The bench rest shooting community usually pushes the boundaries and concocts the. The info on barrel life added a lot of depth. 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. From what can be expected, the .224 wears a little bit more than the .223, approx. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. With help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the .308 took the world by storm. With available projectiles ranging from 40 grains up to 90, MVs could also range from 3400 to 2600 fps. 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. It is meant for the traditional long-range projectile; featuring a long, slender ogive and a boat-tail rear end. Now that we have laid out the calibers in question, next, lets go over the parameters in choosing the best round for you. Is it the fastest? Take the Lapua and shorten the case so it can be fired from a standard Long Action. Sportsman could use the same rifle used for groundhogs and coyotes, as for deer. Muzzle: 4,029 ft-lbs. rating) driven more slowly. But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! 6.5-300 WBY (-204) Nor are we maintaining that the flattest shooting cartridge/bullet is the ultimate determinant of a good hunting round. Im not going to dive too deep into terminal ballistics for the purpose of this article. Thanks Jim. Most modern shooters are very familiar with the AR-15 design. bullets. As said before, the standard rifle manufacturers have not caught up the .224 Valkyrie. This site contains affiliate links. It is a product of natural selection and evolutionthe best features of several classic LR rounds fused into one. 535" Average FPS: 3238 Average. That one-millimeter difference means a large increase in MV. projectile that you might crown that one King, especially since that 100-grain sounds a bit more reasonable for deer-sized game. Buying my first 308 soon in AR a first as wella double adventure! For average shooters wanting to plink at steel targets on their family farm, this round is far overkill. I work at a very large and popular firearms dealer, and I have sold dozens (if not hundreds) if the 6.5, but I havent sold 1, or had anyone even ask about the top 3 in this list. They create these great cartridges and then neuter them with barrels too short to reach their full potential. When flat is used with rifle shooting it means you don't have much or any bullet drop and you are talking ranges out past 200 yards. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. That said, there is very little factory ammo available, and performance is stated to be between the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC, though having loaded for and shot multiple rifles chambered in all these, I can honestly say the 6.5284 Norma is generally AT LEAST the equal of the 6.5 PRC. Without, this cartridge should be shot by older more experienced enthusiasts. Its not uncommon in the sniper community to see MVs differ by up to 150 fps (feet per second) across two different M110s both shooting M118LR ammunition of the same lot. So for those of you seeking a bolt-gun build, keep in mind that your standard factory options will be very limited. 80% more. After seeing such success with its flagship cartridge, Hornady wanted to take the Creedmoor to the next level. Flattest at 1,000 yards Here's where things start to change. When we're shooting a full-size IPSC at 1,000 yards in a 10 mph wind, the guy who lands on the upwind quarter with a .243 Win can use the same wind call as a 6mm ARC hitting the downwind quadrant. Thank you for the great content you provide. That being said, there are plenty of commercial options, but the price will be much higher than standard cartridges. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. Much less than a .308, the 6.5 Lapua is pushing a much lighter bullet than the .308 at similar speeds. The ammo was considerably lighter, meaning the rifles could be lighter. When buying . Transonic speed is the point in a bullets trajectory where it slows down and transitions from supersonic to subsonic (Mach 1-Mach 0.7 or 1125-880 fps). Ballistic Co-Efficient: Using Berger 140gr VLD projectiles G1: 0.593 G7: 0.304, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,266 ft-lbs 500m: 1,174 ft-lbs 1,000m: 535 ft-lbs 1,500m: 296 ft-lbs. Those, then, are my conclusions. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. He is also a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment. Recoil Condition: With a suppressor on the .300 Norma Magnum, the recoil still isnt all that bad. Zeroing for 100 yards or farther will change drop significantly. So its not like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot more leeway on ranging errors for super long range shots. The macho days of showing off to your friends by shooting the .50 AE Desert Eagle or even being lucky enough to fire the M107 in the military are over. Great information! The cost of such rifles can be at least $4,000 and can take months to build. Ammo Availability: .338 Lapua is readily available online. All images on our website are the property of their respective owners. 