best caliber for 2,000 yard competition

Barrel Life: Average barrel life will depend greatly on ammo type and how fast the gun is shot (barrel temp.). I liked that you started at 5.56 for a base caliber. Esoteric hardly touches on Stinnetts gear and is part of the reason his record might stand for decades before anyone bests it. Another great benefit to the 6.5CM is that it still maintains an overall case length of a Short-Action cartridge. A column writer for. Please keep doing these informative articles your delivery and information are on point. Cross-Platform Use: Multi-platform builds do exist in the .260 Remington. Here are the seven best new precision long range cartridges. The third time proved to be the charm. Much sharper and stronger than a .308 Winchesternot meant for beginners. 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. Muzzle: 4,186 ft-lbs. Think the 6.5 Creedmoor is no more than a 1,000-yard cartridge? Just remember, when choosing your Long Range cartridge, every metric counts and affects overall performance. Bergara also offers a matching .22 LR training rifle for cheap practice. He wanted an even lighter-recoiling cartridge with the same performance, so the 6mm Creedmoor was born. Such bullets provide a good balance of best BC/best velocity out of the .308. The Navy switched to 190-grain Sierra Matchking HPBTs. . The .260 isnt too informationally unavailable to offer a great learning caliber to the average new shooter. (1,269) combining for more than 2,000 yards . I had dialed all the elevation in my scope, 33 mils above my zero, and had an extra 35 mils thanks to the prism. Cross-Platform Use: We all know that AR-10s of the past could never keep up in accuracy with a bolt gun. If, on the other hand, you like shooting a lot but dont want to replace your barrel frequently, or if you dont handload, the 6.5mm version is a more practical option. Does it go the farthest? A standard projectile weight for optimum performance out of the 6CM would be a 105 grain Berger Target VLD @ 3,100fps. Just like any new and exciting caliber that is designed specifically for the LR community, I know the performance will be top-notch. According to Stinnett it takes him eight firings to get the brass to the correct dimensions before it is good to go. Case capacity matches the 300PRC and is not far off the 300 Norma that you like, but wouldnt cost $5/rd. It will tumble erratically and fall short of the intended target. The RE is a culmination of MV, BC, and bullet weight. Mag., notably the .300 PRC and .300 Norma Mag., but for now, the .300 Win. However, I cant jump fully on board until more bolt action options are available. A rifle's precision depends on the tightness of the groupings it shoots or the MOA (Minute of Angle) it holds. However, a variety of match-grade .300 Win. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 1,456 ft-lbs 500m: 660 ft-lbs 1000m: 248 ft-lbs 1500m: 162 ft-lbs. New LR shooters also often skimp on glass and what I see most often is that someone buys a cheap scope so that they can afford other goodies for their rifles. Well, now they do. Barrel Life: The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. Ammo Availability: Because this cartridge is so new, ammo prices are going to be high. If you are looking at Long Range shooting as a serious hobby, instead of something to depend your life upon, I would say barrel life is almost just as important as ammo availability when choosing a long-range caliber. For example, when the inception of the M110 came to the Army sniper community some guys hated leaving behind their trusty M24s. I would guess that every Walmart in the United States carries .243 Winchester. In a competition last weekend, Cheney put two impacts on steel that were jaw-droppingly impressive. He took that case and necked it down to load .243 (6mm) projectiles. Real-world shooting of this round is even more impressive. Best overall caliber for long range shooting. This cartridge is one of the most capable rounds I have ever shot. History. After answering the questions above, the rest of this guide should be able to help you find which round is right for your mission and budget. For myself, I have up to 800 meters to shoot at a private location, so grabbing a .338 Lapua Magnum with a max effective range well over 1600m makes no sense. To experiment with load developments to craft the ultimate 6.5 bolt gun cartridge. Not long ago, the .308 was king. 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. I think the 6.5 Grendel does a great job at that, however, as to be expected, the Grendel is limited in range and does not fit into the 800m+ world. Muzzle: 1316 ft-lbs 500m: 470 ft-lbs 1000m: 165 ft-lbs 1500m: 108 ft-lbs. 