I shoot in the soggy part of the PNW.
spotting at 1500 is not generally an issue here year round with 7mm 180 & 190’s.
Most of the time I self spot through my scope.
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A good 1500 yard caliber
- Thread starter para1505
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spotting at 1500 is not generally an issue here year round with 7mm 180 & 190’s.
Most of the time I self spot through my scope.
New York. Been there and done that. 6.5's are hard to spot, 7's a little better but your post insinuated there was a ballistic challenge, not just spotting impacts.
As others have said, seeing impacts is critical. Not knowing what your impact area is made of, my suggestions are based on where I shoot and the type of terrain I am exposed to. The ground has slight inclines with soft loam soil; impacts are easy to see when it is dry. I shoot a straight .284 with 180 Hybrids and have absolutely no problem seeing impacts and getting on target at 1500 yards and on days with moderate winds, can put them on target at 1850 yards.
If, however, you have plans on shooting 1500 - 2000 yards on a regular basis, I'd step up to the 300 PRC, 300 Norma, 338 Norma or 338 Lapua. Barrel life probably will not be as good as the .284 but the heavier 200-300 grain bullets will give more signature than the 180s at the longer distances.
If, however, you have plans on shooting 1500 - 2000 yards on a regular basis, I'd step up to the 300 PRC, 300 Norma, 338 Norma or 338 Lapua. Barrel life probably will not be as good as the .284 but the heavier 200-300 grain bullets will give more signature than the 180s at the longer distances.
After reading everyone's advise I believe now I'm going to go with the .300 PRC. I'm sure some of the 7mm choices would get it done. But the .300 PRC just looks like a bad ass round. The ballistic data looks really good too.
If you would have told me that 10 years ago...I would have laughed you out of the room. Man, we've come a long long way since I had to admit that someone's 6.5cm was better than my 308 at distance. If I were 50% at 1000 yards I couldn't get my big head in the door...couldn't get my puffed out chest behind the steering wheel to drive back home.
Now...point...pull...bang...repeat.
I remember people talking about shooting a mile and being awestruck.
Now I shoot that far or further every week.
Yea, my perspective has certainly changed over the years.
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Another one for the 300 prc...
As previously posted...if u dont hand load...
You can find box ammo for mid to high 30s
Generally just under 40 bucks on line...
My 24" MPA absolutely loves factory ammo...enough so that all my load testing has been reverted back to the same velocity and same O.A.L. as box hornady 225 ELD-M...
Only hand loading for a little more consistency and cheaper after x amount of firings depending on brass brand...
I almost pulled the trigger on 338 norma here just a week ago and have decided to just stick with 300 prc...not enough gained for the money..for ME.....(based on factory ammo)...especially knowing/not knowing our trying times of this covid-19 stuff...
Not bashing on 338 norma...
May go with a 338 AI in a year or so....
But for 1500 yrds...I would give the 300 prc a try....dont think you will be disappointed
As previously posted...if u dont hand load...
You can find box ammo for mid to high 30s
Generally just under 40 bucks on line...
My 24" MPA absolutely loves factory ammo...enough so that all my load testing has been reverted back to the same velocity and same O.A.L. as box hornady 225 ELD-M...
Only hand loading for a little more consistency and cheaper after x amount of firings depending on brass brand...
I almost pulled the trigger on 338 norma here just a week ago and have decided to just stick with 300 prc...not enough gained for the money..for ME.....(based on factory ammo)...especially knowing/not knowing our trying times of this covid-19 stuff...
Not bashing on 338 norma...
May go with a 338 AI in a year or so....
But for 1500 yrds...I would give the 300 prc a try....dont think you will be disappointed
If you reload...
280AI might be an interesting choice to consider as well as the necked up 6.5PRC to 28PRC
And for sure 30-06 or 30-06 improved.
If you do not reload, 6.5PRC but the barrel life will not be there...
280AI might be an interesting choice to consider as well as the necked up 6.5PRC to 28PRC
And for sure 30-06 or 30-06 improved.
If you do not reload, 6.5PRC but the barrel life will not be there...
So True. And now when people ask me about shooting and how far I just skip the details.
We have indeed come a long way with long range and extreme long range shooting. Hard to believe there's anything further we can do, but I'll bet there is a lot left to do and we will see amazing advances made in coming years.
Take your pick. Hell I’ve taken my 243 to a mile. 1500 is just about anything you want. 300wm is great for 1500 even for unseasoned ELR shooters. I’m guessing your really new to ELR or you wouldn’t be asking. maybe a 338 edge or lapua if your lacking in the elevation department.
Gotta warm ya though. Once you start getting good hits at 1500 your going to want more, plan accordingly
Gotta warm ya though. Once you start getting good hits at 1500 your going to want more, plan accordingly
Had that discussion with friend many times, he was awfully worried about buying a barrel but didn't have any problem paying $5-6 a round for ammo.
What ground is around your target? If it's sandy/gravel and dry, you could do it with anything that is supersonic. A 7 saum with dry conditions will leave plenty of splash to make corrections.
6.5-284 has a bit more juice then 6.5 PRC but I see the later being more common over then next bit.
It an awesome cartridge but from personal experience the 6.5 bullets can be hard to spot sometimes if conditions aren’t great.
