best caliber for 2,000 yard competition

rifle, you can find a factory load that shoots well in it. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. The higher the BC number, the more aerodynamic and better performing the projectile will be. However, given the choice, there are drastically more capable cartridges. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 1316 ft-lbs 500m: 470 ft-lbs 1000m: 165 ft-lbs 1500m: 108 ft-lbs. The .30-06 is such a classic sniper rifle round, I could not leave it out of the running. Overall Practicality: Unless you are a military sniper, this round has almost zero practicality. His favorite caliber at the time for LR competition shooting was the 6.5CM. Do you have the equipment and knowledge to reload? Great article, bringing in all the relevant points. 5. This cartridge is one of the most capable rounds I have ever shot. 500m: 1,866 ft-lbs. This allows 300 PRC rifles to handle ultra-long .30-caliber bullets with high ballistic coefficients. At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Long Range Calibers in 2022. 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. The average price per round will be close to $2.00. This also means barrel life will vary greatly. Because this cartridge is so new, ammo prices are going to be high. My point is, I would sacrifice picking that absolute top-performing round because it most likely will cost you resources that could be used on training or trigger time. The 6.8 Western sounds like a great idea, except that in the .277 genre, even the 175 grain Sierras lag behind in BC compared to lighter bullets in the 6.5 arena. The downfall? Instructional Tools for Modern Sight Alignment Training. are tough to beat. Even though I love my Creedmoors, my 7mm Rem. Luckily, Steve Ream and Rusty Newton worked together to spot for me, and brought me onto the plate to make a fourth-round impact. Sniper teams were already comfortable with the way a 308 performed. In his spare time, he is an avid gun collector, hunter, and outdoorsman. It also induced instability that rendered the round unstable and inaccurate at 800 yards and beyond. A rifle's precision depends on the tightness of the groupings it shoots or the MOA (Minute of Angle) it holds. The .308 Win case has a nice even powder burn and has readily available brass for reloading. It is also the most popular caliber for the most popular and modular riflethe AR-15. After seeing such success with its flagship cartridge, Hornady wanted to take the Creedmoor to the next level. The rest of the targets from T1 to T4 went well, and I cleaned T4, going 5-for-5 at 1,942 yards. The 6.5 PRC joined an ever-expanding field of 6.5mm (.264 in.) ), neither of which is conducive to good accuracy. Now they use special loads and heavy 77 or 80 grain bullets which the. Remington 7MM Magnum is the save the ranch rifle. The Long Range community has been pushing the envelope more and more. The projectiles dont carry a lot of mass, therefore their stopping power is limited. 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. The .308s biggest weakness is the lack of propellant capacity to push heavy-for-caliber, super-aerodynamic bullets at useful velocities. As said before, I come from a different world. They get down range faster and this diminishes the time that gravity and wind have to act upon them. This round impresses the hell out of me. The average price per round will be around $2.00. The .300 Norma Magnum comes to us from the .338 Norma Magnum, necked down to accept a .30 cal projectile. Here you can see the results of the inaugural 2k Yard competition from the Elite Long Range Competition (A dedicated 2K yard match geared towards groups, not purely hits) . Better are the 175-, 178- and 180-grain bullets, if they can be pushed fast enough. So like the 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have a .308, you can have two calibers in one rifle action with a new barrel. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. Anecdotally, PRS shooters are having to change barrels once per year. Some products out there exist for use in an AR-10 platform but the PRC is born within the bolt-gun family. Without a muzzle brake or suppressor, the .338 Lapua Magnum offers a challenging recoil experience. Initial Thoughts. Basically, whatever. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 140gr ELD Match, 2,750 fps. Overall Practicality: 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. 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. So like the 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have a .308, you can have two calibers in one rifle action with a new barrel. Muzzle: 4,186 ft-lbs. With available projectiles ranging from 40 grains up to 90, MVs could also range from 3400 to 2600 fps. The military changed its need for the .30-06 as its primary infantry weapon cartridge. 