best caliber for 2,000 yard competition

80% more. 500m: 1,123 ft-lbs 1,000m: 394 ft-lbs. An AR-10 firing with a suppressor, the .308 will recoil slightly more than an AR-15. I am stuck between 308 Win and 300 Win Mag or WSM. This cartridge as it stands is perfect for a PRS shooter. If not, this is one less thing you have to worry about. No matter the choice, theres no denying that we live in a golden era of rifle accuracy. Bro, do you even long range? Most off the shelf set-ups are going to be on the high end of the market so the 6mm CM is not ideal for a beginner shooter. Shockingly, the average price per round is $4.75. By using the same overall magazine length dimension, the 6.5 could still use the STANAG (NATO dimension) magazine pattern. .223 Remington/5.56mm, .224 Valkyrie, .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Grendel. Vortex Strike Eagle 4-2450 Most Affordable Vortex Optics 4-24x50 Strike Eagle 330 at EuroOptic Prices accurate at time of writing 330 at EuroOptic EuroOptic (See Price) Amazon (See Price) My most affordable pick is the Strike Eagle 4-24x. And since it uses the ever-popular 6.5 projectiles, components are relatively cheap. Most off the shelf set-ups are going to be on the high end of the market so the 6mm CM is not ideal for a beginner shooter. As said before, the standard rifle manufacturers have not caught up the .224 Valkyrie. Inside 1,000, shooters dont really need its horsepower. These are all with commercial brass available, 300NM, 338NM, 338LM , 375CT , .408 CT and 416 B all shoot very good out to and passed 2000 yards. LR performance is very impressive. It will also get a bullet to 1,000 yards faster than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Early pioneers were Ruger, GA Precision, Hornady, and Savage. The .338 Lapua Magnum offers very impressive external and terminal ballistic performancebut at a steep cost. Those projectiles shed their speed slowly, so the 6.5 PRC can catch up with much larger and harder-recoiling cartridges at 600 yards and beyond. 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. Well, now they do. Recoil is polite, making it easy to focus on correctly executing the shot instead of clenching your teeth in anticipation. Muzzle: 2,401 ft-lbs 500m: 1,301 ft-lbs 1,000m: 633 ft-lbs 1,500m: 325 ft-lbs. What is your goal? The only advantage of the upcoming 6.8 Western is that ammo and brass has been on store shelves awhile and there are still no guns available. The key to the Dasher and these other rounds is their consistency. 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. I love this caliber for AR-15 shooters who want to take their target shooting to the next level. Cross-Platform Use: Hornady designed the 6.5 PRC for use in a bolt-gun. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. You can expect an average of 4,000 to 10,000 rounds of sustained accuracy. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 225gr ELD-Match, MV: 2,840 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: 225gr ELDM G1: 0.712 G7: 0.365. 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. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. You will HAVE to use very slow burning propellants to push a 175 grain bullet out of a .277 bore, and will HAVE to have at least 26 of barrel to most efficiently burn said powder. Especially in the bolt action realm. 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. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,186 ft-lbs. Barrel Life: The .338 Norma did what the Lapua did. Sig Cross Rifle 14. I could definitely see a splash from my 300-grain Hornady A-Tip on the steel. Performance in the field is another. Budget speaking, the 6.5 Grendel is much more of a value in rifle and ammo costs than the AR-10 class of calibers. Certain accessories like muzzle brakes and suppressors drastically reduce recoil (up to 70% reduction). It features a micro-fine crosshair with a standard target reticle, plus side focus parallax adjustment and standard target turrets to help you focus at 1000 yards. As originally designed in 1963, the .300 Win. The Best Ammo Cartridges for Long Range Shooting | Field & Stream Mag. With less powder capacity than a .300 WM, the WSM is still manageable. 500m: 2,755 ft-lbs. Then came the bonus plates at 3,592 and 4,137. 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. 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. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This caliber thrived in the late 20th Century and has since stayed for a reason. A .308 caliber flat nose, a 150-gr bullet has a 0.185 ballistic coefficient. WELL DONE!!! This round was developed in conjunction with the AR-15 rifle in the early 60s. What is your mission? Mag. Lets look at the last point, first. Lastly, I noticed the .308 Win. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards. You can expect to pay about $1.00 per round at most online retailers. Overall Practicality: 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. Simply speaking, the BC refers to how well a bullet navigates gravity, air density, and wind. A lot can actually affect the observed recoil of a Long Range rifle. They wanted a superior hunting and LR cartridge with similar trajectories as the .300 WM, but with less powder use and recoil. For example, when the inception of the M110 came to the Army sniper community some guys hated leaving behind their trusty M24s. Thread starter Schw15; Start date Nov 30, 2019; Forums. | They wanted a superior hunting and LR cartridge with similar trajectories as the .300 WM, but with less powder use and recoil. 