Long range rifle and cal questions...what cal for 1000+ yards?

I'm new to long range shooting. I have a 1000 yard range that's not to far away and want to get into 1000 yard shooting. I'm looking for a 1 to 2 MOA rifle that isnt going to cost to much. I'm also interested in what cal most people find that has flat shooting ability.

I have shot 308 up to 550 yards and want a larger cal that shoots flatter. The 308 archs to much and 1000 yards is out of its effective range. I was thinking of 300WM and 338 RUM or Lapua.

Any recommendations on cal?

How does 3006 shoot compared to 338 and 300wm?

What about 7mm?

6.5 Grendel seems to get recommend quite a bit for 1000 yards, I don't know how it is over that distance though.

300 WM is going to be the most economical.

If you can live with a small bullet.... 6.5x308 ( 260 rem ) or 6.5x284.

Last time I checked a Larue OBR 308 has surpassed the 1k mark and beyond...

I want range (1000 yards +) but also want a flat trail. I was thinking of 300 WM since I have a 308 can (YHM). Ammo would be about $1 / round

I think the 308 effective range is maxed out by 1K. Plus the 308 BD is to much.

well 338LM
this guy cold bore shot at a one gallon jug
and thought he missed till we saw the water
going down to the 1/2 way area
1000 yard shot it sliced the jug it did not go in it.

you want a .260rem.
uses your .308 brass, can use your YHM can, softer on the shoulder, probably longer barrel life, less muzzle blast.
Have you verified that the YHM can will work with .300wm pressures?

The precision rifle guys shoot .308 to 1200yds all the time. Drop is easily correctable. .308 is fine but I fully understand the want for something that will be 'easier'

Just curious, 'cause I'm looking for the same set-up, why no 6.5 creedmore recommendations?

For a While I got to work with a guy from NW MT who builds custom LR rifles :his choice for accuracy, Barrel Life, trajectory, wind bucking etc. is 6.5 Creedmore

all good points...and thats the info I'm looking for
the can is stainless so it should but I wont use it until I contact them...I checked the web site and didnt see anything about it
it seems that finding the ammo will be hard to get and cost more...based on a quick search

I didnt even think about the 6.5/260
got t o learn more abou tthem

Go to one of the 1000yrd matches and see what the "masters" and "high-masters" are using. Then, ask them what you should start with.

wouldnt it be easier to ask here and on the www?

do you reload?
berger 140g VLD or Barnes 127g long range.
you can make .260 brass from .308 or .243

Im not saying 308 cant reach out to 1000 yards but the effective range is under 1000 and from what I understand 1000 is pushing it.But again Im new to long range shooting. 7mm sounds interesting.

I used to reload 308 and still have 308 AP bullets but just dont have time any more and sold my Dillon

I'm going to go with .260 Remington. Ballistics are slightly better than .308, and the recoil is even less. Any of the 6.5's (.260, Lapua, Creedmore, Grendel) will do. A .338 LM is just getting started at 1000, and is very expensive. .308 is more than capable of holding its own at 1000. Most loads don't go trans-sonic until 1100-1200 yards. You're not doing something right if you can't make hits at that range. Check your ammo and equipment, or it may be your shooting skill, no offense intended. 7mm bullets have good ballistic coefficients, and will do well at that range, but they are usually short on barrel life, which is not the case with most of the 6.5's (definitely excluding the 6.5-.284).

A friend of mine has a Remington 700 that was custom built as a 1000 yard rifle.

It's chambered in 6.5-06 and shoots very well. He says that it will hold the 10 ring at 1000 all day long, provided the shooter does their part.

I can't get into the details of why he selected that caliber, but I can ask him about it, if you want more information. I can tell you he did a LOT of reading before settling on 6.5-06, but he also says that others would work more or less as well.

It's a damn impressive rifle. I know he has north of $2k invested.

lots of good imput... It seeme like the 6.5 keeps coming up as a good flat round with good recoil and distance.

I dont have much experience with long range shooting but shot expert with the M9 and M4...not that that was to hard to do.

6.5-06 seems like a good round from the research I have done so far. recoil, barrel life, flat shooting
the only down side is availability of the round. I dont have the time to reload like I did in the past and I cant just find ammo at the local store.

I'm looking for the following qualities:

accuracy and range at 1000+ yards...
availablility of ammo because I dont reload any more and have limited time
flat shooting
barrel life
recoil
expense of ammo..$1 to 1.25 per round range

If you dont reload i would say 260 remington, 6.5 creedmoor or 300WM. My preference would go to the 260rem (for no other reason as i think its kinda simple )

it really all depends on how much you want to put into your project,

like others have said, the 6.5 class of bullets kick ass, not really a fan of small bullets but you cant argue with their ballistics. i think the 6.5 CM has the ballistics of a 300WM, just not the energy on target.

i really like 30 cal as there are a ton of bullets to choose from, part of the issue with limited range from 308 stem from shooting semi's with sub 20 inch barrels, and having to load to mag length. get a 155 lapua sceener with better BC than a 175smk, and single feed them, its going to be pretty sweet out of a 24 or 26 inch barrel.

