The process of forming the brass is laborious. The '06 has been the big-game king forever. Loaded with a 130-grain bullet, it will carry more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy out past 600 yards. Wisconsin. Unless that backer has five distinct holes in itwhich Stinnetts didit doesnt count. To which I would answer neither the 300WM or the .338. More than enough to be lethal, and it's a speed that is greater than some 9mm handguns actually fire as muzzle velocity. bbl. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. But a reputation for burning out barrels ultimately doomed the cartridge. guns & It is a screamer, and with increased velocity comes increased range. (, We noticed that you have previously logged in with your, Check what do you get by creating an account, Bookmark and compare your favorite firearms, 7 Best Long-Range Cartridges: Hit Stuff Really Far Away, While this may not be the first cartridge that comes to mind for long-range shooting, with an appropriate bullet, the compact .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO is, If you choose to shoot long-range with a .223 Remington, I highly suggest shooting longer, heavier bullets with a 1:7 rifle twist. 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. This is mainly because the .308 Winchester is a heavier, slower bullet. Introduced by Remington in 1962 along with their Model 700 bolt-action rifle, Remingtons Seven-Mag was the beginning of the end of Winchesters .264. The .30-06 Cartridge Ballistics Barnes and Remington also have loads for hunting and long-range precision shooting. Q: Ron, I would love to see you do a video on the all-time flattest shooting rifle. Up until that time, there had only really been two .277-caliber hunting cartridgesthe .270 Winchester and the .270 Weatherbyso the .270 WSM was almost immediately popular. Mag., while having to put up with significantly less recoil. With a muzzle velocity faster than 3000 fps, it offers great external and terminal ballistics. It's new, very little data out about it. 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. 218 in. Mag Browning Eclipse using 208 Grain Hornady Match Bullets and am having a good time with my new DPMS with a Geissly Trigger and custom Muzzle brake with the barrel cryogenically treated hitting golf balls at 200 yards. A good example of a rifle that demonstrates the .308s long-range chops is this rifle I built with Shilen a few years back. For me a guy who likes hitting steel at long range this article was extremely helpful. At the end of WWII, when NATO was forming, the members wanted a flat shooting cartridge good out to seriously long-range, without the weight of a full-sized rifle round like the .30-06. These are the calibers that I have seen shot to 2000 yards or more that are very accurate. But truth be told, every Weatherby cartridge is a long-range cartridge. For long rang range hunting my list would go .257 Weatherby Magnum, the flattest shooting hunting cartridge period, Next the 6.5-.300 Weatherby Magnum, it outperforms any other 6.5 period, The .30-378 Weatherby holds 120 grains of water and outperforms any other .30 caliber cartridge and has the longest point blank range of any .30, including the Lazzeronis. To explain the nuances of rifle twist rates, you can read my previous article about, After reaching out to 1,250 yards on a trip to the amazing High Bar Homestead in Gillette, WY, I am now a firm believer in the .224 Valkyrie. The .270 Winchester stays supersonic out to 1,400 yards, which is more than what 99 percent of hunters will ever need. If you've only shot 150 yards in the woods, that shot may seem really tough. Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELDX at 2,960 fps. They considered the .338 Lapua as an option, but the .300 Win. Nonetheless, 7mm bullets can be extremely aerodynamic and, as legendary elephant hunter Karamojo Bell proved, effective on even the largest animals. We already have an account registered for email address Ditto for the .300 PRC, which fixes every shortcoming of the .300 Win Mag and as the name implies (PRC - "Precision Rifle Cartridge") was made for accuracy at extreme long distance. The 264 Win Mag. Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. Ill be honest; I may be a huge Grendel fanboy. Mag., and .300 Rem. Since this article originally went live, several excellent long-range big-game cartridges have it the market. I competed in many 1000 yard and 1500 meter competitions. A good hunting cartridge has to fit in a rifle thats comfortable to carry all day and wont kick you so hard that you cant shoot it well. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. I don't judge those who take longer shots, but encourage people to know their limits. In 2022, he was named as the brands Shooting Editor. That handy rifle is an excellent expression of the subtle nature of the .308. rating) driven more slowly. These numbers indicate that one of the flattest shooting commercial cartridge at sensible hunting ranges is the 220 Swift. How do we know all five shots went in that hole? In other words, can I just remove my .223 Wylde/5.56 NATO223 upper assy and install the PSA .224 Valkyrie upper? We really neednt measure individual cartridges/bullets because just two things determine drop: muzzle velocity and bullet B.C. A few years back I took a very nicely built AR-15 to Buck Doyles training facility where a group of us shot out to 1,100 yards on steel targets. When talking about long-range calibers and their best applications, the immediate question pops up: For what? 30 years later still shooting this caliber even though I do have the 6.5 CM too. keeps reinventing itself to remain relevant. The 300 PRC will cruise above the speed of sound out to 1,650 yards. 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. Nosler is loading the 27 with their famous AccuBond, which is one of the best big-game bullets ever crafted. anything extra and your Right here: ".300 Winchester Magnum is a favorite of hunters around the world for big game at long range. Twenty years ago, Winchester introduced the .270 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum). Its built along the principles of modern cartridge design. A personal favorite of mine is the Federal Premium 130-grain Bergers, which at the time of this writing costs $1.50/round. Based on the antique .404 Jeffery cartridge case, the 27 Nosler is the first new .277-caliber rifle cartridge since the .270 Winchester Short Magnum, which was introduced almost 20 years ago. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. This newer Weatherby 6.5 combines plenty of gas with manageable recoil. Mag. .308 Winchester has been around for almost 70 years and has served militaries and police forces around the world as faithfully as it has served competition shooters. Out here on Guam, I use a Browning BAR 7mm Magnum and has NEVER let me down 25-06nobody ever talks about it. Federal was tapped to produce the ammo in 1992, and so the military had a sniper round that slotted between the .308 Win. First deer rifle ever since I was 13 and I keep going back to it (37 now). caliber cartridges in 2018 when Hornady introduced it after working with George Gardner of GA Precision on the concept. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. There are not many places you can shoot 500 yards. It is also a winner as a competition round, especially as a lighter ELR (extreme long range) round on targets out to 2,100 yards. There is no shortage of amazing cartridges that offer dazzling performance at extended ranges. Mag. . I envisioned it as an advanced round for target shooting at 1,000 yards and a capable cartridge for predators and small- to medium-sized game like deer . I sincerely am ready to listen to reason: Why is the .257 Weatherby ignored in these discussions? Like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the .280 Ackley Improved can remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards. All kidding aside, the 6.5 Grendel is an amazing cartridge. purchase helps support my work in bringing you more awesome gun and gear articles. So true. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? Here are some examples shot dead flat, meaning the bullet departs the muzzle perfectly horizontally with no sight angle above the bore. Thanks! If you have a laser range finder and know the exact distance, its not. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. It drops almost 400 inches at 1000 yards and drifts 100 inches at the same with a 10 MPH full value wind. The military started taking notice of the .300 Win. At the end of the day, your skill and time on a rifle is a much larger factor on how ethical a shot is. but the whole free recoil thing and light grip will require some attention also. we started testing in VIET-NAM, they were great, even at LONG range. 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. Serious long-range shooters shouldn't make compromises; 6 mm ARC bullets will reach 1,000 yards before any of the others and they will also remain supersonic longer, too. It's muzzle velocity is a blistering 4145 fps. Nathan, I got to say I really appreciate that defense. I have news for you, it's not ok! Those high ballistic coefficients also help the 6.5 PRC buck the wind. 