Depending on the caliber you are using, a long-range shooting may be at 1,000 and more yards, but if you are committed to rimfires than 200-300 yards is very long-distance shooting. The reason why 6.5mm cartridges are exploding in popularity is because they are ultra-efficient. Not sure if the OP is considering them or not. Mag. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. What about the guy who wants to go long with his AR-15? Great job. Hunters and shooters should also know that wind deflection of bullets is a more challenging part of hitting what you shoot at than is drop. (For anyone who gets worked up about the fact that the .30/06 isnt on this list, feel free to swap it with this one, as long as you dont mind the extra kick. By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. Second, we are not encouraging extreme-range shooting at game. Low B.C. At 300 yards it has dropped around 13 inches, and at 500 yards it's just under 60 inches (5 feet). Here we go! It nearly matches the ballistics of the Winchester Magnum, but does so in rifles with faster-twist barrels and modern powders that extend barrel life. Indeed, some deer also live in places where a 50-yard shot is much more likely than a 500-yard shot. Best .270 Rounds But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! Even though high-BC .30-caliber bullets need to be heavy and pushed hard to shoot flat, many American hunters love them enough to tolerate the recoil. Whether or not thats true, my own success rate at 1,000 yards informs me to always stalk closer if I can and to forego shots at any distance unless Im supremely confident I can make them. Considered by many to be the optimum long-range, large-game cartridge, the .300 Winchester Magnum has proven itself worldwide. (Curiosity? (-200) Always be open to new possibilities. Perhaps you, dear reader, can provide the formula! I have found that when talking about these large caliber hunting rounds, there is not a tremendous difference in bullet drop. BUCK DOYLE Preferred Caliber For 500 To 1,000 Yards And Beyond: .260 Remington (130-grain Berger AR Hybrid OTM . But a reputation for burning out barrels ultimately doomed the cartridge. Normas 180-grain BondStrike Extreme at 3,084 fps is new and very flat-shooting. I just want to quickly thank you for the great videos and for producing this table of bullet drop data. Most common calibers are just fine for regular range shots under 300 yards. Fantastic information. The Barrett 416 or CheyTac exceeds this - I have witnessed it first hand - then you get into the wildcat cartridges. The 300 PRC in 225G exceeds this and the 338 Lapua Magnum by a noticeable difference. Know your trajectory curve and nail the shot distance with a range finder and you can offset huge rates of drop. The article has really peaked my interest. It's not until you get farther out that BC starts making a big difference. And it isn't just the 308 that the 25-06 can best at long range, I compared many other leading types of competition or "flat-shooting" rounds, such as .243, .243 WSSM, 6mm Rem, 6.5 Grendel, .270 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5 x 55 Swede. A few specialty matches, such as the Farr trophy at Camp Perry, are fired at 1,000 yards. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. It may be a bit rough on barrels, but this cartridge shoots so flat you probably wont care. But you did such an awesome job with this data. Flattest-Shooting Cartridges Ever Backfire 641K subscribers Subscribe 4.2K 173K views 1 year ago The flattest shooting rifle cartridges are listed in this video to help shooters determine. I was surprised the 308 warbird was not included with the 208gr or 212gr bullet. Mag. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. Thank you for the time it took to work all this data up in an easy to absorb article, where are you getting your information for the bullet drop? When considering cartridges for their ability to shoot flat, overcoming drag is critical. bullet 12 inches at 500 yards, a low B.C. All Rights Reserved, My Group Therapy: Shooting Log Book | 100 pages (6"x9") | Record Target Shooting Data & Improve your Skills and Precision Paperback June 13, 2019. And that light recoil not only makes you a better shot in the field; it also makes practicing more fun and productive. Was sad to not see the .300 H&H Magnum, though I doubt it would measure much different than the .300 Win Mag. Somehow stumbled onto this article. And for all of you whove just learned your flat shooting champion really isnt, sorry. . The first category will include cartridges with a +/- 3" maximum point blank range (MPBR) of greater than 270 but less than 300 yards. And they can change in your rifle and will change at different velocities. In general, lightweight bullets driven very fast shoot flatter than heavier bullets with better aerodynamics (high B.C. Case capacity is literally and figuratively the driving force here: Both Nosler offerings are based on the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum and both boast case capacities of 93.5 grains of water. Its really tough to spot impacts with that much recoil, and thats becoming increasingly important for shooters. With those thoughts in mind, it is easy to see why the 26 Nosler, 28 Nosler and the 6.5300 Weatherby Magnums are the best flat-shooting cartridges offered to rifle shooters today. My name is Steve and I have just viewed your video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridges. Pretty impressive for a low B.C., 55-grain bullet. In other words, the 223 Remington throws the same bullets as the 220 Swift, but