Ideal caliber for 200-300 yard paper punching?

[Dshooter]

For economy... .223 for speed and a lot of fun 22-250. My tweeked remy 700 22-250 shoots large 1 hole at 200 and consistent 2 1/2" or better groups at 400 & that's using a mil dot and hold over/hold offs.

 

[rrwildlife]

30BR Caution

While the 30BR is a great and inherently accurate cartridge you may end up running into problems getting good custom bullets. Currently there is a shortage of jackets and the custom bullet makers are having a hard time fulfilling order. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[cmh2007]

You could try the 30br. It seems to hold its own onthe short range ccompetitions. Another one to try would be the 7.62x40 put into a bolt gun loaded with some 135gr bullets

 

[Northman]

True, there are shortages with good 30cal bullets at the moment.

But you have "good" enough bullets from Berger, Hornady, Speer and Nosler.

Speer 125 TNT
Hornady 110 V-max
Nosler 120 BT
Sierra 120 Matchking


The TNT is rumored to very consistent.

 

[Deadshot2]

.223 or M28 Davy Crockett

Didn't you mean "M-388 Davy Crockett"?

 

[Deadshot2]

While the 30BR is a great and inherently accurate cartridge you may end up running into problems getting good custom bullets. Currently there is a shortage of jackets and the custom bullet makers are having a hard time fulfilling order. Just something to keep in mind.

a good number of the local BR Shooters that shoot 30BR make their own bullets. J-4 jackets are now starting to flow again from Berger and soon they will have more bullets as well.

For those that want high quality bullets and hate the idea of being market dependent, get a swaging press and dies to make your own. Corbin is one company that supplies them. Pricey but you can have bullets as long as you have jackets and lead wire (along with a good strong right arm )

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Didn't you mean "M-388 Davy Crockett"?

nope m28. Davy Crockett (nuclear device) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Close enough, same result

 

[Downzero]

I'm surprised that there have been no mentions of .204 ruger or .243 win. Or, my personal favorite, .20 Practical

 

[DropinLead]

True, there are shortages with good 30cal bullets at the moment.

But you have "good" enough bullets from Berger, Hornady, Speer and Nosler.

Speer 125 TNT
Hornady 110 V-max
Nosler 120 BT
Sierra 120 Matchking


The TNT is rumored to very consistent.

What would the good bullets be then?

 

[NWnewguy]

I would say there are two practical choices.
223- cheap to free brass, cheapest projectiles going, light on powder use and long barrel life, all the round you need out to 300yds
6BR- great brass selection although pricier than 223, sips powder, excellent bullet choices, superior accuracy to almost everything out there, great barrel life, very easy to load, and great choice of barrel twist. I personally wouldn't go with the fast twist to shoot at 300 or closer, but I will probably be the only one to tell you that. Fast barrel twist is hard on bullets and they wear faster and takes speed away from bullets that don't need the fast twist. If you were going to shoot 600+, then a fast twist would make a lot of sense. I have barrels for both, and strongly prefer the 1-12 for 75-87gr bullets.
Otherwise there are lots of good choices, these two just make the most sense to me.

 

[cmh2007]

My 7.62x40 seems to really like tnt at 200-400yards

 

[sinister]

I don't own one, but this is interesting stuff:

6mmBR Cartridge Guide

 

[cmh2007]

Friend of mine has a 6br says recoil is non existent and easy to load for

 

[338RUM runner]

I shoot 2 6BRs, one open sight and the other scoped in IHMSA and have for the last 10 years. They are Rem XP-100 and they are so much fun to shoot, 8 twist and 107 smk.

 

[Deadshot2]

nope m28. Davy Crockett (nuclear device) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Close enough, same result

I was in Germany while the M-388 was still deployed using both the M-28 and M-29 "launchers". My company had a small "role" but it only involved the common part of both systems, the part that went "Boom".

I wonder whatever really happened to all those little items. Wonder if any were ever "lost" just like tons of other ordnance from those days?

 

[Cat64]

6BR fits those needs perfectly. Here are some 300 yards groups from mine during load development. Largest is .842 and smallest .415. Fun caliber to shoot and very accurate.


Here is the gun.

How can someone put their hands on a platform like yours. Did you build that? What's "on" it? How much something like that costs sans optics?

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I was in Germany while the M-388 was still deployed using both the M-28 and M-29 "launchers". My company had a small "role" but it only involved the common part of both systems, the part that went "Boom".

I wonder whatever really happened to all those little items. Wonder if any were ever "lost" just like tons of other ordnance from those days?

Sorry, I know this does not pertain to the tread on hand. However, I believe they shut down the program because the people using them couldn't outrun the blast so it was basically suicide.

 

[jelrod1]

How can someone put their hands on a platform like yours. Did you build that? What's "on" it? How much something like that costs sans optics?

Jon Beanland built it for me recently. It is set up for mid weight bullets/300 yard comp. I use 90 grain Berger BT. I got the chamber reamer from PTG and sent to Jon with most of the parts. It is roughly 4K in parts and labor without optics. Here are the specs minus optic/rings. Have since changed both since that picture to a different Nightforce and Badger rings.

Rem 700 action trued / PTG lug pinned
Bushed for small firing pin
Timed Jewell HVR Trigger/ tuned cocking piece
XLR Chassis / Rear tang bedded
Long Range Accuracy Bipod
6mm 10 twist Krieger barrel finished at 24"
Chambered in 6mm BR (.2704 neck/.089 freebore)
Kampfeld Sideport Brake
Cerakote finish Patriot Brown/Black
Tab Gear sling

Here is a pic minus optics.

