It offers exceptional accuracy and a decent range for shooters who do not have Long Range facilities available. The numbers are beyond impressive. 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. Right now, there is no loaded ammo and barely any brass available from Alpha and GAP. [Editors note: At 1,000 yards, this puts the shot more than 200 feet above the ground.] 5. Greatly extended range external and terminal ballistic performance at the cost of barrel life. The history lesson was GREAT! The 338LM at 4000+ rounds a great rifle and round but wanted more consistency past 2000 yards. Even so, I was holding 10 mils over the target, for a total of 78 mils of elevation. Buying my first 308 soon in AR a first as wella double adventure! 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. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. Can A $2,000 Rifle Shoot 2,000 Yards? - YouTube The info on barrel life added a lot of depth. The projectile still punched through steel at one mile! They wanted a superior hunting and LR cartridge with similar trajectories as the .300 WM, but with less powder use and recoil. His favorite caliber at the time for LR competition shooting was the 6.5CM. Muzzle Velocity: MV values for the .224 vary from 2,700 fps (90 grain projectiles) to 3,400 fps (60 grain projectiles). .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. This caliber is one of the most popular and widely used centerfire cartridges in the world. I like the idea of basically a short-action .300 Win Mag. You can expect to pay about $1.00 per round at most online retailers. No. The lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward like the 175gr+ class of projectiles from bigger bores. So having the mission flexibility to own a heavy, long-barreled bolt gun AND a lightweight, semi-auto gas gun that fires the same familiar roundis priceless. The big advantage and why the .260 became so popular was that it could easily be necked up or down by using other standard rifle cartridges, making reloading a breeze. Based on the .375 Ruger cartridge case, the 300 PRC uses the 0.532-inch bolt face and has a 30-degree shoulder, and like with all of the modern long-range cartridges, one key to the performance of the 300 PRC is the mandated fast twist rate. I am not here to say that this round or that round is the best for a military sniper or a bench rest shooter. The .243 does not have enough. That is an on-the-spot selection. With low recoil and flat trajectories, the .260 is another great option for someone interested in Long Range shooting. they have come a long way. 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. Thats for another day. However, because of the lack of interest in the market, ammo is pretty expensive and interest in the caliber is limited to bench rest shooters. Picking six top long-range competition-cartridges was hard because various long-range disciplines apply a vast spread of demands, and many such as Palma and Service Rifle have cartridge-specific regulations. One needs look no further than how the 6.5 Creedmoor and its kin have fared in precision rifle competitions, winning time and again when the shots are on small targets at 1,000 yards or more. Mag. The 6.5 Creedmoor has made a name for being one of the best overall performing and versatile calibers for the Long Range market. You most likely will have to compromise on certain aspects. Take the Lapua and shorten the case so it can be fired from a standard Long Action. Barrel Life. Shockingly, the average price per round is $4.75. As it passes through Transonic Range, the vapor cone dissipates, leaving the bullet exposed to turbulent, dirty air. .223 Remington/5.56mm, .224 Valkyrie, .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Grendel. 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. Im too old and worn out for the magnums. Sierras 80-grain MatchKing is a profoundly good choice for extreme-range shooting with the .223/5.56, a fact borne out by a glance at a list of National Match winners. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. Budget speaking, the 6.5 Grendel is much more of a value in rifle and ammo costs than the AR-10 class of calibers. . To explain Transonic Range, think about the physics of a football. When firing with the .300NM at 1,000m, you get that same feeling. is the perfect Goldilocks round. Thats why the .243 Winchester became the most popular 6 mm rifle cartridgeit utilizes a 1:10-inch twist. Ryan Cheney behind the rifle he used to set a record 4,137-yard shot in competition. I still like this cartridge for a bolt gun though. The fact is rifle shooters have never had it so good. In 2008, the cartridge was introduced not to expand upon the capabilities of the .338, but the possibilities. 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. Best Long Range Rifle Scopes in 2023 [Hands-On] Barrel Life: The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. Head to Head: .22-250 Remington vs. .224 Valkyrie | An Official Journal Of The NRA, First Look: Mission First Tactical Multi Mount, Is It Right For You? Ammo Availability: Several factory loads do exist on the market today. The .284 Winchester (7MM) is very popular with bench rest shooters. It shoots far and flat, it doesnt kick, and it doesnt break the bank. The key to the Dasher and these other rounds is their consistency. A lot can actually affect the observed recoil of a Long Range rifle. Other cartridges have come along in recent times that are designed better than the .300 Win. I fear that is about all this round is targeted for. 