A Reader Asks: What’s The Best Long-Range Rifle Cartridge?

1. I recommend the 300 win mag. You can get a decent bolt gun for $750. Good optics will run you around $500. The ammo is reasonably priced and plentiful. The recoil is much more manageable than 338.

   • I’ve been investigating a 6.5 grendel upper on my AR15, or a bolt action in 6.5 Creed, .300 Win Mag, or 7mm Mag. Looks like 7mm mag curernty makes the most sense to me because you can shoot a lighter bullet than .300 win mag with better BC’s with near 338 trajectory and wind drift. Retained energy is no comparison. While I plan to reload my next cartridge regardless, I know I’ve seen 7mm Mag at wal-mart, though I’m guessing it was a hunting orientated bullet vs a high BC target round.

     Does anyone know how barrel life compares in those cartridges?

     • go to accuracy shooter. They have barrel life calcs for different calibers.

2. The. 338 Lapua will be mine one day. Oh yes, she will be mine.

   • Have a Sako TRG and love it. I was head over heals the first time I shot it. I still have the hickie/scar it left me from shooting it with nothing but a tea-shirt for cushioning. I still wear that mark with pride. Feel blessed to own one.

     • Not cheap, but like dating a pretty girl: it’s worth it.

       • Also, do you have a comp on it? Does it help with the Lapua kiss at all?

     • Nice man…. that’s actually what I want. Such a sweet rifle. I was actually saving up for one but it appears my money will be going to a few black guns once prices stabilize.

3. At nearly $1 a round, the Creedmoor is almost on a par with 5.56 ammo 🙁

   • zing of the day

     • When I read that, all I could think was “bloody hell, man, ALL of the rifle ammo is ~$1/round right now!”

       • .50BMG and the Nitro Express calibers still aren’t $1 per round.

         Neither is Arisaka ammunition.

4. When I went to Gunwerks last year, they were pretty well standardized on the 6 mm and 7 mm bullets. They run a cartridge that I shot called 6XC. It is a solid long range contender.

   I also shot one of their LR-1000 guns in 7mm LRM which is a slightly modified 7mm Rem Mag as I understand it.

   If you are stuck on using the AR 15 or AR 10 action, the options are fewer, but if you are willing to entertain a bolt gun, I really think you’d be hard pressed to find something better than 7mm Rem Mag.

   And now to shamelessly plug the Gunwerks ammo. You can go here and buy some of the most consistent ammo that Nick and I have ever tested.

   • Gunwerks 7 mm Mag ammo in a Gunwerks, tuned Rem 700, or similar will get you excellent long range performance in a “normal” caliber. It’s also a gun that can actually be carried with ease (although there’s a sick part of me that just enjoys heavy, chunky guns).

     The 6.5 Creedmor should be sweet in the POF, although I’ve only shot their 5.56, 6.8, and .308 variants. The Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel ARs have pretty good actually, but obviously have less punch the the Creedmoor.

5. Do economics matter? If consider barrel life. .308 is a great long range round, with roughly 10K round competitive barrel life. Some of the other cartridges will burn out a barrel in 3-5K rounds, some even less. So while a new barrel isn’t that expensive, unless you are prepared to do the swap yourself, you need to think about barrel life. And if you are sending your action off to a gunsmith, how long will it be before you get your rifle back each time you rebarrel.

   I recently built a bolt match rifle for NRA Highpower, and ultimately went with .308 over the newer, more popular chamberings because a) .308 is still a great long range round, and b) best barrel life compared to anything else.

   Also, I like a challenge. Some of the new bullets are great in the wind, but then I’d be missing out on the learning experience.

   • +1000

     .308 Winchester all the way.

     You may love the exotic wildcat calibers, but when you can’t find a good selection of ammo and don’t reload, I would regret it.

     • And you can still find 168 grain Federal GM Match, BlackHills 168 and 175, Hornady SuperPerformance Match 178 Grain, etc.