love my 300WM,will run with my 338LM out to 1000 anyday of the week. slinging a 208 amax at close to 2900fps is pretty nasty.

as for 338LM, its a monster and makes long range feel like you are cheating.

value wise, if i had to chose one, it would be my 300WM. will do 99 percent of what the 338 will do at the ranges i shoot for a half the price

my recomendation is check out remingtons 5R in 300wm, throw a decent base on it, and top it off with a decent scope and you should be ready to go for under 2000 dollars. i reload so the cost of ammo isnt a big deal for me, if that is an issue i wuold check out some 6.5 or .260 guns as match ammo is about the same as 308 match

OK it seems like the 6.5/.260 is the way to go. so which one?

Creedmore
Grendel
Lapua...

If I go bigger I'm thinking of the 300WM


found some info here
http://demigodllc.com/articles/the-case-for-260-remington/?p=2
and
http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-shootout-260-6.5x47-6.5-creedmoor/

seems like the 6.5 is much better than 308 for drift and flat shooting

It seems like the longer and thinner the round the more accurate it is

my opinion on 6.5 go with the creadmore, i like hornady factory ammo, i like the fact that they load have match/AMAX rounds availible. they are all pretty close in terms of ballistics, its not like shooting one is going to handicap you over the others

Yeah, that would suck. I know he makes brass for his out of some other caliber, but I'm not sure which.

You'd probably do better to look at the other 6.5 variants.

Since cost was a factor, in your decision, I would definitely stay away from the 338 LM. Even though it is a fine tool, it is a lot of rifle, for shooting 1000, and is simply un-needed. You would be better served being able to shoot 4-5 times, for every one shot placed with the Lapua. While it is definitely a good performer at 1000, and is extremely accurate generally speaking, when set up in a good weapon, there are just more affordable choices for a person wanting to get into the sport.

As previously mentioned, there are numerous 6.5mm offerings, which would likely serve you well. Likewise, I have been contemplating the idea of another 260 Rem as it really is a good cartridge. If you plan on shooting a generous amount, I would sly away from the higher-speed barrel burners, as there is other choices. In terms of trajectory, those cartridges which shoot the flattest, will likely have shorter barrel life, than those with more modest velocities. But this is all relevant to how much you plan on actually shooting it as well. If you are wanting a larger bore, such as .308", rather than the smaller bores, I know several who are getting good results with the .300 WSM as well. I know a few who are using 6.5mm Grendel, in AR rifles with 24" tubes, and are getting good results at extended ranges, though my personal max with it has only been 800, so I cannot attest to it's performance at 1000.

You have many choices available, including the ones previously mentioned here...........And since they have already been covered, my best advice is to not skimp on the glass, and get the best optics feasible on your budget. Good glass will make your experience infinitely more enjoyable. You can get by on budget minded optics, but I have never had buyer's remorse for purchasing premium optics, especially for precision and long range use.

Just my $.02

-PC-

All good imput. I have a Nikon scope already. I can add it to my larue mount. Although its not top end I think it will do. I didnt have anything to put it on so I put it on my FAL. See below

Do you think I need a better quality scope?

Also the 300wm barrel life is about 1400 rds? I plan on shooting a box or two (20 to 40 rds for a day at the range max)
I get to the range about once or twice a month

The .300 WM is a fine round, but, as you've seen, usable barrel life is pretty short. It can easily reach past a thousand, though, reloading components are widely available, and there's an excellent selection of bullets. What model Nikon do you have? Nikon glass is pretty good. You may be limited by the amount of elevation adjustment, depending on what round you choose. A 20 MOA scope mount will help out, should you need the extra elevation. As you can see from the variety of responses, there are a lot of calibers that will work at that range. Take some time to evaluate the other inputs, and, most of all, develop your skill so you can take advantage of what they have to offer.

This article might sway your decision within the 6.5 range: 6.5 shootout

JR
I'm in the 300WM/ WSM camp.. shoot mine out to 2000Y against a bunch of 338s & do OK.. The WSM will give you 15% more rounds for your powder cost- love that 208 Amax & rl17!
If you want a good, accurate off the shelf rifle, look at a Savage..

usable barrel life in 300wm way more than 1000 rounds, closer to 2500 to 3000, alot of people over at snipershide have 300's with alot of rounds down range

I just purchased a Savage Predator Max 110 in 6.5x284 for just such a purpose. Accustock, accutrigger, mounted a Weaver Tactical 3-15x50 30mm FFP scope on it. I think it'll be just the ticket.

- AG

You can shoot 308 over a mile didn't you see the p?recision shooting video by magpul

How close is the 338 Win Mag to the 338 Lapua Mag?
The 338 Win Mag would be much cheaper wouldn't it?

I read that atticle. The scope is a Monarch with BDC but have to double check

nice setup but that ammo is 2+ dollars per round and I'm not reloading because I dont have the time

300 Weatherby Mag

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