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. 223 Wylde chambered, 20" barreled rifle. That should be pretty close to flat. If youre after critters deer-size and up, the field is dominated by .30-caliber, 6.5mm, and 7mm cartridges, with the best long-range options remaining supersonic out to at least 1,400 yards. Feb 17, 2023. 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. Thanks for your video and the information on your website. Thank you for the great content you provide. Ive included different bullet weights/BCs for most rounds to illustrate how BC changes drop at longer ranges. A 3 mph breeze at the shooter can become a 20 mph roar in the canyon halfway to the target. This cartridge existed in a cloak of obscurity for a long time; only recently have hunters began to see the potential it offers. Its not all hype. rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. For serious shooters, thats a non-starter. The 220 Swift would be my pick for coyotes, rodents, and probably pronghorn if it werent for the wind deflection issue. I just want to quickly thank you for the great videos and for producing this table of bullet drop data. 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. My name is Steve and I have just viewed your video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridges. Yeah, yeah, I know theyre cartridges and not calibers, but lots of people call them calibers so I thought Id roll with it. With the 30-06, we can only overcome 12 yards of ranging error at the same range before we miss the 6 of vitals. The URSA gongs are 37 inches round and if you get 4 out of 10 you advance in 500 yard increments. It will push a 90-grain Fusion bullet to 500 yardswhich is probably the limit for big game with this cartridgewhile still retaining enough velocity to initiate expansion. . (This is essentially what Hornady did to the .260 Remington to make the 6.5 Creedmoor.) Mag. I took multiple loads from each, but identical sources. I'm not a huge fan of basing my decisions on bullet energy. Not only are new loads being offered, new ARs and even bolt action rifles for the Grendel are being introduced. Should you have other helpful info, please send it to me by email: [emailprotected]. Now, the .280 AI is finally a SAAMI-approved cartridge, and while ammunition options are sparse, its performance is right there with the 7mm Remington Magnum. Thanks for your hard work and entertaining videos, your passion shines through! And yes, the .223/5.56 even dominates that match. Enforcermj, Im not sure if your comment is sarcastic or not. (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. 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. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. Hunters and shooters should also know that wind deflection of bullets is a more challenging part of hitting what you shoot at than is drop. 28 Nosler cartridge For decades, the Nosler cartridge has ruled the world of a flat shooting range with complete dominance. Thursday nights they do IDPA. Shots are usually quick. 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. 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. For example a 308 dropping 429 at 1000 yards is ridiculous, thats 10 meters! What I have come up with is the .270 Weatherby Magnum with a 135gr Sierra Matchking and 7828. 95% of your shots will be inside 500 yards, and probably 80% inside 300. . You can argue that you can get the 243 WSSM shooting flatter, but that cartridge is already considered obsolete. Even at 500 yards the Hornady 225 SST is traveling over 2,000 fps and carrying over 2,000 ft/lbs of energy. It's muzzle v. Appropriate hunting bullets may not reach these levels of B.C. UPS has officially stopped shipping guns? Not sure if the OP is considering them or not. Mag. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. For example, the .50BMG and the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same muzzle velocity of 2,700fps. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps. Montana! So its not like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot more leeway on ranging errors for super long range shots. rating) driven more slowly. But the 7mm Remington Magnum will remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards or a bit more, making a good choice for cross-canyon hunting. Good work mate. Beyond 1000 yards they use either the 338 Lapua or the 50 BMG. Don't get me wrong, but 45-70 are very accurate and can travel quite well buckin' the wind, Why? That's why the three best rifles we have sorted have a 500-yard impact range below 40''. But lets take a quick look at a historically popular flat-shooting cartridge, the .270 Winchester. The article has really peaked my interest. The drops are listed in feet for the really long range shots, so theyre pretty close to your numbers. It is capable of sending a 55-grain bullet from the muzzle at 3,700 fps. . I stopped there because few hunters are going to tolerate the recoil or rifle weight needed to operate a flat shooter above 338-caliber. Great information! 2023 Backfire LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Utah, USA. That said, average shots on mule deer are often longer than what most hunters typically encounter on eastern whitetail hunts. bullet twice that far. The .224 Valkyrie is the flattest shooting 0.224 caliber cartridge . 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? However, the lead that the 25-06 has is pretty small. Links or names greatly appreciated, Thanks! Answer (1 of 5): Trajectory flatness is a function of muzzle velocity. It takes 200 rounds to fully break in a barrel, so theyd finish it off in just 2-3 competitions (where you fire 200 rounds in a weekend). Another and even better option for reaching out to a big game animal with an AR15 is the 6.5 Grendel. It has flipped positions with the 6.5, losing by a mere 1.4-inches. ), 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. This should be recommended reading for all shooters learning to shoot long range shots. Just want to extend my sincere gratitude to you for all of the hard work, time, and incredible effort that you put into this, and so many other endeavors that you have undertaken to give us so much useful information and education, and doing so in a carefully detailed and professional manner! This is about an alternative to a .308 for those snipers who will likely never even see a 100-yard deployment and do not need the overpenetration or down range effect. I would like to see a chart on down range energy. Federals EDGE TLR .270 Winchester is another outstanding option. due to its larger diameter which increases drag. inspired a lot of comments, dissent, and different candidates for the title, so lets take a more detailed look at the flattest of the flat. . Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. Check out ShootersCalculator.com By Adriel Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. So I find it strange you dont have it on any of the lists from what I have seen. 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. The 300 PRC will cruise above the speed of sound out to 1,650 yards. I realize that you looked at several different loads for each cartridge to figure out which one was the flattest shooting. Think 30-30 necked down to a .25 cal. Fun? . In 2015, Mann began contributing to Field & Stream to cover guns, ammunition, ballistics, and hunting. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. Posted: 12/20/2020 9:01:19 AM EST [#22] There is a simple . 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. 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. That's impressive but misleading. You can't go wrong with a .308 for a 500 yard rifle. Sign up for Field & Streams newsletter to receive the latest and greatest gear reviews and expert hunting and fishing advice. My father has been shooting a 6.5300 wby we had made for him in the early 80s and it was only limited by bullet construction. Top He has managed multiple gun ranges, and has hunted around the world. A highly accurate, easy to shoot rifle with a flat trajectory will make for confident hunting. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. Its drop at 1,000 yards is 330.30 and at 500 yards its drop is 50.00. Nevertheless, flat shooting cartridges have long fascinated hunters and driven cartridge development and sales. Despite its relatively low B.C. 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 Great chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of work. 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. Low B.C. Run those numbers on JBM. That's pretty dang flat. 223 Remington, or 5.56 NATO is more than capable of shooting over 500 yards with accuracy. Mag. It propels a 17 Grain bullet at 2,550 feet per second. In other words, the 223 Remington throws the same bullets as the 220 Swift, but cant approach its maximum velocity, so theres no chance it can shoot as flat. 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. 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 300WM with the 210 VLDs at 2950fps is pretty good also. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range, 150-grain AccuBond Long Range at 2,930 fps. What do you guys think . Take another look. Just hoping my bad experiences might inspire you to avoid some of your own. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The 26 and 28 Nosler as well as the 6.5300 Weatherby Magnum all utilize heavy for caliber bullets with high ballistic coefficients that are stabilized by barrels with fast twist rates. 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 17. So, if you want to go long, there are some clear choices here. It shoots as flat as a Kansas prairie and holds its velocity way out there. The 26 Nosler cartridge was designed with the high ballistic coefficient (B.C.) Mag. 6.5mm calibers Once again great effort appreciated. 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. 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. bullet to offset wind deflection. The amount of drop is directly influenced by velocity, energy, rifle barrel, and bullet design. That's pretty dang flat. 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. Kind regards. Great job. First, some boundaries. Obviously Weatherby and Nosler, but are there other manufacturers, vendors, builders to consider? If youre planning on buying a gun to shoot long range shots this is recommended reading. 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. For 500 yards just raise the cross hair up to the top of the back but stay in the hair and have a sharp knife ready. The 243 Winchester and 6mm Remington have reputations for shooting flat, but the lesser known 240 Weatherby magnum fires the same bullets at higher velocities, so its the flattest of the 24-calibers. A 10 mph right angle wind at 500 yards can divert even a fast, high B.C. Backfire LLC owns and operates this website. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. With a muzzle velocity faster than 3000 fps, it offers great external and terminal ballistics. Also, same bullet, but a .257 Wby Mag will also work if you hit the same velocities. Different shooters will all have different calibers that are better suited for their specific goal or mission. Thanks, 26 Nosler 127 gr LRX 3602 Ft./Sec. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. Loaded with a 130-grain bullet, it will carry more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy out past 600 yards. . Nosler is loading the 27 with their famous AccuBond, which is one of the best big-game bullets ever crafted. Below is the information Ive gleaned from 17-caliber through 338. This is with a 58gr charge of Hodgen 4831 powder. Warm greetings from S.W. 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. For deer and lesser critters, its a solid 500-yard cartridge. Another issue is recoil. 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. Unless youre shooting really far. Thats true, but the bullets have been vetted. 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 30-06 will take any game on the NA Continent. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. Impeccable analysis here. Recoil is stiff and some find it hard to master. I normally go for high BC and heavy for cal but one place I do run light is I'll shoot a Barnes 110 TTSX 3600 fps in my 270 WSM, for light game and coyotes it's very effective! Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. When you havent time to engage a laser rangefinder, knowing you can reach the kill zone with a dead-center hold at any distance out to 373 yards is pretty comforting. 