The .25-06 is fast, shoots flat at 200 yards, and has just a 6.5-inch drop at 300 yards. It is not always the caliber that is in question. Does it matter if there are -30 of drop or -40 of drop if the answer is simply to spin the turret a few extra clicks? But if it isnt, go read the article again. Heres a chart from my Popular Hunting Cartridges Compared article. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. However, at 400 yards it increases to 11.2 inches. Again great job !!!!! The best varmint rifles are capable of accurate, repeated medium to long range shots from a fixed position, and are usually found in light, fast calibers that have a flat trajectory. I also appreciate the realistic exposition of the relevant comparison between effects of flat-shooting cartridge vs judging cross-wind! That does not appeal to my simplified physics understanding of the subject. Great info but my 7mm rem mag with Nosler 120 grain BT (.417bc) @ 3600fps has anything on this chart beat pretty soundly. 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. That's pretty dang flat. So lets roll with this! Not to mention the different variations in grains in each individual caliber,Ogive and BC. Only B.C. Thanks again. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. Most of the calculators out there show larger drop rates then your table. The best long-range cartridges are those that are flat shooting, feature aerodynamic projectiles and have enough power to go the distance. Flattest at 1,000 yards Heres where things start to change. 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. To even things out, Ive zerod all cartridges at 100, drops are listed in feet and cartridges that fell below 1000 ft-lbs didnt get past the next 100 yard clip. The actual rain is pretty old-school, not digital distances and whatnot, but it's cheap and the people who work there are great. For example, A 7 SAUM, 280 AI and 7 Rem Mag. This article covered not only objective but the subjective topics my buddies use to caliber shame my 5.56. Ron Spomer Outdoors 1.1M views 6 months ago Head-To-Head: 6.5. Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. Most center-fire rifles that are legal for deer hunting can take a deer at 300 yards. Just wondering where the 300 win mag ends up? You can't go wrong with a .308 for a 500 yard rifle. (Essentially, you don't have to arc the 300 Win Mag's bullet trajectory in order to strike a target up . Save big on firearms, accessories, tactical gear, clothing, and ammunition from now until March 29. . 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.. With the highest BC bullets, the 26 Nosler remains supersonic beyond 1,750 yards. 3. Different shooters will all have different calibers that are better suited for their specific goal or mission. Another and even better option for reaching out to a big game animal with an AR15 is the 6.5 Grendel. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Mag. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. Nice summary of the subject for those of us who do not understand things like Coreolis Force and aerodynamic jump. bullet to offset wind deflection. Most shots are taken at short range, but some experienced marksmen with good rifles, known distances, and good conditions may need to make connections at longer distances. Also look at Federal Premiums 180-grain Nosler AccuBond offering at 2,960 fps. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? It makes for easy reading in an \all in one place\ comparison, rather than spending time trying to find this data all over the internet. The flattest shooting caliber and load I could find was the .300 RUM shooting a 150 grain bullet. great to see bullet drops and equate them in inches of drop brings home the reality of how much impact good old gravity has on ballistics.even with the flattest cartridges still aiming the height of a house above the target @1000 yds drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. For example, the .50BMG and the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same muzzle velocity of 2,700fps. Because it was used in the Civil War, the term "flattest" is not an exact description. All in all, here are six bonus cartridge, all highly capable of reaching way out there. The 300 PRC will cruise above the speed of sound out to 1,650 yards. But, as an extreme range competition shooter recently told me, the number of cold barrel, first round hits he sees at 1,000 yards in competition is well below 50%. p.s. Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELDX at 2,960 fps. cleric; Jan 28, 2023; Bolt Action Rifles ; Replies 13 Views 475. Drop is constant at the gravitational pull of 32 feet per second accelerating at 32 fps. Flattest Shooting Cartridges by Caliber Ron Spomer Outdoors 1.1M views 1 year ago Worst and Best Way to Sight a Rifle! What I have come up with is the .270 Weatherby Magnum with a 135gr Sierra Matchking and 7828. Pronghorn hunters have driven the search for flatter shooting cartridges for a long time. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. The amount of drop is directly influenced by velocity, energy, rifle barrel, and bullet design. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It was introduced in 1962 and essentially knocked the .264 Winchester Magnum several notches down on the popularity list after hunters and shooters put the 7mm Mag to the test. Fast and flat shooting b#%ds. You can argue that you can get the 243 WSSM shooting flatter, but that cartridge is already considered obsolete. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. Mag., according to Noslers Handloading Guide 9. It will push a 90-grain Fusion bullet to 500 yardswhich is probably the limit for . MY 45 cal ball travels at 1633fps with a standard charge, and 74-5gr for a full charge (2040fps). 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. If you had to choose one cartridge to hunt with for the rest of your life, you could do a whole lot worse than the .30-06 Springfield. Both are of course bolt-action rifle cartridges. [wd_leadmagnet type="dressing"] The goal with the 6 mm ARC was to provide the flattest-shooting cartridge compatible with an AR-15. Wind also affects bullets differently, and a cartridges ability to overcome these three forces makes it better or worse for shooting flat and far. Some of those 26 and 28 Nosler rifles only have 600-900 shots of total barrel life. is the fastest at 3,500 FPS, and exits a rifle with a muzzle energy of 2,700 FPE. Feb 17, 2023. Its muzzle velocity is 1880 fps, and muzzle energy is 2355 ft. lbs. I stopped there because few hunters are going to tolerate the recoil or rifle weight needed to operate a flat shooter above 338-caliber. It's not until you get farther out that BC starts making a big difference. The .277 is an oddball bullet diameter, in that it doesnt fall into the much more common 6.5mm, 7mm, or .30-caliber categories. The flattest-shooting popular rifle cartridge at 1,000 yards is the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum, followed by the .26 Nosler, the .28 Nosler, the .22 Creedmoor, and the 6.5 Weatherby RPM. JavaScript is disabled. More hunters should get to know this fantastic round. I realize that you looked at several different loads for each cartridge to figure out which one was the flattest shooting. For some reason it pushed Noslers 125-gr. Before we check that out, lets give a nod to the 240 Wby. Drops just 11.6 inches. Mag. RELATED: 6.5 Creedmoor: The New King of Cartridges? Have fun hunting! I would like to see a chart on down range energy. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. numbers which are not quite as accurate as G7 numbers in predicting trajectories of todays wildly long, sleek bullets. Based on the now almost-forgotten .284 Winchester, the 6.5-284 Norma was originally a wildcat cartridge and a very popular one, especially in bench-rest competitions. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. It outperforms the .280 Remington (also known as the 7mm-06 and the 7mm Express), and for years wildcatters and handloaders have been singing its praises. A good hunting cartridge has to fit in a rifle thats comfortable to carry all day and wont kick you so hard that you cant shoot it well. It is flat shooting, powerful, has a manageable amount of recoil, and there are dozens of great hunting rifles chambered in this outstanding cartridge. And it isn't just the 308 that the 25-06 can best at long range, I compared many other leading types of competition or "flat-shooting" rounds, such as .243, .243 WSSM, 6mm Rem, 6.5 Grendel, .270 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5 x 55 Swede. 223 Wylde chambered, 20" barreled rifle. Great information! I wonder if you could possibly make that load available to me, so I can compare which loads are the best? The vast offerings of ammo and rifles on the market today is why the 338 Winchester Magnum is probably one of the best elk cartridges a hunter can carry. I love that you have gone above and beyond here and I see tremendous value in this knowledge. The .223 Remington will easily take care of any varmint out to around 500 yards, but at extreme distances loses its punch. The final two cartridges above are mislabeled. With its rebated rim and 1/2-inch diameter at the base, it is essentially a longer version of the 6.5284 Norma; ballistically equivalent to the .264 Winchester Magnum. 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. Most of these are all-around cartridges intended for variety of CXP2 and CXP3 class game that offer an adequately flat trajectory for antelope hunting with appropriate loads (usually the lighter weight bullets . 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. Therefore my velocity is up to around 3175fps, BC .434 G1 and the 500 yard drop is 23 with a 300 yard zero sight in. With a recent elevated popularity, due in no small part to the rise of the six-fives, the Grendel is now getting the attention it deserves. Flattest Shooting Hunting Bullet 257 Weatherby Vanguard 26" pipe. Enforcermj, Im not sure if your comment is sarcastic or not. With todays ammunition, its even better. The rifle has five caliber offerings . Well placed shots seem to work and poorly placed shots tend to fail. . The biggest deficit is the roughly 57 feet of drop at 1,000 yards. A .270 caliber rifle loaded with a 130 or a 140 grain bullets will drop respectively 33 and 35 inches with each bullet have over 1400 lbs. With a growing choice of ammo from 90-130 grain projectiles and the benefit of a great ballistic coefficient with the 6.5mm bullet, 500+ yard shooting can be almost boring. Well, Im done Adulting for Today and Tomorrow. A relatively flat-shooting cartridge, hunters with skill regular make shots out to 400 and 500 yards with the cartridge on small gamesome hunters even farther. Find out which ones made the cut. Nope, pretty much matches a 308Win to 500 yards. bullet twice that far. What do you guys think the flattest shooting caliber would be for hunting I have heard 6.5x284 but the bullet CE appears better on a 270. 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. When it came out in 1925, 300 yards was considered about the max distance for shots on game, and the .270 Winchester was quickly recognized as one of, if not the, best commercial option for that. 6.5mm calibers Equally, cutting through the air slows the projectile down, eating away at its energy. I am impressed at all the data you went through to come up with the three chosen. The rifle would be used for game to 600 yards (self imposed limit) up to the occasional Elk. All the following data was computer generated as if all loads were fired from a (simulated) dead flat (level) barrel, so these are pure drops. Of course, the .270 Win was developed in 1925 when 1000 yard shots were effectively unheard of. Thoughts on this? The Liberty Ammunition .308 Win. Bullet B.C. Warm greetings from S.W. and MV do. 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. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. And for all of you whove just learned your flat shooting champion really isnt, sorry. Why? Also know that not all manufacturer-claimed B.C. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. But you wouldnt want to hunt with it. Even the heaviest Weatherby factory load (120-grain Partition) leaves the muzzle at 3,305 feet per second and retains 1,221 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards. Factory rifles and ammunition options are limited here, too, but based on the ballistic abilities of this cartridge, thats likely to change sooner rather than later. I was once hunting plains game in Africa when my PH told me, holding a rangefinder, that the wildebeest was 155 yards away. The .25-06 is the flattest shooting, hardest hitting, lowest recoiling cartridge available. As for targeting game at extreme distances, yes, I realize there are thousands of dedicated, well-trained long range shooters who are as good at 1,000 yards as many of us are at 500 yards and some of us at 200 yards. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. First, some boundaries. Thats what makes a long-range hunters heart go pitter patter, and its what has kept Weatherby in business since 1945. always means more wind deflection. 2. Oldmarine >>> GO I know you like your Bushnell scope but you should know that they make a lot of good scopes but the one that is favored by many Long Range shooters is the Elite Tactical XRS 4.5 . You still need excellent range finding equipment and preferably have tested drops in your rifle in case your bullets have exaggerated BC claims. Trust but verify. I also want to give credit to a couple of long-range AR cartridges that deserve honorable mention. Often theyre inflated. I know you won't find them in the US, but just wanted to mention them because it's fun. It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. Its also based on the 220 Russian/7.62x39mm Russian cartridge, but unlike the Valkyriewhich uses a 0.223-caliber bulletthe Grendel is yet another 6.5. the max load is the distance load. Take another look. But the premise is based on my farm, where distances are limited to 560 or so yards. 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. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. So it Im guessing to summarise it doesnt really matter what you shoot as long as you know distance to target & your maths All three cartridges also offer ample case capacity, allowing enough powder to send bullets at drag-defying velocities. Target Rifle- Caliber Question. At 1000 yards a .308 Winchester will have dropped around 400 inches (30 feet) where it has lost 55% of its velocity. Appropriate hunting bullets may not reach these levels of B.C. The .270 Winchester stays supersonic out to 1,400 yards, which is more than what 99 percent of hunters will ever need. i've heard the .17 hmr are real flat shooting. Thanks Thank you for the time it took to work all this data up in an easy to absorb article, where are you getting your information for the bullet drop? Aug 31, 2013. Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. Still, a flat-shooting cartridge will often perform well with wind as well, because it is in the air for less time between the shot and hitting the target. I noticed in your video that your chart also listed energy and recoil. Nosler Trophy Grade with a 150-grain Nosler AccuBond Long Range at 3300 fps. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. MPBR with a 150-grain spire point from a 308 Winchester might extend to 317 yards on an 8-inch target while a 300 RUM might push that same bullet to 373 yards. However, the .220 Swift and the .22-250 have been used to take deer out to distances a lot of folks got no business shooting, for a long, long time. JOHN BUOL Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: 5.56mm NATO. Many people found it informative, but some of the hunters wanted to know if you have any statistics available on the calibers as listed above. However, I have a question to ask you. Shot from SAAMI-mandated 1-8 twist barrels, the 6.5s long, slender bullets seem to almost defy wind and gravity and allow this cartridge to deliver clean kills at distance. But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! Mag. I hope this report clears up some trajectory confusion and perhaps settles some old arguments. At 300 yards, the hold over (assuming a 250 yard zero) is only 2.6 inches. The flattest-shooting cartridges usually have Nosler or Weatherby in their name, and the top three flat-shooting cartridges were created by those respected companies. What a gentleman. again. By the time the 6.5 Creedmoor started gaining popularity, interest in the .270 WSM was fading. While there are not a lot of ammunition choices for the 6.8 Western, there are some good ones. The way in which cartridge manufacturers develop rounds to overcome these forces is the twist rates of the barrels in the rifles the cartridges are chambered in, developing longer, more aerodynamic bullets with narrower ogives and case capacity. In your question about Flattest shooting caliber in a Lever Gun, Winchester 1894 shooting a .25-35 caliber bullet. 