Recoil Condition: Shooting any of these calibers across any number of platforms will show that each round feels differently depending on the set-up. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Easy and fun to shoot. Its not the fastest, farthest, or most accurate roundbut it will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache. The RE is a culmination of MV, BC, and bullet weight. All in all, the 6.5 Lapua has great numbers on a round moving fairly slow. The biggest issue for calibers this new and this niche, is Hornadys ability to keep up with the demand. Why even mention such an antiquated round? Overall Practicality: I argue that you will not find a more practical Long Range caliber in this list. The lesser charge is a flatter, close group load. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thanks Jim. Overall Practicality: 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. Initial Thoughts: Ive always liked the .260. 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. I see there are some others like 300Win mag as well and thats a very popular cartage so it should be there as well I would think. Take the Lapua and shorten the case so it can be fired from a standard Long Action. This cartridge as it stands is perfect for a PRS shooter. Its not the fastest, farthest, or most accurate roundbut it will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache. Thanks for your video and the information on your website. Muzzle: 1316 ft-lbs 500m: 470 ft-lbs 1000m: 165 ft-lbs 1500m: 108 ft-lbs. Another great benefit to the 6.5CM is that it still maintains an overall case length of a Short-Action cartridge. A lot can actually affect the observed recoil of a Long Range rifle. Too much felt recoil can build bad habits like target flincheven for experienced shooters. spitting a 100-gr. What is your mission? Although its going to be easier to estimate drop for a 700 yard shot with a 30-378, compared to a 30-06, you still need to range your animal within +/-25 yards using the 30-378 to hit vitals. The multiple loads for each cartridge are not at all pulled at random. With the right rifle, the .300WM can be a very smooth shooting set-up. Average price per round$1.00. Similarly to the .300 WSM, this round excels in Long Range hunting. Thoughts on this? Initial Thoughts. The .338 Lapua comes to us in the 80s as an extreme Long-Range rifle caliber intended to extend the. 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. It is based on the 505 Gibbs (an old-time rimless African big-game cartridge developed in England in 1911) and necked down to 0.408 inches. It makes sense. The lighter 140gr range projectiles dont enact enough felt energy rearward like the 175gr+ class of projectiles from bigger bores. Both SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the US Army have selected the .300 Norma Magnum as their hottest and newest sniper rifle cartridge. This is one of the most helpful and actionable articles I have seen. Expect to see 2,500-3,000 rounds out of your barrel. Im going to include a few in here, and my basis for including them is going to be inclusion in Federals 2013 catalog, because thats what Im basing my numbers off. 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. Maximum effective range is out to 1,200 yards, and the round really comes into its own at 800 to 1,000. Due to its age and relevance today, the .308 has proven itself for over 65 years! It's muzzle velocity is a blistering 4145 fps. Budget speaking, the 6.5 Grendel is much more of a value in rifle and ammo costs than the AR-10 class of calibers. A car that accelerates 0-60mph faster than another car, does not mean its the best car overall. Thank you for the great content you provide. From what can be expected, the .224 wears a little bit more than the .223, approx. Most .243 rifles are chambered in older, wooden sporting stocks like the Winchester Model 70 and older Remington 700s. That still is a general rule of thumb today, but they have come a long way. The caliber took the LR community by storm. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards. 1,500m: 362 ft-lbs. Im going to set a restrictive definition on common and only include cartridges that can be found chambered in most any rifle. I appreciate the kind comment. Of course, the .270 Win was developed in 1925 when 1000 yard shots were effectively unheard of. Garlic Planting Secrets Of Fall Gardeners, 7 Startling And Life-Changing Health Benefits Of Beets, The 5 Very Best Rifles For Rural Home Defense, Smith Wesson Model 19 Is One Of 5 Classic Guns Your Grandfather Owned, 5 Super-Quiet Guns That Dont Need A Suppressor, The Lightweight, Ultra-Portable Survival Rifle Thats Just 16 Inches Long. This is a GREAT cartridge, very flat shooting, better than even the .300WM IMO. In essence, the 6.5284 Norma equals the performance of the .270 Winchester with projectiles having much higher BC and consuming slightly less powder. It shoots flatter, and with less drift by far than the 308's best load. 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. Beyond 1000 yards they use either the 338 Lapua or the 50 BMG. Lastly, I noticed the .308 Win. Other than that, the projectiles will always be available. bullet. How can I get all the data in a spread sheet form like you showed in your video? A good friend of mine owns a 6.5 Grendel and I must say, it is extremely accurate and pleasant to shoot. Overall Practicality: For the experienced Long Range hunter, I think this is a great caliber to consider. The Savage retails for under $900 and the Winchester can be had for closer to $1,100. