Interested in your opinions...

What is the best overall long range cartridge?

Best three?

Best five?

Not talking competition shooting but something for a recreational shooter (targets, varmints, and perhaps big game).

For me it is 300 win mag. I like the 30 cal due to the wide range of bullet weights avaialble. Shot 300 ultra mag amd lazzeroni warbird for years, barrels shot out pretty quickly. So dinally settled on 300 win. I fought it for a long time due it being a belted mag and all of the reported problems of head spacing. My rifle will shoot .1-.2 all day, gues I got head spce figured out!

I'm a fan of the .300 Win Mag also. May get a .300 H&H, but more for nostalgia.

Brent, are you familiar with the collect sizing die for belted magnums by Innovative Technologies? I have had one for some time now and it works very well. FWIW it was reviewed in Precision Shooting magazine many years ago. I got it because I have several 300WM rifles, but the good feature is that it works on all belted magnums with the same basic case dimensions, so, my die works on my 7mm RM as well as the 300WMs and my 375H&H.
It sizes right down to the belt itself rather than leaving a slight unsized portion of the case just above the belt.
Peter

AZ, I think we have been through all this before, with your help I might add! So, for the sake of argument:
1. It depends on what is meant by "long range".
2. Assuming 1 above:
Up to 600 yards: 223Rem
600-800: 308 (might be stretched a bit longer but adverse wind conditions make a conservative estimate.
800-1200: 300WM
Above that, no personal experience.
I might add that I have tried my 7mmRM with premium long range bullets (Berger VLDs)without much success. All above suggestions have been using premium Match bullets.
FWIW, Peter

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
AZ, I think we have been through all this before, with your help I might add! So, for the sake of argument:
1. It depends on what is meant by "long range".
2. Assuming 1 above:
Up to 600 yards: 223Rem
600-800: 308 (might be stretched a bit longer but adverse wind conditions make a conservative estimate.
800-1200: 300WM
Above that, no personal experience.
I might add that I have tried my 7mmRM with premium long range bullets (Berger VLDs)without much success. All above suggestions have been using premium Match bullets.
FWIW, Peter

Well, I agree the .308 Win is a good long range round, but IMO it runs out of steam about 600 yards; the wind drift gets very difficult.

The big .338s are really impressive, but a lot of powder, blast, recoil, and cost.

I love the 300 RUM, but barrel life might be a bit of an issue. Good hunting caliber though.

I am thinking of building a 6.5x284 next. What is better, that or a 6.5 Creedmoor? Anybody shot both? Opinions on accuracy?

I just did what I am sure you have already done, and found this:

http://www.longrangehunting.co...6-5-creedmoor-79836/

Not sure if you are talking hunting or target shooting though.
Peter.

I shoot the 6.5x284. I don't know what your definition of big game is, I don't use it for anything bigger than deer sized game.

I've shot antelope at 450 yards, coyotes to 732 yards and prairie dogs out to 799 yards. I consider anything within 500 yards a chip shot and it will group into 3" at 500 yards all day long.

I like it because I can build it in a rifle light enough to carry all day without the punishing recoil when I shoot long range prone matches ( I don't like brakes). I use it 1,000 yard matches regularly to keep in practice.

Wind-bucking 180gr 7mm upwards of 2850fps. If you have the budget then a .338 will do for anything in the western hemisphere.

The brass and powder behind the projectiles don't really matter to me so long as it's available.

I started out with a 338 Edge, but didn't particularily like the recoil with the heavy 300's. Wind drift figures were nice, but it was a handful. Took the rifle and rebarreled to 300 RUM (30" heavily fluted) and with a brake the recoil is minimal. I shoot a 200gr Accubond at 3250 with Retumbo powder, accuracy is excellent and performance on long range game is great. Elk out to 850 and one deer at 1180.

With just target/plinking in mind I have 6mm's and 6.5's of various sorts from 6X47 Lapua, a real good shooting 29" barreled 243 winchester and a 6.5X47 Lapua. I still want to put together a 6.5 Creedmoore and a straight 284 Winchester, both in a precision rifle type guise for longer range practice/competitions.

I did build one beast of a rifle on a stiller Tack 408 action in 338 Big Bear (338 Chey Tac Imp). That rifle shoots the 300gr Sierra MK at 3150 or so and is what I will use for beyond 1000 yards, probably out to a mile. So far it has seen all of 300 yards though and none too much trigger time. I think smaller calibers, handier rifles certainly see more use!

when i get the chance and the funds, i want to build me a 7MM-08. i have one for hunting now in a rem. 700 S.S. had it for about 12 years or so, but i want one for 600 yards..

22-240 Wby with a 1:8 twist barrel shooting 80gr A-Maxes.

6mm-06 shootings 115 Berger VLD's

300 Tejas shooting anything....heavy recoil though. Nice gun for Namibian baboons

6.5x47 Lapua shooting 130 Berger match.

26 Nosler with 140 VLD's out of a 30" barrel.

All in "blueprinted" M700 actions, with Near mounts, Jewell triggers and laminate stocks for better harmonics on bipods.

How many guys here shoot the 260 Rem AI as a long range cartridge?

I will hopefully have mine in July when I go home on leave.

Currently shoots a 123 A Max at 2950fps

Gerhard,

Is getting popular here in Australia lately. A friend is building one right now.

The 243 AI has been popular for years.

I still prefer the 6.5X47 Lapua.

7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag, 338 Lapua
7mm has a much better BC tham 30 cal & 338 Lapua just works great if using Lapua components IMHO