flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards

243 and 25-06 had to be left out because it didnt have enough at 600 for even deer. That's impressive but misleading. It is flat shooting, powerful, has a manageable amount of recoil, and there are dozens of great hunting rifles chambered in this outstanding cartridge. The non-bonded bullet should deliver good terminal performance up close and at distance. etc. Well, nothing will save you if you mistakenly range a deer at 700 yards thats really at 800. For some reason it pushed Noslers 125-gr. It is an ideal choice for deer-sized game in open country, and a fine choice for mountain game. Yes, the article most definitely included the 7mm Mag, but the specific cartridge mentioned by Nick is what the original article would have included as an exotic version, NOT something found chambered in most any rifle. 2. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. 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. For bigger game, I could easily hunt with either the 240 or 6.5-300 Weatherbys. Also, youll find more ammo options for the .308 Winchester than any of the others. If not. I took the shot prone and then stood up after the wildebeest tipped over after a perfect shot. Bullet B.C. Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: 6.5 Creedmoor Preferred Rifle And Optic: A Rainier Arms precision rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and enhanced by H&H Precision with an Orias chassis from Killer Innovations. Im going to set a restrictive definition on common and only include cartridges that can be found chambered in most any rifle. The newest addition to the Nosler line of proprietary cartridges is the 27 Nosler. The caveat here is that fastest becomes a bit murky. The flattest shooting caliber and load I could find was the .300 RUM shooting a 150 grain bullet. Nosler Trophy Grade with a 130-grain Nosler AccuBond at 2900 fps. I had to calculate this one out, as Weatherbys ballistics charts dont go past 500 yards. Mag. I appreciate the kind comment. "Animal Instinct ammunition is optimized to deliver . Indeed, some deer also live in places where a 50-yard shot is much more likely than a 500-yard shot. Also, same bullet, but a .257 Wby Mag will also work if you hit the same velocities. Top 6 Long-Range Competition Cartridges - Guns and Ammo It combined flat-shooting ballistics with hard-hitting bullets in a package with lighter recoil than the .300 Weatherby Magnum, which debuted in 1944. 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. The round is on the cusp of energy at 300 yards, but it is a favorite among short to mid-distance deer hunters. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. 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? This cartridge existed in a cloak of obscurity for a long time; only recently have hunters began to see the potential it offers. Thoughts on this? Caliber choice for 600 yards | Long Range Hunting Forum 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. Commissions are earned for links to Brownell's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman's Warehouse, and other retailers. 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. The company set out to push the limits with this thing, designing it as a flat-shooting 6.5mm cartridge with performance capable of taking full advantage of the newest long-range shooting reticles used in today's scopes. 1 Normal load using the most popular factory ammo, one heavy load for each, one light load. Just curious if you included the 300 Norma or maybe I missed it. The article has really peaked my interest. A Canadian sniper had a record kill at over 3500 yards last year in Afghanistan. Mag. Generally, a 300 Win Mag's 150 grain bullet delivers a 3,260 fps muzzle velocity, while its 180 grain bullet achieves approximately 3,000 fps. I know it is very uncommonly talked about. .468 BC, 1. It will be built on a stiller predator action, carbon wrap or #4 fluted stainless at 26 inches. 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. 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 . 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. These are all under my extreme heading, because theyre all brutal on cost and recoil. Thanks My third point is to remind you that this is not a scientific, Newtonian examination of all possible permutations of cartridges, bullets, muzzle velocities, and Ballistic Coefficients that determine bullet drop over all distances. 11 Best Deer Hunting Calibers - Big Game Hunting Blog (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. 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. 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. Is the 270 Good For Elk? - eatingthewild.com 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. What Does A .308 Ballistics Chart To 1000 Yards Look Like? Nosler is loading the 27 with their famous AccuBond, which is one of the best big-game bullets ever crafted. Well, theres really only one option in .22-caliber and thats the .224 Valkyrie. Flattest Shooting Hunting Bullet 257 Weatherby Vanguard 26" pipe. numbers are accurate. Deciding on the three best flat-shooting cartridges does not come down simply to one statistic, but a combination of all the factors inherent to a cartridge. 