     • I love 308 win best gun ever made I hunt moose deer bear it has never let me down and with hornady bullets sst shoot to 1000 yards on deer

       • I have owed a couple of 308s for about 8yrs and have never done anything with them untill this month and am totally impressed with both of them.Both are Winchesters and one is a model 88 made in 1956 and the other is a model 100 made in 1962,the 88 is a lever and the 100 is an auto but the clip feed actions are almost the same on both and they have 22″ barrels.I worked up a load that shoots right on to point of aim for both guns and I’m using IMR 4320 powder with a Speer 150 plain base bullet that moves along at a mv of 2920fps.Recoil in both guns is not bad (especially in the auto)and accuracy in both is beyond what I expected so yes the 308 is a very easy round to load for and one that no one should ever be afraid to go with.

   • Got that right. Ammo for the .308 is easy to find in a variety of bullet weights and styles, depending on whether you are target shooting or hunting. It also tends to be a not-so-fussy round, in that a .308 rifle will be fairly accurate with a variety of bullet weights. They will be VERY accurate with one or two loads, but you can buy most over-the-counter ammo and get usable accuracy. I have a heavy barrel .308 that is outstanding with my 168 gr loads, but will still shoot the cheap Magtech 150gr loads into a 1.5″ group at 100 yards. Yeah, it won’t be as accurate out to 1500 yards as a .338, but the .338 is pathetic at 20,000 yards compared to the Army’s self-propelled 8″ howitzer.

     Just depends on what you can afford and what you are willing to carry.

6. 243 Win isn’t THAT dIfferent ballistically when compared to the 338 lapua. The big difference is how hard the 338 hits (at both ends). If you’re not taking out live military targets or trying to knock down steel plates at a mile, the 243 is tough to beat.

   One other 243 advantage: recoil. Recoil matters A LOT in long range shooting. The more the gun wants to move under recoil, the more perfect and consistent your shoulder and cheek need to be. Any small variance gets exaggerated at long distance. Remember–recoil begins as soon as the powder ingnites. The rifle is recoiling (and losing point of aim) before the bullet is out of the muzzle.

   Other than barrel life (which can be 2500 rounds if not loaded too hot), the 243 has low reloading costs because of small bullets and not much powder.

   If you don’t reload, AND you’re new to long range, there is but one answer: .308.
   The Sierra Matchkings used in lots of readily available match ammo are jump tolerant–which may be very important when using an off the shelf, factory rifle. The match ammo is easy to find and cheaper than most other calibers, the barrel life is very long (so you can practice a lot), and it can double as a deer or bear rifle with no problem.

   • I agree. 243 is more than enough. However, for “all around” performance, usefulness, and PRICE and FLEXIBILITY, I still believe that the. 270 Winchester is at the TOP. Magnums get you very little in extra bang for the buck, unless that bang you’re looking for is in your shoulder. Look at the data and look for MVPR (@ 100yds sighted at 2″ above center, you will have 2.5″ above center @ 200yds, and then @ 300yds you have a 3″ drop from center. There is not another economical round that is going to give you anymore than a 10-12.5% increase. In terms of distance were talking 20-30 yards, and but costing anywhere from a $1.50+ per round. What is the advantages of the Magnums. And I was a faithful. 300 WSM,. 325WSSM even. 270 WSM and more SAUM’S, RUM, etc… But after some research and number crunching, and you cannot beat the. 270 Winchester In My Humble Opinion.

     Gen Quarters..

7. I love,love, love my .264 WinMag, but the best overall 6.5 cartridge has to be the .260 Remington. It lags a little behind the 6.5x.284, but .308 brass is everywhere. Now, if you are going to reload (which you should, or it’ll cost you a fortune) and are starting from scratch (I had easily 10k pieces of .308 brass when I started shooting .260) I’d go with the 6.5 x .284.

   • The only beef I have with the .260 is the quality of the factory brass seems hit-or-miss. If you’re necking down .308 brass and turning the necks, and doing all your own brass prep… it’s probably the best overall 6.5 round. If you want nice brass “out of the box” from the factory, the .260 brass quality issue is probably part of why the 6.5 Creedmore and the 6.5×47 Lapua got a foothold.