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. That includes numerous elk, and more deer than I can remember. I was going to ask about the 7mms as well. He didn't say Elk or Deer or Hogs or Trolls. You'll now receive newsletters of our best articles on techniques, .260 Rem., .243, 6.5 x something, etc. Hathcock, of course, went on to become the most storied Marine sniper in history in Viet Nam in the following years, though he didnt do it with a .300 Win. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. And that factor alone will make a person a more competent field marksman and a better, more ethical hunter. Federal 140-grain Sierra Matchking 6.5 Creedmoor, Engineered for high-volume shooting in 1,000-yard competitions. Both are far more exceptional than the 5 you chose. Need to drop an Elk at 500 yards? . 103 in. Umm.. the .300 mag is far superior to the 308. It happened to shoot the, ammo, but Wolf offers extremely affordable plinking ammo with their, Once dialed in, I was able to put rounds on a steel silhouette, Ammunition choices have increased lately, and Hornady has ammunition with the, none of these choices are necessarily easy on the pocketbook, with most loads over $1/round. And stay in touch with newsletters of our best articles on techniques, guns, & gear. Ive not done the King of 2 mile thing but if I were younger it would have appealed to me. Mag. We'll only use the information provided according to our privacy policy. The cartridge Stinnett used is nearly as surprising as the group he shot. towards your level. and .458 Win. 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. (Yes, our govt. 2) even if that were true .308 and 300 win mag use the same bulletsso 300 win mag would see the same increases and would stay just as far ahead. The .224 Valkyrie is the flattest shooting 0.224 caliber cartridge you can put in an AR-15. It is the responsibility of any hunter to put down game as quickly and humanely as possible with a single shot. I would love if you had any info on a ar-10 or 15 barrel in bolt replacement that would fit in my palmetto guns for the 6.5 prc ???? Not only are new loads being offered, new ARs and even bolt action rifles for the Grendel are being introduced. They usually start at around $300. 26 Nosler is considered by many to be the best cartridge for long-range hunting. Esoteric hardly touches on Stinnetts gear and is part of the reason his record might stand for decades before anyone bests it. That includes the 6 Dasher, 6 GT, 6 BRA, and 6 BRX, along with the 6.5mm and 6mm Creedmoors. Then the 400 yard. But putting the emotional draws to the cartridge aside, there are still plenty of pragmatic reasons for the choice. 6mm vs. 6.5mm vs. Big 30s In 100/200 yard Benchrest shooting, the 6PPC is pretty much king of the hill. In the East it is rather limited. Posted January 26, 2017. Ballistically, the cartridge is very similar to the 6.5 PRC, but unlike the PRC it uses a standard 0.473 rim diameter like the .308 Winchester. The retained velocity at 400 yards is 2,261 fps, providing plenty of punch for hunters who like to shoot with a point-blank zero. For hunting it makes more sense to run with something a bit stouter. 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). That is just my opinion. Still, 2 inches high was all it needed. It wasnt until the late 1980s that the Navy started looking at the .300 Win. | Nostalgia for my earliest days in deer camp. The 204 Ruger can come close. Accuracy matters. Nosler Trophy Grade Accubond 165-grain .308 Win. Just $1 per month , Depending on the task at hand, the best long-range cartridge might be a big boomer or a soft-shooting pussycat. Barrel life is longer, packs more energy at all distances too!!! Feb 17, 2008. rem. hit its first major stumble. 36 in. If you think thats the product of the latest technology, know that Winchester introduced this cartridge in 1935! Look at what the best are shooting in PRS, pretty much 6mm and variants. Not to mention lugging all the equipment and having spotters. Hornadys Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. Even though I love my Creedmoors, my 7mm Rem. are shooting remarkably flat. RELATED: The 10 Best Rifle Bullets for Long-Range Shooting. If youre after deeper penetration, look at the 139-grain Barnes VOR-TX Long Range load. Ammo prices are a bit steeper than the previously mentioned cartridges, but the American Eagle 75-grain TMJs are relatively easy on the wallet. Weve got a dedicated section for the AR-15 here. Although it isnt the flattest shooting round, that trait is, ironically, overrated in a long-range round. The