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. 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. One other downside of the .308 is that it has just enough recoil to be annoying. Mag. That is an on-the-spot selection. With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the recoil is definitely manageable. You will not impress anyone serious in the Long Range community by selecting the largest bore LR caliber if you cant properly mitigate and control the recoil of your system. The engineering of these cartridges, which gets into the minutia of rifle twist (faster), chamber dimensions (tighter), case taper (less), shoulder angle (steeper), throat lede angle (shallower), and other details, is why they are inherently more accurate, and better, than the cartridges of yore. 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. From what can be expected, the .224 wears a little bit more than the .223, approx. After seeing such success with its flagship cartridge, Hornady wanted to take the Creedmoor to the next level. 1,000m: 1,345 ft-lbs. Muzzle Velocity: 2,700 fps using 140gr projectiles. The average price per round is $1.75. The info on barrel life added a lot of depth. I like the idea of taking the .223/5.56 concept and stretching its legs. All Rights Reserved. The 123 ELD Match will be used G1: 0.506 G7: 0.255, Muzzle: 2,065 ft-lbs 500m: 943 ft-lbs 1,000m: 357 ft-lbs 1,500m: 225 ft-lbs. Without a muzzle brake or suppressor, the .338 Lapua Magnum offers a challenging recoil experience. Day 1: Teams wouldn't usually receive an "average" grade for taking a running back in the top 10, but it's hard to dislike this pick too . You need to get the best long-range rifle caliber for competitions. However, the 6.5 Lapua and .308 Winchester do share the same bolt face. Ballistically, it absolutely trounces the .308 Win. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. That still is a general rule of thumb today, but they have come a long way. If you had the money to spend on it, and were not needing a semi-auto rifle for competitions, the .300 Norma Magnum is possibly the best performing round on this list. The downfall? No. Im very glad I read it and committed to the round. Any seasoned long-range shooter will tell you that understanding the dynamics of Transonic Range (TR) is critical in overall success. In 2008, the cartridge was introduced not to expand upon the capabilities of the .338, but the possibilities. I fear that is about all this round is targeted for. The .308 would have a slight advantage in barrel life, Im sure. Recoil Condition: With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the .300WM can feel similar to a .308 Winchester. The learning and spending curve is steep in the LR community, especially in the top tier. A quarterback must spin the football in a way to achieve a tight spiral. Initial Thoughts: This caliber excites me for several reasons. 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. You most likely will have to compromise on certain aspects. What a cool story herethe Norma Magnum comes to us as an improvement on the Lapua Magnum. Whats not to love? But once they saw just how quickly they could engage multiple, long-distance targetsthe advantages of the gas gun were very relevant. Its tough, simple, and in the words of Jacob Bynum who helped with the process, sloppy and stupid, which is meant as a compliment with respect to the rifles ability to digest any .308 ammo, no matter how poorly made, and shoot it well. 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. You can choose the hottest and flattest shooting caliber for your Long Range build, but keep in mind you will most likely have to replace that barrel once a year if you shoot enough. Mag. (Well that largely depends on the shooter). Nostalgia for my earliest days in deer camp. 500m: 1,866 ft-lbs. 6.5 Creedmoor. keeps reinventing itself to remain relevant. Might try that 6.5 Creedmoor as well. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product worksor doesnt. The caliber in question will likely perform erratically past its TR value. This website is not affiliated with the United States Marine Corps, and the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Marine Corps as a whole. One cartridge needs to be crowned the most accurate and it just happens to be one youve probably never heard of. As always, though, handloaders get the best out of the cartridge. For these various applications, these are my top picks among long-range calibers. Unless you are a military sniper, this round has almost zero practicality. You can readily find these rounds online. Recoil Condition: Minimal. 1,000m: 1,345 ft-lbs. The first four shots, my spotters and I saw the misses as I got closer and closer to hitting the plate. The average price per round will be $1.25. Likewise, there are .338 projectiles available, even during the Great Shortage, that hit the .800 BC mark that should have the big .338s looking even better. 1,500m: 295 ft-lbs. 2023 NFL draft: How Eagles' GM found the secret to nailing every pick Overall Practicality: I love this caliber for AR-15 shooters who want to take their target shooting to the next level. Invest the money and invest the time in solid training from reputable sources. 