Looking for a long action cartridge that will complement my 6.5CM for recreational/SHTF shooting.  This will not be for hunting.

- Will be using a BigHorn action
- Factory ammo required, I will be getting into reloading later but reloading will be a consideration
- Preferably not $100+ per 20rd box of ammo.


7mm PRC and .300PRC seem to two of my better options.  Thoughts? Suggestions to research?

7mm PRC for target shooting  300 PRC for killing stuff

Unless you have a lot more money than time you should get started now in reloading. It can take time to get the components you need and the savings is massive with larger calibers.

Cost me about $1.20 a round for my 300win mag using Berger bullets. That's not with components I bought 20yrs ago, rather in the past 3 years. It would cost 3-4 times that to buy loaded ammo that wouldn't be as accurate or fast since I'm loading long and tuning my specific rifle.

6.5-284

I need a caliber first to buy said components

OP, you might look thru some of this guys videos, he test all sorts of cartridges for ELR, and shares exactly what he finds...

Just get a 30-06

I wanted to suggest it as well.

Any factory load with a proper bullet (not <168gr SMK) is probably over $2pr. HSM surely is, oy.

300 prc is currently my favorite LA caliber

I mean 300 PRC is probably what I’d say with the info provided. 300 Win Mag is also an option and probably has better factory options.

What are you wanting the cartridge to do? Have a specific range in mind you want to reach out to?

I want to reach out a little further with a little more umph.  I thought .300WM was a little worse when it came to reloading.  Yes it has more factory options now, but when I do get into reloading .300PRC seems to be "better" in maximizing potential

Again, I would need to decide on a caliber before I start buying components.  Yeah I could start buying stuff for my 6.5 to get started but some other things need to happen first

.30-06 is what I went with.  Get a fast twist barrel.  Mine is 8.5" and the chamber is throated a little so long/heavy bullets can be used without eating case capacity.  I use 220 gr Lapua Scenar-L projectiles over H4831SC at 2600 fps.  They will remain supersonic to nearly a mile.

My thinking was factory ammo will be everywhere in SHTF compared to something like .300 PRC or .300 WSM.  Also an SHTF consideration is efficiency.  For my purposes, the additional 150-200fps gain at the muzzle isn't worth the drastic increase in powder consumption of the magnums.  I'll never need that extra capability.  If I lived out west somewhere like Utah or Wyoming?  Different story.  Not here.

I see OP is in Virginia like me.  There is NOWHERE in a 4 hour drive of me to shoot "ELR".  1000 yards tops and those are places built for it.  Sure, in the mountains there are places you can see way further, but the likelihood of needing that capability to take a shot anywhere in Virginia, or nearby states, is slim to none.

Best factory ammo for .30-06 is Federal GMM with the 168 SMK.  Bar none.  I've tried 'em all.  ALL of the other factory ammo isn't accurate enough at distance to be useful for ELR.

Yep in Virginia.  I don't expect to shoot past 1000 yards but if I can, I want something with a little more energy behind it.  Even within 1000 yards, I think it would be advantageous to have something a little more capable in the armory than my 6.5CM

284 is not long action. The whole purpose of the 284 is to have long action case capacity in a short action length cartridge.


As much as I like 6.5mm/.264 a long action cartridge might be overbore, more than optimal powder for that caliber.

Off the shelf factory ammo, readily available?  7 Mag, maybe 300 Win Mag but availability is probably not quite as good.

You want more ass behind the bullet get a 30 or 338 magnum. You’re only target shooting to 1k yards so really just get a 7prc or 7 mag