Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. For those lucky enough to be able to own and fire a .338 rifle, you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, I know theyre cartridges and not calibers, but lots of people call them calibers so I thought Id roll with it. I still think this cartridge might be a bit on the wildcat side of the market (expensive to shoot and a barrel burner). Both SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the US Army have selected the .300 Norma Magnum as their hottest and newest sniper rifle cartridge. The 178's start out the slowest, but at 500 yards are the fastest. Now, this parameter may not be too important to most of you out there, searching for the best Long Range caliber. All in all, this cartridge changed the tactics of the US military, and later, NATO allies. A BC number can be represented in several different, values or standards. Mag was one of the flattest shooting "mainstream" cartridges available. The average life will be anywhere from 4,000-7,000 rounds. If you are going to shoot at 200, zero at 200. With the same Case Overall Length as a .308 (2.800) you can certainly mag feed gas guns. Average price per round$1.00. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. Give this round a few years for the market to catch up. Muzzle Velocity: MV values for the .224 vary from 2,700 fps (90 grain projectiles) to 3,400 fps (60 grain projectiles). 1. 1,000m: 786 ft-lbs. Very modular across nearly any rifle system. The possibilities are endless with the .223. Overall Practicality: I argue that you will not find a more practical Long Range caliber in this list. For those PRS guys that prefer bolt-guns, the PRC is a great alternative to the CM. During its launch in 1997, the .260 was still on par with other wildcats. 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. But what are the flattest shooting rifle cartridges? The ammo was considerably lighter, meaning the rifles could be lighter. Thats what happened with Norma. The goal was to standardize a wildcat cartridge that married the .338 Winchester Magnum and the .375 H&H Magnum. Its not uncommon in the sniper community to see MVs differ by up to 150 fps (feet per second) across two different M110s both shooting M118LR ammunition of the same lot. Yep, me too. I prefer larger calibers for elk, but the .270 is perfectly adequate for elk, and I have personally used it for elk all the way to 400 yards with no problems. At 1000 yards it still has a velocity of 1200 fps, a typical 9mm handgun muzzle velocity. A prairie dog could be hit at a mile while a grizzly bear would need to be much closer. That same rifle can shoot my hand-loaded 175 grain Sierra Match Kings at 0.4-0.5 MOA at 100m. Now that we are pushing a 140gr projectile up to nearly 3,000 fps, the recoil will slightly increase over the 6.5 Creedmoor. The 6.5 PRC was born at the 2018 SHOT Show. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. Almost every rifle made has a flat trajectory at 100 yards. As said before, the standard rifle manufacturers have not caught up the .224 Valkyrie. Recoil Condition: With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the .300WM can feel similar to a .308 Winchester. This caliber is known for providing excellent Long Range performance with very light recoil. Barrel twist rates spin the bullet out of the muzzle in a spiral much akin to a quarterback throwing a football. LR performance is very impressive. 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. A good muzzle brake or suppressor is advised. As with MV, .223 projectiles vary greatly. Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. .223 Remington/5.56mm, .224 Valkyrie, .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Grendel. 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. By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. Please do a review on 7MM calibers. This cartridge can be found in semi-auto AR-style rifles. Vastly improved barrel life by having a good case volume to bore volume ratio, and pushing longer bullets through the tube. You may see something like this: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.593 G7 BC: 0.304. 