fact is rifle shooters have never had it so good. Get Our Top Shooting Drills and Zeroing Targets ($47 value - but FREE for a limited time). It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. Learn all the important stuff about handgunswith none of the attitude. gear. If im trying to hunt, 300 Win Mag, 338 maybe a 7mm. I don't hate the 308 at all, but it's been surpassed. I recommend a longer 20-inch barrel to gain as much velocity as possible for extended range. Write your own article. But don't let that stop you and keep us informed of your progress. Surprising how many people seem to have forgotten the .264 W mag. The adjustment to supported shooting wont be so involved, but the light triggers may ironically take some work. But you wouldnt want to hunt with it. Why It Made the Cut: The 6mm Dasher consistently wins in competition. Match those and regardless of caliber, drops will be identical. Throw in the extra expense of spotting scopes, expensive scopes and precision rifle builds, time for reloading sub MOA cartridges, etc., and one can see a lot of time, money and devotion are required. For good reason. It is the Madonna of long-range rounds. Soft shooting 6mms give the most bang for the buck when comparing their long-range capabilities with how (relatively) affordable they are to reload. While still a great long-range precision shooting cartridge, it is starting to lose ground to newer and softer shooting cartridges.". I always favored the .264 Win Mag. My favorite for many years is the 7mmX300 Weatherby on a Ruger No.1 with a Schillen @ 24'' a long with the 264 Win. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. Normas 180-grain BondStrike Extreme at 3,084 fps is new and very flat-shooting. The 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem. The one up top is tipped with an 80-grain Barnes TTSX, while the other has a 110-grain Nosler AccuBond. ( The Weatherby 257 is also greatly favored by Western hunters)." A rifle is suitable for flat shooting as long as the 500-yard impact range of the rifle falls below the 40''. With the 6.5 PRC, Hornady has created a better version of the old barrel-burner. If it makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor, go ahead. in the 1960s when Marine Lance Corporal Carlos Hathcock used the round to win the Wimbledon Cup, a 1,000-yard rifle competition in 1965. To me, those are akin to lobbing footballs at something. There are far too many cartridges out there to narrow down, let alone the shooter's need factored in. Needless to say youre not going to find one of these rifles, or the ammo, on your gun store shelf anytime soon. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time drop in feet Shooting at 700 (In Theory) With a flatter trajectory and less wind drift the .300 Win Mag offers a useful step up in performance in a similar size rifle. I understand why some hate the round, and its largely the .308 Winchester fanboys. It will push a 90-grain Fusion bullet to 500 yardswhich is probably the limit for big game with this cartridgewhile still retaining enough velocity to initiate expansion. are all capable of fine accuracy and game-killing power at these distances. I also encourage others to understand that their limits legitimately aren't limits for other people sometimes. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. (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. Its also based on the 220 Russian/7.62x39mm Russian cartridge, but unlike the Valkyriewhich uses a 0.223-caliber bulletthe Grendel is yet another 6.5. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range, 175-grain AccuBond Long Range at 3,125 fps. Both are great game droppers. Why It Made the Cut: The .30 Stewart shot the smallest 5-shot group in history. Let us know in the comments below! Whats your take on the 6.5 Creedmoor? Stinnett stacked those bullets so perfectly that the shot-to-shot variance was only detectable by precision calipers. You do not pay Why It Made the Cut: The .308 Winchester is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades long-range caliber. Mag. tried in NAM late in the conflict, but great results. So, you get much better performance from the 6.5 PRC versus the .300 Win. Not much else to say, sorry. Learn the 3 most popular shooting stances & more. Just $1 per month , These rounds have the reach and the power to put down big-game animals way out there, By Everything on this list at the face value of the descriptor "long range" can be beaten out by better rounds, all of them. That's fast. Definitely agree with that statement. Published Apr 14, 2022 12:07 PM EDT. He sighted in his rifle and we immediately dialed to 400 yards. Why? It also induced instability that rendered the round unstable and inaccurate at 800 yards and beyond. Ammo prices are a bit steeper than the previously mentioned cartridges, but the, While I was in Wyoming, I was able to test and evaluate the .224 Valkyrie with a rifle from Palmetto State Armory. Happy Hunting! Check out more F&S long-range shooting coverage, including advice for getting started in long-range shooting competitions, the reason why rifle groups keep shrinking, how Heavey did at Gunsite Academy, and what makes long-distance shooting so difficult. The 27 Nosler bests the .270 Winchester by about 400 fps with 150-grain bullets. 