Yes sir. 28” 1:7 shooting 115’s at 3030fps. 4th, 7th and 8th round hits. Conditions were about perfect
Technically it’s 1753 yards
Moa size rock
IN to subsonic
None of us shoot 243, but we’ve taken 6x47 and 6 Creed past a mile on a couple of occasions. When conditions are calm it’s pretty doable.
30-06 ack imp or saami spec with a 24-26 barrel, a 180 gr Flatline.great barrel life and will get you there no problem.and plenty of off the shelf ammo.
The 6mms, 6.5s, and 7s really are the "Easy" button to start getting long range hits. 7mm is awesome and as others attest will get it done at a mile and beyond. Once you step up to the 190gr in a 7mm I believe you are going to see barrel life plummet just as you would in a 300NM so the advantage would have to come down to recoil reduction or ammo/bullet availability.
300PRC is looking to be the same "Easy" button to a mile in that it is a great compromise of many factors. Hornady putting out their factory ammo at a decent price probably being the #1 upside.
An interesting story.
A friend(he has a 338NM)is starting a company and a few of the partners are from England.
One of the Brits was a woman who never shot a firearm before.
We took them shooting and he showed her a few fundamentals and she got sorted out a bit at 775 yards.
Switched to the 1050 target , fast learner, small correction to position and a second round hit.
Move to 1810
She shot quite a few rounds but just couldn’t connect, I could see she was getting beat up a bit from recoil.
I suggested she try my 7 saum, hit it on the second try and repeated it on the third.
She commented that my rifle was nicer and my buddy said I’m an asshole.
I do not however take the spotting aspect of the bigger bullets lightly.
NW dirt really swallows up impacts at times.
This is why I ended up going the 300 Norma route. Less pounding than the .338's but easier to spot impacts than the 7mm's.
Funny, I think back to 2001 when I bought my first Sako TRG-42 and was slinging factory 250 gr Lockbase bullets and thinking I was the shit. Now hopefully I'll be sending some very different 250 gr bullets down range and thinking I'm the shit that don't stink
Funny, I think back to 2001 when I bought my first Sako TRG-42 and was slinging factory 250 gr Lockbase bullets and thinking I was the shit. Now hopefully I'll be sending some very different 250 gr bullets down range and thinking I'm the shit that don't stink
Yep...and 10 years from now we'll be shooting distances with accuracy we never imagined as well.
Will be interesting for sure. Any of you guys remember an early 80's movie called Runaway with Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons?
Programmable fire and forget guided bullets...now that's some scary shit.
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I think all of the magnum 30’s are a good compromise.
Especially with modern bullets.
I think any of the calibers are great options these days a mile and in. 338s, 30s,and 7s are all great options. Find one you like the sound of, and run with it. It's more the shooter than the caliber. Some do provide advantages over others, but none of it matters if the trigger puller sucks.
I think that the 6.5CM would be a decent choice.
If you are shooting a lot of rounds one right after the other, as you would in say, PRS, well bbl life will be less.
However, if you shoot as you say you do and let the bbl cool, well I can almost assure you that most quality bbl manufacturers will get substantially more rounds before accuracy degrades to a point where you have extremely poor accuracy.
Also, if you have a 1/4 moa gun that starts to shoot 1/2 after X amount of rounds, is that such a bad thing?
In the same way, if you load ammo too hot it will really take a toll on the throat of the bbl.
Well, just one man's opinion, good luck on your journey.
Others' opinion will vary....but I personally don't like shooting a cartridge that goes subsonic before my intended target....actually I like to have wiggle room and have that cartridge capable of shooting another 200 yards before going subsonic...beyond my target.
Now yes...ofcourse I shoot my rifle from time to time beyond what I just said....but that is very rare....and at the moment...I can't afford to build a rifle for ranges I can rarely attempt....but if I do find myself shooting 2500+ in ELR comps more often...I'll build a bigger gun.
That’s part of the magic of easy mode.
That said the challenge of a not so optimal cartridge is quite fun if you don’t get frustrated easily.
That chart very true with 168 grain bullets. Add in a M14/M1A and there lies the long distance problem. Factor in a quality bolt gun running 175s or 185 to 200 grain bullets and out to 1200 a 308 can be impressive. Not saying it is as good as a fast 7 or bigger caliber but no slouch.
Was shooting with a buddy who has a M14 with a 12 twist Kreiger today.
At 1120 he was a contender today with FGMM 168’s
DA this morning was 1200 so not a lot of elevation.
I’ve shot that rifle at a similar DA out to 1300 successfully.
I don't even think of this thread as if 1500 is the real goal, whether the OP knows it or not. Hit at 1500 and the itch will itch like a bitch. If you have to go through hell or high water, you'll find a place where you can shoot a mile, then longer and longer. So fuck it, just go straight to 416B, get to a couple of miles and see it you need to scratch more itch.
3000 rounds not fps. You can get 3k rounds out of a 6.5284 but after 1200 at a compettion level and pace the accuracy will not be where it needs to be. The 300wsm has a following due to the fact that the throat doesn't move much over a season. Most are shooting the dame load with very little change in seating if any. Recoil is the price you pay though.