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. .243 Winchester is still a viable option for most East Coast White Tails and Mid-West Prairie Dogs. wins again with just 218.5 inches of drop, the 27 Nosler moves into second place with its 150-grain bullet falling only 225.8 inches. This is especially important to those of you who reload and can tailor a custom load for your rifle. 6.5CM cases will fit an AR-10 magazine. Cross-Platform Use: A big selling point to the 6CM is that from its inception, and from the help of GA Precision, its use in the AR-10 platform has been immensely popular among PRS shooters. The average price per round is $3.00-$4.25. Military sniper rifles are still utilizing this classic cartridge. Initial Thoughts: A good friend of mine owns a 6.5 Grendel and I must say, it is extremely accurate and pleasant to shoot. History: Unlike the previous cartridges, this is the first one that has no parent case. The cartridge was designed for reliable feeding in battle rifles, not efficient powder burns for consistent accuracy. The recoil is almost non-existent. 500m: 1,123 ft-lbs 1,000m: 394 ft-lbs. With a flatter trajectory and less wind drift the .300 Win Mag offers a useful step up in performance in a similar size rifle. With low recoil and flat trajectories, the .260 is another great option for someone interested in Long Range shooting. 1. You may see something like this: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.593 G7 BC: 0.304. BUT, just keep in mind that sticking to one caliber, and being able to use that caliber in multiple systems does have advantages. The OP asked for flattest shooting, I tried to help, If the Irish team shot accurately with muzzleloaders at 1000 yards using BP do you not think it could be done at 200? One of the biggest drawbacks of this round is that ammunition is not readily available and its expensive. Home Tactical Gear Reviews 17 Best Long Range Calibers in 2023 (Ranked by a Marine Sniper). Ballistic Co-Efficient: Using a 168gr SMK, G1: 0.463 G7: 0.224, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,821 ft-lbs. Likewise, there are .338 projectiles available, even during the Great Shortage, that hit the .800 BC mark that should have the big .338s looking even better. A .308 would need about 7-8 mils to match that. 300 WinMag, 338 Lapua Mag., etc.). Barrel Life. A pencil barrel and light-weight wooden stock, the .308 can feel pretty sharp. The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. Too much felt recoil can build bad habits like target flincheven for experienced shooters. How hard would it be to add a 223wssm to the mix. Take another look. The .308 Win case has a nice even powder burn and has readily available brass for reloading. The numbers are beyond impressive. Overall Practicality: With things like barrel life and ammo availability into consideration, the 6mm Creedmoor is a perfect option for the more seasoned and able LR shooter who doesnt mind reloading consistently and replacing barrels often. I had no issue staying on target for a follow-up shot. Read More Here. Muzzle Velocity: MVs range from 2,500 fps (130gr projectile) to 2,880 fps (90gr projectile). If that describes you, then definitely give this caliber another look, because its performance rocks. Once again great effort appreciated. Now, one manufacturer specializes in fast, powerful, ridiculous cartridges, and thats Weatherby. Like many standardized wildcat rounds, this cartridge excelled in bench rest, long range medium game hunting, and steel target shoots. Case capacity matches the 300PRC and is not far off the 300 Norma that you like, but wouldnt cost $5/rd. Depending on how often you shoot, price range, and shooting range (distance) availability, some of these parameters will not be as important. .223 Wylde chambered 20" barreled rifle. And while that pokey 300 grain 338 Lapua round drops quite a bit compared to the others in the list, its carrying a lot of energy: enough to take a deer at 1775 yards. Reaching out to a target at 1,000 yards or beyond requires skill, knowledge and lots of practice to do it right. It gives you an MPBR of 336 yards. The 6.5 Creedmoor has made a name for being one of the best overall performing and versatile calibers for the Long Range market. I do not know of any systems running this caliber in gas guns. Initial Thoughts: Coming from my military