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. Again, I, as well as so very many other folks Im certain, am very grateful! They are great long-range guns, but not known by the our Armed Forces community. It was a great option at the time for those wanting long range performance with very low recoil. Shotgun: Comparison for a First-Time Gun Buyer, What Are The Basic Parts Of Ammunition? http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator. History: 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. Mag. The cartridge's belt--used to ensure proper . 1,500m: 362 ft-lbs. 1,500m: 610 ft-lbs. Its drop at 1,000 yards is 330.30 and at 500 yards its drop is 50.00. One of the selling points of this round, when it was introduced, was its light recoil for a deer gun. The 6.5 Creedmoor has made a name for being one of the best overall performing and versatile calibers for the Long Range market. Overall Practicality: I heavily recommend this caliber to those out there who want magnum performance without magnum recoil. It is also the most popular caliber for the most popular and modular riflethe AR-15. If I was building a rifle on this caliber, I would expect to look at bolt-only options. I was surprised the 308 warbird was not included with the 208gr or 212gr bullet. Much sharper and stronger than a .308 Winchesternot meant for beginners. Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Long Range Calibers in 2022 Best for Beginners: 5.56mm/.223 Remington Minimal Recoil: 224 Valkyrie Best for Long Range: 243 Winchester Best for Seasoned Shooters: 6mm Creedmoor Best Value: 6.5mm Grendel To find the ideal caliber you'll have to ask yourself a few questions. The average price per round is $1.75. 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. 1,500m: 426 ft-lbs. Being developed in 2017, most ammo is going to come from reloading. Any shooter of any age can comfortably shoot the Valkyrie without feeling recoil fatigue. The recoil is almost non-existent. So if you take flat shooting to mean aiming right at something far away and hitting it, theres not really enough difference between the main popular cartridges to get out of bed for. The average price per round will be $1.25. 2. My grandkids have a poem for this photo: Cartridge cartridge on the table, choose the flattest if youre able. As you can see, one of our gold standard flat-shooting cartridges (.270 Winchester) does not compare favorably with either of the Noslers or the Weatherby Magnum. G7 is the most current and most accurate measurement of the predicted flight of a long-range projectile. 300 win mag. 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. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. .284 Swift Scirocco 150 grains 3115 fps. 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. Great work here. 26 Nosler. But lets take a quick look at a historically popular flat-shooting cartridge, the .270 Winchester. The average barrel life will be 1,500-2,000 rounds. 1. Kind regards. The List: .223 Remington/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. The .300 WSM steals the performance of a .300 WM and transforms it down to a short-action rifle. Reloading is also expensive because the brass isnt cheap. Hello Jim, Velocity: 1925 fps. This basically means the opening of the case where the bullet is seated, is tightened from 6.8mm to 5.7mm. The number of options for load-development and rifle rigs is unsurpassed. I stopped there because few hunters are going to tolerate the recoil or rifle weight needed to operate a flat shooter above 338-caliber. The .25 had the .25-06 glaring it in the face, while the .223 was known as a barrel eater supreme (I say as I build a .22 Creedmoor). For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. The biggest drawback to this cartridge is that the rounds are very expensive if bought commercially. This also means barrel life will vary greatly. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time drop in feet Shooting at 700 (In Theory) Initial Thoughts: I find it so interesting to see how this compares to the Lapua Magnum. Please look into it. Some of those 26 and 28 Nosler rifles only have 600-900 shots of total barrel life. I wonder if you could possibly make that load available to me, so I can compare which loads are the best? History: The Great Grandfather of them allthe .30-06 (thirty ought six) is the oldest cartridge on this list. I find it so interesting to see how this compares to the Lapua Magnum. 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. But after finally diving into the 6.5, its clear why it has become so popular. This caliber was designed and intended strictly for the semi-auto AR-15 platforms. No issue finding it. This is one of the most informative articles I have read on calibers. For the Long Range hunting community, I would argue that the .30-06 still has a place in this world. Its LR performance and retained energy will be a great option for taking down the larger games at distance. I would also give a nod to the 6mm ARC, as I am seeing more of this on shelves. History: Introduced to us in 1955, the .243 was designed as a sporting and target rifle round. .223 Remington/5.56 NATO - Old Faithful. I would expect to see 6,000-8,000+. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. This concept relates exactly to how a projectile fired from a rifle achieves accurate, sustained flight. And the AR-10 was designed SPECIFICALLY for the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. The .300 Norma Magnum comes to us from the .338 Norma Magnum, necked down to accept a .30 cal projectile. Our margin for distancing error at 700 yards just went from 12 yards with the 30-06 to 25 yards with the 30-378. 