     Lapua brass and bullets have always been of very high quality in my experience. Norma has always been quality stuff too.

     • I’ve had ok luck with the cheaper .260 brass (especially once fired), but with the amount of prep (and #$%^ sorting, I hate sorting) needed and the reduced life it’s false economy to be sure.

8. If your intent is do this longer range shooting with a semi-auto, then you have your answer above. If you are thinking along the lines of better accuracy with a bolt action rifle, then for the dollar restricted shooter, I’d be looking at the.270, 7 mm Rem .308 or 30-06. Ammo is available everywhere in the USA at semi-reasonable prices. Any of these calibers are capable of good accuracy out to 600-750 yards if you do your part. Now if your interest isn’t in hunting, but in shooting 1000 yard or 1000 meter competition, then that is out of my skill set. I am sure others will recommend good calibers for that type of shooting.

9. Its best to be referring the guy over to caliber discussions on http://www.accurateshooter.com/ http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/7mm/ http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/6-5-grendel-cartridge-guide/ http://www.accurateshooter.com/competition/1000-yard-benchrest-guide/ Then you can go with the discussions on what the snipers are going to like the 300 WinMag and the 338 family.

10. People who want to shoot 1K ranges seriously need to look outside the AR platforms. To get the most out of the long-range cartridges, you’ll need at least a 26″ barrel and slower-burning powder. If you really wanted to get a 6.5 into an AR-10/LR-308 AR platform, you’ll be compromised because the highest-Bc bullets will have to be seated deep in the case to fit the OAL requirements of the magazine.

    Currently, the 6.5-284 is the king of the hill for target long-range work. New 7mm (.284″) bullets with very high Bc’s are causing people to re-examine the original .284 Winchester, 7mm08, .280 Rem and the 7mm WSM, but the 6.5-284 is so well entrenched that you can buy a F-class rifle off the wall from Savage already chambered in 6.5-284 for about $1500, without glass. It has a 30″ barrel and a stock with the profile needed to ride a bag in the rear and a rest in front.

    You’ll need to add glass, and for shooting at 1K you’re going to be into a scope for nearly $2K.

    • +1

    • I shoot 1000yd F-class matches every month. Very few people I know shoot 6.5-284 any more, not because it isn’t a good round, but because for that kind of shooting, that chambering eats barrels. However, the upside being you can buy a factory gun from Savage chambered in this caliber that is ready for competition out of the box.

      If you’re into the long range game, reloading is pretty much a must or you’ll go broke.

      It also depends on what you want to do at long range. What’s important changes depending on whether it’s hunting, ringing steel, or competition.

      But as other posters have noted, good long range chamberings exist most commonly in 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 cal., mostly due to bullet selection.

      Some suggestions in no particular order:
      300wsm — seems popular in the 1k benchrest crowd
      300 Win. Mag — an oldie but goodie, you can get very good results now that Berger has released .30 cal Hybrid bullets
      7mm WSM/7mm-300 WSM/7mm RSAUM — can drive a 180gr Berger Hybrid to 3000fps+, downside is that barrel life is very short (less than 1000 rounds) if shot in F-class competition, or even otherwise (I knew a guy who went through 4 7mm RSAUM barrels in tactical competitions, none lasted more than 800 rounds)
      6mmbr/6mm Dasher/6mm BRX — low recoil, very accurate, you do give up a bit on bullet choice for long range but the Berger 105s and 108s seem to do pretty well especially if you can get them going fast (6mm Dasher/BRX)
      6.5×47 Lapua/.260 Rem./6.5mm Creedmoor — See this article for a good overview. They are all pretty similar, I have a .260 and a pair of 6.5x47L’s, given the same barrel length and bullet I can get the same velocity out of my 6.5x47L using several grains less powder than the .260.
      .280 Rem./.280 AI — the F-Class nationals was won this year with a straight .280, the Ackley variant has similar case capacity to the 7mm RSAUM
      .284 Win./.284 Shehane — seems the most popular in F-class right now, you can get the 180gr Berger to 2850 or so with the straight .284, you can form brass from Lapua 6.5×284 brass easily, very accurate and long-ish barrel life (2000-2500 rounds not uncommon, I have 1800 in mine with no sign of letting up), the Shehane gets you into the 2950fps range, almost as much as the short magnums with much better barrel life, the downside being fireforming and expensive custom dies.

