This caliber is great for experienced PRS shooters, or big game, Long Range hunters. Factory ammo isnt heavily available; expect to pay around $1.75 per round. Overall Practicality: If you are looking for exceptional, hard-hitting, flat performance, you might want to consider the .300 PRC. Based off of the .375 Ruger Compact Magnum, the PRC tries to deliver the best performance in its case range. The world record for the longest confirmed sniper shot at 2,707 yards (1.5 miles) was achieved with this round by a British Army sniper, Corporal Craig Harrison. 1,000m: 1,345 ft-lbs. This last factor will doom the cartridge, in and of itself if no one else picks up the torch for brass production (which isnt likely). One of the most complex and widely debated topics within the modern firearms community is caliber selection for long-range shooting. It provides whats needed for the mind to persuade itself and make a decision. Nevertheless, flat shooting cartridges have long fascinated hunters and driven cartridge development and sales. 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 20th century where it belongs. A good muzzle brake or suppressor is advised. The 220 Swift would be my pick for coyotes, rodents, and probably pronghorn if it werent for the wind deflection issue. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time drop in feet Shooting at 700 (In Theory) Easy and fun to shoot. However, for less bullet size, you can get a much better performing Long Range caliberand for a lot less money too. To take the 6.5CM and add MV to the equation, pure joy happens. A line can be drawn in the sand between the .30 cal class projectiles and the .338 and larger. Again great job !!!!! Much less than a .308, the 6.5 Lapua is pushing a much lighter bullet than the .308 at similar speeds. Im in the beginner stages and I used a Rifle in 308. Barrel length will change MV. For those lucky enough to be able to own and fire a .338 rifle, you know what I mean. A standard projectile weight for optimum performance out of the 6CM would be a 105 grain Berger Target VLD @ 3,100fps. G7 is the most current and most accurate measurement of the predicted flight of a long-range projectile. My name is Steve and I have just viewed your video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridges. Which as a cartridge is all good for hunting farm deer or friendly competition matches. Does it go the farthest? Cross-Platform Use: You can build a .223 rifle in almost any rifle action. Every rifle is different. Backfire LLC owns and operates this website. 243. You can certainly find uppers to piece onto your AR-10 lower. We are not going to include here the esoteric military sniping rounds engineered for 1,000 yards, 2,000 yards, even 3,000 yards. For some reason it pushed Noslers 125-gr. Invest the money and invest the time in solid training from reputable sources. Other than that, the projectiles will always be available. Greatly extended range external and terminal ballistic performance at the cost of barrel life. Tactical-Life. I hope this report clears up some trajectory confusion and perhaps settles some old arguments. I was particularly blown away by the range of the 6.5 Grendel. For example, taking a load of the 308 that had the best ballistic results I could find at 1000 yards (it was 155gr BTHP), and taking a best load for the 25-06, the 25 had over 100 inches less drop, 15 inches less drift in a cross breeze, and only 41 pounds less retained energy! Does it go the farthest? For hunters, the Grendel offers many different projectiles for different terminal effects. The average life will be anywhere from 4,000-7,000 rounds. 2. The Savage retails for under $900 and the Winchester can be had for closer to $1,100. I am here to share what knowledge and experience I have to help you pick a viable option. The market has followed. In your opinion is the 6.5 Creedmoor going to eventually put out to pasture the 30-06 and the .308? Just like any new and exciting caliber that is designed specifically for the LR community, I know the performance will be top-notch. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,158 ft-lbs 500m: 1,047 ft-lbs 1,000m: 436 ft-lbs 1,500m: 222 ft-lbs. 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. Take another look. For example, A 7 SAUM, 280 AI and 7 Rem Mag. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,186 ft-lbs. 2023 Backfire LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Utah, USA. Do you have the equipment and knowledge to reload? Yep, me too. Why even mention such an antiquated round? I too share your endorsement of Ron, his videos are a treat each week. And here they are: Flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby. bullet faster than did the larger volume 30-378 Wby. Not many of us can afford the ammo, let alone the rifles and scopes that chamber it, in such calibers as 375 CheyTac, 408 CheyTac, or 416 Barrett. Since this caliber is somewhat antiquated, the modern tactical platforms have not maintained product lines for the .243. (Curiosity? Unlike 99.999% of Internet articles vomited out by any and everybody, I could taste the sweet and aromatic aroma of actual first-hand knowledge, long experience, and deep expertise oozing out of each sentence. Gyroscopic Stability is lost in the Transonic Range and the bullet begins to pitch and yaw and ultimately tumble. However, the 6.5 Lapua and .308 Winchester do share the same bolt face. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. at 150-grains, the bullet is a bit light, but it still has enough energy at 1,000-yards for deer, bear, and elk. Read More Here. A 30-06 will take any game on the NA Continent. The history lesson was GREAT! The 6.5 Lapua is primarily a bolt-gun only caliber. Right now, shooters are obsessed with flat-shooting rifle cartridges. This cartridge is an interesting case of innovation to solve a fairly difficult problem. Both the 223, 223AI, and 6.5 Grendel will reach out to 1,000 yards given the right bullet and rifle. The average price per round will be around $2.00. So for those of you seeking a bolt-gun build, keep in mind that your standard factory options will be very limited. The cartridge's belt--used to ensure proper . The lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward like the 175gr+ class of projectiles from bigger bores. Either way it is flexible for your mission. Projectiles can be found anywhere with nearly any grain-weight in its class, for those of you who reload. The way in which cartridge manufacturers develop rounds to overcome these forces is the twist rates of the barrels in the rifles the cartridges are chambered in, developing longer, more aerodynamic bullets with narrower ogives and case capacity. 6.5CM cases will fit an AR-10 magazine. Initial Thoughts: This cartridge is an interesting case of innovation to solve a fairly difficult problem. wanted to do a piece on how to design a wildcat cartridge. With help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the .308 took the world by storm. This cartridge calls for a custom case. Remington 870 Vs. Mossberg 590: Which Pump Shotgun Is Truly Better. Beyond 600 or 800 yards, however, the efficiency of the high B.C. However, most off-the-shelf Long Range rifle manufacturers are chambering their flagship rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor (and for less than $1,200). If that describes you, then definitely give this caliber another look, because its performance rocks. Nice summary of the subject for those of us who do not understand things like Coreolis Force and aerodynamic jump. Muzzle velocity certainly makes a difference in how fast the bullet reaches the target, but it is by no means the only factor to consider. You have so much faith that your round will hit your target. Do your homework. The 257 Weatherby Mag. I think the .375 & .408 Chey Tac and 416 Barrett suffer from ammo cost and availability? Overall Practicality: I heavily recommend this caliber to those out there who want magnum performance without magnum recoil. Could you add a little explanation of why/how twist/spin rate make any given bullet/velocity shoot flatter? 1. It is an ideal choice for deer-sized game in open country, and a fine choice for mountain game. History: The .338 Lapua comes to us in the 80s as an extreme Long-Range rifle caliber intended to extend the snipers capabilities in desert and mountainous terrain. Some could even say that this caliber has created quite the fanboy following. Just remember, when choosing your Long Range cartridge, every metric counts and affects overall performance. Other than that, the projectiles will always be available. Since its inception, the .308 has remained the most popular choice of Long Range shooters, snipers, and hunters. Many shooters claim the .224 has about half of the felt recoil as a .308. 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. Great Article!! Take your time, watch some videos, and use the above parameters to make your decision. Appropriate hunting bullets may not reach these levels of B.C. Heck, I cant even find agreement on maximum muzzle velocities in handloading manuals from Speer, Hornady, Nosler, Berger, Swift, Hodgdon, Norma, Sierra, Barnes Furthermore, just because the manual lists those speeds does not mean your rifle will deliver them. Projectiles can be found anywhere with nearly any grain-weight in its class, for those of you who reload. Simply speaking, the BC refers to how well a bullet navigates gravity, air density, and wind. It is a flat shooting cartridge, able to hit a target at 300 yards with negligible hold over. Also, experience firing large bore calibers is advised. I would be interested to see how the 6mm GT compares to the .243 and 6 Creed and even the 6.5 Creed. Im not going to dive too deep down that rabbit-hole, or even techniques to help. and MV do. Only B.C. Impressive, comprehensive, is packed with useful information. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. Barrel Life: These magnum rounds love to kill barrels. 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. However, I have a question to ask you. If Ive left out an obvious winner or near winner, write in and state your case. With available projectiles ranging from 40 grains up to 90, MVs could also range from 3400 to 2600 fps. This topic of long-range calibers is debated across many different disciplines including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, Hunting, etc. Take a look at the MPBR column and note how close they all are. to maintain sustained Long Range flight. Until now, bolt action rifles only. For the average shooter looking to get into Long Range shooting, turn away and run to the smaller guys. Expect about $5.50 per round. Factory ammo isnt heavily available; expect to pay around $1.75 per round. To date, the .300 NM will be a bolt action system only. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. Impeccable analysis here. For the reloading enthusiasts, this gives another round to be excited for. Initial Thoughts: This cartridge will always hold a special place in my heart. You can certainly find uppers to piece onto your AR-10 lower. If you are inexperienced, youre in luckbecause todays Long Range shooting community is being flooded by great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges. Sportsman could use the same rifle used for groundhogs and coyotes, as for deer. A flat shooting cartridge matters. For serious shooters, thats a non-starter. Excellent work!! Ive included different bullet weights/BCs for most rounds to illustrate how BC changes drop at longer ranges. Mag. The 6mmCM excels amongst the PRS community and even long-range hunting. A pencil barrel and light-weight wooden stock, the .308 can feel pretty sharp. 