8.6 Blackout vs. 375 Raptor
I know that 8.6 Blackout is all the rage right now in certain circles, and I jumped on the 8.6 bandwagon for a brief period. I loved the concept of a subsonic round that was able to deliver such reportedly devastating terminal ballistics with the super fast 1:1 or 1:3 twist rate delivering 259,000 revolutions per minute of rotational energy. I could only imagine the effects of a solid copper expanding bullet rotating at 259K RPM as it smacked an animal and imparted that rotational energy on it. When you combine that with a 300-grain slug, it sounded too good to be true. In my opinion, it was as I was unhappy with the accuracy of the round. Forming the brass correctly caused me more than a few headaches along the way as well. On top of that, I did not like the fact that I was bound to solid copper bullets for supersonic loads since with the super fast twist rate, traditional lead core and copper jacketed bullets would become grenades in the air, with the real possibility of wiping out suppressor baffles as they exited the barrel. I think the 8.6 Blackout is like the concept of adopting the widespread use of EVs. It's a great concept, but the technology is not quite ready.
I stumbled onto the 375 Raptor when talking to one of my gunsmiths. I was initially hesitant after being burned by the 8.6 craze. I spent more time reading up on the cartridge and started to appreciate some of the differences that the 375 Raptor offered over the 8.6. I had an SBR Remington 700 sitting in my safe chambered in 8.6 that was collecting dust, so I once more grabbed my credit card and mentally said to myself, "My wife won't notice me buying another barrel." I am glad I did. In my opinion, it is one of my top 3 truck guns I own today. I compiled a comparison of 8.6 Blackout vs. 375 Raptor. I tried to limit my opinion to the bottom section, but obviously, I am biased.
Similarities
Purpose: Both cartridges were designed to fill a specific niche in the shooting world, primarily for hunting and short-to-medium range applications. They both are optimized for short-barreled rifles (SBR).
Heavy Projectiles: Both cartridges are capable of firing heavy-for-caliber bullets, providing excellent penetration and terminal ballistics.
Subsonic Capability: Both cartridges can be loaded with heavy for caliber subsonic projectiles for suppressed shooting. Which offers a significant reduction in noise while still providing impressive short-range terminal ballistics.
Differences
Parent Case: 8.6 Blackout is based on the .6.5 Creedmoor case, while 375 Raptor uses the .308 Winchester case.
Bullet Diameter: 8.6 Blackout fires .338 caliber bullets, whereas 375 Raptor fires .375 caliber bullets. This translates to the 375 Raptor having a larger frontal area and potentially greater energy transfer.
Twist Rate: 8.6 Blackout typically uses a very fast 1:1 to 1:3 twist rate, while 375 Raptor uses a traditional 1:8 twist rate. The faster twist rate of the 8.6 Blackout is designed to stabilize very long and heavy bullets quickly in shorter barrels. The fast twist rate also delivering impressive rotational energy on target, which could potentially enhance terminal performance.
Recoil: Due to its heavier bullets, 375 Raptor generally has slightly more recoil than 8.6 Blackout.
My impressions
308 cases are more plentiful and cheaper than 6.5 Creedmoor.
The bullet selections for both rifles are similar.
The .375 bullets tend to be less aerodynamic than the .338 projectiles but easier to load in the shortened case length while still allowing the utilization of a standard length action.
The twist rate on the 8.6 Blackout is intriguing but also has its limitations.
The super fast twist rate on the 8.6 precludes the use of conventional jacketed bullets at supersonic speeds. The bullet jackets will rip away from the lead core at faster speeds.
I speculate that the twist rate also affects the accuracy of the projectile.
The Twist rate of the 375 Raptor is a conventional 1:8, which allows the use of all types of projectiles.
The recoil between the two rifles are negligible in my opinion
The 375 Raptor is inherently a more accurate cartridge able to consistently produce sub moa groups with both subsonic and supersonic projectiles
The best groups I could obtain with the 8.6 Blackout were around 1.3 MOA
One industrial insider told me that Q considers 2 MOA to be acceptable accuracy for the 8.6 blackout.
Which one is better?
My opinion is that the 375 raptor is currently the superior option, based on the ease of forming the brass, accuracy and the ability to shoot all conventional projectiles. I am still waiting for Hornady to release their factory loaded 8.6 ammunition. Hornady is a modern day wizard in their ability to produce accurate cartridges. They might still change my mind.
Thanks,
Nick