6.5x47mm Lapua vs. 300 WSM

I was running some numbers this evening and made a few graphs I thought I would share.

Background:

My go-to hunting rifle is a 300 WSM Kimber Montana that I shoot 150gr GS HV bullets for hunting. (155gr A-Max for practice).

I am 80% through with a 20+ year target rifle project (this is a whole other thread in itself). It will be in 6.5x47mm Lapua.

Running the numbers side by side, just for fun, I found some interesting comparisons.

I was a little surprised by the drop table, but had figured there would be a close comparison before I graphed the data. But what I was not expecting was how much better the wind-bucking ability of the 6.5mm bullet has over the .308 cal. What really surprised me was the energy the 6.5mm still packs after about 600 yds. It really gives the .308 bullets a run for their money!

Ballistics Program: http://www.gseven.com/ballistic-program

GS Custom Bullets: http://gscustom.co.za

Berger Bullets: http://www.bergerbullets.com

Much of it are the cupper bullet put a 190gr amax in the .300 and try.

I agree you are comparing apples to coconuts.

VLDs in .308 start at 190 and go up.

I will give it a go, but understand that I am intentionally comparing "apples to coconuts". Remember this is my hunting rifle and my target rifle. It was just for a fun comparison of the tools I use.

But I'll plug in a .308 cal VLD using numbers out of Berger's book later today.

Thanks for the replies!

Long range – 1,000 yards







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Short range – 600 yards

Kenati,

You shoot two very good calibers. What you're seeing is what the target/sniper crown has known for some time now. Drop is drop, a constant and can be accounted for through technology via ballistic apps, elevation dials and hold over reticles. Wind is another issue. It can be measured, direction computed but it's not a constant. It's a variable that is constantly changing thus one of the three reasons we like the little 6.5's (I shoot two 6.5x47's and a 260 Rem) for our sport. The high BC bullets that we love to shoot help to overcome variable winds. If we make a bad wind call or the wind, bastid that it is, changes on us unexpectedly, the high BC bullets make the miss not so prominent. The 2nd thing we like about the 6.5's is the recoil factor. To equalize the 6.5's and 30's, one has to go up in bullet weight of the 30 cal to equal or exceed a 6.5. That means more recoil. It's not that we (some of us) can't tolerate the extra recoil it's that we don't want to; especially over a long course of fire. The 3rd is cost. It's a simple matter of economy that 30's cost more to shoot. As to Energy. Yep, the 30's can put more hurt on target up close and to an extent the same at LR, some times.

Alan

Thanks for the response!

I enjoyed doing the comparison and helped me confirm what I suspected. I'll have to pick your brain about your 6.5x47mm once I finish mine up.

Thanks again!

I don't get the point; maybe it is just me. These are two completely different use cartridges in every way. Give us a comparison between the 22lr and the 500 Nitro and see what differences there are, if any. They are both straight, rimmed cartridges and look the same to me in pictures. I am not knocking you if you just like to work with graphs for kicks.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I don't get the point; maybe it is just me. These are two completely different use cartridges in every way. Give us a comparison between the 22lr and the 500 Nitro and see what differences there are, if any. They are both straight, rimmed cartridges and look the same to me in pictures. I am not knocking you if you just like to work with graphs for kicks.

Interesting response. Thanks for that.

As a side note, there is a whole forum here filled with lots of hunting, shooting, and gun information. Feel free to read something that interests you personally.

To each his own.

Cheers!