What You Need to Know About Browning's 6.8 Western

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The spot looked perfect. A thin ridge that ran for several hundred before falling off into a trio of deep, dark canyons. That's when I saw the bait. It was ideally situated right on the point of the ridge. The sweet aroma of dog food, cake batter, and used restaurant oil could float on any breeze and waft into any of the three bottomless pits.I was a tad bummed, though. I'd been briefed on the bait site before leaving the lodge and told the shot would be close. They weren't lying. The pocket of towering pines I crawled back into was 23 yards from the bait. I have no problem being on the ground with bears. When bowhunting, the closer, the better. However, this was my first dance with the Browning’s new 6.8 Western, and I was looking forward to stretching it out alittle farther than 20 yards!

The Browning 6.8 Western

Launched at the world's largest shooting and outdoor show (Shot Show) in 2022, Browning's 6.8 Western is a short-action caliber designed to push heavier high-BC bullets at high speed to ensure flat shooting and maximum long-range accuracy. Winchester was heavily involved in the development of the 6.8 Western. According to Browning's Rafe Nielsen, having the DNA of the .270 and .270 WSM was critical.

Nielsen said. "The goal with the 6.8 Western was to take the specs of the .270 Winchester and .270 WSM and build something a little bigger, a touch faster, and one that could produce better long-range accuracy with a heavy-for-caliber bullet. We wanted something between the .270 WSM and .300 Win. Mag, a short-action, medium-caliber tack driver, was the next evolution in a short-action that could push a longer, heavier bullet with remarkable accuracy and hit with devastating power.

A .270 Winchester Short Magnum case shortened to fit standard short action rifles, with a 1:8 twist rate (most common) 6.8 Western proved legit. Early caliber testing showed muzzle velocities up to 2,835 fps from a standard 24-inch barrel. If zeroed at 100 yards, a drop of 12 inches at 300 yards with a 175-grain bullet was the norm. A long-range tack driver in a short-action package, the 6.8 Western ensured fast cycling, maximum downrange bullet stabilization, and reduced recoil. The faster rifling twist rate created bullet stabilization, and longer, sleeker bullets with grain weights between 160 and 175 resisted wind drift and hit with enough impact velocity to break down elk, moose, and every medium-sized animal you can imagine.

First Range Experience

After bore-sighting and zeroing my Browning X-Bolt Speed at 100 yards, I shot a sub-MOA five-shot group from 500 yards. I was in love. Not only was the 6.8 Western hyper-accurate, but it didn't abuse my shoulder. I could squeeze, stay in the scope, and immediately see the bullet's placement on target. My oldest daughter, Abbey, was 13 at the time. She was with me at the range that day and shot the X-Bolt Speed chambered in 6.8 Western ten times. She loved it. She kept telling me, "Dad, it doesn't kick like your big guns."

Naturally, I was ready to punch black hide at an extended range. However, I never look a gift horse in the mouth. I've sat on public land Idaho bear baits for days without seeing anything more than hungry squirrels and camp robbers. So, I was surprised when a nice-sized Idaho boar appeared on the bait less than a half-hour after I crawled under the pines. The ridge was so skinny, so necked down, that it took the bear 15 minutes before he crawled fully into the crib-style bait. From 23 yards, I sent a 175-grain Long Range Pro Hunter Sierra Tipped GameKing bullet through the boar's lungs. He went 12 yards before piling up.

A Medium-Sized Game Kingpin

Offering heavy for caliber .277 diameter bullets than had previously existed, the 6.8 Western still sizzles. Before a trip to the Dark Continent, I shot my 24-inch barrel X-Bolt 2 Speed with 175-grain Sierra GameKing bullets through my Caldwell chronograph. My eight-shot average was just under 2,900 fps. Upon our arrival at the lodge, I used the X-Bolt 2 Speed 6.8 Western to clang steel at 300 yards, cycle quickly, readjust on the bench, and tag an eight-inch steel plate at 682 yards. This caliber is fast and accurate, and I was thrilled to see how it would perform on medium-sized African plains game.

I don't know if I can classify gemsbok as medium-sized. Bulls can push the scale over 500 pounds; females are in the 400 range, bigger than mule deer but smaller than elk. Either way, the 370-yard gemsbok in vast open country with a 12-mile-per-hour, left-to-right breeze would be the test I'd been waiting for. I'm not a high shoulder shot placement guy. My hunting career started with a stick-and-string, and I learned to avoid the shoulder to punch lungs. When the DLX Trigger broke, the bull lunged forward, ran 20 yards, stopped, stumbled, and fell dead as a doornail.