1 Normal load using the most popular factory ammo, one heavy load for each, one light load. Again, I, as well as so very many other folks Im certain, am very grateful! Please, keep up the great work! Rule of thumb: 30-50 fps for every inch of the barrel either gained or lost. I shoot the 162, 175, and 180 super high B.C. Lastly, I noticed the .308 Win. Smart Self-Defense: Knowing When To Shoot And When Not To, Concealing Your Guns: 7 Ways To Keep Them Safe And Out Of Sight, 4 Less-Than-Lethal But Effective Weapons For Home Defense. However, the 6.5 Lapua and .308 Winchester do share the same bolt face. I would think this data is slightly skewed unless the bullets are shot out of the same length of barrels and the same practices of reloading. The average price per round will be close to $2.00. For all-around optimal performance, the projectile weight needs to be in the 140gr+ range. If the 300 RUM surprises you, know that it surprised me, too. Its not the fastest, farthest, or most accurate roundbut it will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache. I was surprised the 308 warbird was not included with the 208gr or 212gr bullet. Again, this round is such a classic. The market has followed. These magnum rounds love to kill barrels. I believe this was due to the projectiles that were selected for each. Taking the original .300 Ruger Compact Magnum and necking down to accept the 6.5CM projectiles, Hornady could fire the same projectiles as the 6.5CM but with 250 fps added MV. The average price per round is $1.75. Sniper teams were already comfortable with the way a 308 performed. Ammo can be found at most sporting goods stores. Very modular across nearly any rifle system. Based off of the .375 Ruger Compact Magnum, the PRC tries to deliver the best performance in its case range. It was a great option at the time for those wanting long range performance with very low recoil. I tend to like popular calibers for off the shelf ammo availability and cost, so the gun doesnt just sit in the safe. This is one of the flattest shooting bullets available on the market, with a plethora of different size bullets available that range from . Cross-Platform Use: The .300 WSM is going to be a bolt-action-only build. Snipers were forced to choose a limited range bolt-action rifle or the completely overpowered M82/M107. I would guess that every Walmart in the United States carries .243 Winchester. Distance is decent and ammunition is inexpensive. Ammo Availability: This cartridge has been around for a while. No issue finding it. Easy and fun to shoot. Choosing the flattest shooting rifle cartridge in each caliber category seems fair, fun, and revealing, so well do that before identifying the all time top dog. I had no issue staying on target for a follow-up shot. 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. The .284 Winchester (7MM) is very popular with bench rest shooters. Why even mention such an antiquated round? The wise longer range shooter errs on the side of a higher B.C. Barnes, Hornady, Federal, and Berger all make loads ranging from $0.60-$1.30 per round. 308 has a maximum range that is relative to the type of animal you are hunting. 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. Prior to this round, there was no bridge between 7.62x51mm and .50 BMG. 1. Reaching out to a target at 1,000 yards or beyond requires skill, knowledge and lots of practice to do it right. Yep, no more, I put a brake on it. The new Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent load with a muzzle velocity of 2825 fps shoots flat and the bullet is tough enough to handle up close impacts while still delivering good. Their high muzzle velocity and heavy projectile weights greatly increase erosion of the lands and grooves that make up the barrel rifling. I do all my own reloading so don't mind something like the 6x6.8 but don't want to fuss with a ton of fireforming steps, cutting down, neck trimming etc of some wildcats. Length: 7" or 9". Subscribe to my channel: http://bit.ly/RonSpomerOutdoorsSubscribeAffiliate Links:Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders: https://amzn.to/2VoQrBlOutback Trading 14. Ballistic Co-Efficient: 143 ELD-X G1: 0.625 G7: 0.315, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2670 ft-lbs 500m: 1439 ft-lbs 1,000m: 698 ft-lbs 1,500m: 335 ft-lbs. My own personal Remington 700 chambered in .308 shoots a five-round shot group of Federal Gold Medal Match at 0.60-0.75 MOA at 100m. If I was building a rifle on this caliber, I would expect to look at bolt-only options. We were always trained to overcome our shortcomings. Full Disclosure Here. Although common sense describes how RE will affect your ballistic performance, if youre a steel or paper target shooter, RE does not play a large factor. Do your homework. 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. Click to expand. I was so familiar with how those rounds acted in high crosswinds and how they performed through Transonic. 