What caliber for me? Target rifle..

B

baddarryl

New member
Hi all. I am getting interested in what is for me long range shooting. I live in the east so that is not the easiest thing to do. Currently I have access to 400 yard range and 6-1000 yard is not a horrible drive if I get into this. I am not looking to spend a ton of money or build an F Class rig, but would like a good rifle that can reach out there. Once I decide on caliber then I find the best bolt rifle for it I suppose. The reason I ask this is I do have some recoil sensitivity. I really can't take my old man's 700 in .30/06 for more than a dozen shots probably, but have no problem shooting my son's .243. Mostly I am looking for flat trajectory with a balance of a little heft for wind and light recoil. I have other rifles for hunting and will likely set up a heavier one than your typical sporter for this. I am set up to reload, but also want something a little common that I can find if I have to. Can of worms? :eek:
 
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The 6.5 Creedmoor is the hot cartridge for that sort of thing right now. There are several bullet options in the 140-143 gr range with very high BC's. You'd have to go 200 gr+ to match that BC in a 30 caliber bullet. Recoil is somewhere between 243 and 7-08.

There are several options for budget rifles right now, the Ruger Predator can be had around $400 and is proving to be a tackdriver. If you don't handload Hornady match and hunting ammo is readily available at attractive prices.
 
Go with the 6.5! But I would get a Savage. That way you can always upgrade to a heavier barrel on the "cheap".

Toss on a 10 or 12X SWFA SS scope for $300 and you are good to go. Been there and done that...several times.
 
Get a Savage 10/110 in .308 or 7mm08. You can swap barrels later if you choose. My reason for the caliber choices is ammo selection. There's a wider selection for those that is both accurate and has the ranging capability.
I haven't bought into the 6.5 hype yet.
 
I'm pretty much set with the rifles I need/want for my shooting purposes at this point in my shooting life. But if I ever decide to get a rifle/reloading project in the future (could happen), the 6.5 Creedmoor would be the caliber without a second thought. It'd probably be a Standard Ruger American for a rifle.

Last November I got to shoot a high-end, 1000yd. competition rifle in .260 Rem., and was blown away by its superb accuracy and low recoil. Of course, it was a heavy rifle, but still, the recoil was almost non-existent compared to my '06 hunting rifles. I really liked it. From what I understand, the .260 Rem. and the 6.5 CM are similar in performance, but for a guy like me who'd want to mess around with a new caliber, the 6.5 CM might be easier on the budget when considering reloading components (especially brass). Yup, it'd be a 6.5 CM, hands down.
 
A few years back, Matt Burkett had a very good podcast about this very subject.
Recommendations included training with a .22 bolt gun, as it has nearly the same behavior at 100 yards as a 308 does at 300 yards.
Especially with learning the necessary trajectory and wind reading skills.
Just a thought.
 
A few years back, Matt Burkett had a very good podcast about this very subject.
Recommendations included training with a .22 bolt gun, as it has nearly the same behavior at 100 yards as a 308 does at 300 yards.
Especially with learning the necessary trajectory and wind reading skills.
Just a thought.
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That is a very good thought. I have a couple of very accurate Marlins and a tricked out 10/22 so yes, a great idea.
 
I haven't bought into the 6.5 hype yet.
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As with anything advances come in small steps. Where the 6.5 and 260 have an advantage over 308 and 7-08 is high BC bullets at a weight that can be pushed fast enough. For the average person the only real advantage 6.5 offers is reduced recoil. And that is advantage enough for many.

You can get 140ish gr 6.5 bullets that are in the .620 BC range and still shoot them at 2700-2800 fps. To get the same BC's in a 30 caliber you have to go to a 200-210 gr bullet. In 7-08 you have to go up to 175-195 gr bullet. The 308 and 7-08 won't shoot those heavy bullets fast enough to take advantage of the high BC's. They really need to be shot from magnum cartridges and then recoil becomes a factor.

If you keep bullet weight in 308 and 7-08 down in the 180 and 160 gr range then they are almost as effective as the 6.5's at moderate ranges. But once you really start pushing the limits the higher BC's of the 6.5's start making a difference.

The 260 cartridge is capable of doing almost anything the 6.5 will do. The problem is that most of the 260 rifles are not designed for bullet weights much over 120 gr. At that bullet weight 260 offers little if any advantage over 308 or 7-08. If someone were putting together a custom rifle in 260 designed for the high BC bullets there would be no real difference between the 2.
 
I picked up a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 CM after playing with my wife's RPR in 6.5.

Wanted to see if there was anything to the Hype. There is, I haven't had mine to a mile yet, 800 is the best I've done and I was concentrating more on hunting, as I thought at 6.5 lbs, w/out scope, it might make a good light weight hunting rifle. It does.

Here is a YouTube video of shooting the RAP 6.5 at a mile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blcfloZYuig
 
The 6.5's are the rage right now, light recoil and flat shooting. I would also consider the 308 Winchester, in a mid weight rifle with a muzzle break the recoil is low and it gives you the option of very accurate factory loads. I purchased my target rifle a few years ago and got the 308, mostly because it was on sale and that is all they had. If I were picking a new rifle it would be a 6.5 CM.
 
As much as I love my 30-06 and 308s, go with the 6.5

Yes you can reduce recoil through heavier barrels and better butt pads, but it is still there.

If you are recoil sensitive, the 6.5 is the ticket (6 is fine as well)

I haven' shot it but my brother tells me its like a 223.

Does what you want, how you want and its got the bullet selection and future bullets will be developed for it.
 
I'm not seeing where you guys are getting these BC numbers....

I just got on Berger's website, 140gr. Hybrid Target 6.5 bullet is .607.

And the 168gr. (not 175+) 7mm VLD Target is .628.
Even the 162gr. Hornady ELD in 7mm is .613.

I'll stick with my 7mm-08AI, thanks...
 
"The problem is that most of the 260 rifles are not designed for bullet weights much over 120 gr."

I keep hearing that over and over but have never seen it...:rolleyes:

So far in my Savage .260, it shoots 140g bullets so well I have not bothered to shoot anything else!

From a bench at 100 yards shooting FACTORY hunting ammo it will put 5 shots into a single hole that is almost completely covered by a quarter...

T.
 
I recently acquired a heavy barrel Howa for just a bit over $500.00 I already had a 6.5 Creedmoor so I got a 308, also I may want to play with heavy sub-sonic loads and a suppressor later and 220s are available in thirty cal.

I'm very early in the shakedown process, but this past week I shot two five round groups with a handload. The first was 1/2", the second was 3/8". Two groups don't prove anything, but I think it's fair to say there's a lot of potential there. For the price I think Howas are a great buy.
 
I'm very early in the shakedown process, but this past week I shot two five round groups with a handload. The first was 1/2", the second was 3/8". Two groups don't prove anything, but I think it's fair to say there's a lot of potential there. For the price I think Howas are a great buy.
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I would say you have solid reason to think that you have a shooter.
 
Thanks, it appears so. You know, I'm all about buying USA and don't even mind paying a little extra for American made. Prior to this Howa, the last rifle I bought was a Ruger, and I'm very pleased with it as it's a great shooter as well. That said, Ruger didn't offer exactly what I wanted so I went with the Howa. Remington came close but I have a bone to pick with them over their trigger; I posted about that in a thread "two 308s" so 'nuff said.
 
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