26 Nosler, the . Im not going to dive too deep into terminal ballistics for the purpose of this article. numbers which are not quite as accurate as G7 numbers in predicting trajectories of todays wildly long, sleek bullets. .243 Winchester is still a viable option for most East Coast White Tails and Mid-West Prairie Dogs. (not the bullet Id choose for this beast, just puts it nicely in line with the others), What does that do for you at regular ranges? Cross-Platform Use: This case was designed to be used out of the AR platform for PRS (Precision Rifle Series) matches. The .243 WSSM was a freaky-accurate little cartridge with great muzzle velocity but could have been so much more with better brass. Few AR-10s exist that can fire the .300WM. So when I speak of overall practicality, I would steer people towards a round that is attainable in an easily bought rifle. The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. With the right rifle, the .300WM can be a very smooth shooting set-up. For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. Mag. What is your mission? Thinking that its deficiencies compared to newer calibers are mainly its moderate BC bullets due to cartridge length, I thought I might try reloading long with something like the 225gr ELDM. 30-06. The .300 Norma Magnum comes to us from the .338 Norma Magnum, necked down to accept a .30 cal projectile. 6.5 projectiles hold a reputation of great BCs. An F-Class shooter engages the 1,000-yard target at the Wendover, Utah, Air Force range (inactive). 28 Nosler, the . I would also be interested to see how the .280 AI with 180 Bergers stacked up to, say, the .300 Win Mag with selected 190 grain SMK. The ammo was considerably lighter, meaning the rifles could be lighter. Like I said, each discipline and personality will favor a certain caliber. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. Barrel Life: Since the .260 is not firing heavy bullets over 2,900 fps, the barrel life can be similar to other 6.5mm cartridges in its classabout 2,500-3,500 rounds. But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! 260 Rem 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. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. Perhaps the most impressive display of marksmanship is true long-range shooting. Several other .30 cal magnum rounds were designed at the time, but the .300 Winchester Magnum was the only one of the lot, to stand the test of time. Is it the most accurate? For all-around optimal performance, the projectile weight needs to be in the 140gr+ range. Using Berger 140gr VLD projectiles G1: 0.593 G7: 0.304, Muzzle: 2,266 ft-lbs 500m: 1,174 ft-lbs 1,000m: 535 ft-lbs 1,500m: 296 ft-lbs. 36 in. Gravity impacts all objects the same. In order to find this value, usually, a ballistic solution software would have to compute the RE, on what is called a Range Card. Little information is out there on 6.5 PRC barrel life. They have 1 particular cartridge thats something of a hot-shot for flat shooting, long distance devastation; the Weatherby .30-378. Basically, whatever. I'm looking for the flattest cartridge to 400-500yds from a 20" barrel that would be suitable for coyotes obviously. Both SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the US Army have selected the .300 Norma Magnum as their hottest and newest sniper rifle cartridge. bullet twice that far. For most amateurs, it is not feasible to swap barrels every 1,500-2,000 rounds. A 3 mph breeze at the shooter can become a 20 mph roar in the canyon halfway to the target. I love that you have gone above and beyond here and I see tremendous value in this knowledge. Those of you who reload can stretch the Valkyrie by playing with different powders, bullet seating depths, and projectile types. Both are 338-378 Wby. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. To explain Transonic Range, think about the physics of a football. Ammo Availability: Several factory loads do exist on the market today. How To Purchase The Right Chef Knife That Is Highly Efficient? The newest variants of all service sniper rifles have options chambered in the classic Long Range caliber. The only downside we found with this gun is the cartridge design. A 6.5 PRC build certainly will not be cheap, so if you are a beginner or limited on budget, this is not the caliber for you. What is your goal? BUT, just keep in mind that sticking to one caliber, and being able to use that caliber in multiple systems does have advantages. With help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the .308 took the world by storm. As said before, I come from a different world. Just curious have you ever looked at the 284 Winchester for flat shooting. 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. Drop at 1000: 158 inches (best in test). Expect to see 2,500-3,000 rounds out of your barrel. 17 Best Long Range Calibers in 2023 (Ranked by a Marine Sniper), This topic may be daunting to some readers because the actual numerical values in which we represent a projectiles Ballistic Coefficient seem like arbitrary numbers. Average price per round$1.00. It is a product of natural selection and evolutionthe best features of several classic LR rounds fused into one. 500m: 2,364 ft-lbs. 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