Here's one to think about over the stilton and port (or whatever your yuletide supper involves ).

If you were building a 1000 yard target rifle, would you go for .308? 6.5 x 55 Swede? Some other calibre?

I know that .338 Lapua might be the miracle calibre at long range but work with me on this one - I'm a bit of a traditionalist

I think that I read some where in the last day or two that the .308 holds most of the records.I have a 6mmX284 that was considered a 1000 yard caliber several years ago, but seems (to me) awfully light for that purpose.

338 Lapua of course

Just kidding, what about the 300 win mag? The 308 would work just fine as long as the scope had enough adjustment.

Jim

I'd be inclined to go with the .300 wm or maby .300 H+H.

6.5x284 seems to be the no. 1 choice these days, Handles the wind like the magnums with the 142 gr Sierra or a VLD and doesn't beat you to death. Another option is the 6.5-06 Improved if you want an easy rebarrel of an existing action and cheaper brass.

I suppose that depends somewhat on which kind of target shooting you're doing.

My Model 70 target rifle was built as a Palma rifle and as such .308 is the required caliber. It's certainly accurate enough at 600 - 1000 yards.

I've also put a fair number of rounds through a USMC M40A1 sniper rifle, at extended ranges.

The .308 is not exactly the cream of the crop for 1000 yard shooting though, there are others which recoil less, and hold velocity better, like the 6.5's and yes, even the little 6mm's.

In years past the big bull guns were primarily .30 and 7mm magnums, and they will certainly do the job. I've shot a .30-338 in a custom Model 70 that flat amazed me with it's accuracy. However 60+ rounds of prone shooting with a magnum wasn't particularly pleasant.

I can't help but think that a .338 Lapua or .338-416 with 300 grain Sierra Matchkings would make a superb long range target rifle. Recoil could become a factor though, which is why I don't see them on the line at long range matches.

Are you going to shoulder the rifle, use a sling and hold it that way or set it on a rest as in benchrest or "F" class shooting? Regards, Guy

If you look at the results of the NW 1000 yrd benchrest association matches, the results seem to indicate to me that a .308 Baer built on a Trued Remington 700 with a Hart/ Kreiger barrel in a Shehane or lee six stock is a heck of a good combination for the heavy rifle class. In the hands of an experienced shot these guns are capable of aggregates in the 7's. That's awsome shooting. Even the lowly 300 win mag has posted some incredible scores.
Interestingly, I could find only a very few .338 Lapuas being used and certainly not winning anything. The scores posted at 1000 yrdsare quite comparable to those shot with the .50BMG.
-Rob

I have a friend that is part of a black powder metalic target shooting club... they shoot 1000+ yards... with bullets barely supersonice at the muzzle, and NOT with a high bc... While not 1000, I have shot a 3x3 "target" at 350 yards, 5 of 5 shots, with a rossi 38 2.56" barrel... dont ask how many "ranging" shots I had to make

So,
What do you want to shoot at 1000? smallbore? 300 hh/winnie are known for it, 30-378 would excell at it, in a HUGE gun.... and you could use VLD bullets.
Or the 50 bmg (or anything that can launch a 750 amax over 2200 fps) would also do the trick..

but, do you have any idea of the rise on the run? Or, to put it another way, the compensation required?

Try this.. take your small/medium bore and load it with it's highest BC bullet, run load it to it's tinist groups, and goto the range... Start 1/2 FOOT high at 100.... and start playing with targets further out. 200... adjust the sights for windage... 300 adjust for windage...400... 500.. etc...

If you range doesn't offer anything longer, then re-sight in for 100, and see how tight your group are now, btw. You have taken a couple tenths' out, I reckon.

But, if you make it to 500, you'll see amazing drop. Then, sight it 1/2 foot high at 500.... and try 600...700.. 800..900.. 1000....

jeffe

Above all, keep shooting.. it's always fun to burn gunpowder

Right now my first choice is a 6.5x55. A 30 caliber of some sort would be my second choice. I think the 308 is maybe a little small to use the 190 or 200 grain bullets so I would be inclined to go with a 30/06 or perhaps a WSM.
If I have the time to mess with it I'm going to try a 308 chambered 57mm long to get a little more powder capacity over the standard 308. It should enable me to get 2700 fps with 190s easily which is about what is necessary.
The big cartridges work real well but are not so great if you are shooting prone with a rifle under 15 pounds. This is the main reason for the popularity of the 6.5mm bore.
I think a 7x57 would work pretty well too if a person liked the 7mm. There are some good bullets available and it kind of splits the difference between the hardkicking 30s and the "same as everyone else" 6.5s.
My 6.5x55 shoots 142s at 2800 from it's 26" barrel and I have shot some decent score with it. Regards, Bill.

A customer, who just earned the President's 100 award, was telling me about a wildcat that seems to be gaining favor, It uses the 107 gr 6mm bullet on a 250-3000 case.
Any one know anything about that?
Jim

Arky,
It is called the 6mm-X. David Tubb and Glen Zediker (one a distinguished shooter, the other a distinguished author) are big proponents of this cartridge. David Tubb even offers it as a standard chambering in his "Tubb 2000" rifle.

You can find references and links on Zediker's website: www.zediker.com

It may be the one they call the "6mm NMC". It is the 22-250 case necked up to 6mm with a little different shoulder angle. Of course, the 22-250 case is the 250-3000 necked down, correct. There is a guy in WI that thinks he has proprietary rights to the cartridge, but... From my experience, the winner today is the 6.5 x 284. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

6.5-284 is one of the most popular with the 1000 yd. BR guys. Somebody just shot a new world record at the NC range of around 1.75" and I believe it was with the 6.5-284.

John Lewis

Here is some information on the 6mm-X and 6mm-XC taken form the Zediker site.

"Cartridge Origin

The "original" 6mmX (20-degree shoulder) resulted from chambering a barrel using a .243 Winchester reamer held (stopped) 0.132 inches short of its intended depth. This was done to allow use of a .22-.250 case. The 6mmX sizing die was made by shortening a .243 Winchester die (seating die also) 0.145 inches (additional length was based on varying shellholder heights; this ensured the case could be run fully into the die and attain adequate case shoulder contact). We then took a .22-.250 case and ran it fully into this sizing die and then loaded the rounds and fire-formed the case in the 6mmX chamber. The .22-.250 case neck could initially be expanded using the sizing die provided a tapered (.17 cal. to 6mm [.243 cal.]) Redding expander was installed or that the expander had been modified with a taper.

The 6mmXC (30-degree case shoulder) cartridge came about as a natural progression from shooting the original 6mmX. The 6mmXC has some features which I feel are more desirable compared to the 6mmX. &emdash;

1.) The cartridge case body length is 0.023 inches shorter than the 6mmX. This means that 6mmXC chamber reamer now cuts the base of the case closer to the original .22-.250 base diameter.

2.) Shortening the case body also allows for less longitudinal (length) stretching during fire-forming. This will result in the 6mmXC having a greater case life (more firings).

3.) Its 30-degree case shoulder allows less case growth (less trimming required).

I have found that velocities attainable with the 6mmXC are equivalent to those attainable using .243 Winchester. Barrel life is much better than .243 Winchester due to the fact that the XC has about 7 grains less powder capacity."