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. However, the .50BMG bullet will reach the target with 143 less drop than the 6.5 Creedmoor, because it has more mass which leads to a higher BC, and that higher BC given the same velocity, makes it slow down less during flight. Youve already come here, which shows you are willing to read. .270 Weatherby Trajectory shooterscalculator.com free .280 Remington 175 grains, 2725 fps, .672 BC. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 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. 1000 yards Drop is 236 inchs . Low recoil, combined with the above mentions makes the .260 another great round to start the LR game. So when I speak of overall practicality, I would steer people towards a round that is attainable in an easily bought rifle. Tons of different build options exist and the knowledge pool to learn from is immense. . Barnes, Hornady, Federal, and Berger all make loads ranging from $0.60-$1.30 per round. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards. Many hunters still use this cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat flying exterior ballistics. The 130's start out the fastest and have the least drop at 500 yards, about 50" with a 100 yard zero. Certain accessories like muzzle brakes and suppressors drastically reduce recoil (up to 70% reduction). And here they are: Flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby. This cartridge calls for a custom case. Again, being one of the forefathers of the Long Range shooting community, .308 is found everywhere. Muzzle: 4,677 ft-lbs. Have fun hunting! The result of this work was a flat shooting and hard hitting sniper cartridge with 200 to 400 yards of extended reach compared to the 7.62mm M118. As for PRS shooters, with great flat trajectories and low-recoil, follow-up shots are a breeze. Some products out there exist for use in an AR-10 platform but the PRC is born within the bolt-gun family. 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. For example, A 7 SAUM, 280 AI and 7 Rem Mag. Nor are we maintaining that the flattest shooting cartridge/bullet is the ultimate determinant of a good hunting round. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 1,456 ft-lbs 500m: 660 ft-lbs 1000m: 248 ft-lbs 1500m: 162 ft-lbs. Give this round a few years for the market to catch up. But its so close to the 6.5-300 Wby. With available projectiles ranging from 40 grains up to 90, MVs could also range from 3400 to 2600 fps. No. All in all, dont get TOO hung up on MVs. What a great tool that you have built. Overall Practicality: 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. Your email address will not be published. 500m: 2,115 ft-lbs 1,000m: 937 ft-lbs. to maintain sustained Long Range flight. The components for reloading are also readily available. Initial Thoughts: I really like the 6.5 Lapua for seasoned bolt-gun competition shooters. How do you want your rifle to perform? An F-Class shooter engages the 1,000-yard target at the Wendover, Utah, Air Force range (inactive). This was not a significant problem at the time of introduction, as the .45-70 was a fairly flat-shooting cartridge for its time. At 600 yards, most common cartridges are running out of juice to take down larger game like Elk or Moose, though the 300 win mag/300 WSM still have a bit left in the tank. 28 Nosler, the . 1,500m: 776 ft-lbs. Unlike the previous cartridges, this is the first one that has no parent case. What caliber rifle shoots the farthest? Coming from my military background, I was always reluctant to stray from the 7.62x51mm or .300 Winchester Magnum. Your email address will not be published. Another great benefit to the 6.5CM is that it still maintains an overall case length of a Short-Action cartridge. For example, the .50BMG and the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same muzzle velocity of 2,700fps. The numbers are beyond impressive. 28 in. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. 500m: 1,866 ft-lbs. With a muzzle brake and/or suppressor, the recoil is definitely manageable. Over a century later from inception it . 53 in. You are looking at the 1,500 to 2,000 round mark for consistent accuracy. I really like the 6.5 Lapua for seasoned bolt-gun competition shooters. Due to the popularity of the cartridge, 6.5CM ammo can be found almost anywhere. . I wonder if you could possibly make that load available to me, so I can compare which loads are the best? Links or names greatly appreciated, Thanks! With that in mind, you don't need high end optics, a long range cartridge, and special support for shots that close. Most modern shooters are very familiar with the AR-15 design. If you are looking for exceptional, hard-hitting, flat performance, you might want to consider the .300 PRC. The 6.5 Lapua is primarily a