Muzzle velocity
When the LWRC Six8 was being developed, Alliant Techsystems was contracted to develop a new 6.8×43 mm round for the weapon. Unlike smaller commercial firms, ATK is a large ammunition supplier that delivers products for the U.S. Army, so it has large resources and manufacturing capabilities at its disposal. Commercial cartridges varied in case capacity and thickness, but LWRC wanted a thick and durable case for military uses. A load was developed specifically for a high muzzle velocity and low felt recoil from the Six8's barrel. Effective range is over and the bullet still has enough energy to penetrate intermediate barriers. Three 90 gr loads were constructed for testing that included Gold Dot, Monolithic Hollow Point, and FMJ. The Gold Dot bullet was selected with a jacket and a bonded core. The propellant was designed for reduced muzzle flash stable performance at temperatures between -29.2 to 125.6 degrees F. Muzzle velocity averaged at a difference at the required temperature extremes from the 8.5 in barrel. From a barrel, the round produced a group of at .