30-378 weatherby (214). inherent in 6.5mm (.264) caliber bullets. The .22-250 is accurate, fast and delivers devastating performance at long ranges. Yeah, 6.5s are all the rage, and their blinding popularity has taken some shine off the old .270, but the latter is still one of the very best long-range hunting cartridges. A flat shooting cartridge matters. . When a bullet is fired, many forces are immediately working against it: gravity, wind, and atmospheric drag. At 500 yards, the 27 Nosler drops almost a foot less than Jack OConnors sacred cartridge. I subscribed to your Feed as well. 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. Then look at the available options for reloaders, nearly endless, bullets for every application imaginable. Before we check that out, let's give a nod to the 240 Wby. Flat shooting, minimal recoil and low noise, the .17 HMR is one of the top performing cartridges for shooting ground squirrels out to 200 yards easily. It nearly matches the ballistics of the Winchester Magnum, but does so in rifles with faster-twist barrels and modern powders that extend barrel life. They are normalized within caliber. Normas 180-grain BondStrike Extreme at 3,084 fps is new and very flat-shooting. It's still possible to get factory ammo for the cartridge, but current production .223 WSSM ammo normally uses heavier 50 or 55 grain bullets at . drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. 264 Winmag It combined flat-shooting ballistics with hard-hitting bullets in a package with lighter recoil than the .300 Weatherby Magnum, which debuted in 1944. It is a flat shooting cartridge, able to hit a target at 300 yards with negligible hold over. In 2019, Nosler submitted the cartridge to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Institute (SAAMI) for approval, and in 2020, you can expect to see Nosler and other ammunition manufacturers offering factory loaded ammunition and even rifles for it. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. As much talk as there is about the .270 Winchesters ability to shoot flatly, it does not compare with these three flat-shooting options. 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. Cheers. We are not going to include here the esoteric military sniping rounds engineered for 1,000 yards, 2,000 yards, even 3,000 yards. 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. Thanks Jim. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'backfire_tv-box-4','ezslot_7',175,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-backfire_tv-box-4-0'); Spinning high B.C. Im not sure Im reading this right but there seems to be a decimal missing. In your question about Flattest shooting caliber in a Lever Gun, Winchester 1894 shooting a .25-35 caliber bullet. . I\d be curious to know what the minimum cost is for just the rifle or a quality budget build. With a flatter trajectory and less wind drift the .300 Win Mag offers a useful step up in performance in a similar size rifle. 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. But can it defend that title at 1,000 yards? Thanks for the chart for bullet drop but for Big Game Hunting I would rather see the down range energy. 26 Nosler. I am looking for a really flat shooting cartridge up to 500 yards for a Remington rebarrel project I have. Even though high-BC .30-caliber bullets need to be heavy and pushed hard to shoot flat, many American hunters love them enough to tolerate the recoil. Case capacity is literally and figuratively the driving force here: Both Nosler offerings are based on the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum and both boast case capacities of 93.5 grains of water. 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. But the premise is based on my farm, where distances are limited to 560 or so yards. I have found that when talking about these large caliber hunting rounds, there is not a tremendous difference in bullet drop. rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. This means we can first determine the fastest cartridge in each caliber, then compare it against the fastest in others. 10 Things We All Hate About flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards Yash June 15, 2021 57 views 3 minute read This is the one in the middle, the flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Those, then, are my conclusions. 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. Choosing the proper ammunition and knowing your own capabilities at those distances is most important. 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. The Chey-Tac M200 Intervention is the bolt-action rifle built to handle this round, and shooters have been documented firing a group of 3 shots within 16 inches at 2,321 yards. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. The Liberty Ammunition .308 Win. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time . At a 100 yard zero sight in the 500 yard drop is 37. All three cartridges also offer ample case capacity, allowing enough powder to send bullets at drag-defying velocities. I have a 27 3/4" barrel 264 Win mag that shoots 130 Accubonds 3350 fps with Retumbo. Pest control, home defense, and long-range shooting can all be done with 5.56. The 50 BMG is still supersonic past 1200 yards. Also know that not all manufacturer-claimed B.C. This lets you focus on having only one caliber to maintain. Great info but my 7mm rem mag with Nosler 120 grain BT (.417bc) @ 3600fps has anything on this chart beat pretty soundly. Again, I, as well as so very many other folks Im certain, am very grateful! I appreciate the kind comment. Always amazing to me its not even on those lists. flat-shooting, and light recoiling cartridge was extremely effective on deer-sized game. 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. It will be built on a stiller predator action, carbon wrap or #4 fluted stainless at 26 inches. 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. So it ends up being a very fair comparison. Was sad to not see the .300 H&H Magnum, though I doubt it would measure much different than the .300 Win Mag. I\m also a huge fan of Ron Spomer so well done for the recognition of his great work too. Great chart, I appreciate all your work on this. JavaScript is disabled. I also appreciate the realistic exposition of the relevant comparison between effects of flat-shooting cartridge vs judging cross-wind! Ditto the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5-300 Wby. Pronghorn hunters have driven the search for flatter shooting cartridges for a long time.
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