Two days later, I watched my good friend and one of the best rifle shots I've ever seen, Shaundi Campbell, make a 463-yard shot on an Eastern Cape Kudu. The bull was a stud. Campbell had a narrow window to send her 175-grain bullet through. She was on sticks but was standing, and when the rifle boomed, the 652-pound (we weighed it at the lodge) bull hunched, kicked, and disappeared. We gave the bull some time, but it wasn't necessary. Campbell's bull went less than 30 yards. That's what happens when a heavy-for-caliber bullet vaporizes the bottom half of the heart. As good a shot as Campbell is, I was awe-struck at the bullet placement from a standing, semi-stable platform at that distance.

Southeastern Spanish Ibex

In late March, I visited Spain. The mission was to hunt Southeastern Spanish Ibex and Iberian Mouflon Sheep. My rifle was Browning's X-Bolt 2 Speed LR chambered in 6.8 Western. With two more inches on the barrel, my muzzle velocity increased in the 26-inch barrel from the 24-inch barrel I know so well. Using a bipod in a prone position, I clanged steel between 200 and 800 yards on the range. In addition to dotting steel with 175-grain Long Range Pro ammo, I shot a six-round sub-MOA 500-yard group.The cool thing was that I wasn't shocked. The 6.8 Western is one of my favorite short-action cartridges, and each year, it proves itself on the range and in the woods.

Upon arrival in Madrid, Browning's Rafe Nielsen and Leupold's Shawn Skipper and I drove 2 1/2 hours to Granada with our guide, Carlos. In Granada, we visited a local indoor shooting range to confirm zero. My first shot from 100 yards dotted the center bullseye. I sent two more rounds quickly behind the first. The second shot hit .4 inches left of the first, and the third widened the hole of the first shot. Fifteen minutes later, I sent a single round from 300 yards after dialing my ballistically customized CDS-SZL2 Elevation Dial. The shot was a one o'clock bullseye.

I have shot many confidence-building cartridges over the years, and the 6.8 Western is near the top of the list. It’s cold-bore accuracy is remarkable. Whether you're shooting competition or on a hunt, confidence in your rifle, caliber, and ammo is everything. Tawny creatures with long, sweeping horns, the Southeastern Spanish ibex is one of the smaller subspecies of ibex, making it a tricky target, especially when hunting these sure-footed mountain dwellers in the hellish country they call home.

I felt the pressure. The stalk was long—over a mile—and the descent into the canyon was steep and rugged. It happened fast. A single buck emerged from the canyon's bottom, working across the white, chalky dirt of the steep mountain slope. Quickly, I tossed my ALPS Hybrid X pack over a large boulder. I was half-standing/half-crouching. It was one of the most uncomfortable and awkward shooting positions I'd ever been in. Still, this was my moment. This is where all the range practice would pay off, or my one chance at dream ibex would pass me by.

Rafe was right behind me, giving me the range. Rafe is a remarkable man, but make no mistake, I felt the pressure to make the shot. We'd flown around the world, drove 9 hours between Madrid and our hunt location, slept three hours, and covered miles in unforgiving terrain. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect in clutch situations—ice cold. Still, I have zero trouble admitting that this was as nervous as I'd been in a long time. A lot was riding on the placement of this one bullet.

The buck stopped on a spine ridge. The range was just shy of 400 yards. I spun my turret and settled in. Adding some difficulty was the background. All I had was blue sky. I prefer to have a solid background when I shoot. That way, if I miss, a spotter can provide immediate feedback. The 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing flew true, lifting the under 110-pound buck off his feet. It was an amazing sight. I watched it all through the Professional-Grade Optical System of my Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2. It's important to note that because the 6.8 Western produces less recoil, shooters can stay in their optic. Seeing hits and misses is common, which, in the case of a miss, allows the shooter to remain on the target and send another round.

Four days later, my Spain dream became a reality. Once again, Rafe gave me the range; I set the dial to 250 yards and crushed a magnificent cross-canyon Iberian Mouflon Ram. The shot was perfect, shattering the back of the shoulder blade, instantly dropping the ram. Both species are small-bodied, under 120 pounds, meaning precision is paramount. From small to larger game, the 6.8 Western gets the job done and needs to eek toward the top of your must-have cartridge list.

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