 

[Deadshot2]

Sorry, I know this does not pertain to the tread on hand. However, I believe they shut down the program because the people using them couldn't outrun the blast so it was basically suicide.

The small warhead was OK but the larger ones, yes.

Big thing was that the Germans wanted to deploy them instead of conventional artillery and then draw down their other reaction forces. Western planners felt that this would insure any incursion by the Soviets would "go nuclear" from the start. Combine that with the inherent security issue of small nuclear devices that were essentially "man portable".

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming ---------

 

[steve123]

I had a 6BR once which shot well but By far the most accurate rifle and cartridge combo I've owned was a custom 6PPC benchrest rifle. Groups in the .2's were common and I'm not a benchrest shooter either. Once I worked up a load for 75 grain vmax and on a calm morning hit a 4" wide MGM mini popper at 1000Y often! 300Y is very doable for 6PPC.

 

[J Y D]

Just another option, A-Bolt TCT Varmint, , Browning Firearms Product
I have one of these in .223 flavour and I don't think you will do better for the money. Incidently we have guys here who shoot .223 out to 1000 yds

 

[Cat64]

Jerlod1, are those loads you referred to at the beginning 30.6 gr. of IMR 8208 xbr?

And what determined the difference between the 3 groups with same load?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I shoot .30BR in FV-250 Comp.

My chamber is a mongrel made using the 6mm BR followed by a .344" neck of a .30-'06 reamer to produce a no-turn neck. My brass is made from Lapua 6mm BR, my propellant is IMR-4198, and I have used the 110 V-Max, Nosler 125BT, 125SMK, and am currently using SRA 125 Pro-Hunters.They all work well, but flagging availability has driven me from one to the next.

I am also told the new 135SMK is a shooter, too; and I would seriously suggest someone try them out in larger capacity 30's for sub-600yd accuracy loads with a flatter trajectory, plus milder recoil and powder consumption.

...If you can find them...

Greg

 

[jelrod1]

Jerlod1, are those loads you referred to at the beginning 30.6 gr. of IMR 8208 xbr?

And what determined the difference between the 3 groups with same load?

Yes those are 3 groups each of 8208 XBR at 30.6 and 30.8 grains. The differences in the same charge weights is seating depth. I picked the best three depths with these charge weights at 100 yards before loading these up and shooting at 300. It's hard to tell much difference at 100 because it just shoots small holes. Depths tested at 300 were jam-.005, jam-.01, and jam-.015. I have since stuck with jam-.005. With XBR in this gun I get single digit ES and is better than Varget. Varget loads tested all shot a little less than an inch at 300 but these did better.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I have one of these in .223 flavour and I don't think you will do better for the money. Incidently we have guys here who shoot .223 out to 1000 yds

Interesting, very.

Curious about their bullets and barrels, and how their shooting scores/groupings compare with other chamberings like .308, .260, 6.5-284, etc.

Greg

 

[downhill]

Don't go with opinion- look at the records. The 6 PPC and the 6 BR are at the top for tiny groups at these ranges. Go to Accurate Shooter .com and do a little research. They have an article about a shooter named Jeff Cochran with a 1000 plus yard prairie dog kill with a 6 BR. Tiny groups at 100 & 200 with long range ability.

 

[DRAGON64]

I have 100 - 150-yards in my backyad I can shoot, and my local range stretches out to 200 yd (45-minute drive) and if I compete at all, I can drive 1.5 hors away to a 600-yard range. I was looking for a new bolt rifle myself, and 223 may be just the ticket for me. I'll need to switch gears for a bit and do a little research into reloading components, as most of what I have is 308.

 

[Defusion]

besides the .223 and 6mmbr, perhaps consider 6.5x47 lapua

6mmbr probably will give best accuracy. it's what the benchresters use.

 

[J Y D]

Interesting, very.

Curious about their bullets and barrels, and how their shooting scores/groupings compare with other chamberings like .308, .260, 6.5-284, etc.

Greg

Shooting a .223 out to 1000yds is not something I've tried myself but a couple of the guys who shoot FTR A Blair Atholl Blair Atholl ? Scottish Long Range Championships | USA F/TR have done it quite successfully.
From what I remember the 75gn A Max was used with a compressed load. Peter Burbridge in the Scottish team was one of them although I don't think he used it on that occasion. I'll ask him next time I see him and report back.

 

[DRAGON64]

So tossing some numbers:

Rem 700 SPS-T 20" 1:9 twist
Sierra Match King 68gr
IMR 4895 23gr starter (because I have it on hand, not set in stone)
CCI Primer

From what I have been able to gather, this seems like a reasonable starting point for 150 - 200-yd paper hunting and may serve well out to 300 & 400 yards as well..

 

[darth_ritis]

Pretty much any centerfire would work at that range, some more accurately than others. With budget in mind, I'm enjoying my .223 and my .204 for paper punching with tight groups and low recoil. I haven't started reloading for either of them yet, but in my area .223 ammo is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Don't go with opinion- look at the records. The 6 PPC and the 6 BR are at the top for tiny groups at these ranges. Go to Accurate Shooter .com and do a little research. They have an article about a shooter named Jeff Cochran with a 1000 plus yard prairie dog kill with a 6 BR. Tiny groups at 100 & 200 with long range ability.

That record reflects the past as much as the present. One guy who shoots a lot of the top scores at our FV-250 events does it with a 6.5x47 as well as a 6mmBR.

Greg