed and then single feed un-deformed and deformed, check for correlation on poi

[@BuffRANGE]

@@nikos6220 It's a valid point. When I test AK ammo, I tend to only shoot for groups the rounds that load exclusively from either the left or right side because something happens during loading that seems to affect them. I will note/test this next plastic tip bullet test :D

[@chuckfinley3152]

You have trail boss right? Should work up some 338 subs for your lapua and see what kind of accuracy you get with it

[@BuffRANGE]

I am out of Trail Boss. I really should have bought more of it when it was plentiful.

[@chengteh]

I don't really understand the point of this cartridge.

[@keres993]

You will once you see the performance in gel. It allows you to hunt very large game with subsonics.

[@spraynpray]

You'll be even more confused when you see the tests in gel. It's atrocious. The most useless caliber.

[@keres993]

@@spraynpray What do you mean? The gel tests have remarkable penetration and both temporary/permanent wound cavities are comparable to other big game cartridges. Plenty of other videos on here showing just that.

[@keres993]

Garand Thumb has a video where 8.6blk zips through an entire gel block without any trouble, leaving behind a beautiful wound tract. The higher twist rate imparts significant lethality- it's not just for stabilization.

[@BuffRANGE]

Someone did the calculation on the rotational energy and it's not as significant as it's being marketed, but that rotation increase does help slow copper solids to expans.

[@brad2340]

Building one just figuring the build. 12.5 Simi. Anyone got suggestions?

[@jeffhuntley2921]

I built a 12” on mostly Aero parts and sbr’d it a year back. My biggest hurdle was a muzzle break with the faxon barrel. Still haven’t seen any ammo on shelves in any local shops either

[@jasonkeating9958]

Where's the gel test 2 boxes is surely enough for a few shots in gel

[@BuffRANGE]

There’s zero need to gel test this. All it’s going to do is tumble and penetrate 30+”

[@DinoNucci]

You do it

[@krulewicz18]

@@BuffRANGEwith a traditional barrel twist you would be right but with the 1/3 there is a good chance that the spin will rip that jacket apart when it hits gel

[@DinoNucci]

RoaR

[@BuffRANGE]

Big fire breathing blue eyes white dragon!

[@trashedmechanic1987]

Might need a little more gas on those. Talking with a few people they are a little picky on gas

[@spraynpray]

What a waste of some beautiful, useful bullets. It's sad to know I could be using them to be basically unable to miss a 12" target within 1000 yards. Instead, most of them are going to be loaded in a cartridge used to miss a man sized target at 200 yards. 😢

[@BuffRANGE]

I know I'm sorry :) At least ELD-M bullets are plentiful, so it's not like 8.6 is stealing them all :D

[@spraynpray]

​@@BuffRANGEI'm just being a hater that's sad about component prices.

[@jaydenbrown2852]

THICCCC!

[@aHumanMaybe]

have you gotten a chance to test 8.6 against any armor yet?

[@BuffRANGE]

Yep. The solids will destroy soft. Hard not so much