flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards

The .224 Valkyrie is the flattest shooting 0.224 caliber cartridge . 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. 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 . For example a 308 dropping 429 at 1000 yards is ridiculous, thats 10 meters! Up until that time, there had only really been two .277-caliber hunting cartridgesthe .270 Winchester and the .270 Weatherbyso the .270 WSM was almost immediately popular. None of them will turn you into a trained sniper, but if youve put in the range time and have the skills to stretch it out, these 10 cartridges have the reach and the thump to put game on the ground from the next canyon over. 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. I asked around a few years ago and found 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum as the most overbore commercial cartridge. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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! 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. 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. Wondering if anyone can find anything flatter within that range, suitable to kill a whitetail deer with? 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.. Posted: 12/20/2020 9:01:19 AM EST [#22] There is a simple . It gives you an MPBR of 336 yards. Right now, shooters are obsessed with flat-shooting rifle cartridges. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. Here we go! A bullet starts to drop as soon as it leaves the barrel. 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. The 7mag is one of the calibers he mentioned for the original 7 in the test. . Thanks for your video and the information on your website. Its biggest disadvantage, in some people's opinion, is .25 caliber bullets have low BCs. But as with the 6.5 PRC, there are not a lot of factory-ammo options to choose from. But a reputation for burning out barrels ultimately doomed the cartridge. 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. They are normalized within caliber. Wind also affects bullets differently, and a cartridges ability to overcome these three forces makes it better or worse for shooting flat and far. However, I fully admit that that a flat shooting cartridge is not nearly as important as a cartridge which is resistant to wind deflection. That's pretty dang flat. Zeroing for 100 yards or farther will change drop significantly. Shots are usually quick. 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 understand this is an old thread, but want to reply anyway. A benefit of that, you can fing .308 ammo off-the-shelf for any practical application. I subscribed to your Feed as well. So its not like the flattest shooting rifle gives you a lot more leeway on ranging errors for super long range shots. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? 17. Well, theres really only one option in .22-caliber and thats the .224 Valkyrie. Before we check that out, let's give a nod to the 240 Wby. Unless youre shooting really far. Despite its relatively low B.C. Barrel length will change MV. They have 1 particular cartridge thats something of a hot-shot for flat shooting, long distance devastation; the Weatherby .30-378. 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. Don't get me wrong, but 45-70 are very accurate and can travel quite well buckin' the wind, 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. No exotics just yet, theyll come later. 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. While heavier bullets at low speed dont shoot as flat, they do carry energy further generally. Just hoping my bad experiences might inspire you to avoid some of your own. 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. Warm greetings from S.W. Nor could most of us scrape up a good excuse for owning one. By the time the 6.5 Creedmoor started gaining popularity, interest in the .270 WSM was fading. i've heard the .17 hmr are real flat shooting. What Is The Best Hunting Cartridge To 500 yds. | Something like a 7mm Ultramag shooting a 120 TTSX would be pretty flat shooting to 500. of energy at that distance more than enough to drop a deer humanely. It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. Nevertheless, flat shooting cartridges have long fascinated hunters and driven cartridge development and sales. Indeed, the .223 WSSM vies with the .220 Swift for the title of the centerfire rifle cartridge with the fastest bullet velocity. 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. etc. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. 264 Winmag Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range with a 129-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet at 3,400 fps. Perhaps you, dear reader, can provide the formula! Well, Im done Adulting for Today and Tomorrow. Hornadys Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. I thought Id run an article on the flattest shooting rifle cartridges to compare and contrast both whats popular, as well as a few of the high performance options out there. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? If not. Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. The .17 HMR is based upon the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire casing, necked down to .17 Caliber. These lists are awesome to go over. I wonder if you could possibly make that load available to me, so I can compare which loads are the best? 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. Kind of underwhelming, right? 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. 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 just want to quickly thank you for the great videos and for producing this table of bullet drop data. It is flat shooting, powerful, has a manageable amount of recoil, and there are dozens of great hunting rifles chambered in this outstanding cartridge. How can I get all the data in a spread sheet form like you showed in your video? 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Danny. Both are of course bolt-action rifle cartridges. Mag. Dear Adriel, please be so kind to provide statistics on the following calibers as well: Really enjoy your youtube channel. Thats what makes a long-range hunters heart go pitter patter, and its what has kept Weatherby in business since 1945. Top 95% of your shots will be inside 500 yards, and probably 80% inside 300. . Trust but verify. Below is the information Ive gleaned from 17-caliber through 338. It combined flat-shooting ballistics with hard-hitting bullets in a package with lighter recoil than the .300 Weatherby Magnum, which debuted in 1944. Great information! Most service rifle matches include stages at 200, 300 and 600 yards, from various positions, some timed, while others are slow-fire. The article has really peaked my interest. . So dont assume that youll be shooting the worlds flattest rifle cartridge and bullet until youve verified your MV and bullet B.C. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. You are using an out of date browser. The Barrett 416 or CheyTac exceeds this - I have witnessed it first hand - then you get into the wildcat cartridges. Mag. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. The rifle has five caliber offerings . But there is a big contender missing I think. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. 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 . Richard Mann 2. JavaScript is disabled. The newest addition to the Nosler line of proprietary cartridges is the 27 Nosler. But if it isnt, go read the article again. gundata.org has done all this for you already. When a bullet is fired, many forces are immediately working against it: gravity, wind, and atmospheric drag. Great work here. The Nosler AccuBond is one of the best all-round big-game bullets offered, and Weatherby has smarly offered the 140-grain version for their 6.5 RPM cartridge. RELATED: The 10 Best Rifle Bullets for Long-Range Shooting. But the premise is based on my farm, where distances are limited to 560 or so yards. .45-70 shoots like a Rainbow compared to even a Win 30-30. Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. The reason why 6.5mm cartridges are exploding in popularity is because they are ultra-efficient. via the Davenport formula. Always amazing to me its not even on those lists. Best .270 Rounds For example , the chart I used showed about 67-70 drop for .270 at 600 yd.. Fast and flat shooting b#%ds. What caliber rifle shoots the farthest? Its bullets will remain supersonic out past 2,000 yards. 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. For all practical purposes, the 25-06 would be a better competition round at 1000 yards. Great job. 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. If youre planning on buying a gun to shoot long range shots this is recommended reading. Enforcermj, Im not sure if your comment is sarcastic or not. Now, you might think this cartridge is new and unproven. This cartridge existed in a cloak of obscurity for a long time; only recently have hunters began to see the potential it offers. 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. While at the High Bar Homestead with PSA, I was able to stretch their 6.5 Grendel out to 1,000 yards with Federal Premium 130 grain Bergers. Since nearly all long-distance shooters today use a laser rangefinder, does it even matter which cartridges shoot the flattest? I love your work and what you share with us. One argument for a flat-shooting cartridge is that it covers mistakes. Mag. Just curious if you included the 300 Norma or maybe I missed it. 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. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. 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. Barrel twist rates spin the bullet out of the muzzle in a spiral much akin to a quarterback throwing a football. UPS has officially stopped shipping guns? 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. 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 . Jim, Brownings 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing load has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2835 fps and a very high ballistic coefficient. bullets at faster speeds allows the projectile to get to the target sooner, minimizing the amount of time all three forces have to affect the bullets trajectory. Mag. A rifle is suitable for flat shooting as long as the 500-yard impact range of the rifle falls below the 40''. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. Federals EDGE TLR .270 Winchester is another outstanding option. 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. A big 7mm like the 7rum can put a 140 with nearly a .500 bc downrange at over 3500 fps or a 120 with about a .400 bc in the 3600+ fps range. 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. All three cartridges also offer ample case capacity, allowing enough powder to send bullets at drag-defying velocities. Take another look. A 3 mph breeze at the shooter can become a 20 mph roar in the canyon halfway to the target. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? [wd_leadmagnet type="dressing"] Now I have some facts for my creedmoor pal to chew on. It is not always the caliber that is in question. This newer Weatherby 6.5 combines plenty of gas with manageable recoil. 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. The smaller calibers drop like a rock past 500 yards. rating, that 100-grain bullet is hanging in there. The 6 mm ARC flattens the curve, and as a 2020 introduction, it could be nicknamed the "Corona Cartridge." . You can't go wrong with a .308 for a 500 yard rifle. I have found that when talking about these large caliber hunting rounds, there is not a tremendous difference in bullet drop. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. All in all, here are six bonus cartridge, all highly capable of reaching way out there. Even at 500 yards the Hornady 225 SST is traveling over 2,000 fps and carrying over 2,000 ft/lbs of energy. spitting a 100-gr. With todays ammunition, its even better. Check out their concise ballistics charts. 6.5 CM The 6.5 CM is a newcomer to the shooting world. This is more a theory question than anything. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 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. numbers are accurate. The .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards; its simply a shorter version of the time-tested and beloved .30/06. 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. during their trips downrange. Recoil statistics are offered for reference. YMMV 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. Pretty impressive for a low B.C., 55-grain bullet. Your email address will not be published. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. 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. Not many of us can afford the ammo, let alone the rifles and scopes that chamber it, in such calibers as 375 CheyTac, 408 CheyTac, or 416 Barrett. A 10 mph right angle wind at 500 yards can divert even a fast, high B.C. At 500 yards even the flattest shooting rounds are going to be dropping somewhere around 30". 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The .223 Remington will easily take care of any varmint out to around 500 yards, but at extreme distances loses its punch. Lets start by acknowledging we can minimize our search by ignoring all cartridges within each caliber that dont produce maximum velocity in that caliber. 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.