10. When buying precision off-the-shelf ammo, most of the time you will not have the luxury of thumbing through several different BCs of the same caliber and ammo manufacturer. Its built along the principles of modern cartridge design. By using the same overall magazine length dimension, the 6.5 could still use the STANAG (NATO dimension) magazine pattern. I also love that this cartridge can be fired from standard Long-Action receivers. Availability in stores could be troublesome unless shopping at a Cabelas/Bass Pro Shop. Its supersonic to 1,750 yards at sea level, almost making that one-mile mark. Do your homework. 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. 1,500m: 306 ft-lbs. The fact that if the .308 was good enough for our boys in Viet Nam, then it sure as hell is good enough for me. For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. The name .30-06 refers to the caliber, .30, and the year, 1906when this round was developed by the US Army. Even so, I was holding 10 mils over the target, for a total of 78 mils of elevation. No cartridge since the .30-06 has had such a fundamental effect on the way American precision shooters view long-range shooting as has the 6.5 Creedmoor. I think this cartridge will prove useful to the long range community in the future. Snipers were forced to choose a limited range bolt-action rifle or the completely overpowered M82/M107. The components for reloading are also readily available. Like many of the Volquartsen rimfires, it's good for hunting and precision shooting. Other than that, the projectiles will always be available. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 225gr ELD-Match, MV: 2,840 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: 225gr ELDM G1: 0.712 G7: 0.365. Mag. Since then, it has become a popular option for those who hunt big game or enjoy shooting at distance with AR-15s. A lot of the newer, ultra-flat cartridges take a good deal of reloading knowledge to successfully harness their ability. And here, the 6.5 PRC shines as well. For those lucky enough to be able to own and fire a .338 rifle, you know what I mean. For a rifle platform, this caliber is great for building a highly modular and dynamic setup. If you are looking for exceptional, hard-hitting, flat performance, you might want to consider the .300 PRC. One big drawback to the Valkyrie is the same as the .223. A good judge of success of a caliber is how long it has been relevant. (1,269) combining for more than 2,000 yards . The recoil is almost non-existent. You can readily find these rounds online. I just want to see more of the market available to the 6CM. Ammo Availability: Ammo is available online, however, it is not cheap. This is especially important to those of you who reload and can tailor a custom load for your rifle. Several factory loads do exist on the market today. Rule of thumb: 30-50 fps for every inch of the barrel either gained or lost. In the competitions I shoot, we regularly stretch the shots to 1,300 yards or so. The sheer muzzle energy from these bigger calibers is beyond impressive. Easy and fun to shoot. This cartridge was designed to deliver devastating .30 cal Magnum performance. Bergara B-14 HMR. 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. Either way it is flexible for your mission. Is your rifle shooting steel or live targets? In this video, MDT's Ryan Mclean builds a rifle with $2,000 to see if it can shoot 2,000 Yards. Overall Practicality: For the experienced Long Range hunter, I think this is a great caliber to consider. Mag., .338 Win. Early pioneers were Ruger, GA Precision, Hornady, and Savage. Average price per round$1.00. Keep your gear handy when it's not on your belt. Barnes, Hornady, Federal, and Berger all make loads ranging from $0.60-$1.30 per round. Today, the primary platform is the bolt action (long action) rifle. .223 Remington/5.56 NATO - Old Faithful Assorted 5.56 Rounds (XM193, XM855, Gold Medal 69gr) 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 more than capable of shooting over 500 yards with accuracy. Without, this cartridge should be shot by older more experienced enthusiasts. Lapua has offered cases off and on for several years, enabling accuracy-obsessed shooters to make the most of the 7mm SAUM. The .338 Lapua comes to us in the 80s as an extreme Long-Range rifle caliber intended to extend the. With help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the .308 took the world by storm. Simply speaking, the BC refers to how well a bullet navigates gravity, air density, and wind. I do believe the market will catch up to this round. Could you make a brief mention of these calibers and perhaps another that could be added? Many hunters still use this cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat flying exterior ballistics. Although they exist, it is not very feasible or common to find gas systems that will feed the longer, magnum cartridges (i.e. Thats for another day. Ammo Availability: .243 Winchester is still a viable option for most East Coast White Tails and Mid-West Prairie Dogs. During its launch in 1997, the .260 was still on par with other wildcats. It gives you that extra boost in MV to cut the wind more effectively. Overall Practicality: Incredible mid to long-range performance. Overall Practicality: For the Long Range hunting community, I would argue that the .30-06 still has a place in this world. The 6.5 Creedmoor, which was introduced seven years before the movie, was just receiving so-so interest. While the retained velocity and energy is 1937 fps / 1500 ft-lb and 1656 fps / 1096 ft-lb at 600 and 800 yards. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. Think the 6.5 Creedmoor is no more than a 1,000-yard cartridge? For hunters, the Grendel offers many different projectiles for different terminal effects. 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. Just like any new and exciting caliber that is designed specifically for the LR community, I know the performance will be top-notch. drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. The 6.5 Grendel comes to us in 2003 from Alexander Arms. Some compare it to the .260 or 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5x47mm Lapua is known to be very accurate. A good muzzle brake or suppressor is advised. This cartridge as it stands is perfect for a PRS shooter. Still less than the classic .308 Winchester. Im very glad I read it and committed to the round. Many of the contenders are based on the 6mm Benchrest cartridge. While absolute best-possible performance is usually achieved through handloading, the 6.5 Creedmoor typically provides unprecedented factory-load accuracy. Expect that to change as ammunition manufacturers start to get a handle on the current ammunition shortage and catch up with the times. However, thats probably because until 2017, Lapua brass (widely regarded as the best in the world) wasnt available in 6.5 Creedmoor, which is a direct competitor to Lapuas own 6.5mm. The caliber in question will likely perform erratically past its TR value. He wanted an even lighter-recoiling cartridge with the same performance, so the 6mm Creedmoor was born. And the AR-10 was designed SPECIFICALLY for the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. After the film it skyrocketed to stardom. Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. As to be expected, the 6mm Creedmoor is still a young cartridge. Rather than the 3,000 to 5,000 rounds a careful shooter gets out of a 6.5 Creedmoor, most 6mm Creedmoors are burned out by the 2,000-round mark, and many last fewer than 1,500 rounds. 500m: 2,621 ft-lbs. Barrel Life: The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. Subscriber Services. Even though primarily technical, it somehow makes a very enjoyable and mentally stimulating read. This topic of long-range calibers is debated across many different disciplines including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, Hunting, etc. You have more knowledge in your non-dominant pinky than I have. Cross-Platform Use: We all know that AR-10s of the past could never keep up in accuracy with a bolt gun. Overall best performance for the cost and practicality is the goal. Most modern shooters are very familiar with the AR-15 design. Overall Practicality: I argue that you will not find a more practical Long Range caliber in this list. Also, terminal performance on larger targets has proven weak at best (one large reason the .243 never caught on with the military). .308 Winchester. Easy and fun to shoot. 1,000m: 437 ft-lbs. Any shooter of any age can comfortably shoot the Valkyrie without feeling recoil fatigue. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and were now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Length-of-pull and comb height adjustments help fit the rifle to any shooter. Where are you getting 223 / 556 for 30 cent a round? For the average shooter looking to get into Long Range shooting, turn away and run to the smaller guys. The Best 22 Rifles: Reviews & Recommendations Savage Mark II FV SEE IT Specs Barrel Length: 21 inches Weight: 5.5 Pounds Capacity: 5+1 Pros Affordable Lightweight Great for youth hunters Cons. Most off the shelf set-ups are going to be on the high end of the market so the 6mm CM is not ideal for a beginner shooter. Inside 1,000, shooters dont really need its horsepower. That changed in 1997 when Remington standardized many 6.5 wildcats based on the .308 Winchester. There is no shortage of amazing cartridges that offer dazzling performance at extended ranges. Barrel Life: Because projectile options can range anywhere from 120gr to 230gr, projectile weights and MVs vary greatly. Published Mar 29, 2021 5:12 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. BUCK DOYLE Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: .260 Remington (130-grain Berger AR Hybrid OTM Tactical) GEORGE HAWTHORN Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: 6.5 Creedmoor. That still is a general rule of thumb today, but they have come a long way. I see this more for the shooter that needs terminal performance. You dream it, and it can be done. To this day, the .300WM is still a very popular choice amongst Long Range hunters and military snipers. 