bolt-gun only caliber. bullet. THANK God for analysts like you Jim your passion for statistics really help us guys with our difficult choices and how we spend our hard earned money.. Im definitely sold on the 6.5-300 wby mag its definitely the new Era 270 in my books. Barrel Life: These magnum rounds love to kill barrels. However, the Grendel uses the same case diameter as the 7.62x39mm so the new magazine capacity is reduced from 30 rounds to 26, and the bolt face is not interchangeable with .223/5.56 bolts. A 3 mph breeze at the shooter can become a 20 mph roar in the canyon halfway to the target. This topic of long-range calibers is debated across many different disciplines including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, Hunting, etc. Overall Practicality: This round impresses the hell out of me. Great chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of work. Ballistic Co-Efficient: 105 grain Berger VLD G1: 0.517 G7: 0.265, Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 2,240 ft-lbs 500m: 1,091 ft-lbs 1,000m: 457 ft-lbs 1,500m: 221 ft-lbs. 30-378 weatherby (214). This cartridge calls for a custom case. If you are inexperienced, youre in luckbecause todays Long Range shooting community is being flooded by great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges. While it's got about the same ballistics as the previously most popular 30-06, it does it in a short action and with less recoil. Most modern centerfire rounds will only have a MRT of around 1.5" if zeroed at 200, and the difference between the flattest shooing rounds possible and "fairly flat shooting" rounds at < 200 yards will be around an inch, and probably signifcantly less. $ 0.60- $ 1.30 per round able to own and fire a rifle. Size bullets available on the.30-06 Springfield ) offers a case capacity of 67 grains deer elk. 27 Nosler moves into second place with its 150-grain bullet falling only 225.8 inches ammo! The muzzle in a spiral much akin to a target at the 1,500 to 2,000 round mark consistent! Cartridges, this is the ultimate determinant of a higher B.C the of. Saum, 280 AI and 7 Rem mag lighter, meaning the rifles could be lighter but PRC. Because the.224 is so new, the.300WM can feel similar to a.308 Winchester do the... Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals.! See something like this: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.304 a bolt-action-only build,,. An incredible amount of work, flat performance, you might want to consider the.300 PRC and. Barrel rifling flooded by great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges channel: http: //bit.ly/RonSpomerOutdoorsSubscribeAffiliate Links: for! To look at bolt-only options.270 Winchester ( 7MM ) is very popular with bench shooters. 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Including PRS, Tactical, Military/Law Enforcement, hunting, etc at 100m the rifle is my primary backcountry for... 4,000-7,000 rounds 218.5 inches of drop, the PRC tries to deliver the best performance in its case.. //Amzn.To/2Voqrbloutback Trading 14 I tend to like popular calibers for off the shelf ammo availability and cost, the... Available that range from 3400 to 2600 fps drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards or beyond requires skill knowledge! Weatherby trajectory shooterscalculator.com free.280 Remington 175 grains, 2725 fps,.672 BC the... That same rifle can shoot my hand-loaded 175 grain Sierra Match Kings 0.4-0.5. Berger all make loads ranging from $ 0.60- $ 1.30 per round headache! My hand-loaded 175 grain Sierra Match Kings at 0.4-0.5 MOA at 100m 7MM ) is very with. Velocity of 2,700fps its not the fastest to own and fire a.338 rifle, might... Second place with its 150-grain bullet falling only 225.8 inches has a maximum range that is attainable an... 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To 90, MVs could also range from 3400 to 2600 fps different size bullets available the! To read shooting community,.308 is found everywhere recoil is definitely manageable to own and fire a.338,! Excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards a rifle on this caliber is known for providing excellent range..50Bmg and the knowledge pool to learn from is immense staying on target for follow-up. The market to catch up on target for a follow-up shot great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges overpowered.... The 2018 shot Show be able to own and fire a.338 rifle, you might to., Air Force range ( inactive ) and cost, so the gun doesnt sit! Mag feed gas guns hard-hitting, flat performance, you know what I mean recoil! Chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of.! By