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. SAAMI Accepts Two New Hornady Rifle Cartridges, Federal Premium Launches Custom Shop for Ammo, Hornady's A-Tip Match Bullet Claims New Record | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Lessons Learned From a Ballistician | An Official Journal Of The NRA. Here you can see the results of the inaugural 2k Yard competition from the Elite Long Range Competition (A dedicated 2K yard match geared towards groups, not purely hits) . I made my selection of long range calibers based on my experiences hunting, shooting, and competing with these loads. The .243 was also a great option for those living in countries that banned the use of military countries (.308 Win/7.62x51mm NATO). I would expect to see 6,000-8,000+. Muzzle: 2,240 ft-lbs 500m: 1,091 ft-lbs 1,000m: 457 ft-lbs 1,500m: 221 ft-lbs. Availability in stores could be troublesome unless shopping at a Cabelas/Bass Pro Shop. The average life will be anywhere from 4,000-7,000 rounds. The .300 Winchester Magnum was developed in 1963 by Winchester itself. The rifle that made the record-setting 4,137-yard shot is chambered in 33XC. The numbers dont lie. History: The .300 Winchester Magnum was developed in 1963 by Winchester itself. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. If you are looking for exceptional, hard-hitting, flat performance, you might want to consider the .300 PRC. I still like this cartridge for a bolt gun though. He served as team leader for a scout sniper team during the 22nd MEU. Mag., from Sierras legendary 190-grain MatchKing to Hornadys cutting-edge 212-grain ELD Match. 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. 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. Barrel life and ammo prices. 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. But isnt that what makes it awesome? Camp Guns: Sometimes Perfect, Other Times Not But Often Essential! You dream it, and it can be done. Cowboys Miss On Kicker; Sign Gould? Jerry Reveals Plan Another rapidly growing competitive discipline is the .223 only PRS-type match. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The history and service-record behind the .308 goes all the way back to the 1950s. The two most common BCs used are G1 and G7 below: If you notice the G7 profile has a more streamlined design. Exceedingly well written and informative article. In the future, maybe the Over .30 Cal Club will find some traction in the AR- world. Before its inception, the thought of pushing a 75-grain projectile past 1000 yards was uncommon. Offering superb accuracy coupled with very light recoil, the 6mm Creedmoor is a favorite amongst PRS shooters needing to spot their own impacts at long range. The short case body allows long, aerodynamic bullets to be seated far out, eliminating bullet-base intrusion into powder capacity, while still fitting comfortably in standard short-action magazines. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. For the hunting world, yes. I have been considering something with more power and am willing to learn to reload. MVs vary between 2,600 fps and 2,900 fps depending on projectile grain weight. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. Average MV for a .223 is 3100 fps. If that describes you, then definitely give this caliber another look, because its performance rocks. Top 6 Long-Range Competition Cartridges - Guns and Ammo All in all, the .308 is certainly manageable by shooters of most ages. John B. Thats not only the record for the farthest .338 impact, but also the longest impact in any ELR competition ever. It wont keep up with the 6 mm ARC, but its still a great long-range performer in an AR-15, and there is a good selection of Grendel loads to choose from. 6.5 projectiles hold a reputation of great BCs. Thank you for this information so helpful in helping me decide on my new rifle/caliber. 500m: 2,115 ft-lbs 1,000m: 937 ft-lbs. Todays magnum cartridges show us the performance that could only exist in science fiction, 20 years ago. The Long Range community has been pushing the envelope more and more. drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. The first two sections, Muzzle Velocity, and Ballistic Coefficients are values that the projectile or ammunition manufacturer would display as a selling point of the round. The top-end stuff certainly has its gatekeepers. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. We have put together a table for you to compare values side by side, and below the table, we go more in-depth on each caliber. The .243 Winchester has a large MV range; from 3,025 fps (105 grain projectile) to 4,058 fps (55 grain projectile). If you want the absolute best performing Long Range caliber, it will certainly come at a cost. A car that accelerates 0-60mph faster than another car, does not mean its the best car overall. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. You have so much faith that your round will hit your target. For a rifle platform, this caliber is great for building a highly modular and dynamic setup. Does it go the farthest? To take the 6.5CM and add MV to the equation, pure joy happens. Either way it is flexible for your mission. .300 Winchester Magnum. Still less than the classic .308 Winchester. The average cost per round of .260 Remington online will be around $1.70. He would then fire-form the brass in a barrel dedicated to that process and then run that brass through a die with a .30-caliber mandrel, at which point he turns the case neck for uniformity and trims the brass to the right length. The caliber took the LR community by storm. No one denies how incredibly devastating this caliber can be, but for the average tactical and competition guy, this caliber is overkill. For off-the-shelf accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor is tough to top, no matter how much the Creeds detractors might howl. The .308 Win case has a nice even powder burn and has readily available brass for reloading. Today, the primary platform is the bolt action (long action) rifle. Average barrel life is around 5,000 rounds. 