      The bigger 7mms are good too but like the short magnums barrel life is short.

      • Yea, the 6.5×284 does eat barrels. That’s true of any over-bored cartridge loaded hot. The worst barrel burner I’ve seen is the .264 WinMag. Erosion in 1000 rounds or less, depending on how the owner is loading it. I’m sure there are even worse barrel burners in some of these monster Weatherby’s necked down to small bores.

        From a new shooter’s perspective, if he can get into an economical rifle in 6.5×284 (perhaps even a very nice rifle sold off by a F-class shooter who wants the new hotness), and he keeps all his brass, when (not if) he burns up the barrel, get a .284 barrel hung on the action, then neck up his 6.5×284 brass and start shooting .284 pills.

        I find it interesting to watch competitive shooters “chase the new thing” in benchrest and F-class. Americans are chasing the .284 Shehane and .284, Brits seem to be chasing a 7mm on top of a .270 WSM… the Aussies are off doing some other things. It’s like a guy shows up on the line with something new, wins, and within two years, everyone on the line has to have the new-new thing. Lather, rinse, repeat.

        It surely keeps gunsmiths in business, but wondering “What was wrong with the last rifle I built you?”

        Answers from customers are sometimes humorous: “Well… So-and-So scored higher than I did with rifle and cartridge X!”

        At this point, gunsmiths have to bite their tongues. Sometimes rather hard. Questions come to mind like “Have you considered the possibility that he’s a better shot than you are?” but these are diplomatically left… unsaid.

    • Beat me to it 🙂 The Savage 12 is a beaut if you like bolt guns.

11. I am glad that you brought up .243

    It is an often underrated, but most excellent cartridge. It is versatile, the bullets have amazing sectional density, it is common, it fits most actions currently made, it is cheap, it is accurate, and it does what 99% of shooters want to do in their discipline.

    Those 6mm cartridges have been THE performer of the past 50 years.

    • My LGS has a factory new old stock Sako 85 in a cool stainless finish in .243 for about $1200. I am getting either that or a FN TSR .300 WSM that they also have in new/old stock

    • Another vote for the .243. It’s a very accurate, mild shooting number and there are some fantastic 6mm VLD bullets from the big names on the market.

12. I’m very partial to the 7mm-08 and the venerable .30-’06. Both are usually available at an LGS near you. After all these years, the .30-’06 is the most overlooked cartridge there is, even though it’s still the king of the .30 caliber class.

    • +50. If you can believe it, I regularly win the club matchs at 200 yard benchrest with a Savage 110 in 30-06 in the “stock” division. It is a police sniper model Savage made for a few years.

      • I too am a strong advocate of the 06 , I have been a re-loader for a long time and have compiled several notebooks of info on the performance of my loads with my various rifles in this caliber and truly can’t find a legitimate reason to own another caliber rifle except I just love doing it . I have yet to get a 300 blackout or the 6.5 Creed but I’m obviously looking .
        I’ll never replace my 30.06 and that Savage you mention is one of the best rifles for the price ever made in my humble opinion . I get very consistent MOA at long distance with that gun in the 150 – 180 grainers . The factory is as close to perfect as you’ll ever find in an out of the box shooter . HIGHLY RECREMMEND .

        • ………….factory trigger ( forgot to proof a again )

    • You know, Ralph, when people ask me for a “one cartridge to do everything” round, if they don’t want to do anything beyond 250 yards, I often recommend a 7-08 and if they do want heavier/longer reach, a .30-06 – in bolt guns, of course. For a junior shooter’s first deer/pronghorn rifle, it’s hard to beat the 7-08. Low recoil, low noise, accurate, great bullet selection. With heavier pills at closer ranges, it would suffice for elk.

