Hey Long Range Guys

[The1andOnlyKC]

Looking at starting a new project here. Looking for a long range rifle. 1000yds minimum.

Now I dont have the money for a 50. Already have a 308 that performs well to 1000 just want something with more energy at that range.

So what caliber would you recommend?

7mm Rem Mag.
300 Win Mag.
300 Rem Ultra mag.

Been looking at the ballistics like the ballistics of the 300 RUM.

[GunTroll]

Trying to stay with common calibers? Looks like you like the 30 cals. You reload? You building one or having one built or simply just getting something off of the shelf? Lots of questions there but if it were me I would pick the RUM that you mentioned if thats your only options. Problem with the RUM is the amount of powder it consumes. 7mm is a solid caliber. I got a 280 AI that gives the 7 rem mag a run for its money.

Now if I were to build one for myself, I'm really liking 6.5 these days. Seems like a winner. I don't like heavy recoil and like the bullet to do the work instead of the powder throwing a projectile at warp speed. I know they go hand in hand but I like to shoot a lot at one time instead of a little often. Hope that helps.

[Hannu]

First thing you should consider is, you want to keep bullet velocity clearly supersonic all the way to the target.
All of those calibers (except .308) are capable of doing it to well over 1000 yd range.

I have very positive experiences with .300 RUM and it would be my choice. Brass availability is quite good and it is not very expensive, less than 1$. Bad thing is, .300 RUM does not fit into .300 win mag / 7mm rem mag lenght action :( Other bad thing is, barrel life is quite limited. It is even more limited when compared to 7mm rem mag or .300 win mag. I would not consider it though, as all cartridges burning lots of powder behind a small projectile.

Best points with .300 RUM are versatility - you can load it to .30-06 level easily and still get resonable accuracy.
Try the same thing with, for example, .30/378 Wby or .300 Lapua magnum and one day you may find a bullet inside the barrel after pulling the trigger :(

Other good things with .300 RUM are strong case and headspacing from shoulder. Yes, you can headspace 7mm rem mag or .300 win mag from shoulder, but not for first shots.

You can take Remington .300 RUM hunting rifle, or if you can find just receiver & bolt it is even better cheaper. Better take good quality long barrel, you want something 28"-30" for 1000+ ranges.
Timney trigger, better stock, I recommend with alu bedding for .300 RUM

6,5x284 is also a very good long range caliber. It also have better barrel life when compared to other calibers mentioned.
However, if you want more punch (and recoil) got for the .30 cal.
If you want even more punch, go for the .338 caliber. But, keep in mind that recoil will be something different compared to .30-06 ;)

Just my 2 cents :)

[Colorado Osprey]

All those mentioned are great cartridges up to almost 1000 yards. The 6.5's mave great SC and BC but the energy levels are still identical or close enough to be similar to the 308.
The 30 magnums get you to 1000 yards, but energy is still 600-1000ft/lbs. Most expects agree that 1000ft/lbs is the minimum required energy to ensure a clean kill. You would need to very carefully select a load and only that load would work. Going to a lighter bullet than 180 to gain speed and the energy disappears.

Also in the 30 cal magnums the energy and speed drop off dramatically after 850 yards so you better be sure of distance of your gonna miss.

Here is an interesting place to play what iffs: Ballistics calculator
http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

If you are shooting at 1000 plus you need a larger diameter bullet than the 30 cal.
It just can't retain energy because of the smaller bullet weights. Think BIG and heavy!


338 Lapua Magnum
http://www.lapua.com/index.php?id=888

1200ft/sec at 1000 yards with a 275 grain bullet while maintaining 2000ft/lbs of energy.