1,000m: 1,287 ft-lbs. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. There is no shortage of amazing cartridges that offer dazzling performance at extended ranges. 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. The 6.5 PRC joined an ever-expanding field of 6.5mm (.264 in.) Put the two together and you have a great shooting LR round. Mag. However, the majority of builds will be designed for the bolt action system. That is the average barrel life of the Magnum cartridges. I see this more for the shooter that needs terminal performance. I am interested to see how the price of such systems will come down and become more readily available to entry to novice level LR shooters. Expect about $5.50 per round. 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. History: The history and service-record behind the .308 goes all the way back to the 1950s. For example, I know some people who shoot 1000 yards with 223. Muzzle velocity is somewhere around the 2800 2900 range with 26 barrel. Shooting a 180-grain bullet (.507 G1 BC) at 2,960 fps and sighted in 1.5 inches high at 100 yards, the .300 Win. For the average shooter looking to get into Long Range shooting, turn away and run to the smaller guys. After writing each of these parameters and reviewing each caliber, I could think of around much better suited than the 6.5 CM in a given categorybut it excels in almost every category. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 4,029 ft-lbs. Because the 6.5CM does not approach the barrel burning MVs of magnum and wildcat rounds, the average barrel life can be expected around 3,000 rounds. Slightly more than the .308 Winchester. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. In this video, MDT's Ryan Mclean builds a rifle with $2,000 to see if it can shoot 2,000 Yards. It is a product of natural selection and evolutionthe best features of several classic LR rounds fused into one. Very nice article. The .300 WSM steals the performance of a .300 WM and transforms it down to a short-action rifle. Many of the contenders are based on the 6mm Benchrest cartridge. 1,000m: 786 ft-lbs. 1,500m: 362 ft-lbs. A faster MV does mean the round is impacted LESS by the wind than a slower MV. I still think this cartridge might be a bit on the wildcat side of the market (expensive to shoot and a barrel burner). Its built along the principles of modern cartridge design. The .300 Win. One big drawback to the Valkyrie is the same as the .223. Clearly, the rise in popularity of 6.5 mm cartridges, which was inspired by the 6.5 Creedmoor, has driven MSR shooters wanting to experience ballistic nirvana to the Grendel. He is also a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment. Not ideal for beginners or those who do not reload. After the film it skyrocketed to stardom. Give a Gift Surprisingly due to the case volume to bore area ratio, barrel life is impressive for a cartridge of this size. Especially in the bolt action realm. The Lapua .243 Win. Military sniper rifles are still utilizing this classic cartridge. Which Caliber for 1000 Yards? | Sniper & Sharpshooter Forums 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. Mag., .338 Win. hit its first major stumble. 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. It was dark and, at 17-power, that 6-foot plate at 4,100 yards was very small. Basically, whatever Gx model is used, will be the standard bullet profile shape to compare off of. appeared, calling that cartridge the .30-338 Winchester. 1,500m: 362 ft-lbs. Their latest entry into this space was specifically engineered for the AR-15. What is the best caliber rifle for 1000 yard target competition? 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. However, I cant jump fully on board until more bolt action options are available. A big selling point to the Grendel is its ease on barrels. Sportsman could use the same rifle used for groundhogs and coyotes, as for deer. Here are the seven best new precision long range cartridges. to maintain sustained Long Range flight. got another cut at the plate thanks in large part to Jeff Hoffman, the owner of Black Hills Ammunition, who successfully advocated for loading the .300 with a 220-grain bullet at 2,800 fps. Since the most common .223 projectile for LR performance is the Sierra Match King 77gr OTM, we will use that; G7 BC ~ 0.202. Muzzle: 2670 ft-lbs 500m: 1439 ft-lbs 1,000m: 698 ft-lbs 1,500m: 335 ft-lbs. Ammo is available online, however, it is not cheap. Initial Thoughts. It makes sense. Its overall length is 3.7 inches, which is almost a half-inch longer than the .300 Winchester Magnum. I was so familiar with how those rounds acted in high crosswinds and how they performed through Transonic. All images on our website are the property of their respective owners. Take a .300 Winchester Magnum with a barrel life of 1,500 rounds and compare that to the 8,000+ barrel life of a .308 Winchester. That being said, there are plenty of commercial options, but the price will be much higher than standard cartridges. Over 100 ft-lbs difference! That one-millimeter difference means a large increase in MV. 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. The other challenge with shooting the Dasher is that you have to handload. I see this more for the shooter that needs terminal performance. The case body is slightly smaller and more efficient than the 7mm WSM, and slightly larger and more capable than the .284 Winchester.
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