500m: 2,115 ft-lbs 1,000m: 937 ft-lbs. Reloading components can be found nearly anywhere. Charged with Reloder 19 and 22 powders, the round performed well at 1,000 yards during the Navys accuracy testing with the extreme spreads of the groups measuring 10.79 and 10.68 inches respectively. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. About 30 minutes later, after the other shooters had cycled through, I was able to get back on my gun and try for the long plate. Although it isnt the flattest shooting round, that trait is, ironically, overrated in a long-range round. An MOA rifle shoots a one-inch group at 100 yards; a 5-inch group shoots 500 yards. Muzzle: 4,677 ft-lbs. Daniel Defense Delta 5 6. Mag. Now that we have laid out the calibers in question, next, lets go over the parameters in choosing the best round for you. So, why do so many top PRS competitors choose to shoot the 6mm Creedmoor? Either way it is flexible for your mission. I have been doing a lot of reading which suggest the 300 is better for 1000 yards whereas the 308 is more typically used at 800 yards and closer. But theres another thing thats making hitting at extreme distances easier and thats several modern rifle cartridges that have been introduced since the turn of the century. To put that in perspective, seven-thousands of an inch is the equivalent thickness of two sheets of paper. Give this round a few years for the market to catch up. I ended up going with a 6.5 PRC for target shooting, and this article was a factor in that decision. Youve already come here, which shows you are willing to read. 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. For hunters, the Grendel offers many different projectiles for different terminal effects. The possibilities are endless with the .223. Learn More . If we get another iteration of this article in the years to come, we may have the opportunity to see. The .300 Winchester Magnum was developed in 1963 by Winchester itself. A .308 caliber flat nose, a 150-gr bullet has a 0.185 ballistic coefficient. In your opinion is the 6.5 Creedmoor going to eventually put out to pasture the 30-06 and the .308? NRA Women | Is Ballistic Coefficient Irrelevant? The .300 PRC delivers phenomenal Long Range performance. Barrel Life on the .243 can range anywhere from 1,500 rounds to 3,000. The average barrel life will be 1,500-2,000 rounds. Most of these calibers are also fairly expensive to shoot in both ammo and barrel replacements. | There are plenty of factory guns and ammunition to choose from, and it is an easy cartridge to reload. Heres his account of the achievement, which took place at the Spearpoint Ranch in Barnard, Kansas, on March 27. Slightly more than the .308 Winchester. The bullets are pointed up in our Bullet Pointing Die System and are moly-coated. 1,000m: 585 ft-lbs. History: The .300 Norma Magnum comes to us from the .338 Norma Magnum, necked down to accept a .30 cal projectile. Some products out there exist for use in an AR-10 platform but the PRC is born within the bolt-gun family. As it passes through Transonic Range, the vapor cone dissipates, leaving the bullet exposed to turbulent, dirty air. Projectiles will be available but brass might not be. With a suppressor on the .300 Norma Magnum, the recoil still isnt all that bad. Due to the popularity of the cartridge, 6.5CM ammo can be found almost anywhere. We will be discussing: Muzzle Velocity, Ballistic Co-efficient, Remaining Energy, Transonic Range, Recoil Condition, Cross-Platform Use, Ammo Availability, Barrel Life, and Overall Practicality. Being developed in 2017, most ammo is going to come from reloading. hit its first major stumble. Thats what happened with Norma. Remington 700 5R 10. Turns out my confidence in the round was not misplaced. For hunting at extended ranges, the 6.5 PRC and .300 Win. Also a great option for novice or seasoned hunters who want a great flat shooting rifle that can take groundhogs or deer just by changing the ammo. I was particularly blown away by the range of the 6.5 Grendel. 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. At 600 and 800 yards the drop is 65 and 137 inches, respectively. So for those of you seeking a bolt-gun build, keep in mind that your standard factory options will be very limited. brass is all neck turned to .0125-inch thickness." Unique loading process: "I load my ammo on a Dillon 650. Due to its age and relevance today, the .308 has proven itself for over 65 years! Using the same bullets, it will generate about 250 fps more velocity, but recoil still remains reasonably tolerable. 