The 6.5 PRC can remain supersonic out beyond 1,600 yards or so, but ammunition options are limited. But the truth is you dont need to suffer with bad .308 ammo. The fact is rifle shooters have never had it so good. The result of this work was a flat shooting and hard hitting sniper cartridge with 200 to 400 yards of extended reach compared to the 7.62mm M118. If I am just putting holes in paper at 1000+ I'd go 6mm Creed, 6mm Dasher, or 6x47 Lapua. Mag. Still, 2 inches high was all it needed. So make your pick wisely, and then get to shooting, because a cartridge can only be as accurate as the one firing it. Other cartridges have come along in recent times that are designed better than the .300 Win. The Navy switched to 190-grain Sierra Matchking HPBTs. With its rebated rim and 1/2-inch diameter at the base, it is essentially a longer version of the 6.5284 Norma; ballistically equivalent to the .264 Winchester Magnum. But putting the emotional draws to the cartridge aside, there are still plenty of pragmatic reasons for the choice. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. With the ability to handle more aerodynamic bullets than the .270 Winchester or the .270 WSM, the 6.8 Western and its 1-in-8 twist rate allows this cartridge to outperform both at distance. Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. rounds to their specs. At that range everything comes into play, Spin drift of the bullet, altitude, relative humidity, the 9-11 second flight time of the bullet, the Coriolis Effect ( spin of the earth ) etc. All you need is a magazine for the .224 round and the 6.8 SPC mags do a very good job. The third time proved to be the charm. This cartridge existed in a cloak of obscurity for a long time; only recently have hunters began to see the potential it offers. Is it under a spell? A 180 grain bullet traveling over 2300fps at 500 yards? While they are relatively close within 500 yards, at 1,000 yards, the .308 Winchester has 4 feet more drop when you compare a 6.5 CM 140-grain ELD vs. a .308 Win 168-grain ELD. Want to send it really far downrange? The quicker it gets to 200 yards the less time gravity has been working on it and the less it will drop. Why It Made the Cut: The .30 Stewart shot the smallest 5-shot group in history. So many variables and I think the age old "it depends". The 6.5 Creedmoor will remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards and is quickly becoming the most popular long-range, big-game cartridge in the world. While still a great long-range precision shooting cartridge, it is starting to lose ground to newer, softer shooting cartridges. One afternoon, after shooting a nice antelope at about 500 yards, I was walking back to the truck with the guide, and we were discussing quarter-bores, with the guide extolling his 25-06, the best of the lot. Oldmarine >>> GO I know you like your Bushnell scope but you should know that they make a lot of good scopes but the one that is favored by many Long Range shooters is the Elite Tactical XRS 4.5 . This is the darling diameter for American big-game hunters. Even at a 1000 yard drop, the cartridge range is around 210'', which makes the 26 Nosler perform quite capably at such a range . Been shooting this particular caliber since I bought my first legal rifle at the old age of 18 lol. (Yes, our govt. I've been toting a T3 Lite Stainless in .308 Winchester for many years. It was also a resounding success and has remained popular with hunters looking to stretch their effective range. But flat? Retained velocity and energy is 2202 fps / 1539 ft-lb and 1967 fps / 1229 ft-lb at those distances. In the open plains, 300 yards in 15 mph winds is the starting place. They usually start at around $300. When talking about long-range calibers and their best applications, the immediate question pops up: For what? One cartridge needs to be crowned the most accurate and it just happens to be one youve probably never heard of. (The main exception would be shooting canyon to canyon - you may not be able to get closer) I personally won't take shots that have a time of flight of about .5, .6 seconds so time of flight becomes an issue also. Model 70 with a 24" Medium wt. If that is 100 yards for him fine, it might 1200 yards for me given my skills , equipment, training, & practice.. There is no one-size-fits all answer when it comes to the best long-range calibers. Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. So, Winchester slightly modified the .270 WSM case so it was a bit shorter and then specified barrels with a faster twist. I don't care if you have a Win Mag or a Creedmoor and can hit steel from a mile away with it. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. I can not confirm this, but it seems completely legitimate. Bottom line, I agree its in our best interest and the animals' best interest to get as close as we can. When the .264 Winchester Magnum was introduced about 60 years ago, it became a sensation with shooters looking to extend their reach in the field. 