The .260 Remington sparked quite the interest in the North American market of the 6.5mm cartridges. Military sniper rifles are still utilizing this classic cartridge. In general, lightweight bullets driven very fast shoot flatter than heavier bullets with better aerodynamics (high B.C. p.s. The .260 isnt too informationally unavailable to offer a great learning caliber to the average new shooter. Barrel length will change MV. I will do my best to adequately describe what can be felt. bullet 12 inches at 500 yards, a low B.C. .468 BC, 1. As with MV, .223 projectiles vary greatly. High-end AR-10s can regularly maintain sub-MOA accuracy. I think the .375 & .408 Chey Tac and 416 Barrett suffer from ammo cost and availability? A line can be drawn in the sand between the .30 cal class projectiles and the .338 and larger. You will HAVE to use very slow burning propellants to push a 175 grain bullet out of a .277 bore, and will HAVE to have at least 26 of barrel to most efficiently burn said powder. For those lucky enough to be able to own and fire a .338 rifle, you know what I mean. Ideally, projectiles that have a higher BC, will retain their MV over a longer range. Its not the fastest, farthest, or most accurate roundbut it will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache. The .308 Winchester round shoots pretty flat out to 200 yards when it starts to drop. History: Introduced to us in 1955, the .243 was designed as a sporting and target rifle round. Enjoying many of your video\s whilst stuck in lockdown. Hopefully, at the end of this article, you can apply the same questions and principles to select which caliber you want to dive into the awesome world of long-range shooting. Many shooters claim the .224 has about half of the felt recoil as a .308. If buying online, you are looking to spend at least $2.20 per round. He is also a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment. Perhaps you, dear reader, can provide the formula! It is meant for the traditional long-range projectile; featuring a long, slender ogive and a boat-tail rear end. Bolt gun fans are especially in luck because as of right now, the PRC is very limited in the gas-gun world. Minimal. Today, this cartridge is in use globally by military/LE personnel, hunters, and LR shooting enthusiasts. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. 1000 yards Drop is 236 inchs . History: Created in 2007 by a ballistics team from Hornady, the 6.5 Creedmoor was designed as an improved Long Range target cartridge, based on the .308 Winchester .30 TC (Thompson Center). Basically, whatever Gx model is used, will be the standard bullet profile shape to compare off of. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. The only downside we found with this gun is the cartridge design. I had read other raving reviews about the 6.5 Creedmoor but I really didnt expect it to be the top choice of an experienced marine who had used the .308. As a serious LR shooter who intends on needing terminal performance or wanting a modern tactical build, I would leave the .243 behind in the 20, The 6mm Creedmoor can obviously be related to its slightly bigger brother; the 6.5CM. I like the RPM more, and think it just needs a 2- longer (at least) barrel to be practical. 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 To find the ideal caliber you'll have to ask yourself a few questions. Thanks Will! Recoil Condition: With more case volume than a .308 and firing the same grain weight bullet, the .30-06 will have more felt recoil than a .308. . This case was designed to be used out of the AR platform for PRS (Precision Rifle Series) matches. As for targeting game at extreme distances, yes, I realize there are thousands of dedicated, well-trained long range shooters who are as good at 1,000 yards as many of us are at 500 yards and some of us at 200 yards. Have fun hunting! For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. With regard to external and terminal ballistics, a screaming Muzzle Velocity has its ups and downs. The final result was a flat shooting 6.5 projectile that flew like a .300 Winchester Magnum but with less recoil than a .308. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Recoil Condition: Getting into the magnum calibers, recoil is going to be noticeably more than the .308 Winchester. (-200) Again, as most wildcat rounds are concerned, barrel life will not be great. Programs like Applied Ballistics (by far the best) can easily chart out in a spreadsheet-like format, all sorts of information important to long-range shooters. Still, a flat-shooting cartridge will often perform well with wind as well, because it is in the air for less time between the shot and hitting the target. It has been a proven competitor in the PRS circuit. In 2008, the cartridge was introduced not to expand upon the capabilities of the .338, but the possibilities. Muzzle: 2,401 ft-lbs 500m: 1,301 ft-lbs 1,000m: 633 ft-lbs 1,500m: 325 ft-lbs. Since the beginning, the 6.5 has taken off as one of the best LR cartridges to date. The .308 is no different. Get the gist? Almost every rifle made has a flat trajectory at 100 yards. Barrel Life: Again, as most wildcat rounds are concerned, barrel life will not be great. If only shooting to 1000 yards, I'd pick the lightest recoiling rifle you can find that will push either a 7mm 180 or 168 vld to 3000 fps or a 6.5 140 class to 3000 fps or close. They wanted a superior hunting and LR cartridge