All in all, this caliber is excellent for those of you who do not have the time, money, or training to dive into 1000m+ shooting. JOHN BUOL Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: 5.56mm NATO. Unfortunately, most (all) of you will not be able to head to the local range and rent a rifle in each of the aforementioned calibers. The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is another Hornady introduction and could be called the 6.5 Creedmoor Magnum. I think this cartridge will prove useful to the long range community in the future. Give a Gift Looking at the .308 Winchester, most loads will reach TR on average at 900-1,000m, making shots past 1,000m inconsistent. And the AR-10 was designed SPECIFICALLY for the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. Im very glad I read it and committed to the round. I think the .375 & .408 Chey Tac and 416 Barrett suffer from ammo cost and availability? 500m: 1260 ft-lbs. The .300 Norma Magnum comes to us from the .338 Norma Magnum, necked down to accept a .30 cal projectile. 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. Now that we have laid out the calibers in question, next, lets go over the parameters in choosing the best round for you. You most likely will have to compromise on certain aspects. Very similar to the Lapua Magnum. The bullets are pointed up in our Bullet Pointing Die System and are moly-coated. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. To date, the .300 NM will be a bolt action system only. If you want to shoot flat and hit hard, this is the cartridge; at 1,000 yards it hits with more than 1,500 foot-pounds of energy. 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. However, for less bullet size, you can get a much better performing Long Range caliberand for a lot less money too. If you put a gun to my head, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is the best, overall, Long Range caliber. All in all, dont get TOO hung up on MVs. That changed in 1997 when Remington standardized many 6.5 wildcats based on the .308 Winchester. History: Unlike the previous cartridges, this is the first one that has no parent case. A good hunting cartridge. A lot can actually affect the observed recoil of a Long Range rifle. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. Many shooters claim the .224 has about half of the felt recoil as a .308. Prior, only dedicated .338 Lapua Magnum receivers could handle the round. Muzzle: 2,240 ft-lbs 500m: 1,091 ft-lbs 1,000m: 457 ft-lbs 1,500m: 221 ft-lbs. Mag., .338 Win. The new case was developed for years based on the T65 developmental cartridge. 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. 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) . Without, this cartridge should be shot by older more experienced enthusiasts. Quite a few of the more serious PRS shooters now have a dedicated, specialized rifle chambered in .223 just for such matches. The average price per round is $3.00-$4.25. Different Calibers You Should Know, 2700 fps (90 grain) to 3400 fps (60 grain), 2500 fps (103 grain) to 2880 fps (90 grain), 3200 fps (168 grain berger target hybrid). Mag. I fear that is about all this round is targeted for. Projectiles can be found anywhere with nearly any grain-weight in its class, for those of you who reload. Barrel Life: Since the .260 is not firing heavy bullets over 2,900 fps, the barrel life can be similar to other 6.5mm cartridges in its classabout 2,500-3,500 rounds. 500m: 1,212 ft-lbs. The rifle is my primary backcountry gun for deer, elk, bear and whatever else I think I may need to hunt. On the fifth and final shot at 3,592 we didnt see where it went, so I grabbed my gear and left the firing line thinking I had missed. The .300 Win. Initial Thoughts: A good judge of success of a caliber is how long it has been relevant. With low case volume and slower MVs, the Grendel is an ideal cartridge for barrel life. Get the gist? The average cost per round of .260 Remington online will be around $1.70. Sadly, a .300 NM barrel will only live to 1,200-1,500 rounds. 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. 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. It could be argued the 6.5 Creedmoor started the current long-range shooting craze. Other cartridges have come along in recent times that are designed better than the .300 Win. is not typically viewed as a competition cartridge. History: One of the newer cartridges on the list, the .300 PRC comes to us from Hornady in 2018. 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 average price per round will be $1.25. That involves shooting ballistically aero-efficient bullets at moderate velocities with the understanding that they will retain their speed and shoot flatter at long distances while generating mild recoil and good barrel life. Bro, do you even long range? Now, this parameter may not be too important to most of you out there, searching for the best Long Range caliber. Of these the 6mm Dasher is the current champ, in terms of popularity and winning. Recently, I have been in the dilemma of trying to decide which caliber to use for 1000 yards. History: What a cool story herethe Norma Magnum comes to us as an improvement on the Lapua Magnum. Projectile manufacturers are even still making their high-end rounds in .243. Using the same bullets, it will generate about 250 fps more velocity, but recoil still remains reasonably tolerable. 1,500m: 426 ft-lbs. When the Remington 700 and similar actions start chambering in .224, I think the caliber will be a viable option for more experienced re-loaders who are seeking a low-recoiling 1,000-yard build. Top shooters use an accurate, standard-length (magazine compatible) match bullet for the 200- and 300-yard stages but transition to super long, high-BC, heavy-for-caliber projectiles for 600 and 1,000 yards. Initial Thoughts: Just like any new and exciting caliber that is designed specifically for the LR community, I know the performance will be top-notch. Remaining Energy: Muzzle: 5,096 ft-lbs. Whats not to love? For the average shooter looking to get into Long Range shooting, turn away and run to the smaller guys. Recoil is slightly less than the PRC even though some loads surpass the PRC in velocity unless the PRC is pushed to the point accuracy falls off. 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. I shot this out of the new Barrett ASR at 1,600m. Do Pistols Benefit From Popular Aftermarket Modifications? Very bad if shooting light bullets, not that great if shooting the heavier projectiles. Expect about $5.50 per round. 