      You should see some people’s faces upon hearing this. “What about (insert name of recent cartridge with a breathless review in big-name glossy gun magazine) cartridge?!!”

      Me: “Never heard of it until now. I’ll wager in five years, it’ll be gone into the mists of time.”

      Them: “But-but-but-but… it does all these sexy things. It comes with a 36C blonde to clean my barrel! It can make a moose leap up off the ground, gut, cape and butcher himself! All I have to do is bring the wrapping paper!”

      Me: “Riiiiight….”

      Them: “You seem skeptical….”

      Me: “How thoughtful of you to notice.”

      • DG, you are preaching to the choir — and please do not stop.

        • Mega dido’s !

13. If you are going with a bolt gun .260 Remington is a good choice but 6.5 x 55mm Swedish is better. The Swede has a slight ballistic edge in modern actions and loaded ammunition and brass are more readily available. Recoil is mild, barrels last forever, and you get all of that 6.5mm projectile goodness – good ballistic coefficients and high sectional densities.
    So, what’s not to like? The Swede requires a long action so it is a little heavier and has a longer OAL than a .260 Rem for equivalent barrel length rifles.
    The Swede isn’t the new trendy thing and you aren’t going to impress anybody with it at the range – except people that look at your targets.

    • The only real downside to the 6.5×55 for most North American shooters is that the case head is .480 vs. .473 – and some rifles need their bolt faces opened up just a tad to get reliable feeding.

      Other than that, I agree. There’s a host of cartridges out of Europe that would have made most of the flailing around in the American wildcat market obsolete before they started. Heck, with modern powders, one can look at the 7×57 Mauser and wonder why we ever bothered with about 50 years of cartridge development for hunting. The 6.5×55 is the same way for target shooting. For big/dangerous game hunting, the 9.3×62, if more popular, would have precluded any need for a vast amount of magnum nonsense developed in the US in the last 50 years.

    • Be nice if there were more factory rifles chambered in 6.5×55 on shelves in the US. Of course, there aren’t really any .260’s either.

      • There’s usually a whole lot of nonsense on stocking gun dealer shelves, and very little in the way classic or accurate-by-design rifles on the shelves.

        We won’t see 6.5×55’s from the factory any time soon because the bolt faces require being opened up a tad. Anything that takes one second more of time to accomplish means it won’t be marketed in the US. The quest now is to produce the cheapest possible POS at the lowest possible price.

        Oh: Remember to make it black and festoon it with wanker rails. That memo came down from marketing four years ago.

        • Wanker rails. I like.

14. Are we talking punching holes in paper or animals? Will it be a field rifle or just lay on a bench? It makes a world of difference.

15. 280 Rem and 130 gr Sierra Match King HPs are hard to beat. Myself and friend recently started pushing our target shooting to 500 yrd. I shoot 30-06 with 150 Match Kings , he shoots the 280 Rem. He’s consistently shooting tighter groups. We’re both new to shooting past 300 yds and have only a few months experience. We shoot head to head out to 200 yds. That 280 really starts to shine past 300.

    However, I feel that practice, time, and effort are more important that the cart you choose. That, … and fricken’ excellent glass.

16. I’d put in a plug for 6×45, which is a necked up 5.56. A Black Hole Weaponry 18″ polygonal barrel on an AR-15 upper routinely gets me cloverleafs at 300 yds (range maximum). Many folks are using them for prairie dogs and coyotes effectively out to 700 yards and they should be good on paper quite a bit farther. Yep, it does involve handloading, but if you already shoot 5.56, most of that load data is comparable yet you get a bullet with better BC and heavier weights. Best of all, it’s a standard 5.56 case necked out, which almost anyone can do.

