None of my 6.8 SPC’s have been “clones,” but I have built dozens of them since its commercial introduction almost 20yrs ago - even as far back as the original “SPC I” days. I remain to have 2x 6.8 SPC’s in my own safes, my go-to deer and hog rifles - one 18” and the other a 10.5” SBR-15.
Anyone panicked right now about availability of 6.8 SPC, or lack thereof, hasn’t been paying attention, and isn’t much of a shooter, so I wouldn’t worry terribly over their concerns. The top mainstream cartridges have begun appearing on shelves again, but the second and third tiers of progressively less prevalent cartridges have not yet garnered their production campaigns to resupply shelves. Not a big deal, they’re back coming soon.
However, I personally advise against getting into a 6.8 SPC in 2022 or beyond, simply because better, more prevalent options have superseded the 6.8 for all purposes for which it can be deployed. The SPC had a strong headstart for most of its life ahead of the 6.5 Grendel, as Wild Bill chose to play name games and screw those of us beholden to his solitary supply chain out with cancelled orders and failed deliveries… but once he abandoned his trademark and the Grendel became SAAMI standardized, aligned with the drop of the 6.5 Creedmoor, the Grendel case was invigorated in market, and now we have the Grendel and it’s progeny, the 6 ARC standing tall in the market, while the 6.8 SPC has waned, and its progeny, the 22 Nosler and 224 Valkyrie have largely floundered. For short range work, there’s no appreciable difference between the SPC and Grendel in the field, except greater availability for Grendel, then for longer range shooting, the Grendel has a decisive advantage in higher BC bullets available. At some point, I’ll rebarrel both of my 6.8 SPC’s either to Grendel or 6 ARC (likely Grendel in the 10.5 and 6 ARC in my longer carbine).
Benchmark is a great powder for 6.8 SPC. The 110 V-max is a better game bullet than the 120 SST.
One of my 6.8’s, at the time topped with a Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50mm and muffled with a SilencerCo Omega on a 10.5” barrel:
