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The wise longer range shooter errs on the side of a higher B.C. Its just human nature to celebrate and admire the biggest, bestest, and flattest. As the old system for measuring BC, the G1 model is based on a short, flat-bottomed bullet, while the G7 model is based around longer, boat-tailed bullets. Since nearly all long-distance shooters today use a laser rangefinder, does it even matter which cartridges shoot the flattest? Barrel Break-In: What It Is. Most often you just have to buy a Weatherby rifle to get one, and while that used to be an expensive proposition, its not anymore. Mag. numbers are accurate. We look at the cartridg. Whether or not thats true, my own success rate at 1,000 yards informs me to always stalk closer if I can and to forego shots at any distance unless Im supremely confident I can make them. Product Line: VLD Target. At 500 yards the 6.5 PRC drops about three feet when zeroed at 200 yards, eight inches less than the Creedmoor. A 100-grain .243 bullet with a G1 ballistic coefficient around .400 at a muzzle velocity of 2,960 carries just over 800 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards. What is the flattest shooting rifle? EuroOptic has the best prices and ultra-fast shipping! Nosler Trophy Grade with a 130-grain Nosler AccuBond at 2900 fps. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is one of the flattest shooting and hardest-hitting calibers, most useful for long-range shooting and transferring energy into targets. I ran some drop numbers on some of the flattest shooting calibers in the world and how much drop they have at 1500 yards will amaze you. 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. I have neither the scientific knowledge nor mathematical skills to figure out the perfect blend of factors that produces the flattest trajectory winner. And if you want an affordable hunting or target rifle the Creedmoor is a good option. Low B.C. The 338-378 Weatherby Magnum started as the wildcat cartridge using the .378 Weatherby Magnum as a parent case by necking it down to .338 inches. 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. 243 and 25-06 had to be left out because it didnt have enough at 600 for even deer. Barrel twist rates spin the bullet out of the muzzle in a spiral much akin to a quarterback throwing a football. Yeah, yeah, I know theyre cartridges and not calibers, but lots of people call them calibers so I thought Id roll with it. 270 and 30-06 carry enough power out to 700 yards, 7mm pulls a bit further, and 300 win mag pulls a bit further still. It was introduced by Remington in 1962 to the commercial market in an age of "magnum-mania,". Velocity, drop, energy and the use of bullets with their own factors which create their ballistic coefficients all should be considered. 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. For example, at 1,000 yards, the 6.5 CM 140-grain ELD bullet with ballistic coefficient 0.646 has 4 feet less drop when you compare it to the .308 Winchester a .308 Win 168-grain ELD bullet with 0.523 BC. RELATED: How the Brand-New 27 Nosler Revives the .277. It will push a 55-grain E-Tip bullet to 3,300 fps, which is more than sufficient for deer hunting. Thus, the .50BMG drops less at 1,000 yards than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? Mag. But a reputation for burning out barrels ultimately doomed the cartridge. In the shortest terms, you can conceive 7mm Remington Magnum as flat- shooting .270 and hard-hitting .30-06 round. . 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. It also clings to energy. throwing a 55-gr. With a muzzle velocity faster than 3000 fps, it offers great external and terminal ballistics. Nevertheless, flat shooting cartridges have long fascinated hunters and driven cartridge development and sales. And that light recoil not only makes you a better shot in the field; it also makes practicing more fun and productive. Barrel length will change MV. Moreover, a manufacturer advertises at 400 yards their 6.5mm projectiles maintain the same velocity as the .260 Remington generates at the muzzle. The wildly overbore 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum wins or places near the top of the flat-shooter podium at most ranges to at least 1,000 yards. The spin rate helps to stabilize the projectile along its path, cut through drag and higher case capacities give the projectile more velocity thus delivering the bullet to the target more quickly. The new .300 Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) use as a parent case a .375 Ruger, which Hornady ballisticians necked-down to .30 caliber and moved back the shoulder to make a cartridge with very long head height. All Rights Reserved, My Group Therapy: Shooting Log Book | 100 pages (6"x9") | Record Target Shooting Data & Improve your Skills and Precision Paperback June 13, 2019. 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. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'backfire_tv-box-4','ezslot_7',175,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-backfire_tv-box-4-0'); Spinning high B.C. At the peak of the market-hunting era, waterfowlers We interviewed fourth-generation master flintlock rifle maker John From forcing cones to action bars, here's a Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Choosing the right caliber and understand its ballistic performance profile is extremely important if you want to get good. When considering cartridges for their ability to shoot flat, overcoming drag is critical. | 301". Noslers first proprietary cartridge is basically a steroid-monster 6.5 Creedmoor. Yep, me too. The .277 is an oddball bullet diameter, in that it doesnt fall into the much more common 6.5mm, 7mm, or .30-caliber categories. Additionally, the 6.5 Creedmoor has about 30% less recoil than the .308 Winchester and about a 33% longer effective range. Mag. It has flipped positions with the 6.5, losing by a mere 1.4-inches. Love it or hate it, the 6.5 Creedmoor was a game-changer. Mag. So far, I've listed cartridges . Mag., according to Noslers Handloading Guide 9. rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. The Creedmoor carries more velocity and energy downrange with less recoil than any other factory cartridge. 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. Combining the large case capacity of its parent . Its .224-diameter bullet with ridiculously high Ballistic Coefficient (BC) number can maintain supersonic speed and drift less in the wind right up until about the 1,300-yard mark. What It Is Not. When using 90-grain bullets with a very high ballistic coefficient at .563 G1 BC, the 224 Valkyrie is a legitimate three-quarter-mile cartridge. This cartridge existed in a cloak of obscurity for a long time; only recently have hunters began to see the potential it offers. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. The reason why 6.5mm cartridges are exploding in popularity is because they are ultra-efficient. The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. A long-time favorite of snipers, the .308 Winchester will remain supersonic out to around 1,200 yards. There are EXCEPTIONS to almost EVERYTHING with the huge wide range of ballistic specs due to EXCEPTIONAL things people/companies do with cartridge loads these days, but the article was referencing the NORMS for these rifles, not the EXCEPTIONS based on unusual or exotic cartridges a FEW people will use. But can it defend that title at 1,000 yards? As a numeric designation, the ballistic coefficient (BC) is usually described as a number between one and zero. Brownings 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing load has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2835 fps and a very high ballistic coefficient. You may be an outstanding expert rifleman using a match grade ammo. A 338 Lapua will have 40 inches of drop at 500 yards, 265 inches of drop at 1000 yards and 780 . Mag., a cartridge that the Western also outperforms ballistically. Just saying, excellent job to tell the nature of all calibers for hunting from 100 to 700 yards for medium game. 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. Accommodating long, heavy, high ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets, the 6.5 Creedmoor resists wind drift exceptionally well and enables doubled hit probability at 1,000 meters, compared to .308 Win. Well, theres really only one option in .22-caliber and thats the .224 Valkyrie. But what are the flattest shooting rifle cartridges? But again, that just my opinion. 6.5mm calibers And here they are: Flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby. But its so close to the 6.5-300 Wby. What Ive done with this deep dive review is use the highest Handloading Manual velocities Ive discovered, trusting that you, gentle reader, will understand that your mileage may vary. 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. It started with the .30/30 and continued with the .30/06 and .308 and right up to todays .300 Blackout. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. Thank you. The .264 (6.5 mm) caliber bullets are known as extremely long and sleek projectiles featuring remarkable ballistic coefficients. So dont assume that youll be shooting the worlds flattest rifle cartridge and bullet until youve verified your MV and bullet B.C. BadAssOptic.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates, AvantLink, Impact Radius & ShareASale Affiliate Programs, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. Mag. Our blog and video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridge Ever! It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. Kimber's Hunter Pro Desolve Blak takes the firm's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights. Wind drift is less pronounced than the .308, and the Creedmoor generates less recoil. Im going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. Volquartsen UltraLite Semi-Auto Rimfire Rifle - Best Competition .22 LR Rifle. If so you're at the right place. The .17 Remington, introduced in 1971, was the first .17-caliber cartridge offered in both factory rifles and commercial ammunition. (For anyone who gets worked up about the fact that the .30/06 isnt on this list, feel free to swap it with this one, as long as you dont mind the extra kick. Originally billed as the world's fastest 30-caliber cartridge, the .30/378 will push a 165-grain bullet close to 3,500 fps. Still, if youre goal is to push heavy projectiles to the outer reaches, Noslers 28 may be the best 7mm option out there. bullet. Recoil is stiff and some find it hard to master. The .277 bullet earns a lower B.C. Clear enough? I blog often and I truly appreciate your content. With the highest BC bullets, the 26 Nosler remains supersonic beyond 1,750 yards. gundata.org has done all this for you already. Another and even better option for reaching out to a big game animal with an AR15 is the 6.5 Grendel. The 224V with the right twist and bullets light for caliber (52 to 62) I guess 90gr cheap factory rounds are an option here if you don't reload, does well. Learn more . Run those numbers on JBM. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Recoil is negligible, making it a great option for hunter with sensitive shoulders. There are also lighter rounds available with a 154-grain, where BC is .530, and the muzzle velocity is 3,000 fps. 264 Winmag Heck, I cant even find agreement on maximum muzzle velocities in handloading manuals from Speer, Hornady, Nosler, Berger, Swift, Hodgdon, Norma, Sierra, Barnes Furthermore, just because the manual lists those speeds does not mean your rifle will deliver them. bullet to offset wind deflection. A 3 mph breeze at the shooter can become a 20 mph roar in the canyon halfway to the target. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. But the 220 Swift is not a legal big game cartridge in many states and the 40 . 1. It seems a bit odd to consider a .22-caliber cartridge of any design suitable for long-range hunting of . And here they are: Flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby. In fact, it's safe to fire .223 Rem. It introduced the .22-250 Remington in 1965 while the Beatles were dominating the radio with I Feel Fine, Ticket to Ride, Eight Days a Week, Help!, and Yesterday. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. A 108-grain 6mm Creedmoor bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .536 fired at the same velocity carries 300 more foot-pounds of energy at that distance, and the difference in wind drift is pronounced: the .243 bullet drifts 22 inches at 500 yards in a 10 mph crosswind while the Creedmoor drifts just 15.7 inches. The .308 Winchester is a very popular caliber and is . Also look at Federal Premiums 180-grain Nosler AccuBond offering at 2,960 fps. Like the 6mm, the 6.5 Creedmoor with high ballistic coefficient bullets has less wind drift than other 6.5s that shoot lighter bullets, and its no secret that the 6.5 Creedmoor is very accurate. Ive updated the chart description so its more clear that it isnt in inches. The drops are listed in feet for the really long range shots, so theyre pretty close to your numbers. Mag. If you're shooting a military surplus rifle with a worn-out barrel with internal parts that went out of tolerance, precision will remain mere luck and chance. This is an example of how different loads in different rifles can produce different results. It's not as popular among match shooters as the .308 or a number of other lesser-known cartridges, but it's effective, nonetheless. Your email address will not be published. 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. Nesa Ristic is a military historian enthusiast and hobbyist, war veteran and an avid hunter with more than 30 years of experience. Tips, techniques, and equipment are applied to these classroom discussions on how to become more proficient and successful at making long-range shots while hunting with AR-platform rifles. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. A good ballistic coefficient depends on many variables such as bullet type and shape, weight, or muzzle velocity. The original chambering for the AR-15, it's a near twin to the 5.56 NATO. 6.5mm and 7mm projectiles offer very high ballistic coefficients, meaning they offer excellent ability to overcome drag and wind deflection over longer distances. 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. Emulated by all others, the VLD Target Rifle Bullet incoporates a secant ogive design which allows the Rifle Bullet to experience less drag as it travels to the target. 