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. I dont get it. J. No, its not a 6.5 Creedmoor, but few things are. Its like a shorter, beltless version of the .300 Winchester Magnum. Recoil is stiff and some find it hard to master. Good video! Loaded with a 130-grain bullet, it will carry more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy out past 600 yards. The .17 HMR is based upon the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire casing, necked down to .17 Caliber. Hello Jim, That should be pretty close to flat. I mean, its the flattest shooting cartridge around, but you took a huge bump in recoil over the 300 win mag or even 270 WSM for 41 more usable yards of MPBR. Fun? The article has really peaked my interest. If the hunter is looking for a flat shooting caliber with good energy and speed of distances around 400-yards, then the .270 would be the obvious choice. Great work here. RELATED: How the Brand-New 27 Nosler Revives the .277. He has managed multiple gun ranges, and has hunted around the world. What caliber rifle shoots the farthest? I have found that when talking about these large caliber hunting rounds, there is not a tremendous difference in bullet drop. 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. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? Thats true, but the bullets have been vetted. For serious shooters, thats a non-starter. Below is a chart indicating the three best flat-shooting cartridges and their muzzle velocity, drop, energy levels, and felt recoil. The RPM does not have a belt or the customary Weatherby radiused shoulder, and it was designed to go with an ultra-light hunting rifle. If you dont have good range finding equipment, youre hooped either way; humans will have extreme difficulty judging 700 from 725 without physical land markers or other range finding signs. So I find it strange you dont have it on any of the lists from what I have seen. What are the best long-range cartridges: .22-250 Remington .308 Winchester .300 Winchester Magnum .338 Lapua Magnum .300 Weatherby Magnum 6.5 Creedmoor 6.5-284 Norma 26 Nosler Depending on the caliber you are using, a long-range shooting may be at 1,000 and more yards, but if you are committed to rimfires than 200-300 yards is very long-distance shooting. Indeed, the .223 WSSM vies with the .220 Swift for the title of the centerfire rifle cartridge with the fastest bullet velocity. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time . That's why the three best rifles we have sorted have a 500-yard impact range below 40''. The story of an old humpback Browning that's Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Flattest at 500 yards Weatherbys wildly overbore 6.5-300 wins again! With the exception of the 7mm Remington Magnum, cartridges of this diameter have never been as popular in America as they should bemaybe because this was the caliber of the Imperial German Army and the Nazis. So what if we shoot further than 300? Like the 26 Nosler, the 28 is based on the 404 Jeffery case and will remain supersonic out past 1,750 yards. A highly accurate, easy to shoot rifle with a flat trajectory will make for confident hunting. Think 30-30 necked down to a .25 cal. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps. For most calibers, such as a 45 getting the impact to be on target at 75 yards, the impact at 50 will be an inch or so high and an inch or so low at 100 and 4 to 6 inches or more low at 200 yards. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. Top I appreciate the kind comment. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. My grandkids have a poem for this photo: Cartridge cartridge on the table, choose the flattest if youre able. and .30 caliber bore . The caveat here is that fastest becomes a bit murky. And is it fair to include Risky Ralphs overstuffed, compressed-powder loads that exceed the highest handloading guides top loads by 400 fps and leave primers looking as if theyd been squashed on a train track? When a bullet is fired, many forces are immediately working against it: gravity, wind, and atmospheric drag. Required fields are marked *. A bullet starts to drop as soon as it leaves the barrel. Caliber Flattest Shooting Load BC; 7mm R Mag: Hor 139 gr InBd HvMag.480: 270 WSM (1) Fed 130 gr Nosler BT.428: 300 Win Mag: Hor 150 gr InBd . Barrel length will change MV. Excellent work!! If youre planning on buying a gun to shoot long range shots this is recommended reading. 26 Nosler. Unfortunately, the .223 WSSM has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Thank you. 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. Generally, traditional Weatherby Magnum cartridges perform slightly better than their Winchester or Remington magnum counterparts. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. I believe the 6.8 SPC is that alternative. Still, by using G1 across the board, we are on a level playing field. rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. Below is the information Ive gleaned from 17-caliber through 338. When the .264 Winchester Magnum was introduced about 60 years ago, it became a sensation with shooters looking to extend their reach in the field. Jim, . Thank you for the great content you provide. Now if you pulled all of your data from Nosler and they shot their bullets out of the same length of barrel then I would trust the ballistics youre speaking of. 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. Only a handful of .277-caliber cartridges are made today, but the .270 Winchester is still by far the most popular, given all the guns and loads out there for it. How can I get all the data in a spread sheet form like you showed in your video?
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