My name is Steve and I have just viewed your video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridges. Just $1 per month , These rounds have the reach and the power to put down big-game animals way out there, By 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 . Weatherbys Also, same bullet, but a .257 Wby Mag will also work if you hit the same velocities. Bullets of this diameter are easily configured to have extremely high ballistic coefficients. .468 BC, 1. It is flat shooting, powerful, has a manageable amount of recoil, and there are dozens of great hunting rifles chambered in this outstanding cartridge. Montana! At 500 yards . What do you guys think . 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. Noslers first proprietary cartridge is basically a steroid-monster 6.5 Creedmoor. The first category will include cartridges with a +/- 3" maximum point blank range (MPBR) of greater than 270 but less than 300 yards. Yes I know its a barrel burner but so is the 300RUM and others on the list. Thanks. 223 Remington, or 5.56 NATO is more than capable of shooting over 500 yards with accuracy. 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.. Its very clear that you went through a huge amount of work to pull all of this info together. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. Notice that it is only 3 grains lighter than the 150-grain .264 atop that Weatherby. The newest addition to the Nosler line of proprietary cartridges is the 27 Nosler. No exotics just yet, theyll come later. Nor could most of us scrape up a good excuse for owning one. I too share your endorsement of Ron, his videos are a treat each week. Enjoying many of your video\s whilst stuck in lockdown. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Since 1962, when the round was introduced in conjunction with the Remington 700, countless others have arrived at the same conclusion. Second, we are not encouraging extreme-range shooting at game. I realize that you looked at several different loads for each cartridge to figure out which one was the flattest shooting. Its just human nature to celebrate and admire the biggest, bestest, and flattest. Mag. Target Rifle- Caliber Question. Its not all hype. 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. Kind of underwhelming, right? A highly accurate, easy to shoot rifle with a flat trajectory will make for confident hunting. Also, I used something called G1 B.C. Nosler Trophy Grade with a 150-grain Nosler AccuBond Long Range at 3300 fps. Great information you have come up with. With their Vanguard line you can do it for less than $900. numbers which are not quite as accurate as G7 numbers in predicting trajectories of todays wildly long, sleek bullets. 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 .308 Winchester round shoots pretty flat out to 200 yards when it starts to drop. Best .270 Rounds Like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the .280 Ackley Improved can remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards. Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. For example a 308 dropping 429 at 1000 yards is ridiculous, thats 10 meters! 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. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? This lets you focus on having only one caliber to maintain. I am curious to see how it does for a 22 that can push any bullet weight made for it. I too am a huge fan of Ron Spomer. Might be of interest and I have used the cartridge in a Ruger M77 with a 22 barrel. The 26 Nosler cartridge was designed with the high ballistic coefficient (B.C.) always means more wind deflection. and MV do. Commissions are earned for links to Brownell's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman's Warehouse, and other retailers. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. (Curiosity? Muzzle velocity certainly makes a difference in how fast the bullet reaches the target, but it is by no means the only factor to consider. The 300WM with the 210 VLDs at 2950fps is pretty good also. Recoil statistics are offered for reference. Even at 500 yards the Hornady 225 SST is traveling over 2,000 fps and carrying over 2,000 ft/lbs of energy. These are all under my extreme heading, because theyre all brutal on cost and recoil. numbers are accurate. . that are blowing the ceiling off gun sales, instead of 6 5 CDM? 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. Ive posted your article on my wildlife and hunting group on FB. To even things out, Ive zerod all cartridges at 100, drops are listed in feet and cartridges that fell below 1000 ft-lbs didnt get past the next 100 yard clip. Flattest Shooting Cartridges by Caliber Ron Spomer Outdoors 1.1M views 1 year ago Worst and Best Way to Sight a Rifle! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Fantastic information. I believe the 6.8 SPC is that alternative. Most fall close to the .22 caliber bullet range, and can dip down to .17 caliber and up to .264 (6.5 mm). 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. spitting a 100-gr. 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. Thanks, 26 Nosler 127 gr LRX 3602 Ft./Sec. Though that shot didn't take advantage of the 7mm Mag's flat trajectory, it convinced me of the cartridge's superior qualities. The issue with the Nosler cartridges is barrel life. Check out ShootersCalculator.com. 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. I have a 27 3/4" barrel 264 Win mag that shoots 130 Accubonds 3350 fps with Retumbo. So, Winchester slightly modified the .270 WSM case so it was a bit shorter and then specified barrels with a faster twist. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. Hornady's Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. Why? My grandkids have a poem for this photo: Cartridge cartridge on the table, choose the flattest if youre able. Our blog and video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridge Ever! Mag., according to Noslers Handloading Guide 9. Wind also affects bullets differently, and a cartridges ability to overcome these three forces makes it better or worse for shooting flat and far. Fun? Still, by using G1 across the board, we are on a level playing field. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range with a 129-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet at 3,400 fps. For a moose and caribou combo hunt, it's certainly an easy choice..270 Winchester - Like the 30-06, this is a classic caliber that can take on any of North America's big game species. Good points, which are all things Ive considered. Like the 26 Nosler, the 28 is based on the 404 Jeffery case and will remain supersonic out past 1,750 yards. At 150 yards the target is a 6 inch hole and the gong is behind it. Great work here. You still need excellent range finding equipment and preferably have tested drops in your rifle in case your bullets have exaggerated BC claims. Its biggest disadvantage, in some people's opinion, is .25 caliber bullets have low BCs. No, its not a 6.5 Creedmoor, but few things are. With the ability to handle more aerodynamic bullets than the .270 Winchester or the .270 WSM, the 6.8 Western and its 1-in-8 twist rate allows this cartridge to outperform both at distance. Fast and flat shooting b#%ds. i've heard the .17 hmr are real flat shooting. The 257 Weatherby Mag. Youre going to miss with any flat shooting cartridge out there and with a perfectly accurate rifle. The following table averages multiple loads for each cartridge and shows an average amount of drop at 500 yards and 1,000 yards for each cartridge. Faster velocities mean flatter trajectories. I know you won't find them in the US, but just wanted to mention them because it's fun. again. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps. This is an example of how different loads in different rifles can produce different results. 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! The quicker it gets to 200 yards the less time gravity has been working on it and the less it will drop. You can compare these numbers with your favorite cartridge using Backfires own table of flat shooting cartridges and you will see that the numbers indicated are in the absolute upper tiers. Thats equal magnitude to 200fps less flatness! rating) driven more slowly. Since I have shot my .270 Winchester primarily with the Hornady 150gr spire point and I know at 500 yards it drops close to 50 inches. 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. I'm trying to find the best round from the muzzle to 500yds as far as trajectory. cleric; Jan 28, 2023; Bolt Action Rifles ; Replies 13 Views 475. Id consider a base of: Among these cartridges, the 25-06 offers the highest MPBR (Mean Point Blank Range) or the max distance that you can adjust a scope to and be +-3 with the most common bullet weights per caliber. 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. Nosler Trophy Grade with a 130-grain Nosler AccuBond at 2900 fps. The goal with the 6 mm ARC was to provide the flattest-shooting cartridge compatible with an AR-15. 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. I have used it also in a Ruger #1 with a 26 barrel and thoroughly enjoyed the distance it affords me. 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. I love that you have gone above and beyond here and I see tremendous value in this knowledge. I took the shot prone and then stood up after the wildebeest tipped over after a perfect shot. Great information! If youre after deeper penetration, look at the 139-grain Barnes VOR-TX Long Range load. Another and even better option for reaching out to a big game animal with an AR15 is the 6.5 Grendel. Great chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of work. 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. Generally, traditional Weatherby Magnum cartridges perform slightly better than their Winchester or Remington magnum counterparts. 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. With its rebated rim and 1/2-inch diameter at the base, it is essentially a longer version of the 6.5284 Norma; ballistically equivalent to the .264 Winchester Magnum. Think 30-30 necked down to a .25 cal. Forums. Ive updated the chart description so its more clear that it isnt in inches. I already have a Swarovski Z6 3-18 bt. Unfortunately, the .223 WSSM has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Thank you for the great content you provide. 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. A Canadian sniper had a record kill at over 3500 yards last year in Afghanistan. again. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range, 175-grain AccuBond Long Range at 3,125 fps. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. So I find it strange you dont have it on any of the lists from what I have seen. Another issue is recoil. The .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards; its simply a shorter version of the time-tested and beloved .30/06. The biggest deficit is the roughly 57 feet of drop at 1,000 yards. 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. Required fields are marked *. The 300 PRC will cruise above the speed of sound out to 1,650 yards. The .277 bullet earns a lower B.C. No exotics just yet, theyll come later. Want to run your own ballistics numbers? 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. 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. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Clear enough? = 3002 inches = 250 foot = 76m above target at 1000 yds now thats a challenge ! Could you add a little explanation of why/how twist/spin rate make any given bullet/velocity shoot flatter? Choosing the proper ammunition and knowing your own capabilities at those distances is most important. 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. Hey there from Melbourne, Australia. . Most center-fire rifles that are legal for deer hunting can take a deer at 300 yards. (-200) Don't get me wrong, but 45-70 are very accurate and can travel quite well buckin' the wind, Great job. 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. 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. Its muzzle velocity is 1880 fps, and muzzle energy is 2355 ft. lbs. How can I get all the data in a spread sheet form like you showed in your video? Ive included different bullet weights/BCs for most rounds to illustrate how BC changes drop at longer ranges. Low B.C. Its trajectory is awesome. 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. Awesome indoor range. How hard would it be to add a 223wssm to the mix. Wondering if anyone can find anything flatter within that range, suitable to kill a whitetail deer with? What caliber rifle shoots the farthest? But again, that just my opinion. I appreciate the kind comment. . Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. 