260 Remington or 6.5 Creedmore. anything extra and your It is a screamer, and with increased velocity comes increased range. Right here: ".300 Winchester Magnum is a favorite of hunters around the world for big game at long range. There may be others like the 257 Wby. 53 in. but the whole free recoil thing and light grip will require some attention also. But the 7mm Remington Magnum will remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards or a bit more, making a good choice for cross-canyon hunting. The round, designated A191 (Mk 248 Mod 0), was deemed effective to 1,200 yards, though in reality it was capable well beyond that distance, as was demonstrated by Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle who used the round to kill an enemy combatant in Afghanistan at 1,600 yards. Shooters have no real idea how much drop a bullet has at long ranges like 1500 yards. If you like the idea of a six-five for going long, but hate the Creed and want something a bit different, the 6.5-284 Norma is the way to go. That includes the 6 Dasher, 6 GT, 6 BRA, and 6 BRX, along with the 6.5mm and 6mm Creedmoors. Anyway be safe shoot str8 and God bless. The non-bonded bullet should deliver good terminal performance up close and at distance. Adding this .30-caliber to the family was a no-brainer and, in fact, wildcatters had done so from nearly the moment the .338 Win. When you are really far away (let's say 800), it's almost always possible to close the distance without spooking the animal. More than enough to be lethal, and it's a speed that is greater than some 9mm handguns actually fire as muzzle velocity. It sure isn't my spectacular marksmanship. and 7mm RUM might come close with the right bullet. are shooting remarkably flat. At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Long Range Calibers in 2022 Best for Beginners: 5.56mm/.223 Remington Minimal Recoil: 224 Valkyrie Best for Long Range: 243 Winchester Best for Seasoned Shooters: 6mm Creedmoor Best Value: 6.5mm Grendel Unless the 300WM was down-loaded to unsafe levels, the 308 will never beat it. Just dont try to enumerate its downsides to anyone who knows anything, because there arent any that matter. With a growing choice of ammo from 90-130 grain projectiles and the benefit of a great ballistic coefficient with the 6.5mm bullet, 500+ yard shooting can be almost boring. Select what level shooter you are! This is mainly because the .308 Winchester is a heavier, slower bullet. Mag., while having to put up with significantly less recoil. Mag., and the story of its adoption and evolution in that role is what really lands it on the list of best long-range calibers. There's plenty of setups out there where 500 yd shots are simple things. Many of the contenders are based on the 6mm Benchrest cartridge. Another downside is that the 6mm Creedmoor does not buck the wind, It honestly feels like cheating when you are behind a quality 6.5 Creedmoor. It combined flat-shooting ballistics with hard-hitting bullets in a package with lighter recoil than the .300 Weatherby Magnum, which debuted in 1944. Yes, you can. | are tough to beat. You sure can. It is the responsibility of any hunter to put down game as quickly and humanely as possible with a single shot. Best 1,000-Yard Rifles For Under $1,000 Shooting Long Range 1. The .308 Win. I tried to pick out some popular ones on the market currently based on typical ranges most shooter's shoot out too. Covering all of them would practically be a novel, so I am going to stop short here. It drops almost 400 inches at 1000 yards and drifts 100 inches at the same with a 10 MPH full value wind. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. My first successful hunt with a rifle was an antelope (ie, very small kill zone compared to an elk) shot at 330 yards. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range with a 129-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet at 3,400 fps. It's basically 6.5cm on roides, yes. A few years back when I was planning a hunt for blacktails in Oregon I ran through a mental checklist of all the big-game cartridges I could choose from. Prior this Ive been an old school kinda guy, shooting offhand and making sure I can hit what I aim at out to 300 yards. The engineering of these cartridges, which gets into the minutia of rifle twist (faster), chamber dimensions (tighter), case taper (less), shoulder angle (steeper), throat lede angle (shallower), and other details, is why they are inherently more accurate, and better, than the cartridges of yore. The article is "7 Best Long-Range Cartridges: Hit Stuff Really Far Away". .300 Winchester Magnum is a favorite of hunters worldwide for big game at long range. The new bullet remained supersonic longer than the 190-grain Mod 0 load, and didnt give up much downrange performance to the .338, while generating less recoil and being much more cost effective for the military to adopt, which it did in 2010. Pure drop from the get-go. While the retained velocity and energy is 1937 fps / 1500 ft-lb and 1656 fps / 1096 ft-lb at 600 and 800 yards. Im drawn to this new interest in long range. This upstart has been on a tear since its introduction in 2007 and evokes passionate responsesboth pro and conlike no other cartridge in recent memory. The most accurate long-range caliber cant be reduced to a single answer. The 223 WSSM might even beat the Swift, although its nearly obsolete already. It's new, very little data out about it. Generally, traditional Weatherby Magnum cartridges perform slightly better than their Winchester or Remington magnum counterparts. So it just depends , but I wouldn't lump 556, 224, etc into this category. Get proficient on YOUR time. Mag. But where in the article does he even mention big game hunting. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. (This is essentially what Hornady did to the .260 Remington to make the 6.5 Creedmoor.) But the 220 Swift is not a legal big game cartridge in many states and the 40-grain bullet is a poor choice for big game where the Swift is legal. If a shooter is looking for nothing better than deer-killing accuracy at 200 yards, then there are plenty of cartridges that fit the bill, and there isnt anything to argue about. inherent in 6.5mm (.264) caliber bullets. If you choose to shoot long-range with a .223 Remington, I highly suggest shooting longer, heavier bullets with a 1:7 rifle twist. From 600 to 1000 yards they use a 300 Winchester. I mention 600 fairly arbitrarily because we owe it to the animal to try to get as close as we can. That family includes the 6mm BRA, 6mm BRX and 6mm Dasher. Noslers first proprietary cartridge is basically a steroid-monster 6.5 Creedmoor. Nathan, I got to say I really appreciate that defense. The password should contain at least 8 characters with at least one number or special character. It comes in some factory rifles, like the F-class Savage rifles, built from the factory for 1000 yard competition. The .300 Win. Its the little 220 Swift (center) pushing a 40-grain bullet! Turns out my confidence in the round was not misplaced. He lives in Western Pennsylvania where he has enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, and shooting for the past 20 years. The haters claim it is over-hyped by the outdoor media (certainly true), that it is inadequate for game larger than deer (false), and that its no better than older classic cartridges (also not the case). Mag. Mag. The 6.5 CM is, While there isnt much of a cheap alternative for 6.5 CM ammunition, Lucky Gunner lists, Like Alice in Wonderland, you can go down a. Click below for a FREE LESSON! This is mainly because the .308 Winchester is a heavier, slower bullet. This "best" list is a list of "best" for the author, others mileage may vary. Newer cartridges do offer better ballistics, but at the expense of more recoil, shooter barrel life and less off-the-shelf cartridge selection. However, none of these choices are necessarily easy on the pocketbook, with most loads over $1/round. Those high ballistic coefficients also help the 6.5 PRC buck the wind. purchase helps support my work in bringing you more awesome gun and gear articles. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. Unlike most rifle cartridges, the trajectory stays level out to about 300 yards. You are not wrong in your thoughts. in earnest, awarding a contract to Federal Cartridge Co., in 1987 to produce .300 Win. For example, my Allterra Arms 6.5 PRC shoots Hornady 143-grain ELD-X bullets at 2950 fps. Beyond 600 or 800 yards, however, the efficiency of the high B.C. How do we know all five shots went in that hole? No, its not a 6.5 Creedmoor, but few things are. I'd be looking for something cheap and flat. Kelly, I did not take the time to research and compare every cartridge in the world that I thought might win this flat trajectory contest, so you might find another. rating) driven more slowly. Of these the 6mm Dasher is the current champ, in terms of popularity and winning. I had my own doubts because I am a bit of a cynic. It's muzzle velocity is a blistering 4145 fps. The jack-of-all-trades long-range caliber. Mag. It is a .284 Wichester necked down to 6.5mm, or .260 caliber. Well, theres really only one option in .22-caliber and thats the .224 Valkyrie. We haven't gotten any trigger time with it yet, but I'm hoping to do some testing soon. It happened to shoot the Federal Premium 90-grain Sierra Match Kings very well and hitting a steel torso was fairly regular between myself and my shooting buddy, Kat Ainsworth. Many western hunters still swear by the 220 Swift as a pronghorn and mule deer round. Definitely agree with that statement. Thats what makes a long-range hunters heart go pitter patter, and its what has kept Weatherby in business since 1945. Theres plenty of factory stuff that shoots lights out. Yeah, 6.5s are all the rage, and their blinding popularity has taken some shine off the old .270, but the latter is still one of the very best long-range hunting cartridges. Weve never had it so good when it comes to picking among the best long-range calibers to shoot. Speak for yourself only. RELATED: How the Brand-New 27 Nosler Revives the .277. When coupled with bullets that have a high ballistic coefficient, the, It also has less wind drift and less bullet drop than the .223 Remington or the 6.5 Grendel. For off-the-shelf accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor is tough to top, no matter how much the Creeds detractors might howl. Based on the now almost-forgotten .284 Winchester, the 6.5-284 Norma was originally a wildcat cartridge and a very popular one, especially in bench-rest competitions. Shoots flatter than a 243- wheich already kicks a 6.5 cm was. was once sensible enough to try eliminating invasive species from public lands instead of spending millions to protect and increase them.) But the military also discovered the benefits of the .300 Win. To explain the nuances of rifle twist rates, you can read my previous article about AR-15 Twist Rates! The cartridge Stinnett used is nearly as surprising as the group he shot. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. The other challenge with shooting the Dasher is that you have to handload. Whether you're shooting a break-action, pump-action, or semiautomatic, Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Underwood Ammos 110-grain Lehigh Controlled Chaos bullet at 2800 fps is another great option. His custom-made barrels had a 1:17 twist. I have shot my .338LM to 2616 yards at a match. These are all with commercial brass available, 300NM, 338NM, 338LM , 375CT , .408 CT and 416 B all shoot very good out to and passed 2000 yards. But you wouldnt want to hunt with it. But to choose the best long-range caliber for you, start with your own experience and interests. An added benefit with the .223 Remington is cheap, readily available ammo. With a flatter trajectory and less wind drift the .300 Win Mag offers a useful step up in performance in a similar size rifle. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. Since this article originally went live, several excellent long-range big-game cartridges have it the market. Barnes and Remington also have loads for hunting and long-range precision shooting. A great flat shooter. After Weatherbys 6.5-300 Magnum did not win as many hearts and minds as theyd hoped, Weatherby rethought the 6.5mm cartridge and developed the 6.5 RPM (Rebated Precision Magnum). The correct response is, for what? Ive also used it in Africa on large and small game, including on Giant Eland, the worlds largest antelope that tips the scales at 2,000 pounds. I can only second what Rick says about the .257 Weatherby magnum. While there isnt much of a cheap alternative for 6.5 CM ammunition, Lucky Gunner lists S&B 140-grain FMJs for $0.78/round. Availability is not the best either, so online buying or reloading may be the best option for this cartridge. The intended use and shooters budget play a major role in determining which is best. Mag., and .300 Rem. The fact that if the .308 was good enough for our boys in Viet Nam, then it sure as hell is good enough for me. It can make long cross-canyon shots when needed, yet you can bring it to action in a flash should a buck materialize in front of you in the dense timber. .416 Barrett, while a very new cartridge compared to most, is currently the ultimate boss king of extreme long-range shooting. When I first got my Weatherby, I went to zero my scope. Posted January 26, 2017. I grew up in Montana,hunting both in the mountains in the West and in high school out in the flats in the East part of the state. Feb 17, 2008. 36 in. Maybe 250 if the stars align. All kidding aside, the 6.5 Grendel is an amazing cartridge. Match those and regardless of caliber, drops will be identical. Stinnett said he would take the 6.5 Grendel brass made by Lapua and run it through a sizing die until the shoulder is pushed back far enough to chamber. Those projectiles shed their speed slowly, so the 6.5 PRC can catch up with much larger and harder-recoiling cartridges at 600 yards and beyond. Need to drop an Elk at 500 yards? Compare that with a .300 Win. ), neither of which is conducive to good accuracy. .260 Rem., .243, 6.5 x something, etc. I guess because it was my dad's and the first long distance rifle I was taught with. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. I wish there was more talk around 308 since you've established it as the baseline by which all long range cartridges are judged. . is the proverbial cat with nine lives in the long-range cartridge market. For me a guy who likes hitting steel at long range this article was extremely helpful. The 6.5C shoots bullets that are more aerodynamic (higher BC) and at faster speeds.. In fact, loaded correctly it will leave quite a mark well past 2000 yds. Why It Made the Cut: The 6mm Dasher consistently wins in competition. For hunting at extended ranges, the 6.5 PRC and .300 Win. If there was ever a cult cartridge, the .280 Ackley Improved is it. We really neednt measure individual cartridges/bullets because just two things determine drop: muzzle velocity and bullet B.C. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. Big, heavy rifles, lots of recoil. Mag. Hornady Precision Hunter 212-grain ELD-X at 2,860 fps. .300 Win Mag is your ticket. If you have a laser range finder and know the exact distance, its not. ( The Weatherby 257 is also greatly favored by Western hunters)." I have a 2506 killed a deer at 840 yards one shot !! During benchrest competition the targets have a paper backer that is moving placed behind them. Some shooters have an intense disdain for newer cartridges. Why It Made the Cut: The 6.5 Creedmoor brought affordable long-range performance to the masses. Shot from SAAMI-mandated 1-8 twist barrels, the 6.5s long, slender bullets seem to almost defy wind and gravity and allow this cartridge to deliver clean kills at distance. I was an early adopter of this round because it seemed to hit a sweet spot for the kind of hunting I like bestthe open country of the West, where long shots in windy conditions on mule deer, elk, and other game are the norm. If it makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor, go ahead. It seems a bit odd to consider a .22-caliber cartridge of any design suitable for long-range hunting of even smallish big game. Still, if youre goal is to push heavy projectiles to the outer reaches, Noslers 28 may be the best 7mm option out there. Which as a cartridge is all good for hunting farm deer or friendly competition matches.
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