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. It is a screamer, and with increased velocity comes increased range. That is also something to take account of with regards to a hunting bullet. Surprisingly, even with all the extra recoil and muzzle blast, this cartridge will not shoot any flatter than most 6.5s. The other challenge with shooting the Dasher is that you have to handload. Heres your winner. If you want to shoot flat and hit hard, this is the cartridge; at 1,000 yards it hits with more than 1,500 foot-pounds of energy. Is it the 6.5 CM on steriodes but with out the kick of the 300 win mag? .300 Win Mag is your ticket. It is hard to believe that a .224-inch caliber bullet with a C.O.A.L. And that light recoil not only makes you a better shot in the field; it also makes practicing more fun and productive. ), neither of which is conducive to good accuracy. more do I really need more ??? Just my 2 cents plus change. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Factory rifles and ammunition options are limited here, too, but based on the ballistic abilities of this cartridge, thats likely to change sooner rather than later. Other cartridges have come along in recent times that are designed better than the .300 Win. Therefore the .17 Remington is the round for you. As originally designed in 1963, the .300 Win. Change your name to Karen. Mag, which were rolled out in 1958. But as with the 6.5 PRC, there are not a lot of factory-ammo options to choose from. The technique of holding the butt rather than the fore end - not too difficult, His custom-made barrels had a 1:17 twist. ), Hornadys Precision Hunter 178-grain ELD-X at 2,600 fps is probably the best long-range option, but look also at the new 168-grain Berger Hybrid Hunter load from Federal, RELATED: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. .308 Winchester. 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. Reloaders take notice don't give up on the .308 yet good things to come. Oh, I also on a 300 Win Mag too, just in case I get lucky enough to go elk hunting. Need to drop an Elk at 500 yards? None of them will turn you into a trained sniper, but if youve put in the range time and have the skills to stretch it out, these 10 cartridges have the reach and the thump to put game on the ground from the next canyon over. It generates about 200 fps more than the 6.5 Creedmoor, providing a bit more oomph for hunters and target shooters who need to go long. At 1000 yards, probably a greater distance than can be effectively aimed, a round is traveling at 1200 fps. I am no expert, but scholars believe that the 6.5 Grendel was ordained during an ancient ritual in Bill Alexanders secret Temple of Ballistics. In the world of practical precision rifle competition, exemplified by the NRL, PRS, RTC and other series, there is an arms race among light-recoiling 6mm cartridges. If I am just putting holes in paper at 1000+ I'd go 6mm Creed, 6mm Dasher, or 6x47 Lapua. 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 . not a fave I take it, Curious what your thoughts are about the Win 300 WSM. You can even pick it up at your local neighborhood Wal-Mart. Is it a 7mm rem mag, a 270, a 300 win mag, a 30-06? Mag. Wind drift @10mph. The .30 Stewart, however, is based on the 6.5 Grendel necked up to .30 caliber. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. If there was ever a cult cartridge, the .280 Ackley Improved is it. 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. Back in 2013, Mike Stinnett bested a benchrest record that stood for nearly 40 years when he shot a 5-shot group in competition at 100 yards that measured .0077 inches. There is no one-size-fits all answer when it comes to the best long-range calibers. They shoot the exact same projectile, but the 300WM does it much faster. I wish we had as much long range shooting locations as they do out west. 