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. Thats why the .243 Winchester became the most popular 6 mm rifle cartridgeit utilizes a 1:10-inch twist. For hunters, the Grendel offers many different projectiles for different terminal effects. I could definitely see a splash from my 300-grain Hornady A-Tip on the steel. The .243 can be a great beginner gun because of its low recoil and ammo availability. (Even though the term cartridges is correct, the common usage of caliber dictates why this story is called Best Long-Range Calibers rather than Best Long-Range Cartridges.). Since the velocities tend to be mild (2850 fps is usual) it is also easy for shooters to manage the rifle recoil and spot their hits and misses, which is another key to success in practical rifle competition. LR performance is very impressive. Before its inception, the thought of pushing a 75-grain projectile past 1000 yards was uncommon. This caliber filled a very necessary rule in the combat space. Thats not a problem since the long-range stages are slow-fire. BUT, just keep in mind that sticking to one caliber, and being able to use that caliber in multiple systems does have advantages. The designation of 7.62x51mm points to the military brother of the .308 Winchester. Basically, whatever. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. At the same 2950 fps muzzle velocity, the drop of the bullet at 600 and 800 yards is 76 and 163 inches, respectively. Budget speaking, the 6.5 Grendel is much more of a value in rifle and ammo costs than the AR-10 class of calibers. Well, with the right bullets (70 grains and up) and the right barrel twist (1:7 is best), the 5.56 is capable of shooting impressive distances, including the elusive 1,000-yard mark. The average price per round is $3.00-$4.25. I would expect to see 6,000-8,000+. The 6mmCM excels amongst the PRS community and even long-range hunting. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 5,096 ft-lbs. With less powder capacity than a .300 WM, the WSM is still manageable. You need to get the best long-range rifle caliber for competitions. Plant yourself in post-2015 and you will see an explosion of the 6.5mm family of projectiles, thanks to the 6.5 Creedmoor. The military changed its need for the .30-06 as its primary infantry weapon cartridge. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. 500m: 2,364 ft-lbs. Colt Model 1861 Special Musket: What's Its Value? Its supersonic to 1,750 yards at sea level, almost making that one-mile mark. 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. Recoil Condition: Minimal. This cartridge is based on the 6.8 SPC case. That said, its most useful at 1,000 yards and beyond. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. The truth is that there is no one best long-range caliber for every job and there are many factors to consider. There is no shortage of amazing cartridges that offer dazzling performance at extended ranges. As said before, the standard rifle manufacturers have not caught up the .224 Valkyrie. That is the average barrel life of the Magnum cartridges. Of these the 6mm Dasher is the current champ, in terms of popularity and winning. 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. To this day, the 7.62x51mm still has a place in the modern military sniper community. Rule of thumb: 30-50 fps for every inch of the barrel either gained or lost. I like that the caliber is being offered in high-end AR-10 platforms for the gas-gun enthusiasts. Steel placed at 500 yards are the bread-and-butter targets for PRS and NRL competition, so for these applications the pipsqueak 6mms are the best. The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. Sniper teams were already comfortable with the way a 308 performed. 500m: 1,123 ft-lbs 1,000m: 394 ft-lbs. History: The 6mm Creedmoor can obviously be related to its slightly bigger brother; the 6.5CM. Ballistically, it absolutely trounces the .308 Win. From PRS shooters to Long Range hunters, the Creedmoor has made a name for itself. Bolt gun fans are especially in luck because as of right now, the PRC is very limited in the gas-gun world. But the military also discovered the benefits of the .300 Win. One thing that makes the .308 Winchester one of the best Long Range cartridges ever, is that in a pinch, you can find ammo for it ANYWHERE. A good muzzle brake or suppressor is advised. So guys who reload might fall into brass availability problems. This topic of long-range calibers is debated across many different disciplines including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, Hunting, etc. Mag. The 6.5 Lapua is primarily a bolt-gun only caliber. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. . For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. This round is special just like the other 6.5mm projectiles in its class. Ultimately, we cannot deny that this round was replaced by better options. If buying online, you are looking to spend at least $2.20 per round. Like most calibers with projectiles lighter than 150 grains, the recoil can be considered light. Easy and fun to shoot. In physics, gyroscopic stability explains that the rotational spin on a projectile will keep it on its initial course. Is it the fastest? For a more modern, cutting-edge option, Sierra and Hornady now both produce composite-tipped match bullets that provide significantly higher BCs while maintaining similar levels of accuracy. Being developed in 2017, most ammo is going to come from reloading. If you put a gun to my head, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is the best, overall, Long Range caliber. Muzzle Velocity: Again for the best LR option, 140gr Hybrid Target MV: 2,780 