8.6 mm Blackout Load Data

8.6mm Blackout (8.6×43 mm), sometimes referred to as 8.6 BLK, is a centerfire rifle cartridge developed by the firearms manufacturer Q, LLC.[6] It utilizes a shortened case from the 6.5mm Creedmoor necked up to an 8.6 mm caliber (8.585 mm or 0.338 in diameter) projectile. 8.6 Blackout is designed for use in bolt-action rifles or as a caliber conversion for AR-10 style rifles.

The only required modification to convert an existing .308 Winchester-chambered rifle to 8.6mm Blackout is the replacement of the barrel. The 8.6 Blackout shares the same case head and bolt diameter as its parent cartridge, 6.5mm Creedmoor. All other components of a standard AR-10 rifle are compatible. Modifications to the operating system such as the buffer, buffer spring and gas system may be made in order to optimize functionality of the firearm. 8.6 Blackout fits in standard, unmodified .308 Winchester or 6.5 Creedmoor magazines with no effect on capacity.

The 8.6 Blackout is designed for barrels using a 76 mm or 102 mm (1:3 in or 1:4 in) twist rate and bullet weights between 10.4–14.6 g (160–225 gr) for supersonic loads and 18.5–22.7 g (285–350 gr) for subsonic loads. The "fast" twist rate 8.6mm Blackout is designed for was intended to create better expansion and more terminal energy transferred to the target through the "blender effect" of a rapidly-spinning subsonic bullet.