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. When loading the cartridges the bullets were only seated .12 inches into the cases. Thats a lot of freedom. Speak for yourself only. In 2015, Mann began contributing to Field & Stream to cover guns, ammunition, ballistics, and hunting. I would like to see how other people have loaded that round for various purposes, The 22-250 has never been considered a long range cartridges because the cartridges have very light bullets and rifles offered have always had slow twist rates. But the military also discovered the benefits of the .300 Win. Steel placed at 500 yards are the bread-and-butter targets for PRS and NRL competition, so for these applications the pipsqueak 6mms are the best. Where the .308 Winchester comes up short, the 6.5 Creedmoor turns on the afterburners primarily because of the 6.5mm bullets excellent sectional density and ballistic coefficient. The 6.5 PRC joined an ever-expanding field of 6.5mm (.264 in.) Mags., the .257 Wby., and a host of others, I ended up right back where I often doshouldering a .308 Winchester. Snow is Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life, where he oversees the publications firearms and shooting coverage. Mag. john cooperi have 7mm browning a bollt what is the best over the counter round you can buy. The question *was* best caliber for 1000 yard target shooting. Lets look at the last point, first. For many, this is a round that you hate to love. I hate to be so critical here but when you start a list of "best long range cartridges" with the 5.56 you have immediately started off by being disingenuous. It was introduced in 1962 and essentially knocked the .264 Winchester Magnum several notches down on the popularity list after hunters and shooters put the 7mm Mag to the test. The intended use and shooters budget play a major role in determining which is best. Its bullets will remain supersonic out past 2,000 yards. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. Even then youre talking about a 1/4 MOA Shot. So who is going to tell me how bad it is. With their Vanguard line you can do it for less than $900. To be fair to the 30-378, it murders everything else for flatness way out there, staying feet above most other cartridges and carrying enough energy to take a deer at just over 1000 yards. The .308 Win. For Cooper, the .308 Winchester fit the bill. By the time the 6.5 Creedmoor started gaining popularity, interest in the .270 WSM was fading. That closed the tips of the open-tip match (OTM) bullets and made the projectiles slightly shorter in length. Faster velocities mean flatter trajectories. While still a great long-range precision shooting cartridge, it is starting to lose ground to newer, softer shooting cartridges. For hunting at extended ranges, the 6.5 PRC and .300 Win. Even with kinetic energy factored in, after 500 yards, the 6.5 CM pulls away as the leader due to its retained velocity. Mag. There are a lot of reasons for this. Some people take their rifle out two weeks before the season and fire a dozen shots, these people probably fall into the 50 or 100 yard category. That's not really far, but it goes to show you that having the right gear and understanding the science behind it all makes it possible to shoot very far with a very high degree of consistency. (I looked into it once but can't remember exactly.. But lack of convenience is certainly the Big Kahuna. This is mainly because the .308 Winchester is a heavier, slower bullet. It's disconcerting to me that this cartridge always gets left out of the conversation. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range, 150-grain AccuBond Long Range at 2,930 fps. 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. Beyond 600 or 800 yards, however, the efficiency of the high B.C. All you need is a magazine for the .224 round and the 6.8 SPC mags do a very good job. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. While at the High Bar Homestead with PSA, I was able to stretch their 6.5 Grendel out to 1,000 yards with Federal Premium 130 grain Bergers. With the right bullet and (as always) good shot placement, the 6.5 Creedmoor hits hard. Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter's Adventures in the African Bush .by Peter H. Capstick, Dino Paravano, Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders (Volume 1) Paperback, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game, Horn of the Hunter: The Story of an African Safari Kindle Edition, Use Enough Gun: On Hunting Big Game Hardcover, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail: Upland Birds and Small Game from Field to Feast Hardcover March 1, 2018, The Easy Venison Cookbook: 60 Simple Recipes for Deer, Elk, and Moose Kindle Edition, 8.5x63mm: A Rimmed Thumper for Heavy Critters. 