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: Using above projectile, G1: 0.607 G7: 0.311. Quite a few of the more serious PRS shooters now have a dedicated, specialized rifle chambered in .223 just for such matches. I would argue, these are two of the most important questions to ask/answer when talking about the best Long Range roundwhat is the ammo availability like, and/or do you reload? A faster MV does mean the round is impacted LESS by the wind than a slower MV. 500m: 2,115 ft-lbs 1,000m: 937 ft-lbs. Even though I love my Creedmoors, my 7mm Rem. This round was developed in conjunction with the AR-15 rifle in the early 60s. Average price per round at $2.25. cartridges. In this video, MDT's Ryan Mclean builds a rifle with $2,000 to see if it can shoot 2,000 Yards. Without a muzzle brake or suppressor, the .338 Lapua Magnum offers a challenging recoil experience. The 6.5 PRC was born at the 2018 SHOT Show. However, the majority of builds will be designed for the bolt action system. Ballistic Co-Efficient: The projectile designed specifically for Long Range shooting is the 90 grain Sierra Match King. Recoil Condition: Very similar to the Lapua Magnum. 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. I initially did not put a brake on itafter the 14th round (during barrel break-in) my right peck muscle started to quiver. Initial Thoughts. Initial Thoughts: The first time I fired the .300NM I was blown away. Tikka T3 CTR Tikka rifles are excellent shooters. The numbers are beyond impressive. It is a product of natural selection and evolutionthe best features of several classic LR rounds fused into one. Best 1,000-Yard Rifles For Under $1,000 Shooting Long Range 1. 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. In the competitions I shoot, we regularly stretch the shots to 1,300 yards or so. The .224 Valkyrie takes the benefits from the .223 and extends its range performance drastically. The .300 WSM steals the performance of a .300 WM and transforms it down to a short-action rifle. This caliber thrived in the late 20th Century and has since stayed for a reason. MVs vary between 2,600 fps and 2,900 fps depending on projectile grain weight. Little information is out there on 6.5 PRC barrel life. Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. Bergara B-14 HMR. The projectile still punched through steel at one mile! 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. The .243 can be a great beginner gun because of its low recoil and ammo availability. Mag. I tend to like popular calibers for off the shelf ammo availability and cost, so the gun doesnt just sit in the safe. With proper handloading technique, the Dasher delivers muzzle velocities with minimal shot-to-shot SD (standard deviation) and ES (extreme spread). The .260 Remington and 6.5x55 have higher muzzle velocities, but the mandated faster twist rate of the Creed is what allows it to handle higher BC bullets and outperform both at distance. The .338 Lapua Magnum offers very impressive external and terminal ballistic performancebut at a steep cost. It has been a proven competitor in the PRS circuit. But these niche cartridges are expensive (to put it mildly) to shoot and build guns for and arent practical for everyday shooters.For shooting out to 1,000 yards, the 6mm Creedmoor is about ideal. Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. Cheapest I found is 80 cent. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards. If you are inexperienced, youre in luckbecause todays Long Range shooting community is being flooded by great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. And since it uses the ever-popular 6.5 projectiles, components are relatively cheap. Although it isnt the flattest shooting round, that trait is, ironically, overrated in a long-range round. The numbers dont lie. That being said, to reach out to the big leagues (+1600m) you will definitely need the larger magnum rounds. The number of options for load-development and rifle rigs is unsurpassed. Firing the 250gr Lapua Scenar projectile, MV: 3,030 fps. Where are you getting 223 / 556 for 30 cent a round? Comfortable price point. The key to the Dasher and these other rounds is their consistency. Of the large calibers is the 50 BMG the best choice based on ammo cost and availability vs the Chey Tacs and Barrett. Ballistic Co-Efficient: 140gr ELD Match G1: 0.646 G7: 0.315, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,401 ft-lbs 500m: 1,301 ft-lbs 1,000m: 633 ft-lbs 1,500m: 325 ft-lbs. 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. Because the ultra-light recoil allows them to spot their own hits and misses more consistently. [Editors note: Thats about 90 feet of wind drift at 4,134 yards.] 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. Initial Thoughts: This caliber excites me for several reasons. Is your shooting hobby or mission dependent on a limited budget? what are the most popular rifle manufacturers, what is the most common caliber used in . The caliber took the LR community by storm. The .300 PRC tries to deliver to a market that doesnt need what its selling. This caliber excites me for several reasons. 