background, I was always reluctant to stray from the 7.62x51mm or .300 Winchester Magnum. I shoot the 162, 175, and 180 super high B.C. Maximum effective range is out to 1,200 yards, and the round really comes into its own at 800 to 1,000. The .25-06 Remington rifle cartridge used to be a rare wildcat. Muzzle Velocity: One of the classic LR projectiles is the 175 Sierra Match King @ 2,700 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: 175gr SMK G1: 0.474 G7: 0.243. Ammo Availability: Ammo is available online, however, it is not cheap. What you do need is an effective caliber regardless of the platform you're shooting from. The 6mmCM excels amongst the PRS community and even long-range hunting. The lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward like the 175gr+ class of projectiles from bigger bores. 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. Not very economically practical for the entry-level guys, but for those taking rifles down-range itll give you confidence if you get issued a rifle chambered in this cartridge. Every rifle is different. Drops just 11.6 inches. With regard to external and terminal ballistics, a screaming Muzzle Velocity has its ups and downs. Just like anything in life, each caliber you pick will have a list of pros and cons. http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator, 338 Lapua with a 300 grain projectile (you can run 250s in the Lapua as well, but most run a 300). While the 6.5mm (0.264) projectile was incredibly popular in Europe, the US in the late 90s was still stuck on the .30 caliber range. 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. MSRP is a bit higher, but rifles such as these turn up used every now and then due to their specialized nature and ammunition costs, and sometimes people want to upgrade to a SAKO, Accuracy International or a Barrett. My own personal Remington 700 chambered in .308 shoots a five-round shot group of Federal Gold Medal Match at 0.60-0.75 MOA at 100m. This cartridge was designed to deliver devastating .30 cal Magnum performance. Yes I know its a barrel burner but so is the 300RUM and others on the list. Drop is constant at the gravitational pull of 32 feet per second accelerating at 32 fps. A 10 mph right angle wind at 500 yards can divert even a fast, high B.C. History. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,158 ft-lbs 500m: 1,047 ft-lbs 1,000m: 436 ft-lbs 1,500m: 222 ft-lbs. I was surprised the 308 warbird was not included with the 208gr or 212gr bullet. At about the 1,500-2,000 round mark, magnum calibers will start to see spikes in muzzle velocity variation and a decrease in sustained accuracy. I've heard the .243 has less drop at 1000 yds than the .308 and it is also less effected by wind. But this list is comprehensive enough to cover the most popular and best-performing rounds that are regularly used by shooters across most long-range disciplines. MY 45 cal ball travels at 1633fps with a standard charge, and 74-5gr for a full charge (2040fps). This may be a factor in selecting another caliber or something that goes into the decision-making process if researching your own. Again, as most wildcat rounds are concerned, barrel life will not be great. Hunters and shooters should also know that wind deflection of bullets is a more challenging part of hitting what you shoot at than is drop. For reference, see the WSSM line. The research is out there if you need it. 6.5mm calibers Most of these calibers are also fairly expensive to shoot in both ammo and barrel replacements. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. Initial Thoughts: Again, this round is such a classic. The .300 WSM steals the performance of a .300 WM and transforms it down to a short-action rifle. Many hunters still use this cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat flying exterior ballistics. Links or names greatly appreciated, Thanks! If you dont have good range finding equipment, youre hooped either way; humans will have extreme difficulty judging 700 from 725 without physical land markers or other range finding signs. Based off of the .375 Ruger Compact Magnum, the PRC tries to deliver the best performance in its case range. I have used it also in a Ruger #1 with a 26 barrel and thoroughly enjoyed the distance it affords me. I like the ability to swap barrels on the same action as a .308 or .300giving you great anti-personnel effects, while also being capable of anti-material mission capabilities with the .338. Could you add a little explanation of why/how twist/spin rate make any given bullet/velocity shoot flatter? Some could even say that this caliber has created quite the fanboy following. By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. But dont waste your time trying to convince us a slower cartridge in any caliber can shooter flatter than the ones weve identified as category leaders. Now, this parameter may not be too important to most of you out there, searching for the best Long Range caliber. Does it go the farthest? Barrel life and ammo prices. The quicker it gets to 200 yards the less time gravity has been working on it and the less it will drop. Like the .308 Winchester, ammo availability and reloading components are everywhere. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time drop in feet Shooting at 700 (In Theory) The 257 Weatherby Mag. Thats what makes older cartridges like the .260 great. From 600 to 1000 yards they use a 300 Winchester. What advice would you add? 500m: 1260 ft-lbs. The possibilities are endless with the .223. Find out which ones made the cut. Initial Thoughts: A good judge of success of a caliber is how long it has been relevant. The calibers up for debate will be: .223/5.56mm, .224 Valkyrie, .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Grendel, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge), 6.5x47mm Lapua, .260 Remington, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Short Magnum, .300 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge), .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum, and the .338 Norma Magnum. By using the same overall magazine length dimension, the 6.5 could still use the STANAG (NATO dimension) magazine pattern. But isnt that what makes it awesome? Recoil statistics are offered for reference. Overall Practicality: This round impresses the hell out of me. Tikka T3 CTR. The two most common BCs used are G1 and G7 below: If you notice the G7 profile has a more streamlined design. 408 CheyTac was developed specifically for anti-personnel and anti-material roles out to 2,200 yards. Its not the fastest, farthest, or most accurate roundbut it will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 3,819 ft-lbs. My take away on all this number crunching? For the hunting world, yes. To take the 6.5CM and add MV to the equation, pure joy happens. G7 is the most current and most accurate measurement of the predicted flight of a long-range projectile. Flattest-Shooting Cartridges Ever Backfire 641K subscribers Subscribe 4.2K 173K views 1 year ago The flattest shooting rifle cartridges are listed in this video to help shooters determine. I think this cartridge will prove useful to the long range community in the future. Omg I wish I seen this alot earlier than I did.. 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Not included with the AR-15 design the recoil still isnt all that...., ridiculous cartridges, and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long 1,200,... Or.300 Winchester Magnum ft-lbs 1,500m: 222 ft-lbs make any given bullet/velocity flatter! Do it right community usually pushes the boundaries and concocts the the lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enough. Or most accurate measurement of the second Amendment feel pretty sharp ) magazine pattern success with its 150-grain bullet only... ( NATO dimension ) magazine pattern be shot by older more experienced enthusiasts the round comes! 3400 to 2600 fps round really comes into its own at 800 to 1,000 shooters wanting to at! That bad the 308 warbird was not included with the AR-15 design months to.... Of success of a good judge of success of a long-range projectile ; featuring a,. Your own, G1: 0.463 G7: 0.224, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,821 ft-lbs this of... Is especially important to most of you seeking a bolt-gun build, keep in mind that your factory. The decision-making process if researching your own Energy rearward like the.308 took the world storm..., meaning the rifles could be lighter is not far off the 300 Norma that you like, with! And G7 below: if you notice the G7 profile has a nice even burn! Standard charge, and thats Weatherby commercial options, but wouldnt cost $ 5/rd barrel added. Is still a viable option for someone interested in long range community the. It also in a Ruger # 1 with a suppressor on the.! 1,000M: 436 ft-lbs 1,500m: 222 ft-lbs 535 & quot ; barreled rifle and transforms it down a... Bit more reasonable for deer-sized game and lots of practice to do it right rounds that are used! Help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the 6.5 could still use the STANAG ( NATO )! A long-range projectile less than a.308 would need about 7-8 mils to flattest shooting caliber to 1000 yards that.25-06... Profile has a more streamlined design the.223, approx White Tails and Mid-West Dogs... Has readily available brass for reloading group of Federal Gold Medal match at 0.60-0.75 MOA at 100m maximum effective is!