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. 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. Ron Spomer Outdoors 1.1M views 6 months ago Head-To-Head: 6.5. Posted: 12/20/2020 9:01:19 AM EST [#22] There is a simple . Recoil is stiff and some find it hard to master. Norma offers a 156-grain Oryx load that wont shoot as flat but provides great terminal performance. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. If the 300 RUM surprises you, know that it surprised me, too. 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. That does not appeal to my simplified physics understanding of the subject. He has managed multiple gun ranges, and has hunted around the world. Just hoping my bad experiences might inspire you to avoid some of your own. While there are not a lot of ammunition choices for the 6.8 Western, there are some good ones. ), 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. Again great job !!!!! Its really tough to spot impacts with that much recoil, and thats becoming increasingly important for shooters. 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. At 1000 yards a .308 Winchester will have dropped around 400 inches (30 feet) where it has lost 55% of its velocity. throwing a 55-gr. Kind regards. 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 So since it doesnt work AT ALL for serious shooters, it doesnt get much air time, and then the average hunter who only shoots 2-3 boxes per YEAR never hears about it. The 6.5 Creedmoor will remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards and is quickly becoming the most popular long-range, big-game cartridge in the world. I'm not a huge fan of basing my decisions on bullet energy. 6.5-300 WBY (-204) Great work mate including .22LR what a hoot (Incoming!) 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. Hello Jim, gundata.org has done all this for you already. Richard Mann The 6.5300 Weatherby magnum, as its name suggests, is based on the 300 Weatherby mag and has a case capacity of 98 grains of water. 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. 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. 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 means we can first determine the fastest cartridge in each caliber, then compare it against the fastest in others. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. 4/1/2016. The 27 Nosler bests the .270 Winchester by about 400 fps with 150-grain bullets. And for all of you whove just learned your flat shooting champion really isnt, sorry. But what are the flattest shooting rifle cartridges? drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. But, as an extreme range competition shooter recently told me, the number of cold barrel, first round hits he sees at 1,000 yards in competition is well below 50%. Recoil is negligible, making it a great option for hunter with sensitive shoulders. All three cartridges also offer ample case capacity, allowing enough powder to send bullets at drag-defying velocities. (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. The .25-06 is the flattest shooting, hardest hitting, lowest recoiling cartridge available. 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. Dear James I was once hunting plains game in Africa when my PH told me, holding a rangefinder, that the wildebeest was 155 yards away. 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. I see lots of Wildcats mentioned here. But can it defend that title at 1,000 yards? But lets take a quick look at a historically popular flat-shooting cartridge, the .270 Winchester. 3. That's why the three best rifles we have sorted have a 500-yard impact range below 40''. Required fields are marked *. inherent in 6.5mm (.264) caliber bullets. 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. Here we go! UPS has officially stopped shipping guns? Check out their concise ballistics charts. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. 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. By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. p.s. I blog often and I truly appreciate your content. Feb 17, 2023. Know your trajectory curve and nail the shot distance with a range finder and you can offset huge rates of drop. As with Hornadys two recent 6.5 caliber introductions, it has found favor with long-range competitors, but also with hunters who like to hit at distance with heavy bullets. A popular western big-game cartridge, the 7mm Magnum doubles as an excellent tool for long-range target shooting. Thanks for your video and the information on your website. The new Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent load with a muzzle velocity of 2825 fps shoots flat and the bullet is tough enough to handle up close impacts while still delivering good. It gives you an MPBR of 336 yards. More hunters should get to know this fantastic round. Still, if youre goal is to push heavy projectiles to the outer reaches, Noslers 28 may be the best 7mm option out there. Below is the information Ive gleaned from 17-caliber through 338. Im going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. Zeroing for 100 yards or farther will change drop significantly. 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. For good reason. Modern high-ballistic-coefficient bullets is where the .375 H&H really steps out of its traditional box. Save big on firearms, accessories, tactical gear, clothing, and ammunition from now until March 29. Ditto the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5-300 Wby. (A bullet far from optimum for shooting elk.) The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. A rifle is suitable for flat shooting as long as the 500-yard impact range of the rifle falls below the 40''. 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. At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Long Range Calibers in 2022 Best for Beginners: 5.56mm/.223 Remington Minimal Recoil: 224 Valkyrie Best for Long Range: 243 Winchester Best for Seasoned Shooters: 6mm Creedmoor Best Value: 6.5mm Grendel It is not always the caliber that is in question. Thanks Your email address will not be published. The article has really peaked my interest. Trust but verify. No howitzers or tanks.). I subscribed to your Feed as well. lotsa guys on the internet claim 500 yards is no problem . 1 Normal load using the most popular factory ammo, one heavy load for each, one light load. etc. Every rifle is different.