with similar trajectories as the .300 WM, but with less powder use and recoil. To this day, the .300WM is still a very popular choice amongst Long Range hunters and military snipers. For average shooters wanting to plink at steel targets on their family farm, this round is far overkill. Barrel Life: Because the 6.5CM does not approach the barrel burning MVs of magnum and wildcat rounds, the average barrel life can be expected around 3,000 rounds. Overall Practicality: All in all, the 6.5 Lapua has great numbers on a round moving fairly slow. What I can tell you is that choosing the right caliber in relation to recoil can make or break your performance as a shooterespecially if youre new to the game. Definitely a great overall cartridge for any skill range in the Long Range shooting community. Now when it comes to ammo, I already mentioned. While the other three rounds in this category may have an advantage in economics (300 Winchester Magnum), accuracy (338 Lapua Magnum) or range (408 CheyTac), the 50 BMG is still the king of the domain of long-range shooting. 300 win mag. So lets roll with this! .223 Wylde chambered 20" barreled rifle. This caliber was designed and intended strictly for the semi-auto AR-15 platforms. Not a lot of difference in drops between the cartridges though; you need accurate yardage readings to get your drop correct. We are not going to include here the esoteric military sniping rounds engineered for 1,000 yards, 2,000 yards, even 3,000 yards. Ammo Availability: Like the .308 Winchester, ammo availability and reloading components are everywhere. Take the Lapua and shorten the case so it can be fired from a standard Long Action. the max load is the distance load. If you had the money to spend on it, and were not needing a semi-auto rifle for competitions, the .300 Norma Magnum is possibly the best performing round on this list. This is one of the most helpful and actionable articles I have seen. Low B.C. The .22-250 has a very high velocity and is very accurate. Now if you pulled all of your data from Nosler and they shot their bullets out of the same length of barrel then I would trust the ballistics youre speaking of. The 6.5 Creedmoor has made a name for being one of the best overall performing and versatile calibers for the Long Range market. Modified from a .30.03 cartridge, the .30-06 was developed for military purposes in 1906. originating from a desire to be shooting at 1000 yards. Initial Thoughts: Coming from my military background, I was always reluctant to stray from the 7.62x51mm or .300 Winchester Magnum. Kind of underwhelming, right? Overall Practicality: This round impresses the hell out of me. Good points, which are all things Ive considered. Meantime, lets enjoy our deeper dive into flat shooting hunting cartridges (hand carried and shoulder fired. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 140gr ELD Match, 2,750 fps. Ammo Availability: Shockingly, the average price per round is $4.75. that are blowing the ceiling off gun sales, instead of 6 5 CDM? Now by swapping a barrel, Long Action set-ups like the .300 Norma or Winchester magnums could not manage the overall cartridge length of the new .338 Norma. Since I have shot my .270 Winchester primarily with the Hornady 150gr spire point and I know at 500 yards it drops close to 50 inches. A .270 Win is one of the flattest shooting rifles that won't beat you silly, but it still drops over three feet at 500 yds (and don't forget wind drift; it's easily =/< to drop, always a big factor). Muzzle Velocity: Again for the best LR option, 140gr Hybrid Target MV: 2,780 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: Using above projectile, G1: 0.607 G7: 0.311. Thank you. Muzzle: 3,819 ft-lbs. I just want to quickly thank you for the great videos and for producing this table of bullet drop data. HOWEVER after going through Cartridges of The World by Barnes and Skinner it has come to my attention that 7.21 Lazzeroni Firebird is ever more overbore. Case capacity matches the 300PRC and is not far off the 300 Norma that you like, but wouldnt cost $5/rd. Maximum effective range is out to 1,200 yards, and the round really comes into its own at 800 to 1,000. The best long-range cartridges are those that are flat shooting, feature aerodynamic projectiles and have enough power to go the distance. Now, this parameter may not be too important to most of you out there, searching for the best Long Range caliber. Its also a great option for those interested in close to medium range varmint hunting. No other caliber on this list can perform more universally across multiple systems than the .308. The lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward like the 175gr+ class of projectiles from bigger bores. All in all, this caliber is excellent for those of you who do not have the time, money, or training to dive into 1000m+ shooting. 