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. Im too old and worn out for the magnums. Then theres the matter of personal preference. Its use today is limited to medium to big-game hunting; bolt action only. That one-millimeter difference means a large increase in MV. On the downside, the Dasher can be finicky with respect to feeding since it is so short and has a steep 40-degree shoulder. When thinking of muzzle velocity, a faster round is not always better. Definitely a dark horse in the competition cartridge realm, the 7mm SAUM is quietly used by competitors who know it and love it to trounce those who dont. With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the recoil is definitely manageable. With low case volume and slower MVs, the Grendel is an ideal cartridge for barrel life. Bro, do you even long range? 1,500m: 362 ft-lbs. Is Hornady's 6 mm ARC the Best AR-15 Round Ever Made? Saying all that to say this: The next updated version of this article likely wont see many changes unless it is 10 years or more removed and we get some new things with real utility and promise. The 6.5 has even made its way into the SOCOM sniper community. I had to zoom out to about 17x in order to do that, putting the 11-mil mark on my Mil-C reticle right at the bottom of the image. The two most common BCs used are G1 and G7 below: If you notice the G7 profile has a more streamlined design. The 6 mm Creedmoor will not quite equal .243 Winchester muzzle velocities, but because of its specified 1:7.5-inch twist rate, it will handle more aerodynamic bullets, which makes it perform better at distance. Ultimately, we cannot deny that this round was replaced by better options. 1,000m: 1,451 ft-lbs 1,500m: 722 ft-lbs. Recoil Condition: Now that we are pushing a 140gr projectile up to nearly 3,000 fps, the recoil will slightly increase over the 6.5 Creedmoor. High-end AR-10s can regularly maintain sub-MOA accuracy. By using the same overall magazine length dimension, the 6.5 could still use the STANAG (NATO dimension) magazine pattern. KIDD Innovations KIDD has a variety of aftermarket accessories to build your own rimfire or upgrade an existing one. The .300 PRC delivers phenomenal Long Range performance. And since it uses the ever-popular 6.5 projectiles, components are relatively cheap. However, out of identical rifles the Valkyrie generates about 20 percent less recoil. Mag. Thats when I was approached by another shooter who said I hit the bottom right portion of the plate, and I looked through his spotter to confirm. You had to hit T6 at 2,203 to advance to the far plates. We had fog until 10 a.m. and couldnt shoot until it cleared off. in earnest, awarding a contract to Federal Cartridge Co., in 1987 to produce .300 Win. Serious PRS competition shooters may argue that the 6.5x47 Lapua actually holds more places in the PRS top 50 spots, and thats true. Recoil Condition: For being a long and hard-hitting round, the 6.5 CM still maintains a lower felt recoil. The rifle that made the record-setting 4,137-yard shot is chambered in 33XC. Ryan Cheney The Specs Rifle: GA Precision Custom Cartridge: 33XC Action: Defiance Deviant Tactical Stock: Manners F-Class Trigger: Triggertech Diamond Two-Stage Barrel: 35-inch Bartlein with a 9.5 twist Muzzle brake: Terminator T4 Prior, only dedicated .338 Lapua Magnum receivers could handle the round. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. I tend to like popular calibers for off the shelf ammo availability and cost, so the gun doesnt just sit in the safe. Performance in the field is another. The world finally caught on that bigger and louder, does not equate to better performance at extended ranges. Nostalgia for my earliest days in deer camp. That same rifle can shoot my hand-loaded 175 grain Sierra Match Kings at 0.4-0.5 MOA at 100m. Quite a few of the more serious PRS shooters now have a dedicated, specialized rifle chambered in .223 just for such matches. With regard to time-of-flight and trajectory, out to 1,000 yards its right on the heels of the 6 mm ARC. We all have scores of 5.56 mags laying aroundwhy not beef up that system? I would expect to see 6,000-8,000+. I had no issue staying on target for a follow-up shot. By efficiently boosting high-ballistic coefficient (BC) projectiles at useful velocities in a case and chamber designed for inherent accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor enables shooters to consistently connect with 1,000-yard targets (and beyond in the case of a savvy shooter). . Its also a great option for those interested in close to medium range varmint hunting. Greatly extended range external and terminal ballistic performance at the cost of barrel life.

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