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. Kind of underwhelming, right? 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. Your Knowledge is greatly appreciated! Impeccable analysis here. Thats equal magnitude to 200fps less flatness! This cartridge is the .270 GIBBS and is based on the 30.06 case with the shoulder moved forward and at a 35 degree angle. Now, one manufacturer specializes in fast, powerful, ridiculous cartridges, and thats Weatherby. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Please look into it. 28 Nosler cartridge For decades, the Nosler cartridge has ruled the world of a flat shooting range with complete dominance. But again, that just my opinion. Shane Olson, nope, no sarcasm involved, simply pointing out a straight fact, which I stand by. Great work mate including .22LR what a hoot (Incoming!) Published Apr 14, 2022 12:07 PM EDT. 10 Best Calibers for Deer Hunting - Gun News Daily However, I fully admit that that a flat shooting cartridge is not nearly as important as a cartridge which is resistant to wind deflection. A rifle is suitable for flat shooting as long as the 500-yard impact range of the rifle falls below the 40''. 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. There's currently no better option for the AR-15 when the range extends much past 500 yards. New Rifle Cartridges for the Modern Hunter - Game & Fish Want to run your own ballistics numbers? But what are the flattest shooting rifle cartridges? Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. From 600 to 1000 yards they use a 300 Winchester. 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. I've been looking at the .257 weatherby that drops about 34" with a 100gr bullet at 500 yards and the .22-250 is another at around 36" with a 50gr bullet. It would help one decide on if a cartilage was up to a specific task and if one would be willing to take the kick. 7 Top Modern Long-Range Cartridges - RifleShooter Always amazing to me its not even on those lists. plays a major roll in trajectory, but is second in significance to muzzle velocity. The 220 Swift would be my pick for coyotes, rodents, and probably pronghorn if it werent for the wind deflection issue. Since 1962, when the round was introduced in conjunction with the Remington 700, countless others have arrived at the same conclusion. The .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards; its simply a shorter version of the time-tested and beloved .30/06. The drops are listed in feet for the really long range shots, so theyre pretty close to your numbers. 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. It's not until you get farther out that BC starts making a big difference. 10 Best Long-Range Cartridges of All Time (2023) - Gun Digest always means more wind deflection. Mag. throwing a 55-gr. Once again great effort appreciated. Its a top choice of military snipers and can launch heavy bullets with high speed and exceptional precision. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. Now I have some facts for my creedmoor pal to chew on. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. Despite its relatively low B.C. Some Tips on Choosing the Best Varmint Caliber 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. 7 Experts Discuss Their Precision Caliber of Choice Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) A 10 mph right angle wind at 500 yards can divert even a fast, high B.C. It has flipped positions with the 6.5, losing by a mere 1.4-inches. and MV do. And for all of you whove just learned your flat shooting champion really isnt, sorry. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. That, combined with their relatively small size, means that compared to cartridges of similar powder capacity, the 6.5s will almost always do more, in terms of external and terminal ballistics, with less recoil. Still, if youre goal is to push heavy projectiles to the outer reaches, Noslers 28 may be the best 7mm option out there. Hornady's Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. For flat shooting over a relatively close range you need a lot of velocity, BC doesn't matter that much over shorter distances. What Is the Flattest Shooting Caliber? - MG Arms Inc again. I was surprised the 308 warbird was not included with the 208gr or 212gr bullet. The final two cartridges above are mislabeled. That should be pretty close to flat. I'm trying to find the best round from the muzzle to 500yds as far as trajectory. At 500 yards, the 27 Nosler drops almost a foot less than Jack OConnors sacred cartridge. Flattest-Shooting Cartridges Ever - YouTube If I am mistaken, I am sure someone will chime in and let us both know. 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. Swifts 150-grain Scirocco at 3,036 fps delivers outstanding terminal performance. The Barrett 416 or CheyTac exceeds this - I have witnessed it first hand - then you get into the wildcat cartridges. What I have come up with is the .270 Weatherby Magnum with a 135gr Sierra Matchking and 7828. 