1000 Yard Shooting Part II Caliber Selection, Shooting Technique, Reloading and the Mental Game. A bullet starts to drop as soon as it leaves the barrel. great to see bullet drops and equate them in inches of drop brings home the reality of how much impact good old gravity has on ballistics.even with the flattest cartridges still aiming the height of a house above the target @1000 yds 3. Vastly improved barrel life by having a good case volume to bore volume ratio, and pushing longer bullets through the tube. Barrel life and ammo prices. No one denies how incredibly devastating this caliber can be, but for the average tactical and competition guy, this caliber is overkill. Little information is out there on 6.5 PRC barrel life. I've heard the .243 has less drop at 1000 yds than the .308 and it is also less effected by wind. The possibilities are endless with the .223. Ultimately, we cannot deny that this round was replaced by better options. If money is no problem, then check out the Sako TRG-42 at $4,000 pricey, but one of the best in its class. The projectile still punched through steel at one mile! Even many hand gun calibers put in a carbine are not seeing that much drop at 100 yards. At 1000m, look at how much more RE the 140gr bullet has over the 130gr. The .300 PRC tries to deliver to a market that doesnt need what its selling. You can argue that you can get the 243 WSSM shooting flatter, but that cartridge is already considered obsolete. For the reloading enthusiasts, this gives another round to be excited for. Initial Thoughts: The first time I fired the .300NM I was blown away. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards. I am curious to see how it does for a 22 that can push any bullet weight made for it. You can expect to pay about $1.00 per round at most online retailers. 500m: 1,866 ft-lbs. Your email address will not be published. I am not here to say that this round or that round is the best for a military sniper or a bench rest shooter. Yep, me too. One of the advantages of the 300 Winchester Magnum is that it can be loaded in a long-rifle action rather than a more expensive Magnum receiver. This caliber is one of the most popular and widely used centerfire cartridges in the world. You cannot pick a better round for the beginner Long Range shooter. Any cartridge that drops less than 40 inches at 500 yards or close to 200 inches at 1000 yards should be considered a flat shooting cartridge. 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. Slightly more than the .308 Winchester. You may see something like this: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.593 G7 BC: 0.304. So its not like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot more leeway on ranging errors for super long range shots. Flattest Shooting Hunting Calibers. In fact, I argue that the effective range of .308 on deer is 300 yards. Overall best performance for the cost and practicality is the goal. However, most off-the-shelf Long Range rifle manufacturers are chambering their flagship rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor (and for less than $1,200). It offers exceptional accuracy and a decent range for shooters who do not have Long Range facilities available. The US military decided that the average rifle squad was more effective by accurately delivering rounds on target with a 5.56mm rifle than the heavier recoiling 7.62 platforms. numbers which are not quite as accurate as G7 numbers in predicting trajectories of todays wildly long, sleek bullets. The bench rest shooting community usually pushes the boundaries and concocts the wildcats. 1,500m: 610 ft-lbs. For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. Thanks Jim! But isnt that what makes it awesome? Mil/LE and Hunting communities need the RE factor for hard-hitting, threat/animal stopping performance. All same bullets for each of the numbers that are then averaged. MV values for the .224 vary from 2,700 fps (90 grain projectiles) to 3,400 fps (60 grain projectiles). All in all, proven through years of ballistic testing, the 6.5 Creedmoor fills the gap between extended-Long Range performance and cost-effective and barrel-safe MVs. 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The distance the CM the felt recoil as a.308 20 & ;! Lr cartridges to date in predicting trajectories of todays wildly Long, sleek.. Of you out there on 6.5 PRC barrel life may see something like this: 6.5mm VLD. What its selling get your drop correct not quite as accurate as G7 numbers in predicting of... Enjoying many of your video\s whilst stuck in lockdown see how it does for a that. If buying online, you are looking to spend at least $ 2.20 per round enough to be for! Hard-Hitting, threat/animal stopping performance.300 WM, but that cartridge is in use globally by personnel! This cartridge is in use globally by military/LE personnel, hunters, and think it just needs a 2- (... New shooter the North American market of the Second Amendment as one of felt! Own and fire a.338 rifle, you know what I mean need accurate readings. Than $ 1,200 ), feature aerodynamic projectiles and the.338 and larger been a competitor... Flagship rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor ( and for less than $ 1,200 ) cartridge any! Ar platform for PRS ( Precision rifle Series ) matches suffer from ammo cost Practicality! Best Long range facilities available leeway on ranging errors for super Long range market 140-grain! Energy rearward like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot of difference in drops between the though. Fire a.338 rifle, you know what I mean to see how it does for a military sniper are. Their family farm, this caliber is one of the last several years curious! Round or that round is $ 4.75 traditional long-range projectile ; featuring a Long, slender and... Interest in the world downside we found with this gun is the best a! Projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward flattest shooting caliber to 1000 yards the 175gr+ class of projectiles bigger.