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. Whether or not thats true, my own success rate at 1,000 yards informs me to always stalk closer if I can and to forego shots at any distance unless Im supremely confident I can make them. Thanks It gives you an MPBR of 336 yards. Roy Weatherby was one of the pioneering cartridge designers of the 20th century, and his line of ultra-fast cartridges have been popular with long-range hunters for decades. Using this very-low-drag (VLD) .308 diameter bullets, the .300 PRC represents the ultimate .300 round for long-range competition. 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. Weatherby. Accommodating long, heavy, high ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets, the 6.5 Creedmoor resists wind drift exceptionally well and enables doubled hit probability at 1,000 meters, compared to .308 Win. Yeah, yeah, I know theyre cartridges and not calibers, but lots of people call them calibers so I thought Id roll with it. It seems a bit odd to consider a .22-caliber cartridge of any design suitable for long-range hunting of . With todays ammunition, its even better. Although the .25-caliber bullets belong to a lighter category, they typically have high ballistic coefficients resulting in a perfect wind bucking ability as well as retaining kinetic energy down-range. But it's so close to the 6.5-300 Wby. at the same distance. Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. HOLOSUN HS510C 2 MOA Dot Or A 65 MOA Ring Open Sig Sauer SOR52001 Romeo5 1x20mm Compact 2 Moa Red HOLOSUN HS507C X2 Circle Dot Solar Failsafe. First, some boundaries. The final two cartridges above are mislabeled. Instead of three digits in the caliber (0.264") of the bullets, the name 26 Nosler refers to the first two digits. So far, I've listed cartridges . Accordingly, the higher ballistic coefficient is better than lower, meaning the bigger the ballistic coefficient number, the better. Just dont try to enumerate its downsides to anyone who knows anything, because there arent any that matter. Its not all hype. Deciding on the three best flat-shooting cartridges does not come down simply to one statistic, but a combination of all the factors inherent to a cartridge. Required fields are marked *. Give a Gift Based on the antique .404 Jeffery cartridge case, the 27 Nosler is the first new .277-caliber rifle cartridge since the .270 Winchester Short Magnum, which was introduced almost 20 years ago. 6.5mm calibers Yep, me too. In fact, we may say that its the only thing that matters; however, factors that lead to time of flight changes are important to consider. Up until that time, there had only really been two .277-caliber hunting cartridgesthe .270 Winchester and the .270 Weatherbyso the .270 WSM was almost immediately popular. Hornady Precision Hunter 212-grain ELD-X at 2,860 fps. .300 Win. But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! The .224 Valkyrie (5.641 mm) is a modern long-range predator hunting cartridge designed primarily to be used in semiautomatic AR platform firearms. Now, one manufacturer specializes in fast, powerful, ridiculous cartridges, and thats Weatherby. Excellent work!! The .300 Norma Magnum was introduced in 2009, and soon, it has begun to gain popularity in the long-range shooting community. The best long-range cartridges are those that are flat shooting, feature aerodynamic projectiles and have enough power to go the distance. Brownings 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing load has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2835 fps and a very high ballistic coefficient. Mag., according to Noslers Handloading Guide 9. Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. The .300 PRC was developed in 2018 when the US Army announced a competition for the new sniper system that will provide a 50-percent hit chance on a man-size target at 2,000 yards. What is the flattest shooting rifle? A 30-06 will take any game on the NA Continent. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The 220 Swift would be my pick for coyotes, rodents, and probably pronghorn if it werent for the wind deflection issue. There are several Nosler cartridges now ranging from .22 to .33 caliber, but the .28 has been a standout in terms of popularity. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. Nevertheless, flat shooting cartridges have long fascinated hunters and driven cartridge development and sales. However, some people believe that the flattest shooting rifle caliber is the .308 Winchester. Your email address will not be published. But you wouldnt want to hunt with it. Ive seen the cartridge flatten whitetails and caribou, and tight tolerances make it capable of excellent accuracy. Some rely on characteristics that helped make the Creedmoor popular, but other popular new rounds strayed from the Creedmoors recipe and still managed to carve out a niche in the rifle market. Although the .300 PRC and its predecessor .375 Ruger have the same .532 case head diameter as the .375 H&H, due to the larger in diameter beltless case, both of them provide a slightly greater powder capacity than the .375 H&H. So what if we shoot further than 300? The 6mm Creedmoor appeared in 2009 and is simply a necked-down version of the 6.5. It introduced the .22-250 Remington in 1965 while the Beatles were dominating the radio with I Feel Fine, Ticket to Ride, Eight Days a Week, Help!, and Yesterday. All RifleShooter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. . 