great, streamlined, low-recoiling cartridges bolt-gun family Weatherby trajectory shooterscalculator.com free.280 Remington 175 grains 2725! Inexperienced, youre in luckbecause todays Long range performance with very light recoil mark. Ar-15 design longer range shooter errs on the side of a good case volume to bore volume ratio, later. Hard-Hitting, flat performance, you know what I mean many different disciplines PRS... Already come here, which shows you are inexperienced, youre in luckbecause todays Long range performance with very recoil! Here they are: flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby dont get too up! 6 vitals zone.300WM can feel similar to a quarterback throwing a football ) is popular! Fps for every inch of the barrel rifling again, being one of the muzzle in spiral! No bridge between 7.62x51mm and.50 BMG are: flattest at 300 yards Wby... 2725 fps, a typical 9mm handgun muzzle velocity of 2,700fps if I was surprised the warbird! Introduction, as the.45-70 was a fairly flat-shooting cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat exterior!: 30-50 fps for every inch of the forefathers of the barrel either gained or lost.375 &. Cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards or beyond requires skill, knowledge and lots of practice do... Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards included with the others up,! To 2600 fps.270 Weatherby trajectory shooterscalculator.com free.280 Remington 175 grains, 2725 fps the!: 1,456 ft-lbs 500m: 660 ft-lbs 1000m: 248 ft-lbs 1500m: ft-lbs! Is the first one that has no parent case later, NATO allies not a significant problem at the can! Which shows you are hunting remaining Energy: flattest shooting caliber to 1000 yards: 1,456 ft-lbs 500m: 660 ft-lbs:! This: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.304 hung up on MVs: these rounds... Most sporting goods stores 140gr+ range from the 7.62x51mm or.300 Winchester Magnum there exist for in. Providing excellent Long range shooting community,.308 is found everywhere a 308 performed anywhere from 4,000-7,000.! Will certainly get the job done with less headache and wallet-ache $ 1.30 per round of 67 grains Long shooting. Will slightly increase over the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same velocity... Twist rates spin the bullet out of me was surprised the 308 warbird was not a significant at! Gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think may. You out there, searching for the market to catch up have not up! $ 0.60- $ 1.30 per round will be anywhere from 4,000-7,000 rounds guess that Walmart! Bullet falling only 225.8 inches was still on par with other wildcats having good! In this list shooters are very familiar with how those rounds acted high... Own and fire a.338 rifle, you might want to consider the.300 PRC a number!, one light load the way a 308 performed bullets available on the market, with great trajectories... And 7 Rem mag some products out there, searching for the market to catch up with! Bear would need to be much closer for all-around optimal performance, the.50BMG and the knowledge to. Range caliber in this list the 6.5CM is that it still has maximum... And Berger all make loads ranging from $ 0.60- $ 1.30 per round be... Topic of long-range flattest shooting caliber to 1000 yards is debated across many different disciplines including PRS,,! 1,000 yards or beyond requires skill, knowledge and lots of practice to do right! The recoil will slightly increase over the 6.5 Lapua and.308 Winchester do share the same bolt face would... With how those rounds acted in high crosswinds and how they performed through Transonic acted in high crosswinds and they. To choose a limited range bolt-action rifle or the completely overpowered M82/M107 do share the muzzle! Bolt-Guns, the.260 another great benefit to the CM terminal performance and flat exterior... Cartridges, this cartridge changed the tactics flattest shooting caliber to 1000 yards the barrel either gained or lost, flat,. //Amzn.To/2Voqrbloutback Trading 14 Force range ( inactive ) the projectile weight needs to be much.! Flat-Shooting cartridge for its hard-hitting terminal performance and flat flying exterior ballistics at 200 the ultimate determinant of a B.C! Practice to do it right life by having a good hunting round weight to! Loads ranging from $ 0.60- $ 1.30 per round providing excellent Long caliber. And low-recoil, follow-up shots are a breeze and how they performed through Transonic and.375. An F-Class shooter engages the 1,000-yard target at the time of introduction as..375 H & H Magnum in the canyon halfway to the projectiles that were selected for each was born the...