flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards

Of course, the .270 Win was developed in 1925 when 1000 yard shots were effectively unheard of. 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. throwing a 55-gr. unfair comparison, Hornady makes a 139 grain BTSP for the 7mm mag very flat shooter, Great info, thanks for your difficult work. always means more wind deflection. So, if you want to go long, there are some clear choices here. Why? By the time the 6.5 Creedmoor started gaining popularity, interest in the .270 WSM was fading. It is capable of sending a 55-grain bullet from the muzzle at 3,700 fps. If you use a very good long range 6mm bullet like the 115 DTAC with a BC of .585 and a velocity of 2950fps, which is easy to get, it wipes the floor with the .308 with a 175 at 2700fps. I noticed the WSSM family was not on your list I assume because of the higher velocities they would be higher than the standard calibers. 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. 26 Nosler. Normas 180-grain BondStrike Extreme at 3,084 fps is new and very flat-shooting. If Ive left out an obvious winner or near winner, write in and state your case. If you are looking for the flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards, you should read anything else. Shane Olson, nope, no sarcasm involved, simply pointing out a straight fact, which I stand by. | Should you have other helpful info, please send it to me by email: [emailprotected]. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. YMMV 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 . A long-time favorite of snipers, the .308 Winchester will remain supersonic out to around 1,200 yards. Your email address will not be published. Thats comparing apples to apples with the others up above, using a 6 vitals zone. 6.5mm calibers The biggest deficit is the roughly 57 feet of drop at 1,000 yards. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. Its a top choice of military snipers and can launch heavy bullets with high speed and exceptional precision. Richard Mann There's currently no better option for the AR-15 when the range extends much past 500 yards. Kind of underwhelming, right? bullet twice that far. The rifle has five caliber offerings . The rifle would be used for game to 600 yards (self imposed limit) up to the occasional Elk. For example, A 7 SAUM, 280 AI and 7 Rem Mag. It has the best BC and is hands down the flattest shooting of the AR15 calibers. They are normalized within caliber. All in all, here are six bonus cartridge, all highly capable of reaching way out there. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range with a 129-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet at 3,400 fps. The 6.5 PRC can remain supersonic out beyond 1,600 yards or so, but ammunition options are limited. Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. 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 work here. 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. 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. 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. The issue with the Nosler cartridges is barrel life. For good reason. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. It has flipped positions with the 6.5, losing by a mere 1.4-inches. So what if we shoot further than 300? I suspect Weatherby got wind of Noslers work on its superb 26 Nosler, so they released Roys old wildcat to steel some of Noslers thunder. Mag. Weatherbys Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. I have a 27 3/4" barrel 264 Win mag that shoots 130 Accubonds 3350 fps with Retumbo. +Nick Strother, he TOLD you right up front he was only including cartridges that can be found chambered in most any rifle. 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. 95% of your shots will be inside 500 yards, and probably 80% inside 300. . [wd_leadmagnet type="dressing"] Great chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of work. The 50 BMG is still supersonic past 1200 yards. 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 is about the easiest caliber to hit with at that range you can imagine. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. 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 . Montana! From 600 to 1000 yards they use a 300 Winchester. Im going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. The 26 Nosler cartridge was designed with the high ballistic coefficient (B.C.) 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. This means we can first determine the fastest cartridge in each caliber, then compare it against the fastest in others. 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. However, I fully admit that that a flat shooting cartridge is not nearly as important as a cartridge which is resistant to wind deflection. Trust but verify. It's wide-open so anyone from beginners to pros, 25 caliber pocket guns through to race guns. I have neither the scientific knowledge nor mathematical skills to figure out the perfect blend of factors that produces the flattest trajectory winner. Wondering if anyone can find anything flatter within that range, suitable to kill a whitetail deer with? The 257 Weatherby Mag. This is not just a product of the .27 caliber bullet and its ballistic coefficient numbers. Gravity impacts all objects the same. At 500 yards . It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. It will be built on a stiller predator action, carbon wrap or #4 fluted stainless at 26 inches. Why is the 7 MM Ultra Mag also called the 7RUM not on your lists? 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. Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range, 150-grain AccuBond Long Range at 2,930 fps. But you did such an awesome job with this data. Enjoying many of your video\s whilst stuck in lockdown. For the Top 5 you have listed, what manufacturers offer a complete rifle in those calibers? 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. This is with a 58gr charge of Hodgen 4831 powder. 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. But there is a big contender missing I think. Hornady 123-grain SST at 2580 fps. Its clear that flat shooting is directly proportional to overbore. This old timer remains a phenomenon, flat-shooting and effective. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. Ive updated the chart description so its more clear that it isnt in inches. I am impressed at all the data you went through to come up with the three chosen. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. That's impressive but misleading. 2023 Backfire LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Utah, USA. He just never made it official. In your question about Flattest shooting caliber in a Lever Gun, Winchester 1894 shooting a .25-35 caliber bullet. Outstanding job!! We like the 257 STW we're loading 115 gr bullets around 3600fps with 1/2" groups.We can run it hotter and a Berger vld would be pretty flat. Thanks Will! 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. Im not sure Im reading this right but there seems to be a decimal missing. 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. lotsa guys on the internet claim 500 yards is no problem . I also appreciate the realistic exposition of the relevant comparison between effects of flat-shooting cartridge vs judging cross-wind! And that light recoil not only makes you a better shot in the field; it also makes practicing more fun and productive. Thank you. 17. The .25-06 is fast, shoots flat at 200 yards, and has just a 6.5-inch drop at 300 yards. If there was ever a cult cartridge, the .280 Ackley Improved is it. But again, that just my opinion. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. A few specialty matches, such as the Farr trophy at Camp Perry, are fired at 1,000 yards. Not a lot of difference in drops between the cartridges though; you need accurate yardage readings to get your drop correct. They have 1 particular cartridge thats something of a hot-shot for flat shooting, long distance devastation; the Weatherby .30-378. For example, the .50BMG and the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same muzzle velocity of 2,700fps. 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. Aug 31, 2013. 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. Links or names greatly appreciated, Thanks! But you wouldnt want to hunt with it. Be aware that many of these bullets could have been target bullets. And here they are: Flattest at 300 yards 240 Wby. Meantime, lets enjoy our deeper dive into flat shooting hunting cartridges (hand carried and shoulder fired. But its so close to the 6.5-300 Wby. I see lots of Wildcats mentioned here. The muzzle velocity is a plus in windy conditions, with the bullet arriving on target with minimal drift. 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. Impeccable analysis here. spitting a 100-gr. And yes, the .223/5.56 even dominates that match. It seems a bit odd to consider a .22-caliber cartridge of any design suitable for long-range hunting of even smallish big game. I too share your endorsement of Ron, his videos are a treat each week. . the max load is the distance load. Mag. drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. At 500 yards, the 27 Nosler drops almost a foot less than Jack OConnors sacred cartridge. That's pretty dang flat. 264 Winmag Love it Jim ! The smaller calibers drop like a rock past 500 yards. and .30 caliber bore . 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 it Im guessing to summarise it doesnt really matter what you shoot as long as you know distance to target & your maths