cant approach its maximum velocity, so theres no chance it can shoot as flat. . Don't want it too heavy. Factory rifles and ammunition options are limited here, too, but based on the ballistic abilities of this cartridge, thats likely to change sooner rather than later. Great information! Trust but verify. While at the High Bar Homestead with PSA, I was able to stretch their 6.5 Grendel out to 1,000 yards with Federal Premium 130 grain Bergers. In ballistic terms, a 235-grain .375 bullet at 3,000 fps exits the muzzle with lots of energy: 4,695 ft-lbs. Thoughts on this? This cartridge is the .270 GIBBS and is based on the 30.06 case with the shoulder moved forward and at a 35 degree angle. What I have come up with is the .270 Weatherby Magnum with a 135gr Sierra Matchking and 7828. How about our drops on the cartridges that made it? Most fall close to the .22 caliber bullet range, and can dip down to .17 caliber and up to .264 (6.5 mm). unfair comparison, Hornady makes a 139 grain BTSP for the 7mm mag very flat shooter, Great info, thanks for your difficult work. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. Granted I do live in New England, and we dont have that many long shot opportunities here, but you would think someone would want to have there firearms chambered in such a flat shooting cartridge. The 7mag is one of the calibers he mentioned for the original 7 in the test. Love it Jim ! Target Rifle- Caliber Question. Mag., according to Noslers Handloading Guide 9. The .17 HMR is based upon the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire casing, necked down to .17 Caliber. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps That should be pretty close to flat. Nice summary of the subject for those of us who do not understand things like Coreolis Force and aerodynamic jump. In any caliber the cartridge that attains the highest muzzle velocity wins the flat shooter award, so theres no sense arguing that the 6.5 Grendel might shoot as flat as the 27 Nosler. Now I have some facts for my creedmoor pal to chew on. The 6.5 PRC can remain supersonic out beyond 1,600 yards or so, but ammunition options are limited. All same bullets for each of the numbers that are then averaged. I too share your endorsement of Ron, his videos are a treat each week. http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator. A big 7mm like the 7rum can put a 140 with nearly a .500 bc downrange at over 3500 fps or a 120 with about a .400 bc in the 3600+ fps range. Unless youre shooting really far. Your email address will not be published. Enjoying many of your video\s whilst stuck in lockdown. 223 Wylde chambered, 20" barreled rifle. I've heard that too! Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. (not the bullet Id choose for this beast, just puts it nicely in line with the others), What does that do for you at regular ranges? Clear enough? . The following table averages multiple loads for each cartridge and shows an average amount of drop at 500 yards and 1,000 yards for each cartridge. Only a handful of .277-caliber cartridges are made today, but the .270 Winchester is still by far the most popular, given all the guns and loads out there for it. Just wondering where the 300 win mag ends up? Share: Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Share Link. Its clear that flat shooting is directly proportional to overbore. In 2015, Mann began contributing to Field & Stream to cover guns, ammunition, ballistics, and hunting. The wildly overbore 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum wins or places near the top of the flat-shooter podium at most ranges to at least 1,000 yards. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. If you had to choose one cartridge to hunt with for the rest of your life, you could do a whole lot worse than the .30-06 Springfield. Ron Spomer Outdoors 1.1M views 6 months ago Head-To-Head: 6.5. In fact, we may say that its the only thing that matters; however, factors that lead to time of flight changes are important to consider. A .270 caliber rifle loaded with a 130 or a 140 grain bullets will drop respectively 33 and 35 inches with each bullet have over 1400 lbs. The round is on the cusp of energy at 300 yards, but it is a favorite among short to mid-distance deer hunters. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. The Creedmoor carries more velocity and energy downrange with less recoil than any other factory cartridge. At 600 yards, most common cartridges are running out of juice to take down larger game like Elk or Moose, though the 300 win mag/300 WSM still have a bit left in the tank. The best varmint rifles are capable of accurate, repeated medium to long range shots from a fixed position, and are usually found in light, fast calibers that have a flat trajectory. Flattest Shooting Hunting Bullet 257 Weatherby Vanguard 26" pipe. Hornadys Precision Hunter 145-grain ELD-X at 2,950 fps is the flattest-shooting .270 Winchester load. Great chart and thanks for what must have been an incredible amount of work. Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter's Adventures in the African Bush .by Peter H. Capstick, Dino Paravano, Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders (Volume 1) Paperback, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game, Horn of the Hunter: The Story of an African Safari Kindle Edition, Use Enough Gun: On Hunting Big Game Hardcover, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail: Upland Birds and Small Game from Field to Feast Hardcover March 1, 2018, The Easy Venison Cookbook: 60 Simple Recipes for Deer, Elk, and Moose Kindle Edition.