First Custom rifle....Help me decide the caliber

[Lrdchaos]

Little background. I currently have a remington sps tactical 20in barrel 308. I am going to start shooting prone competitions in the future. Most of the time it will be 600 yard with a few 1000 yard competitions thrown in there. I had pretty much decided on the 6.5 creedmoor for my build. I had planned to set it up with a 28 inch barrel to get every last drop of velocity out of the rifle for those 1000 yard shots. Then I got to thinking, which is usually a bad thing. If I ever get into shooting tactical style competitions I will use my 308 due to it having a shorter barrel and being a lighter rifle. Would it be wise to build my new rifle in 308 to keep my dial up similar? Both scopes will be Nightforce NP-R1 reticles. What is your opinions on the subject? I understand the pros and cons on the two calibers I have mentioned. Just looking for some real life feedback on the issue.

 

[kissmy300blkbrass]

I'm going with a GA Precision 22" 6.5 Creedmoor #7 contour threaded 5/8-24 and Templar V2 action

 

[kthomas]

You'll have a hard time being competitive in competitions with a .308. The ballistics of the 6 and 6.5mm calibers smoke the .308.

Here is what the pro's use: http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/12/17/best-rifle-caliber-what-the-pros-use/

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[Early Cuyler]

I began shooting a Remington 700P and faced this question when I bought my DTA. I wanted to try my hand at the local 600 and 1000 yard matches and was faced with the choosing between 243, 260, and 308. I chose 308 and while the rifle and load are accurate enough to put them in the 10-ring, I am at a significant disadvantage to those running the 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm cartridges due to wind.

I suggest you go to a ballistic calculator and play with some numbers. Look at the wind drift of the 140 Amax/Hybrid at ~2750 compared to a 175/178gr at ~2650-2700. The 6.5 is much more forgiving.

It isn't impossible to get great scores with a 308. Hell I scored a guy's 308 600yd target and he shot a 292/300. However unless your wind reading abilities are on par with a kestrel (like that guy's), a 6.5CM will be a better choice.

 

[bbcellars]

I'm a big fan of 6mm Creedmoor. Nothing against the 6.5, as I just built one for myself as a hunting rig, but the recoil and ballistics of the 6CM are pretty attractive. I would build an identical rifle in 6CM, and then practice with your 308. Recoil will be more on the 308, and you'll have to work harder in the wind, but when you grab the 6mm or 6.5mm it should feel like cheating...

 

[delixe]

It's very hard to steer you away from a 6.5 (CM or .260) vs. a .308 even for the reason you brought up.
My .260 is a sweet, accurate rifle with low recoil and quite a bit less drop and wind drift than a .308.
I've heard nothing but praise for 6.5 CM, too, or even 6.5x47 Lapua.

Good time to mention that if you go that route and can't find H4350, I found Accurate 4350 to perform just as well, and you can actually buy the stuff.

 

[VKC]

Are you going to be shooting factory ammo or loading? If you shoot factory amok than a 22 to 24" is all you will need.


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[sib1948]

I love my 260 for precision shooting with Lapua 136L or 139gr bullets over 43.3gr of H4350. Just order 243 barrel, but understand barrel life can be shorter (1000-2000 rounds). Also due to H4350 shortage, I am starting to work up loads with IMR 4350 and hope to get some good results at about 43gr.