17. Have had damn good long range consistency shooting the .308!! I hand loaded .308Lapua brass with 168gr Sierra Match King bullets and Vhit Vouri powders.
    Would have to find my old notes for load data but with proper hold off and ballistic calculations 700-800 yards is no problem and the .308Lapua will still carry enough to take down a man sized target at 800!!!
    Still love the round but can’t afford the bolt gun I want but one day soon!!!

18. Sadly TTAG doesnt address a wonderful slice of the shooting community…BLACKPOWDER. With todays ammo shortage and high prices the operative phrase may be “back to the future “.

    Folks were shooting at obscene distances with blackpowder back in the 19th century. It was the foundation for our sports. Garnered international coverage. Plus today its just plain fun. Here is a good website to check out the basics. And you get to play Quigley…
    http://longrangebpcr.com/Rifles.htm

    • If Feinstein/Schumer have their way, we’ll only be blogging crossbows and Airsoft replicas in a few years.

      But your point is a good one; we’ve only run a handful of black powder articles *ever*, because our stable of writers doesn’t have the knowledge, experience or interest to cover them well. But we’re always looking for new writers to join us, and many of you have shown by your comments that you can write pretty damned well.

      • I have the interest. I guess that one out of three ain’t bad . . . .

        • Well, I’m working on another one.

19. I love reading about this stuff. Longest range in the area is 100yrds, and I haven’t even been to it yet, but someday. Long-range looks fun in a Zen sort of way.

20. Id say 7.62 NATO or .300 Win mag, if you cant get .50 BMG!!

21. 6.5 Grendel and .338 Lapua Magnum. A great part about 6.5 Grendel is you can shoot it out an AR platform.

22. Buddy of mine shoots a Weatherby Mark V in 7mm Weatherby Magnum. The rifle is SUH-WEEEET and deadly accurate — able to place 5 rounds inside a dime at 100 yards. My club has a steel gong at 200 yards . . . . we’re gonna see how it performs. I expect we’ll hit 5 for 5.

    Brad

23. Best long-range rifle cartridge for WHAT? ‘Cause I think that’s an important consideration. For hunting? There’s any number of very good choices.

    For long-range perimeter work? That might be the .50.

24. I throw rocks. If it is really long distance, then I throw marbles. I find the marbles give me more consistency.

25. I have a rock river arms 6.8spc AR 15 & I love it also have it in a .223/.5.56 my buddy has thee .308 its not my first choice but I love the two I own no problem with either

26. I love my Savage model 16 in 6.5 Creedmoor. The cartridge itself was designed off the .30 T/C, which is a shortened .308. It has a 30 degree shoulder, and the body has less of a taper compared to .260 or .308. The shortened length of the case is what makes this cartridge excel when it comes to the longer 140+ grain bullets. The shortened case allows these longer bullets to be seated with less intrusion into the case compared to the .260. When you subtract bullet intrusion from the .260’s case capacity with these longer bullets, the .260 has a minimal 0.7 grain advantage. When you combine the 30 degree shoulder (20 degree shoulder in .260), reduced body taper, and shorter case length you get a more efficient cartridge that burns less powder and gets the same numbers as the .260. If you reload, that means more bang for your buck. If you don’t, the Creedmoor Hornady ammo is less costly compared to the .260. Hornady offers match ammo in 120 and 140 grain A-Max and cost around $26/box. Nosler will start producing ammunition for the 6.5 Creedmoor this spring, as well as brass. One of Nosler’s 6.5 Creedmoor loads will be match ammo ($40/box).

27. I shoot a Sig 300 win mag. Last year got into multiple situations of having to shoot 800 to 1000 yards at small coues white tail deer. Had some difficulty and want to start shooting more long range. What long range glass would be recommended and cartridge.

28. Nothing better than the 338 Lapua. I have a Armalite AR30. You can shoot soda cans at 500 yards all day if you have the money for ammo(and a good scope). The muzzle break is one of the best n the industry. Set it on some sand bags hold it with one hand, aim and fire. No kick at all !! You could shoot it all day long and never feel a thing in your shoulder. Its a little heavy to hold up for shooting of hand but can be done and yes, I white tail deer hunt with it. Buy it and you WILL NOT regret it.