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. Whats not to love? Some could even say that this caliber has created quite the fanboy following. Ammo is available online, however, it is not cheap. 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. drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Muzzle Velocity: MVs range from 2,500 fps (130gr projectile) to 2,880 fps (90gr projectile). Real-world shooting of this round is even more impressive. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. This means that the projectile will reach its Transonic Range at a further distance; increasing its overall effective range. Barrel Life: Finding barrel life data can be tricky, especially for a round that has only been alive for 3 years. The .308 would have a slight advantage in barrel life, Im sure. It can be challenging to find even the ubiquitous 6.5 Creedmoor ammo or brass at the current stage of the Great Shortage. This is one of the most helpful and actionable articles I have seen. Exceedingly well written and informative article. The 6.5 PRC was born at the 2018 SHOT Show. rounds to their specs. For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. Mil/LE and Hunting communities need the RE factor for hard-hitting, threat/animal stopping performance. To take the 6.5CM and add MV to the equation, pure joy happens. Weve never had it so good when it comes to picking among the best long-range calibers to shoot. Surprisingly due to the case volume to bore area ratio, barrel life is impressive for a cartridge of this size. Thank you for your service. From what can be expected, the .224 wears a little bit more than the .223, approx. 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. 1,000m: 585 ft-lbs. To salvage the project, the Navy switched to 185-grain Lapua FMJs, which went into production in 1990. Stinnett said he would take the 6.5 Grendel brass made by Lapua and run it through a sizing die until the shoulder is pushed back far enough to chamber. For the average shooter looking to get into Long Range shooting, turn away and run to the smaller guys. For hunters, medium-game will be the limit of this caliber. You could say that the 6 mm Creedmoor story started in 1955 with the introduction of the .244 Remington, which was a .257 Roberts cartridge necked down to 6 mm. Muzzle Velocity: The .243 Winchester has a large MV range; from 3,025 fps (105 grain projectile) to 4,058 fps (55 grain projectile). Esoteric hardly touches on Stinnetts gear and is part of the reason his record might stand for decades before anyone bests it. 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. The most accurate long-range caliber cant be reduced to a single answer. 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. This is partly because of modern rifles and optical sights, but also partly because of the availability of laser range finders and very accurate, easy to operate, ballistic programs that work on smart phones. The .300 WSM steals the performance of a .300 WM and transforms it down to a short-action rifle. Also because of how popular and available it is, the 6.5 comes in around $0.75 to $1.25 per round, making it very affordable to shoot compared to other high-performing LR calibers. Prior to this round, there was no bridge between 7.62x51mm and .50 BMG. In order to do so, their already proven case, the 6.8 SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge) was necked down to fit a .22 caliber projectile. The .300 PRC delivers phenomenal Long Range performance. Recoil Condition: You are definitely going to feel less recoil than a .308. 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. Mag. Take your time, watch some videos, and use the above parameters to make your decision. Why even mention such an antiquated round? The intended use and shooters budget play a major role in determining which is best. If a shooter is looking for nothing better than deer-killing accuracy at 200 yards, then there are plenty of cartridges that fit the bill, and there isnt anything to argue about. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. This is especially important to those of you who reload and can tailor a custom load for your rifle. How do you want your rifle to perform? Both SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the US Army have selected the .300 Norma Magnum as their hottest and newest sniper rifle cartridge. I was particularly blown away by the range of the 6.5 Grendel. Is it the fastest? I was so familiar with how those rounds acted in high crosswinds and how they performed through Transonic. Because this cartridge is so new, ammo prices are going to be high. 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. Needless to say youre not going to find one of these rifles, or the ammo, on your gun store shelf anytime soon. Also, no mention of the .375 & .408 Chey Tac, the 416 Barrett, and of course the .50 BMG. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Ultimately, we cannot deny that this round was replaced by better options. Over the years the round has set numerous records in 600- and 1,000-yard benchrest competitions, so when the PRS started to catch on in 2012, it wasnt long before those shooters started looking at this stubby little round. On the plus side, barrel life is outstanding. Overall Practicality: The .223 is an excellent choice for an inexperienced and/or younger shooter. Though its unlikely the 6.5 PRC will ever be as popular as the 6.5 Creedmoor, it has been well received and several new 6.5 PRC loads were introduced for 2021. The components for reloading are also readily available. Think the 6.5 Creedmoor is no more than a 1,000-yard cartridge? Factory ammo isnt heavily available; expect to pay around $1.75 per round. That changed in 1997 when Remington standardized many 6.5 wildcats based on the .308 Winchester. Using the same bullets, it will generate about 250 fps more velocity, but recoil still remains reasonably tolerable. All in all, if you are new to the LR community and have an heirloom .243 in the family and that is it, re-barrel it and work on fundamentals. In the future, maybe the Over .30 Cal Club will find some traction in the AR- world. APRIL 29 ROSCHON TO BEARS The Cowboys want to take a running back somewhere in this Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but that guy won't be a favored Longhorn. As for PRS shooters, with great flat trajectories and low-recoil, follow-up shots are a breeze. Get the gist? I like the idea of taking the .223/5.56 concept and stretching its legs. It could be argued the 6.5 Creedmoor started the current long-range shooting craze. To comply with the rules of warfare that prohibited the use of hollow-point ammunition, Federal had to burnish the tips of the 180-grain Sierra Matchkings they were loading. ), neither of which is conducive to good accuracy. Below, is an example of a Range Card computed by the Applied Ballistics software. Ive also dabbled in the world of ELR shootingmeaning Extreme Long Rangeshooting to 2,000 yards and beyond with the Remington Custom Shop 300 PRC I had built for that purpose. So when I speak of overall practicality, I would steer people towards a round that is attainable in an easily bought rifle. ELR - Beyond 1000 Yards . The 6.5 Grendel comes to us in 2003 from Alexander Arms. For average shooters wanting to plink at steel targets on their family farm, this round is far overkill. 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. 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. 500m: 1,123 ft-lbs 1,000m: 394 ft-lbs. The average price per round is $1.75. I still think this cartridge might be a bit on the wildcat side of the market (expensive to shoot and a barrel burner). 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. As a candidate for the best overall long-range caliber. With a suppressor on the .300 Norma Magnum, the recoil still isnt all that bad. 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. Not to mention guys that still compete with and collect old military surplus riflesI see the. I talked to the score keepers watching the target cameras and they confirmed they could see what looked like an impact on the plate as well. To date, the .300 NM will be a bolt action system only. Is it the fastest? Cross-Platform Use: The 6.5 Lapua is primarily a bolt-gun only caliber. Federal was tapped to produce the ammo in 1992, and so the military had a sniper round that slotted between the .308 Win. and .458 Win. You can certainly find uppers to piece onto your AR-10 lower. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 140gr ELD Match, 2,750 fps. 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. A legacy that inspires confidence. 2023 NFL draft: How Eagles' GM found the secret to nailing every pick They are great long-range guns, but not known by the our Armed Forces community. The 6.5 Lapua is primarily a bolt-gun only caliber. in earnest, awarding a contract to Federal Cartridge Co., in 1987 to produce .300 Win. The day started off late. Barrel Life: Again, as most wildcat rounds are concerned, barrel life will not be great. Basically, whatever Gx model is used, will be the standard bullet profile shape to compare off of. No one can deny how terrific a .300 WM performs at extended range. However, the majority of builds will be designed for the bolt action system. This makes the Valkyrie an excellent choice for distance shooting with an MSR. Initial Thoughts: The first time I fired the .300NM I was blown away. Although I dont see this being an entry-level caliber, it could very well lead to a goal for new shooters. However, a variety of match-grade .300 Win. 1,500m: 264 ft-lbs. I like the 300 win mag for above reasons. Any seasoned long-range shooter will tell you that understanding the dynamics of Transonic Range (TR) is critical in overall success. Cross-Platform Use: Few AR-10s exist that can fire the .300WM. The .308s biggest weakness is the lack of propellant capacity to push heavy-for-caliber, super-aerodynamic bullets at useful velocities. Best Sniper & Precision Rifle for Beginners [Ultimate