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. The 338LM at 4000+ rounds a great rifle and round but wanted more consistency past 2000 yards. It has ample killing power for all but the largest of game, it is easy to shoot well, the cartridge is inherently accurate. The .243 was also a great option for those living in countries that banned the use of military countries (.308 Win/7.62x51mm NATO). Mag. You may see something like this: 6.5mm 140-grain VLD G1 BC: 0.593 G7 BC: 0.304. The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. Mag. The bench rest shooting community usually pushes the boundaries and concocts the. There are a lot of reasons for this. Esoteric hardly touches on Stinnetts gear and is part of the reason his record might stand for decades before anyone bests it. Thats why the .243 Winchester became the most popular 6 mm rifle cartridgeit utilizes a 1:10-inch twist. It hits hard and flies flat and straight. Ammo Availability: Like the .308 Winchester, ammo availability and reloading components are everywhere. The .30 Stewart, however, is based on the 6.5 Grendel necked up to .30 caliber. But theres another thing thats making hitting at extreme distances easier and thats several modern rifle cartridges that have been introduced since the turn of the century. I was so familiar with how those rounds acted in high crosswinds and how they performed through Transonic. But after finally diving into the 6.5, its clear why it has become so popular. KIDD Innovations KIDD has a variety of aftermarket accessories to build your own rimfire or upgrade an existing one. This basically means the opening of the case where the bullet is seated, is tightened from 6.8mm to 5.7mm. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. 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. Using Berger 140gr VLD projectiles G1: 0.593 G7: 0.304, Muzzle: 2,266 ft-lbs 500m: 1,174 ft-lbs 1,000m: 535 ft-lbs 1,500m: 296 ft-lbs. Barrel Life: A big selling point to the Grendel is its ease on barrels. Just $1 per month , Depending on the task at hand, the best long-range cartridge might be a big boomer or a soft-shooting pussycat. Incredible mid to long-range performance. What do I mean by that? You can expect to pay about $1.00 per round at most online retailers. This cartridge as it stands is perfect for a PRS shooter. This is especially important to those of you who reload and can tailor a custom load for your rifle. Factory ammo isnt heavily available; expect to pay around $1.75 per round. Thats when I was approached by another shooter who said I hit the bottom right portion of the plate, and I looked through his spotter to confirm. The deer wont know the difference. That still is a general rule of thumb today, but they have come a long way. Although I dont see this being an entry-level caliber, it could very well lead to a goal for new shooters. History: Created in 2007 by a ballistics team from Hornady, the 6.5 Creedmoor was designed as an improved Long Range target cartridge, based on the .308 Winchester .30 TC (Thompson Center). As a serious LR shooter who intends on needing terminal performance or wanting a modern tactical build, I would leave the .243 behind in the 20, The 6mm Creedmoor can obviously be related to its slightly bigger brother; the 6.5CM. New LR shooters also often skimp on glass and what I see most often is that someone buys a cheap scope so that they can afford other goodies for their rifles. As with other magnum cartridges, the average barrel life is expected at 1,500-2,000 rounds. The case body is slightly smaller and more efficient than the 7mm WSM, and slightly larger and more capable than the .284 Winchester. The 6mm and 6.5mm cartridges will offer the lightest recoil, the .300 PRC and . Recoil Condition: Minimal. Muzzle Velocity is also a value that is never constant. Factory ammunition can be found nearly anywhere for about 30 cents per round but as stated before, prices range greatly. Does it go the farthest? We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. Great Article!! But to choose the best long-range caliber for you, start with your own experience and interests. The caliber took the LR community by storm. is the perfect Goldilocks round. A quarterback must spin the football in a way to achieve a tight spiral. Its also a great option for those interested in close to medium range varmint hunting. In the case of the Valkyrie, the magazine length it was built to was that of the AR-15. Thats what happened with Norma. Unlike 99.999% of Internet articles vomited out by any and everybody, I could taste the sweet and aromatic aroma of actual first-hand knowledge, long experience, and deep expertise oozing out of each sentence. Another ballistic value that has importance is the Remaining Energy (RE) of the round at any given range. Like the classic 06 did during the Great War, this efficient, mild-mannered, high-performance 6.5mm has opened the eyes of shooters to a new realm of possibilities. Thats for another day. Its original SAAMI specification called for a 1:12-inch twist, which inhibited the use of high BC bullets. Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. The goal was to standardize a wildcat cartridge that married the .338 Winchester Magnum and the .375 H&H Magnum. Unless you are a military sniper, this round has almost zero practicality. 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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. This cartridge is an interesting case of innovation to solve a fairly difficult problem. I had read other raving reviews about the 6.5 Creedmoor but I really didnt expect it to be the top choice of an experienced marine who had used the .308. With the projectile variability and network of knowledge on this cartridge, I think its a great option to build a classic hunting rifle. Ultimately, we cannot deny that this round was replaced by better options. The 6.5 PRC was born at the 2018 SHOT Show. Recoil Condition: This round is special just like the other 6.5mm projectiles in its class. I see this more for the shooter that needs terminal performance. It provides whats needed for the mind to persuade itself and make a decision. Hopefully, the Browning HAWG recoil reducer will noticeably lessen the kick. Basically, whatever. Again, this round is such a classic. Availability in stores could be troublesome unless shopping at a Cabelas/Bass Pro Shop. Its an excellent choice for shooting groundhogs out to 500 yards.