Jim:
No, the .276 Pedersen, 280 Enfield, and .280 EM2 rounds were true 7mm, .284" bullets or maybe even a couple thou larger in the English designs.
That is a serious nit pick. 6.5 has long been a standard offering and there is about zip point diddly difference between that and 7mm. Its still the best compromise. 30-06 offered a ridiculous 2500 yard range only because of rifled machine gun use as area suppression. That went away with the mortar. Infantry still fired a 30 caliber round that could go 2500 yard when in fact with the sights they would be lucky to get 800 yards and only if it was an exceptional marksman (Sgt York anyone?) - so yes the 6.8 is in that general category. Ralityh is you have 25 caliber, 265 caliber, 30 caliber and 338 caliber , 40 caliber and 45 caliber (rifle, rifled machine guns). Yes the 8mm is in there but its not been repeated.
The bullet design is out there. The Army provided projectiles to be loaded by the three vendors in their own proprietary cartridges.
Really? And the BC is? Its all propriety (no issue with that but that goes the way of the dodo bird the first combat use). Wow, amazing something.
Well, the gun and ammo will do it, I don't know about the grunt behind the fancy gear. 1000 yards is not easy on a square range with the best of equipment, in the field under counterattack, I doubt that much individual effective range.
Anyone can shoot 600-800 yards with that setup. Marines quality on the M-16/M-4 (now M-27) at 600 yards (well beyond the effective range of the M-4)
And the other guys attacking? Again really? Its all about what range they started at. If its 1000 meters, then they are all dead by the time they get inside of 300 meters (assuming a Soviet or Chinese .24 caliber round of the 7.62 x 39)
Give me that M157 Acquisition Unit and the magnification (you did read about that did you not?) and I could hit a target at 1000 yards. And as law enforcement has found out, its all about aimed fire, not blasting off 15 rounds in the general direction.
How the M157 works out in QQB? Claim is better than a ACOG. Gun is not as handy. I do think there will be some adjustment and thinking there. Possibly offering a range of barrel length that units can go all short for in city, a mix for Afghanistan patrol where it was in village and out in the country and all long for say Easter Ukraine.
Jungle warfare mostly short with some DM.
I was along side a guy the other day shooting a 30-06 with a can. Amazing. Now you can communicate. Huge advantage.
I have not seen anything in mass media about reloading the hybrid.
I missed it, you can reload it. But the point is this is not a civilian round nor is there much reason it will ever be. Its not like a 6.5 Lapua, CM or Swedish does not do the job for us. I would not put a 6.8 barrel on a standard action, the lugs still have to take the pressure. But for the military there is an advantage.
But as noted in the article, working in 80k pressure is not a norm for most powders and of course, why would you want to or particularly care? The few people that go with a 6.8 will have some guidance when it gets that far.
Most of us will stay with existing.
I think a lot of that gadgetry will be left off by all but the DMR types.
Its not optional for the grunts, command may indeed decide on different doctrine as this is fielded. As I stated, it may not be needed for more than 25% (though that 25% would be incredibly effective). This is a system, from the gun to the optic to the can.
WWII had Tank Destroyers and they found a TD was used as a tank, ergo, TD Command is dumped and its all tanks. Live and learn though the TD branch did amazing work in WWII.
10. As noted by many Sand Box vets, they rarely use full auto, semi auto is the norm and the Sig has nigh marks there. Its more accurate and further out and we are no longer in the insane mad minute of Viet Nam. Yep, fire off all your ammo and get overrun, great move.
Note that the original project was for the MG, the rifle added on. Certainly a belt fed LMG/SAW is meant for full auto.
No it was not. They have been working on an NG rifle for a long time. Note the Marine move to the M-27.
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Of course you use a machine gun in full automatic (vast majority of the time). That is why you have it. The M250 is a hell of a lot lighter than the SAW, its a hell of a lot more accurate and better at suppression. You can hit targets at 1000 yards with that Fire Optic. In theory less ammo for better affect.
The Marines can easily put the M250 Optic on their M-27's. They are not setup for cans. It still does not give them range.
But its a good comparison and test and the Marines changing doctrine in the Pacific origination, maybe the M-27 suits them better.
Army is testing, Marines have been part of it, Special Forces are involved and there is a lot in motion that we have to see where it goes.