Guide] It excels at 1,000 yards and beyond, and is really at home in long-range, cross-country competitions where distances range from mid to very far and shots are limited. Taking the original .300 Ruger Compact Magnum and necking down to accept the 6.5CM projectiles, Hornady could fire the same projectiles as the 6.5CM but with 250 fps added MV. When we think of benchrest, our minds instantly go to the 6 PPC, which has been a dominant cartridge in benchrest since the 1980s. It is also the most popular caliber for the most popular and modular riflethe AR-15. With the projectile variability and network of knowledge on this cartridge, I think its a great option to build a classic hunting rifle. A standard projectile weight for optimum performance out of the 6CM would be a 105 grain Berger Target VLD @ 3,100fps. The .224 Valkyrie was the child of an experiment by Federal in 2017 to reach into the 1,000-yard competition circuit (which was dominated by the .30 caliber class cartridges) with a small .22 caliber projectile. John B. While there are exceptions, the best of these are too long to feed through the magazine of the M16-type, match-tuned service rifles used for these matches and must be single-fed. That lineup started with the .264 Win. Sportsman could use the same rifle used for groundhogs and coyotes, as for deer. 7 Best Long-Range Cartridges: Hit Stuff Really Far Away 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. We used our training and repetitive experience to put accurate rounds on target, not fancy top-of-the-line rifle builds and hand-loaded bullets. We were always trained to overcome our shortcomings. Factory ammunition can be found nearly anywhere for about 30 cents per round but as stated before, prices range greatly. Including the transonic range and barrel life plus the cost of ammunition was incredibly detailed and much appreciated I couldnt stop reading the article I will hit all the way to the end without stopping. Not ideal for beginners or those who do not reload. Keep your gear handy when it's not on your belt. We often hear about the average self-defense scenario, but the truth is every encounter is unique. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. Although they exist, it is not very feasible or common to find gas systems that will feed the longer, magnum cartridges (i.e. Most service rifle matches include stages at 200, 300 and 600 yards, from various positions, some timed, while others are slow-fire. You cannot pick a better round for the beginner Long Range shooter. Sig Cross Rifle 14. Several factory loads do exist on the market today. To experiment with load developments to craft the ultimate 6.5 bolt gun cartridge. Since then, it has become a popular option for those who hunt big game or enjoy shooting at distance with AR-15s. The 6.5 PRC was born at the 2018 SHOT Show. This topic of long-range calibers is debated across many different disciplines including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, Hunting, etc. With the right rifle, the .300WM can be a very smooth shooting set-up. That being said, to reach out to the big leagues (+1600m) you will definitely need the larger magnum rounds. High ballistic coefficient bullets carry their velocity better. Very nice article. Outstanding long-range match bullets such as Sierras 142-grain MatchKing (SMK) and Hornadys 147-grain ELD Match may be comfortably handloaded to 2,700 feet per second (fps) or more. Barrel Life: Given the projectile weight and MV, I would guess barrel life to degrade around the 2,000 round mark. Taking the original .300 Ruger Compact Magnum and necking down to accept the 6.5CM projectiles, Hornady could fire the same projectiles as the 6.5CM but with 250 fps added MV. The .243 was also a great option for those living in countries that banned the use of military countries (.308 Win/7.62x51mm NATO). Best overall caliber for long range shooting. Recoil Condition: This caliber is known for providing excellent Long Range performance with very light recoil. 1. 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. That being said, there are plenty of commercial options, but the price will be much higher than standard cartridges. You get excellent Long Range performance, with recoil slightly less than the .308 Winchester. Ammo Availability: One of the biggest drawbacks of this round is that ammunition is not readily available and its expensive. Because projectile options can range anywhere from 120gr to 230gr, projectile weights and MVs vary greatly. Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rifle 7. At standardized sea-level atmospherics, it gives shooters legitimate 1,600-yard supersonic capability with the right load. Does it go the farthest? For the Long Range hunting community, I would argue that the .30-06 still has a place in this world. One thing that becomes abundantly clear is that theres a world of difference between a 1,000-yard poke and one that stretches beyond a mile (1,760 yards). What Caliber Is An AR-15? Shortly after leaving the Marine Corps, McMahon became a contractor for the US Army, testing small arms and large caliber weapons for potential military contracts.

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