I am looking at getting a M6A2 and I am not sure if I should go with the 556 or the 6.8

I really like the stopping power of the 6.8 but it doesnt seem like the ammo is easy to find...
I will be using the gun for targets but also deer hunting. I am not sure if the 556 would be a great idea for taking out a 200lbs deer.
Just looking for a little feed back

Thanks Darin

Do you reload?

I have a buddy who just picked up a 6.8 M6A3 - great gun. He can't really afford to shoot it. The simple fact is that the 6.8 is a great round, but has yet to pick up military use, thus no mass production, and no military surplus. Even reloading you'll be looking at more, possibly double the cost of 5.56. If you have the funds to shoot 6.8 - go for it.

A properly spec'ed 5.56 can be used for hunting - but you'd have to ask the bullet gurus the best stuff to use. Just buy whichever one you want, and whichever one you can really afford to shoot. Plenty of people I know can barely afford to shoot 5.56 as it is now. 5.56 will likely drop a bit if the market stabilizes - 6.8 may not, as its still a boutique round.

You can always pick up two uppers, and run the same lower receiver - or, as my buddy does, run a .22LR upper when he can't muster enough dough for the 6.8 stuff.

For reloaders, the price of 6.8 really depends on the brass. Out of SSA brass, I can get about 10 reloads (haven't gotten that far yet though) and people have gone even farther than that so it can be really cheap to shoot.

My buddy is predicting that reloading might get him to the $0.45-0.55 - sound about right, or do you think its cheaper?

For one reload, yup. But don't forget that he can use the same piece of brass again and again, about ~10x. (SSA brass)

So the brass costs less and less and less each time he reloads them and he's essentially only paying for the powder, primer, and bullet.

I dont reload. I am not sure if buying a 6.8 upper is worth it for me just because I dont shoot that much so it might be better to spend that money that would be on the second upper on ammo. Have you guys hear anything about the military picking up the 6.8 round? They would have to get nato to pick it up also wouldnt they? I dont know if I see that anytime soon

Get the 5.56, I have an M6A2 in 6.8 and I love it, but it is expensive. That's why I bought an MSAR 556 and now I shoot the heck out of that rifle. 1000 rounds of 5.56 can be had for $339 vs $800. You can shoot the 75g for the deer but you need good shot placement. Get a 5.56 and a savage bolt action 308 for the deer.

Go 5.56. Make sure you shoot a GOOD round when you take down deer. Something like 75gr Barnes TSX.

A 5.56 PSD upper is still on my list of things to buy, man those are sweet looking little guns. Obviously, a setup like this is specific only to CQB work, but they are also nice and easy to pull out from a cruiser.

Be sure you can hunt deer with 5.56/.223 in your state as well. Some require .243+.

6.8 is obviously the better round, but unless your pockets are lined with gold the ammo cost is prohibitive. I put 200 rds thru 2 of my 6.8s the other day, and I felt guilty, like I had raided my kid's college fund. I usually practice with my 5.56 at less than 1/4 the cost of shooting 6.8, and save the 6.8s for hunting.

If you plan on hunting deer with a 5.56 use the Barnes 70 grain TSX loaded by SSA. The Federal Tactical 62 grain bonded soft point would also work on deer.

I would not say 6.8 is a better rd. Thats like saying a .243 is better then a .22 different tool for a different job. I could say the 6.5 is a better depending on the use. Every rd was at some point made to do something. Are we going to say that the .338 is better then a .308??

Good point, but if the use is killing shite than it is better than 5.56. My little PSD with an 8.5" inch barrel has more energy than a 5.56 M855 fired from a 20" 5.56 and uses bullets that expand or fragment under 1900 fps. Bigger bullet, more energy. I've been shooting 6.8 for four years and the 5.56 since 1987 and, if given a choice, will take 6.8 any day over 5.56 for serious work. In fact, I do at my own cost when I could be using free department 5.56.