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. We were always trained to overcome our shortcomings. Reloading is also expensive because the brass isnt cheap. Vortex Strike Eagle 4-24x Recoil Condition: Shooting any of these calibers across any number of platforms will show that each round feels differently depending on the set-up. The Great Grandfather of them allthe .30-06 (thirty ought six) is the oldest cartridge on this list. I had read other raving reviews about the 6.5 Creedmoor but I really didnt expect it to be the top choice of an experienced marine who had used the .308. Over 100 ft-lbs difference! Exceedingly well written and informative article. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, were trained journalists. So like the 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have a .308, you can have two calibers in one rifle action with a new barrel. Slightly more than the .308 Winchester. I think this cartridge will prove useful to the long range community in the future. The cartridge was designed for reliable feeding in battle rifles, not efficient powder burns for consistent accuracy. Whats not to love? Its a thankless job, but somebodys got to point you toward the best of the best. You had to hit T6 at 2,203 to advance to the far plates. rounds to their specs. But in the meantime, the Dasher can rightfully claim the title as the best precision rifle cartridge on the market. Muzzle: 2670 ft-lbs 500m: 1439 ft-lbs 1,000m: 698 ft-lbs 1,500m: 335 ft-lbs. I personally find it MUCH easier to handload very accurate .30-06 loads than very accurate .308 loads in typical budget hunting rifles. In order to shoot at the 4,137-yard target, you had to hit the 3,592-yard plate first. Mag., from Sierras legendary 190-grain MatchKing to Hornadys cutting-edge 212-grain ELD Match. Ammo Availability: Again, being one of the forefathers of the Long Range shooting community, .308 is found everywhere. Recoil is harsh. What is your goal? History: Winchester designed the .300 WSM in 2001 with the idea of a hybrid. I like the idea of basically a short-action .300 Win Mag. 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. Put the two together and you have a great shooting LR round. All 6mm projectiles are notorious for extremely fast throat erosion. Using the same bullets, it will generate about 250 fps more velocity, but recoil still remains reasonably tolerable. Ammo Availability: One of the biggest drawbacks of this round is that ammunition is not readily available and its expensive. 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. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,832 ft-lbs. 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. On the plus side, barrel life is outstanding. One of the great things about a .223 rifle build is that the recoil is manageable for a shooter of any age. Ammo Availability: Factory ammunition can be found nearly anywhere for about 30 cents per round but as stated before, prices range greatly. 6.5CM cases will fit an AR-10 magazine. The .300 WSM is going to be a bolt-action-only build. I will do my best to adequately describe what can be felt. However, given the choice, there are drastically more capable cartridges. At that point, I could barely see anything. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. Transonic speed is the point in a bullets trajectory where it slows down and transitions from supersonic to subsonic (Mach 1-Mach 0.7 or 1125-880 fps). Several factory loads do exist on the market today. This is especially important to those of you who reload and can tailor a custom load for your rifle. You cannot pick a better round for the beginner Long Range shooter. While it uses the same case-head dimensions as the .30-06 and .308 cartridge families, the 6.5 Creedmoors direct ancestor is the .30 TC. 80% more. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. For the Long Range hunting community, I would argue that the .30-06 still has a place in this world. One cartridge needs to be crowned the most accurate and it just happens to be one youve probably never heard of. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. 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. Military sniper rifles are still utilizing this classic cartridge. If you take away anything from this article, no matter which caliber you choose, make sure you know how to operate that rifle. The projectiles dont carry a lot of mass, therefore their stopping power is limited. I predict the 6.5 Weatherby RPM and 6.8 Western to be busts. This can get expensive so choosing my first is very important. The Verdict: If you put a gun to my head, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is the best, overall, Long Range caliber. Most .243 rifles are chambered in older, wooden sporting stocks like the Winchester Model 70 and older Remington 700s. Looking at the .308 Winchester, most loads will reach TR on average at 900-1,000m, making shots past 1,000m inconsistent. Mag. The 6 mm Creedmoor is simply another telling of the 6.5 Creedmoor story, but with different cartridges. Slightly more than the .308 Winchester. Being developed in 2017, most ammo is going to come from reloading. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on.

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