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. My take away on all this number crunching? The Creedmoor was. Ive seen the cartridge flatten whitetails and caribou, and tight tolerances make it capable of excellent accuracy. Anyway, it was not created as a replacement for the .223 Rem., but the Valkyrie is designed as a specialized cartridge for people who want to shoot an AR-15 at targets beyond 500 yards. At 500 yards the 165-grain load carries 1,856 foot-pounds of energy, more than Winchester .300 WSM or .300 Win. Generating muzzle energy of 400 ft-lbs, this innovative rimfire round easily outperforms all previous rimfire varmint cartridges and duplicate the centerfire velocities and energy in a more affordable rimfire package. These days, with the explosion of long-range shooting interests, many newbies and more experienced shooters strive to achieve tighter groups at 300+ yards using a standard production rifle and typical hunting or service cartridges. No howitzers or tanks.). If Ive left out an obvious winner or near winner, write in and state your case. Below is a chart indicating the three best flat-shooting cartridges and their muzzle velocity, drop, energy levels, and felt recoil. But it's so close to the 6.5-300 Wby. The cartridge . Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. Created from the ground up for competition and very little hunting, the 6.5 Creedmoor has several advantages over the .308 and the other .30-caliber cartridges. Just hoping my bad experiences might inspire you to avoid some of your own. Assorted 5.56 Rounds (XM193, XM855, Gold Medal 69gr) While this may not be the first cartridge that comes to mind for long-range shooting, with an appropriate bullet, the compact .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO is more than capable of shooting over 500 yards with accuracy. Subscribe to my channel: http://bit.ly/RonSpomerOutdoorsSubscribeLinks:Website: https://ronspomeroutdoors.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronspomerout. But lets take a quick look at a historically popular flat-shooting cartridge, the .270 Winchester. and MV do. The .300 Norma Magnum was introduced in 2009, and soon, it has begun to gain popularity in the long-range shooting community. 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. And they can change in your rifle and will change at different velocities. This newer Weatherby 6.5 combines plenty of gas with manageable recoil. Many of the .22 calibers ie 22-250 lose theor velocity at long range and get blown around in the wind a lot. Originally developed as a black-powder revolver cartridge, the .45 Long Colt (LC) functioned as the official US military handgun from 1873 to 1887. At 500 yards, the 27 Nosler drops almost a foot less than Jack OConnors sacred cartridge. CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer .22LR Bolt Action Rifle - Best .22 LR Bolt Action Training Rifle. A highly accurate, easy to shoot rifle with a flat trajectory will make for confident hunting. Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. Besides, the aerodynamic bullet and heavyweight bring the energy that is about one-third of a .44 Magnum at point-blank range. ), Hornadys Precision Hunter 178-grain ELD-X at 2,600 fps is probably the best long-range option, but look also at the new 168-grain Berger Hybrid Hunter load from Federal, RELATED: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. .308 Winchester. But the PRC uses a larger case thats based on the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum instead of the .30 TC case that spawned the 6.5 Creedmoor, and the PRC therefore has a higher powder capacity. Not only are new loads being offered, new ARs and even bolt action rifles for the Grendel are being introduced. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum or in metric description 8.6 x 74mm is in the same performance league as the .338 Lapua (8.6 x 70mm). 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 The 6.5 140gr bullets really retain their velocity. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. So what can we learn from these numbers? The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is another Hornady creation, and like the Creedmoor it is loaded with 103-grain ELD-X bullets and 108-grain ELD Match bullets. At the time, "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "The Rifleman," and dozens of Western films were celebrating horses, lever-actions, and revolvers. Hello there, I think your web site may be having browser compatibility problems. In fact, we may say that its the only thing that matters; however, factors that lead to time of flight changes are important to consider. Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. To be fair to the 30-378, itmurders everything else for flatness way out there, staying feet above most other cartridges and carrying enough energy to take a deer at just over 1000 yards. From an external ballistics standpoint, it cannot compete with any of the cartridges on this list, but in the field where it matters, it works wonders, and only the 6.5 Creedmoor has less recoil. Here we go! Before the arrival of other 6.5mm rounds like 6.547 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor, the .260 Rem was once the dominant 6.5mm cartridge in competitions out to 1,000 yards. The .17 Winchester Super Magnum 20-gr. The final two cartridges above are mislabeled. Nor could most of us scrape up a good excuse for owning one. Should you have other helpful info, please send it to me by email: [emailprotected]. due to its larger diameter which increases drag. So if you take flat shooting to mean aiming right at something far away and hitting it, theres not really enough difference between the main popular cartridges to get out of bed for. The longer the bullet is in the air, the longer gravity can pull on the object. Kind of underwhelming, right? 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. Using the larger .378 Weatherby case, the .338-378 get a 20-percent more case capacity than .338 Lapua and thus gained higher muzzle velocity. 535-yard plates in the shadows are no challenge for the 22 CM. The Nosler's family of new generation rounds includes 26 Nosler, 27 Nosler, 28 Nosler, 30 Nosler, and 33 Nosler. But as with the 6.5 PRC, there are not a lot of factory-ammo options to choose from. The reverse, however, could . The new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal paired with the terrific 85 action. 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. Bullet Weight: 90 Grain. The .22-250 has a very high velocity and is very accurate. To conclude, as a superb rifleman, you can make precision shooting at reasonable distances with a conventional rifle and quality factory ammunition. Most people believe that the flattest shooting rifle caliber is the .22-250. Commissions are earned for links to Brownell's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman's Warehouse, and other retailers. Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. While the .338-378 round will still be capable of supersonic velocity at 1,500 yards, it will have 831 foot-pounds of retained energy at the same distance. Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. Is flatest of all youve listed. 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. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. Flattest at 1,000 yards Heres where things start to change. With a history that dates back to almost 100 years ago from today, the .270 Winchester is still used. Weatherby currently offers six loads for the 6.5-300 ranging from 127 to 156 grains. Utilizing the heavier, slender and more aerodynamic bullets than the .223 Rem, the Valkyrie best performs outside 500 yards. For good reason. The 7mm Rem. Hornady's Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. 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. The sleek and slender spitzer projectiles with higher BC will have a flatter trajectory and be more accurate at distant ranges. Ive posted your article on my wildlife and hunting group on FB. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum. 2,700 fps. Bullet selection means alot. Nor are we maintaining that the flattest shooting cartridge/bullet is the ultimate determinant of a good hunting round. A relatively large case capacity enabled the 6.5 Creedmoor to use very long, high BC bullets, without projectiles base intrusion into powder capacity. The 6.5 PRC can remain supersonic out beyond 1,600 yards or so, but ammunition options are limited. Still, by using G1 across the board, we are on a level playing field. One argument for a flat-shooting cartridge is that it covers mistakes. I took the shot prone and then stood up after the wildebeest tipped over after a perfect shot. With a recoil of 16.3 ft/lbs, the .270 Winchester 46'' impact range at a 500-yard drop. Roy Weatherby was one of the pioneering cartridge designers of the 20th century, and his line of ultra-fast cartridges have been popular with long-range hunters for decades. When sighted in 3.9 inches high at 200 yards with that load the 6.5-300 is dead-on at 300 yards and drops just under nine inches at 400 yards. I had to calculate this one out, as Weatherbys ballistics charts dont go past 500 yards. .22 Caliber Rimfire Cartridges . modifies results at some point. Despite its relatively low B.C. The Berger VLD Target Rifle Bullet is one of the flattest shooting Rifle Bullets on the market today. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Every rifle is different.

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