29. Just out of curiousity , has anyone else shot the 30.06 long range BN 36 by Noreen , I bought one about a year ago and only recently did I get it where I could empty a full 20 round magazine without a FTF issue , but now that I have it tuned in , I haven’t had anymore issues . I keep one magazine with five rounds for the game warden and the other three topped off . I haven’t run to many full mags. at rapid fire because it really heats up that barrel , but man ol man is it fun to do . You can shred a 10 inch tree with a full magazine .
    Back on subject , this is a very accurate rifle at long range with a variety of grains and loads , I’m rejuvenated working on different combos for this gun and have started a new notebook recently just for it . I have a long range on my farm where I get out to 700 yards and I can ring the gong pretty consistently . Check out the you tube videos on it . I wish I was more tech savvy , I would like to make some of my own videos .

30. I’m looking for a good, long-range cartridge for hunting caribou, moose, grizzly bear, seals, etc up here in Alaska. Both Gunwerks and the Long Range Store offer 6.5 x 284 as their smallest lr rifles. Problem is, their rifles are expensive. What’s the best rifle I can buy off the wall for that cartridge? I’m thinking of either putting a Huskemaw scope or a Gunwerks scope on it. 50mm lens. I’d like to shoot at least to 700 yards. So, what rifle, and what’s a good 6.5 x 284 bullet? Nosler? Berger? 140 grain?

31. I personally own a savage 110fp 7mm rem. and an old remington 740 woodsmaster .280 remington. I have consecutively hit at 850 yards with both rifles using 139gr hornady sst and 140gr barnes vortx in both rifles. The problem with the 740 is it is a relatively light rifle and has stupid recoil in that caliber. Yes it is a semi auto, but it actually has more wollop than my dads browning ab3 30-06. And the .280 remington is a .338 win mag shell. Was developed by (i believe) a remington designer who liked the .270 but wanted more oomph out of a 7mm/.284 projectile.

    • The 280 Rem is a 270 Win.necked out from .277 to .284,the 338 Win mag is a belted cartridge with the main body or the 458 Win mag,they make this ctrg.in .284 dia. but its called the 7mm Rem mag.

32. Why is there no intrest in the 30-378 Weatherby anymore,I know it is exensive to shoot,kicks like a mule but I get good erformance from mine.
    Sako M-995 w/ 34 inch Whitt barrel.
    118 grains of Accurate 8700/Winchester Magnum Primers ans Sierra 22 grain bullets…………………

33. I use a 300 Norna Magnum. It can still take down a Moose at 1800 yards. I know this because I saw it done. That was why I bought it. If you’re just a paper puncher, you can use something less. I use a 230gr berger hollow point and stuff the case with powder up to just below the neck. But that is based on my own barrel dial-in on a surgeon action.

34. If you really want to shoot fast and far its going to be hard to beat the 257 Weatherby mag , 270Wby mag or the 7mm Wby mag.They are based on the shortened 300 Wby mag and if these dont meet your needs the 6.5Wby mag is the full length 300Wby necked down to 6.5 and is the flattest shooting .264 on earth.For all intents the 6.5 Swede is about as good as it gets and it dont hurt your wallet or shoulder.

35. I absolutely love my Savage 11/111 in 338 Lapua. Let me qualify that. Initially it was an atomic hammer. The muzzle report and over pressure reminded you that it was the real deal. Not a 50 cal but, man oh man. The Savage required tuning to say the least. The scope rail was loose and had oil under it. It is now epoxied down. The barrel was far from free floating. A little stock work and it is was good. To shoot one mile easily required a NIghtforce 12 x 42 scope. A true one mile gun now. Hitting a 24 inch gong at a mile is no problem, if you do your part. Reloading takes the cost down to $1.50 per shot. Finally the best part. A Yankee hill suppressor, and it is easier on the mind and body than my AR platform long range 308 with a muzzle brake. Very pleasant shooting long range rifle.

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