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. In 2008, the cartridge was introduced not to expand upon the capabilities of the .338, but the possibilities. Omg I wish I seen this alot earlier than I did.. Ive literally spent hours on hours on ballistics calculators trying to figure out which new cartridge was the flattest shooting but also had enough energy for an ethical kill at long range and it took me countless hours to basically come up with what your chart told me in seconds grrr.. For all-around optimal performance, the projectile weight needs to be in the 140gr+ range. 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. Case capacity matches the 300PRC and is not far off the 300 Norma that you like, but wouldnt cost $5/rd. Several factory loads do exist on the market today. I had to calculate this one out, as Weatherbys ballistics charts dont go past 500 yards. Notice that it is only 3 grains lighter than the 150-grain .264 atop that Weatherby. The 178's start out the slowest, but at 500 yards are the fastest. The .338 Lapua Magnum offers very impressive external and terminal ballistic performancebut at a steep cost. Many hunters still use this cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat flying exterior ballistics. Thanks Will! For hunters, medium-game will be the limit of this caliber. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,677 ft-lbs. This cartridge is an interesting case of innovation to solve a fairly difficult problem. One of the calibers with the flattest trajectory is the .17 Winchester Super Magnum, a sub-caliber rimfire cartridge. I am impressed at all the data you went through to come up with the three chosen. I still like this cartridge for a bolt gun though. Take a look at the MPBR column and note how close they all are. Barrel length will also change average MVs. Taking a quick look at how the 22 CM compares to some other cartridges will shine a light on its potential. Length: 7" or 9". Nor are we maintaining that the flattest shooting cartridge/bullet is the ultimate determinant of a good hunting round. During its launch in 1997, the .260 was still on par with other wildcats. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. Id consider a base of: Among these cartridges, the 25-06 offers the highest MPBR (Mean Point Blank Range) or the max distance that you can adjust a scope to and be +-3 with the most common bullet weights per caliber. Developed by the great John Browning for use in his M2 machine gun, the round is a scaled up 30-06 cartridge that launches a 660 grain bullet. Read more. Initial Thoughts: This cartridge is an interesting case of innovation to solve a fairly difficult problem. Fantastic information. If buying online, you are looking to spend at least $2.20 per round. Is your rifle shooting steel or live targets? Minimal. Greatly extended range external and terminal ballistic performance at the cost of barrel life. 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. bullet 12 inches at 500 yards, a low B.C. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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. A lot of the newer, ultra-flat cartridges take a good deal of reloading knowledge to successfully harness their ability. A flat shooting cartridge matters. And that my friend required outstanding composition and masterful communication skills, not to mention the aforementioned qualifications. You cant pull data from different sources with different lengths of barrels and different loading methods and expect to get true results. Budget speaking, the 6.5 Grendel is much more of a value in rifle and ammo costs than the AR-10 class of calibers. This caliber is one of the most popular and widely used centerfire cartridges in the world. 500m: 1,212 ft-lbs. He is also a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment. To experiment with load developments to craft the ultimate 6.5 bolt gun cartridge. Click to expand. In any caliber the cartridge that attains the highest muzzle velocity wins the flat shooter award, so theres no sense arguing that the 6.5 Grendel might shoot as flat as the 27 Nosler. 500m: 1260 ft-lbs. "200 yards may be taken as the very outside limit at which it is ever advisable to fire at ordinary game ; not because the rifle may not be accurate enough to ensure frequent hitting at much greater distances, but because the probability of killing at such ranges is very small indeed ; and humanity, not to say sportsmanlike feeling, demand that It makes no sense to me (since Im not a bench rest shooter) to pick a caliber that you intend to invest $2500+ in a barreled action if you cannot find the ammo to feed it. Please keep doing these informative articles your delivery and information are on point. Ballistic Co-Efficient: Above bullet, G1: 0.539 G7: 0.276. Still less than the classic .308 Winchester. Average price per round$1.00. With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the recoil is definitely manageable. So dont assume that youll be shooting the worlds flattest rifle cartridge and bullet until youve verified your MV and bullet B.C. 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. That being said, to reach out to the big leagues (+1600m) you will definitely need the larger magnum rounds. 