Another alternative is the 408 CheyTac, but it's pretty pricey.
But think more energy at 1000 yards than a 300 win mag at the muzzle.
It's just over double the energy at 1000 yards over the 338 Lapua Mag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.408_Chey_Tac
http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/408CheyTac.asp

If these exotics don't float your boat, there is always the 338 Ultra, or the poor mans Lapua.
Ballistics fall just barely short of the Lapua. It is best used with bullet weights of 250 grain and under.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/338rem_ultra_mag.htm

[7idl]

I vote for the 338

it's already been "tested" to get the job done ;)

[hobowh]

My father shoots competitivly in Texas LR and swears by his 338 lapua mag. But it is pricey

[CareyH]

My father shoots competitivly in Texas LR and swears by his 338 lapua mag. But it is pricey

If money was not a limiting factory the 338 lapua is sick. but I cant afford $6-7 a round, so with that being said I really like my .300 win mag. you can keep a 208gr A-max super sonic to nearly a mile. and has 1040 ft/lbs of energy at 1400yds. pretty cheap to reload and there is plenty of info out there for good loads.

just my 2 cents

[Jer]

Another vote for 338 Lapua.

I know a guy that was doing a long range competition and after it was all said and done they had a spinner out at about 500yds. The .223 guns barely even moved it. The .308's would spin it around once and he lined up with his 338 Lapua and spun it around FIVE times. Needless to say people started approaching to get details on what he was shooting.

If you want horsepower at distance and a 50MBMG isn't in the budget build a 338L and call it a day.

[ronaldrwl]

I vote for the RUM 300. According to the energy charts the 338 drops off at a faster rate than the 300. After 150 yds the 300 has the higher energy all the way through the charts.

[Hoser]

$6-7 a round

Factory ammo maybe. But my reloads are much much less. Under a buck. And the brass lasts a long time.

[Hannu]

If we put Sierra MatchKing .308 220gr from .300 RUM vs. .338 250gr from .338 LM you can see energy level is very close at 1000 yd. .300 RUM has there little better (true) ballistic coefficient and it will retain energy little better at longer ranges.
If we put 240gr .308 and 300gr .338 things are just about the same at 1000 yd, but after that .338 will get a little edge. Just as .300 RUM will get a little edge with lighter bullets.

You should note that trajectory is flatter (both calibers) with lighter bullets. .300 RUM will generally shoot a little flatter to 1000 yd than .338 LM.

.338 LM is easy if you do not load your own ammo - you can get reasonable ammo from a shop. Even it may be pricey... You can also get long range factory rifles from the shop. There is also plenty of suitable long range reloading data available. It is hard to go wrong with .338 LM.
Barrel life with .338 LM is also limited, if hot loads are used. Sako TRG-42 barrels show often signs of wear when shot even less than 1k, with full power loads.

If you want a good long range .300 RUM, you need to do it yourself, or let a good gunsmith build it for you. With .300 RUM there is no such long range factory ammo available. You need also to be experienced reloader to get maximum power from .300 RUM. I have not seen reloading data (except my own) for .300 RUM for long range match bullets.

Also, 7mm RUM has shown some excellent long range results with Berger 180gr VLD ;)

My choice would be other than .338 LM, just because many shooters are using it :)

[CareyH]

Factory ammo maybe. But my reloads are much much less. Under a buck. And the brass lasts a long time.

I hadnt looked into that much but the ammo selection on the shelf was $120 for 20rds. and lapua's 338 brass was $260 for 100 pieces of brass. but if the brass last a long time its worth it.

[RYAN50BMG]

spend the $$$ on a .50. Shoot blue tip incindiary and spot your rounds @ 1500 yards +. Not only that---chicks dig it---.

[The1andOnlyKC]

spend the $$$ on a .50. Shoot blue tip incindiary and spot your rounds @ 1500 yards +. Not only that---chicks dig it---.

[LOL]


Yes I reload and was planning on reloading for this as well.

Was thinking of building it off of a 700 action. I am left handed and want a left handed gun. Didnt even think of the 338 when I posted. Guess it gives me something else to look into.

Thanks Guys.

[hobowh]

We do what we can to make a difficult decision a little harder... I mean easiers[LOL]

[banks74]

My vote goes with the 7wsm, shooting Berger 180 vlds. Fits great in a short action.