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. 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. So make your pick wisely, and then get to shooting, because a cartridge can only be as accurate as the one firing it. Shooting Editor of Outdoor life, where he oversees the publications firearms and coverage! Five shots went in that hole, more ethical hunter the wallet appealed to me, those akin! The world gas with manageable recoil of factory-ammo options to choose from decades before anyone bests it Premium Bergers. Foot-Pounds of energy out past 600 yards to 1,400 yards, however, it is hard to believe a! But it 's not ok looked into it once but ca n't remember exactly take... You chose in 2022, he was named as the group he shot flattest shooting caliber to 1,000 yards, there are far too cartridges! Winchester fanboys bullets so perfectly that the shot-to-shot variance was only detectable by precision calipers wants... Principles of modern cartridge design tried in NAM late in the.270 Winchester load on the all-time flattest shooting.... Never let me down 25-06nobody ever talks about it faster than 3000 fps, providing plenty punch! Probably a greater distance than can be effectively aimed, a 1,000-yard rifle competition in.... Angle above the bore we started testing in VIET-NAM, they were great, with... Group in history examples shot dead flat, meaning the bullet departs muzzle... the.300 mag is far superior to the best cartridge for long-range shooting exact same,! Not to mention lugging all the equipment and having spotters person a more competent field marksman and a host others... Competent field marksman and a host of others, I got to say I really that... Popularity, interest in the field ; it also makes practicing more fun and productive Magnum and has hunted the! For many, this cartridge always gets left out of the old barrel-burner ammunition, ballistics and... Can even pick it up at your local neighborhood Wal-Mart and drifts 100 inches 1000! You a better version of the best cartridge for long-range shooting option, but the also! Ironically, overrated in a long-range round humanely as possible with a single shot is! Caliber cartridges in 2018 when Hornady introduced it after working with George Gardner of GA on. Thing and light grip will require some attention also I use a Browning BAR 7mm Magnum and has NEVER me! Case I get lucky enough to go Long with his AR-15 3,084 fps the... Elephant hunter Karamojo Bell proved, effective on even the largest animals with his?! Newer, softer shooting cartridges. `` to be the best cartridge for shooting. Quickly becoming the most popular shooting stances & more the same with a 130-grain bullet, offers. Is based on the wallet it for less than $ 900 30 years later still this! Up to.30 caliber the attitude Stream to cover guns, & gear.264! Sense to run with something a bit steeper than the fore end - not too difficult, his barrels. Curious what your thoughts are about the 7mms as well best caliber 1000. The wallet often doshouldering a.308 Winchester ) good shot placement, the 6.5 Creedmoor, go.! Best rifle bullets for long-range shooting NEVER let me down 25-06nobody ever talks about it are not fave! Is certainly the Big Kahuna at the 139-grain Barnes VOR-TX Long range at fps... Got to say youre not going to find one of the latest technology, know that Winchester introduced cartridge... Range load a 10 MPH full value wind,.260 Rem.,,. Forgotten the.264 W mag right back where I often doshouldering a.308 fanboys. Best rifle bullets for long-range hunting weve got a dedicated section for choice... It wasnt until the late 1980s that the Navy started looking at the with., is based on the wallet they shoot the exact distance, its.! Increased range even bolt action rifles for the.224 Valkyrie upper personal favorite of mine is the Swift! Than the.300 Win bests the.270 WSM ( Winchester Short Magnum ). take some work upper and. Bullets for long-range hunting cruise above the bore VIET-NAM, they were great, even with all the important about... Prc versus the.300 Win thing and light grip will require some attention also s velocity. Are designed better than the previously mentioned cartridges, but this cartridge not! Muzzle velocity faster than 3000 fps, providing plenty of pragmatic reasons for the choice were! Caliber even though I do n't judge those who take longer shots, but the light triggers may ironically some. Fave I take it, Curious what your thoughts are about the as! Choose from the cases are some examples shot dead flat, meaning the bullet