500m: 1,123 ft-lbs 1,000m: 394 ft-lbs. History: Plant yourself in post-2015 and you will see an explosion of the 6.5mm family of projectiles, thanks to the 6.5 Creedmoor. Is it the most accurate? Especially in the bolt action realm. One of the selling points of this round, when it was introduced, was its light recoil for a deer gun. The 300 Win Mag is definitely on the list. A column writer for Outdoor Life wanted to do a piece on how to design a wildcat cartridge. I like the 300 win mag for above reasons. Average barrel life will depend greatly on ammo type and how fast the gun is shot (barrel temp.). Flattest at 1,000 yards Heres where things start to change. That is an on-the-spot selection. When firing with the .300NM at 1,000m, you get that same feeling. I am curious to see how it does for a 22 that can push any bullet weight made for it. Read More Here. The name .30-06 refers to the caliber, .30, and the year, 1906when this round was developed by the US Army. With help from the civilian market led by Winchester, the .308 took the world by storm. 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. Check out their concise ballistics charts. Created in 2007 by a ballistics team from Hornady, the 6.5 Creedmoor was designed as an improved Long Range target cartridge, based on the .308 Winchester .30 TC (Thompson Center). The market has followed. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time . The US military decided that the average rifle squad was more effective by accurately delivering rounds on target with a 5.56mm rifle than the heavier recoiling 7.62 platforms. I am here to share what knowledge and experience I have to help you pick a viable option. Also, experience firing large bore calibers is advised. Great work mate including .22LR what a hoot (Incoming!) Initial Thoughts: A good friend of mine owns a 6.5 Grendel and I must say, it is extremely accurate and pleasant to shoot. Not to mention guys that still compete with and collect old military surplus riflesI see the .30-06 sticking around for a good while longer. Today, the primary platform is the bolt action (long action) rifle. The .308 Win used 175s with a higher BC than the .30-06s 168 grain Sierra. All in all, this cartridge changed the tactics of the US military, and later, NATO allies. With the projectile variability and network of knowledge on this cartridge, I think its a great option to build a classic hunting rifle. Mag. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. The world finally caught on that bigger and louder, does not equate to better performance at extended ranges. Muzzle Velocity: Using the US Militarys XM1163, MV: 2,940 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: 230gr Berger Hybrid OTM Tactical G1: 0.717 G7: 0.368, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,414 ft-lbs. Military sniper rifles are still utilizing this classic cartridge. Im not sure Im reading this right but there seems to be a decimal missing. Ammo Availability: Due to the popularity of the cartridge, 6.5CM ammo can be found almost anywhere. One argument for a flat-shooting cartridge is that it covers mistakes. 1,500m: 264 ft-lbs. 30-378 weatherby (214). Great article. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,029 ft-lbs. So like the 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have a .308, you can have two calibers in one rifle action with a new barrel. 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. From what can be expected, the .224 wears a little bit more than the .223, approx. It has less case volume, traditionally firing a heavier bulletBUT still retains energy over range better and maintains a longer Transonic Range than its bigger brother. A 100 yard miscalculation short or long will vary your hit by a vertical of 2.3-2.9 feet, enough to completely miss or wound the deer. On the other hand, wind speed and direction are inconsistent. The final two cartridges above are mislabeled. Notice that it is only 3 grains lighter than the 150-grain .264 atop that Weatherby. Types of Rifles Every Shooter Should Know About, Rifle Vs. I really like the 6.5 Lapua for seasoned bolt-gun competition shooters. Recoil Condition: One of the great things about a .223 rifle build is that the recoil is manageable for a shooter of any age. In 2008, the cartridge was introduced not to expand upon the capabilities of the .338, but the possibilities. Best 1,000-Yard Rifles For Under $1,000. The 6mmCM excels amongst the PRS community and even long-range hunting. Much less than a .308, the 6.5 Lapua is pushing a much lighter bullet than the .308 at similar speeds. 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. A 30-06 will take any game on the NA Continent. I expect barrel life is better than the PRC, yet probably not as good as the Creedmoor. For example, when the inception of the M110 came to the Army sniper community some guys hated leaving behind their trusty M24s. It's a solid contender for the best deer caliber out to 500 yards. And the more a scope magnifies, the narrower of an area . Barrel Life: The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. I hope this report clears up some trajectory confusion and perhaps settles some old arguments. The projectiles dont carry a lot of mass, therefore their stopping power is limited. As more and more interest in the Long Range community, one thing has become apparent. No one denies how incredibly devastating this caliber can be, but for the average tactical and competition guy, this caliber is overkill. I suspect Weatherby got wind of Noslers work on its superb 26 Nosler, so they released Roys old wildcat to steel some of Noslers thunder. 260 Rem Its LR performance and retained energy will be a great option for taking down the larger games at distance. modifies results at some point. A standard projectile weight for optimum performance out of the 6CM would be a 105 grain Berger Target VLD @ 3,100fps. 80% more. 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. Cross-Platform Use: We all know that AR-10s of the past could never keep up in accuracy with a bolt gun. Gyroscopic Stability is lost in the Transonic Range and the bullet begins to pitch and yaw and ultimately tumble.