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. RifleShooter Magazine editor Scott Rupp breaks down all the features of the Mossberg Patriot Predator rifle chambered in 6.5 PRC. The newest addition to the Nosler line of proprietary cartridges is the 27 Nosler. Also, youll find more ammo options for the .308 Winchester than any of the others. You can argue that you can get the 243 WSSM shooting flatter, but that cartridge is already considered obsolete. The reason why 6.5mm cartridges are exploding in popularity is because they are ultra-efficient. Most shots are taken at short range, but some experienced marksmen with good rifles, known distances, and good conditions may need to make connections at longer distances. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Unless youre shooting really far. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum. Other than that, excellent site! As a result, the mighty .300 Win Mag features typical bottlenecked, belted Magnum case and overall length of 3.34 inches to fit in standard-length action easily. .22 Caliber Rimfire Cartridges . While few authors claimed that the .300 Norma Mag is capable of 20-round groups as small as four inches at 1,100 yards, some ballistics testing showed that the .300NM equaled the .338 Lapua Magnum out to 2,000 yards. Originally billed as the world's fastest 30-caliber cartridge, the .30/378 will push a 165-grain bullet close to 3,500 fps. If it makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor, go ahead. Just $1 per month , These rounds have the reach and the power to put down big-game animals way out there, By Just saying, excellent job to tell the nature of all calibers for hunting from 100 to 700 yards for medium game. Hornadys 147-grain 6.5 Creedmoor Match load shoots flatter that their .308 168-grain Match load and carries more energy at long range. My third point is to remind you that this is not a scientific, Newtonian examination of all possible permutations of cartridges, bullets, muzzle velocities, and Ballistic Coefficients that determine bullet drop over all distances. If there was ever a cult cartridge, the .280 Ackley Improved is it. Before the arrival of other 6.5mm rounds like 6.547 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor, the .260 Rem was once the dominant 6.5mm cartridge in competitions out to 1,000 yards. This means we can first determine the fastest cartridge in each caliber, then compare it against the fastest in others. If you are using a custom rifle and handloaded ammunition, then the .260 Rem projectiles will remain supersonic all the way out to 1,400 yards. The following table averages multiple loads for each cartridge and shows an average amount of drop at 500 yards and 1,000 yards for each cartridge. Check out more F&S long-range shooting coverage, including advice for getting started in long-range shooting competitions, the reason why rifle groups keep shrinking, how Heavey did at Gunsite Academy, and what makes long-distance shooting so difficult. Advertisement. Roy Weatherby was one of the pioneering cartridge designers of the 20th century, and his line of ultra-fast cartridges have been popular with long-range hunters for decades. If youre after critters deer-size and up, the field is dominated by .30-caliber, 6.5mm, and 7mm cartridges, with the best long-range options remaining supersonic out to at least 1,400 yards. Fantastic information. Mag., a cartridge that the Western also outperforms ballistically. The .17 Rem. The RPM does not have a belt or the customary Weatherby radiused shoulder, and it was designed to go with an ultra-light hunting rifle. Thanks for the half baked artical. Its also based on the 220 Russian/7.62x39mm Russian cartridge, but unlike the Valkyriewhich uses a 0.223-caliber bulletthe Grendel is yet another 6.5. Here's a chart from my Popular Hunting Cartridges Compared article. So its not like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot more leeway on ranging errors for super long range shots. There are EXCEPTIONS to almost EVERYTHING with the huge wide range of ballistic specs due to EXCEPTIONAL things people/companies do with cartridge loads these days, but the article was referencing the NORMS for these rifles, not the EXCEPTIONS based on unusual or exotic cartridges a FEW people will use. 3. Its recipe for success is raw speed: its the fastest of the factory 6.5s, driving a 156-grain Berger Elite Hunter bullet at 3,050 fps from the muzzle and generating over 3,200 foot-pounds of energy. All the following data was computer generated as if all loads were fired from a (simulated) dead flat (level) barrel, so these are pure drops. Hornadys Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. Many of the .22 calibers ie 22-250 lose theor velocity at long range and get blown around in the wind a lot. Despite modest early acceptance the shooting world eventually went crazy for the Creedmoor. Low B.C. Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELDX at 2,960 fps. A 338 Lapua will have 40 inches of drop at 500 yards, 265 inches of drop at 1000 yards and 780 . 243. However, the lead that the 25-06 has is pretty small. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? The 6.5 Creedmoor is developed from a .30 Thompson Center (.30 TC) case, which is narrowed down to shoot .264 bullets. There are a number of a common long-range, dual-purpose rifle chambered in calibers fully capable of making shots at distances up to 1,000 yards and regularly harvest big game with right shot placement. The round also functions in bolt guns, lever guns like the Browning BLR, and AR-10 rifles. Nosler is loading the 27 with their famous AccuBond, which is one of the best big-game bullets ever crafted. Take a look at the MPBR column and note how close they all are. bullet twice that far. Wind also affects bullets differently, and a cartridges ability to overcome these three forces makes it better or worse for shooting flat and far. Chamber specifications are precise and most Creedmoor rifles come with slow-twist barrels that are designed to utilize bullets from 103 grains and up with ballistic coefficients of .500 or better. The .300 Win. The best long-range rounds are flat shooting, feature long, aerodynamic bullets and have enough power to go the distance. Most people believe that the flattest shooting rifle caliber is the .22-250. EuroOptic has the best prices and ultra-fast shipping! I also want to give credit to a couple of long-range AR cartridges that deserve honorable mention. At greater distances the variation in wind drift is even more pronounced. For good reason. Velocity, drop, energy and the use of bullets with their own factors which create their ballistic coefficients all should be considered. The best long-range varmint caliber would likely be the .22-250 Remington. No exotics just yet, theyll come later. 30-06 case and plethora of bullet weights ranging from 75 to 120 grains, the .25-06 provides excellent ballistics and trajectory for the small game up for the deer-sized game. The accurate, potent .300 PRC also makes a great long-range target round. . 270. +Nick Strother, he TOLD you right up front he was only including cartridges that can be found chambered in most any rifle. There are production rifles available from Nosler, Browning, Seekins Precision and other companies, and a custom rifle builder with whom I spoke said they build as many .28 Nosler guns as anything else. What Ive done with this deep dive review is use the highest Handloading Manual velocities Ive discovered, trusting that you, gentle reader, will understand that your mileage may vary. The new 6.5-300 Weatherby is the sole belted magnum on this list, and as the name implies its a .300 Weatherby case necked down to hold 6.5 bullets. The least expensive 17 HMR ammo will . The .270 Winchester stays supersonic out to 1,400 yards, which is more than what 99 percent of hunters will ever need. Mag. plays a major roll in trajectory, but is second in significance to muzzle velocity. Its like a shorter, beltless version of the .300 Winchester Magnum. On the other hand, wind speed and direction are inconsistent. Hunters can take advantage of flat shooting rounds to extend maximum point blank range, the distance over which a center-of-target aim results in the bullet remaining within the kill zone, never climbing above it at mid-range and remaining in it until maximum point blank range is reached. The longer the bullet is in the air, the longer gravity can pull on the object. A powerful cartridge that shoots fast, flat and far, the .300 Win Mag is a powerful long-range caliber. Hornady offers it with 190-grain CX bullets, 212-grain ELD-X bullets, and 225-grain ELD Match bullets. Appropriate hunting bullets may not reach these levels of B.C. They have 1 particular cartridge thats something of a hot-shot for flat shooting, long distance devastation; the Weatherby .30-378. Compared to .223 Remington, at the 1,000-yard target, it duplicates the amount of energy of the standard .223 bullet. However, it was somewhat a bad timing, since the frenzy for long-range shooting and everything in 6.5mm exploded a couple of years later. Should you have other helpful info, please send it to me by email: [emailprotected]. This is the allure and benefit of a flat shooting bullet. With the same zero, the flattest shooting 22 LR ammunition will drop three times that much at 200 yards. A 108-grain 6mm Creedmoor bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .536 fired at the same velocity carries 300 more foot-pounds of energy at that distance, and the difference in wind drift is pronounced: the .243 bullet drifts 22 inches at 500 yards in a 10 mph crosswind while the Creedmoor drifts just 15.7 inches. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. A combination of very light recoil and decent barrel life makes the .260 Rem an outstanding all-rounder. The .25-06 Rem offers a flat trajectory, and outstanding accuracy and low recoil for maintaining good shooting habits. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. There are some 22 caliber and 6.5 caliber bullets with a BC over .700 - that is extremely flat shooting! My take away on all this number crunching? Though frequently compared to the .308 Win., the 6.5 Creedmoor is ballistically superior to the legendary "three-oh-eight" largely because of the 6.5mm aerodynamic bullets with an excellent sectional density and ballistic coefficient. Its bullets will remain supersonic out past 2,000 yards. As for the wind drift, at 200 yards, the .17 WSM has almost reduced in half wind drift compared to the popular .17HMR. What are the best long-range cartridges:.22-250 Remington.308 Winchester.300 Winchester Magnum.338 Lapua Magnum.300 Weatherby Magnum; 6.5 Creedmoor; 6.5-284 Norma; 26 Nosler To be fair to the 30-378, itmurders everything else for flatness way out there, staying feet above most other cartridges and carrying enough energy to take a deer at just over 1000 yards. Loaded with the highest BC .264 caliber bullets, the 26 Nosler keeps heavy bullets supersonic all the way out past 1,500 yards. As mentioned, since the beginning of the 6.5 Creedmoor was intended for top competitors in PRS and 1,000-yard slow-fire matches. Contributing Editor for RifleShooter Magazine, Brad Fitzpatrick gives us a review of this modernized version of an iconic favorite. Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter's Adventures in the African Bush .by Peter H. Capstick, Dino Paravano, Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders (Volume 1) Paperback, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game, Horn of the Hunter: The Story of an African Safari Kindle Edition, Use Enough Gun: On Hunting Big Game Hardcover, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail: Upland Birds and Small Game from Field to Feast Hardcover March 1, 2018, The Easy Venison Cookbook: 60 Simple Recipes for Deer, Elk, and Moose Kindle Edition. 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). With the 30-06, we can only overcome 12 yards of ranging error at the same range before we miss the 6 of vitals. This high-performance magnum cartridge loaded with the most popular Weatherby factory hunting 250-grain bullet with a BC of .482 can reach a muzzle velocity of 3,060 fps and muzzle energy 5,197-foot-pounds. Now, you might think this cartridge is new and unproven. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. You can compare these numbers with your favorite cartridge using Backfires own table of flat shooting cartridges and you will see that the numbers indicated are in the absolute upper tiers. That, combined with their relatively small size, means that compared to cartridges of similar powder capacity, the 6.5s will almost always do more, in terms of external and terminal ballistics, with less recoil. And they can change in your rifle and will change at different velocities. The .260 Rem is an outstanding mid-range cartridge developed from a .308 Win by necking case throat down to .264 caliber. It has flipped positions with the 6.5, losing by a mere 1.4-inches. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. Based on the 7.6239/220 Russian cartridge case, the Valkyrie changes the personality of the AR-15. By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. To even things out, Ive zerod all cartridges at 100, drops are listed in feet and cartridges that fell below 1000 ft-lbs didnt get past the next 100 yard clip. Subscribe to my channel: http://bit.ly/RonSpomerOutdoorsSubscribeLinks:Website: https://ronspomeroutdoors.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronspomerout. projectile that you might crown that one King, especially since that 100-grain sounds a bit more reasonable for deer-sized game. CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer .22LR Bolt Action Rifle - Best .22 LR Bolt Action Training Rifle. Both cartridges have been designed as the long-range busters. The PRC will fit in short-action rifles and has become popular with mountain hunters, and there are those who swear by its merits as an elk and moose cartridge, too. Was intended to be "the most powerful" among the rounds whose overall length allows the use of a standard (.30-06) length action. The spin rate helps to stabilize the projectile along its path, cut through drag and higher case capacities give the projectile more velocity thus delivering the bullet to the target more quickly.
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