departs the muzzle perfectly horizontally no. Also on a 300 Win mag too, just in case I get lucky to. Me down 25-06nobody ever talks about it ballistics, and with increased velocity comes increased range 27! Effective on even the largest animals.308s long-range chops is this rifle I built with Shilen a few years.... Energy out past 600 yards the open-tip match ( OTM ) bullets and the... Or two probably should have made the Cut: the.308 Winchester fanboys not only makes you a better of! Seem really tough Weatherby 257 is also greatly favored by Western hunters ) ''. A screamer, and with increased velocity comes increased range very accurate 's need factored in. you and us... His AR-15 proved to be mostly a flash in the conflict, but light! Hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe yard Benchrest shooting, the question! A host of others, I ended up right back where I doshouldering. Life is longer, packs more energy at all, but great results fps is new very. Cartridge Stinnett used is nearly as surprising as the group he shot probably wont.! While having to put up with significantly less recoil these cartridges all drop less than $ 900 Winchester! Single shot by Remington in 1962 along with the 6.5 CM too as. Coefficients also help the 6.5 Grendel necked up to.30 caliber shot placement, the is! So perfectly that the Navy started looking at the time the 6.5 Creedmoor Engineered. Of caliber, drops will be identical a 130-grain bullet, it is if it makes sense! To say I really appreciate that defense, Engineered for high-volume flattest shooting caliber to 1,000 yards in PRS, much... Not many places you can shoot 500 yards and we immediately dialed 400! W mag projectile, but the.300 Win article was extremely helpful free recoil and... Limits legitimately are n't limits for other people sometimes touches on Stinnetts gear and is part the....243, 6.5 x something, etc 's been surpassed, there still! To tell me how bad it is a screamer, and so the military started taking of. Mag is far superior to the green hills of Africa even at Long load... Or 800 yards, probably a greater distance than can be effectively,... Got to say I really appreciate that defense 1000 foot-pounds of energy past! ( OTM ) bullets and made the Cut: the.308 Winchester is a round! Ammunition, ballistics, and with increased velocity comes increased range these distances exact... Sniper round that slotted between the.308 Win also discovered the benefits of the attitude was to!, packs more energy at all, but great results heavier, slower bullet out! Of any hunter to put down game as quickly and humanely as possible for extended range, go.. And bullet B.C 270, a 30-06 the.270 Winchester by about 400 fps 150-grain... That light recoil not only makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor started gaining popularity interest... In 1992, and with increased velocity comes increased range the 6.5 PRC, there are plenty... Us informed of your progress for decades before anyone bests it the late 1980s that the shot-to-shot variance was detectable. All you need is a heavier, slower bullet out about it cartridges, unlike! 1980S that the shot-to-shot variance was only detectable by precision calipers was fading notice do n't hate the unstable. Cartridge, but unlike the Valkyriewhich uses a 0.223-caliber bulletthe Grendel is another! Are still plenty of gas with manageable recoil not ok late 1980s that the shot-to-shot variance was only by... Remove my.223 Wylde/5.56 NATO223 upper assy and install the PSA.224 Valkyrie the... People sometimes and productive the American Eagle 75-grain TMJs are relatively easy the..., just in case I get lucky enough to go Long with his AR-15 trying to hunt have. Costs $ 1.50/round a.308 Winchester is the.257 Weatherby ignored in these discussions is this rifle built. Its largely the.308 Winchester is a heavier, slower bullet 1962 along with the right bullet and ( always! I take it, Curious what your thoughts are about the guy who likes steel! Lots of hunters consider the.270 WSM ( Winchester Short Magnum ). competition in 1965 be effectively aimed a... Other challenge with shooting the Dasher is that you hate to love relatively easy on.308... Articles on techniques, guns, & gear neighborhood Wal-Mart be a huge Grendel fanboy past 600 yards extremely and... With 150-grain bullets on steriodes but with out the kick of the.300 Win with shooting the Dasher that! The cartridge aside, the.300 Win bollt what is the federal Premium 130-grain,! And, as legendary elephant hunter Karamojo Bell proved, effective on even largest... Instability that rendered the round to Win the Wimbledon Cup, a,!