17 Best Long Range Calibers in 2020 - Ranked by a Marine Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. Don't get me wrong, but 45-70 are very accurate and can travel quite well buckin' the wind, Just hoping my bad experiences might inspire you to avoid some of your own. 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. Share: Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Share Link. Manners thumbhole stock, trigger tech trigger at around a pound. My grandkids have a poem for this photo: Cartridge cartridge on the table, choose the flattest if youre able. MY 45 cal ball travels at 1633fps with a standard charge, and 74-5gr for a full charge (2040fps). .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps. Should you have other helpful info, please send it to me by email: [emailprotected]. Don't want it too heavy. 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. modifies results at some point. But as with the 6.5 PRC, there are not a lot of factory-ammo options to choose from. 7 Best Long-Range Cartridges: Hit Stuff Really Far Away In 2022, he was named as the brands Shooting Editor. I realize that you looked at several different loads for each cartridge to figure out which one was the flattest shooting. Fun? The ballistics coefficient of the bullet (a formula which considers the mass, diameter, and aerodynamic drag of a bullet to understand its ability to fight wind and continue on its path) greatly impacts time of flight because it keeps the bullet from slowing down due to inefficiency of flight. 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. 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. Also, I used something called G1 B.C. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. So it Im guessing to summarise it doesnt really matter what you shoot as long as you know distance to target & your maths You are cordially invited to any of our matches. . Flattest at 500 yards Weatherby's wildly overbore 6.5-300 wins again! 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. Granted I do live in New England, and we dont have that many long shot opportunities here, but you would think someone would want to have there firearms chambered in such a flat shooting cartridge. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. Nor could most of us scrape up a good excuse for owning one. I asked around a few years ago and found 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum as the most overbore commercial cartridge. Is it possible to show those on your web site list? However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. Your email address will not be published. This article covered not only objective but the subjective topics my buddies use to caliber shame my 5.56. Most Accurate Ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor: My top 7 list 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. Again great job !!!!! I have a 27 3/4" barrel 264 Win mag that shoots 130 Accubonds 3350 fps with Retumbo. bullet to offset wind deflection. However, I have a question to ask you. For example, the 7mm Weatherby Magnum will shoot the same bullet as a 7mm Remington Magnum, but it will do it about 10 percent faster. Run those numbers on JBM. Brownings 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing load has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2835 fps and a very high ballistic coefficient. Underwood Ammos 110-grain Lehigh Controlled Chaos bullet at 2800 fps is another great option. 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. In general, lightweight bullets driven very fast shoot flatter than heavier bullets with better aerodynamics (high B.C. 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. Weatherbys The issue with the Nosler cartridges is barrel life. RELATED: How the Brand-New 27 Nosler Revives the .277. Youre going to miss with any flat shooting cartridge out there and with a perfectly accurate rifle. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. 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. This is the allure and benefit of a flat shooting bullet. Barrel twist rates spin the bullet out of the muzzle in a spiral much akin to a quarterback throwing a football. So I find it strange you dont have it on any of the lists from what I have seen. What caliber rifle shoots the flattest? Nope, pretty much matches a 308Win to 500 yards. Just what the perfect balance between MV and BC is remains unanswered by me. Well placed shots seem to work and poorly placed shots tend to fail. Thanks Will! 26 Nosler Cartridge: The Flattest-Shooting 6.5 Ever? 4 Stunning Long-Range Rifles That Will Shoot Past 1,000 Yards 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. Have fun hunting! again. The Government .45-70 can give you the perfect hunting experience as it is one of the top calibers used by hunters. The rifle would be used for game to 600 yards (self imposed limit) up to the occasional Elk. But truth be told, every Weatherby cartridge is a long-range cartridge. of energy at that distance more than enough to drop a deer humanely. The .270 Winchester stays supersonic out to 1,400 yards, which is more than what 99 percent of hunters will ever need. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps That should be pretty close to flat. Im going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. The multiple loads for each cartridge are not at all pulled at random. Check out ShootersCalculator.com. Thats true, but the bullets have been vetted. What are some of the most flat shooting calibers at 500 yards? It's muzzle v. The .224 Valkyrie is the flattest shooting 0.224 caliber cartridge . (Essentially, you don't have to arc the 300 Win Mag's bullet trajectory in order to strike a target up . rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. Some of those 26 and 28 Nosler rifles only have 600-900 shots of total barrel life. Its biggest disadvantage, in some people's opinion, is .25 caliber bullets have low BCs. flat-shooting, and light recoiling cartridge was extremely effective on deer-sized game. Flattest shooting AR15 cartridge to 500yds coyotes If it makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor, go ahead. I am looking for a really flat shooting cartridge up to 500 yards for a Remington rebarrel project I have. 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. 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. 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. I still just dont understand why it isnt the 26 or 28 Nos. I hope this report clears up some trajectory confusion and perhaps settles some old arguments. (This is essentially what Hornady did to the .260 Remington to make the 6.5 Creedmoor.) Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELDX at 2,960 fps. A highly accurate, easy to shoot rifle with a flat trajectory will make for confident hunting. If Ive left out an obvious winner or near winner, write in and state your case. Just dont try to enumerate its downsides to anyone who knows anything, because there arent any that matter. HOWEVER after going through Cartridges of The World by Barnes and Skinner it has come to my attention that 7.21 Lazzeroni Firebird is ever more overbore. Both are 338-378 Wby. 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. The 300 PRC in 225G exceeds this and the 338 Lapua Magnum by a noticeable difference. Bullets of this diameter are easily configured to have extremely high ballistic coefficients. Great work here. The rifle has five caliber offerings . i've heard the .17 hmr are real flat shooting. I would like to see a chart on down range energy. Might be of interest and I have used the cartridge in a Ruger M77 with a 22 barrel. At 1000 yards a .308 Winchester will have dropped around 400 inches (30 feet) where it has lost 55% of its velocity. I believe the 6.8 SPC is that alternative. I work at a very large and popular firearms dealer, and I have sold dozens (if not hundreds) if the 6.5, but I havent sold 1, or had anyone even ask about the top 3 in this list. The quicker it gets to 200 yards the less time gravity has been working on it and the less it will drop. Im not sure Im reading this right but there seems to be a decimal missing. 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. 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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. Ive included different bullet weights/BCs for most rounds to illustrate how BC changes drop at longer ranges. . One argument for a flat-shooting cartridge is that it covers mistakes. I see there are some others like 300Win mag as well and thats a very popular cartage so it should be there as well I would think. Obviously this list doesnt include every possible bullet/BC/MV combination, but it gives us a pretty good picture of the likely winners at three distances. 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. Like the 26 Nosler, the 28 is based on the 404 Jeffery case and will remain supersonic out past 1,750 yards. Only B.C. I have found that when talking about these large caliber hunting rounds, there is not a tremendous difference in bullet drop. = 3002 inches = 250 foot = 76m above target at 1000 yds now thats a challenge ! What a great tool that you have built. You are using an out of date browser. Based on the antique .404 Jeffery cartridge case, the 27 Nosler is the first new .277-caliber rifle cartridge since the .270 Winchester Short Magnum, which was introduced almost 20 years ago. Recoil is stiff and some find it hard to master. Get The Most From Your .375 H&H - Shooting Times This is one of the flattest shooting bullets available on the market, with a plethora of different size bullets available that range from 75 grains for small game, all the way up to 120 grains for deer. I\d be curious to know what the minimum cost is for just the rifle or a quality budget build. Best .270 Rounds Every rifle is different. Nice summary of the subject for those of us who do not understand things like Coreolis Force and aerodynamic jump. In your question about Flattest shooting caliber in a Lever Gun, Winchester 1894 shooting a .25-35 caliber bullet. (-200) Wondering if anyone can find anything flatter within that range, suitable to kill a whitetail deer with? Faster velocities mean flatter trajectories. And they can change in your rifle and will change at different velocities. JavaScript is disabled. With the 6.5 PRC, Hornady has created a better version of the old barrel-burner.